If there’s one fruit that I didn’t have the greatest relationship with it’s cherries.
I’m not sure why but I’ve had a hard time jumping on the cherry bandwagon. I like them in theory and think that they look so cute and lovely but….I dunno, I could never really bring myself to eating them, until very recently.
As I dig into the corners of my mind searching to find some deep subconscious reason why cherries have gotten a bad rap in my world, I suspect that this may be the culprit…
Who remembers and would like to forget these?! Gag.gag.gag. Why mom? Whyyyyy?
Now, I fully embrace cherries and really could eat them by the bucketful.
To honour my budding romance with cherries, and since cherries are in season, I decided to whip this up.
Not only are cherries a fun treat to eat, they are SO good for you.
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Here are 4 benefits of cherries:
Help to manage blood sugar
They make a great snack because they don’t raise your blood sugar like some other sweeter fruits.
Keeps your skin looking youthful
Cherries have the highest antioxidant level of any fruit. Antioxidants help your body to fight free radicals that speed up aging.
High in fiber
If you’re looking for a snack to replace that 3pm cookie, reach for cherries or throw them in your morning smoothie. They are high in fiber which will help you feel full longer which can help you to lose weight.
Can help you get a good night’s sleep
Cherries contain melatonin which plays an important role in calming your body and helping you to get some shut eye.
O.M.G. These brownies were seeeeriously gooood. I even got the hubster to eat dark chocolate and beets! 2 things that he would never normally eat. I mean – when was the last time you ate a brownie and actually felt good about yourself afterwards?!
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I’m actually scarfing one down now as I type this…
The substitution of coconut oil for butter adds moisture, lowers the saturated fat and kicks up much needed healthy fats but you can just replace with the equivalent of unsalted butter.
Beets are high in fiber, vitamin C, and potassium (essential for healthy nerve and muscle function) and manganese (which is good for your bones, liver, kidneys, and pancreas).
Beets are also very rich in carbohydrates, which can provide a lot of energy.
DON’T FORGET IT, PIN IT!
Now that I’m fully on the cherry bandwagon….what are your favourite cherry recipes?
Dark Chocolate Cherry Beet Brownies
Ingredients
For the brownies
- 2 small beetroots should yield ½ cup once pureed
- 1 cup coconut palm sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 200 g dark chocolate about 2 bars - min 70% cocoa, I used Lindt
- ¾ cup all purpose flour you can also use a gluten free blend
- 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup cherries pitted and coarsely chopped
For the icing (it's still delicious without icing)
- ½ cup Wholesome SWEETENERS Organic Fair Trade Icing Sugar I get it on Amazon
- 1 tbsp beetroot juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan or dish.
- Trim the beets then peel with a vegetable peeler. Use gloves to avoid staining your hands. Cut into 2 -3 cm chunks place into a steamer with 1-2 inches of water, and steam for about 15 minutes until tender. Press the tops with a fork to see if they’re done.
- Strain beets reserving 1 tablespoon of liquid. Set aside for icing. Transfer the beets to a bowl and set aside to cool down a bit. Once cooled blend to a smooth puree and set aside.
- Chop up the chocolate and put it in a heatproof bowl along with the coconut oil. Set over a saucepan of simmering water. Still occasionally until chocolate is smooth and coconut oil is melted. Once melted take the bowl out of the water and stir well. Set aside to cool for about 5 minutes.
- Beat the eggs one at a time then add sugar, then vanilla extract.
- In a large bowl, sift the flour and baking powder and whisk in salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Once cooled, fold the chocolate coconut oil mixture into the sugar and eggs. Stir in beetroot puree. Fold in the flour mixture and the cherries. Pour the mixture into prepared cake pan.
- Place in oven for 25 minutes.
- Allow the cake to cool slightly before placing onto a cooling rack.
For Icing
- Mix reserved beetroot juice with the icing sugar. You want it runny enough to get a nice drizzle. If not runny enough – dilute with water.
- Remove brownies from the baking pan and drizzle with the icing and cut into squares.
- Top with vanilla ice cream if desired, but absolutely amazing on their own!
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I’ve been meaning to bake with beets! This is a great idea!
Thanks Melissa!