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These brownie bites are perfect for school and work lunches -and they are almost completely guilt-free! Made with natural sweeteners such as Crosby’s molasses and using applesauce instead of oil these also happen to be completely dairy-free.
This post and recipe were sponsored by Crosby’s molasses. I have been compensated for my time and talent and as always, all opinions in this post are mine alone.
Brownie Bites Recipe
Did I also also mention that I managed to sneak in hemp hearts, chia seeds and zucchini? Your kids won’t even know how healthy these brownie bites are but will still feel like they have a big treat in their lunch!
I’ve partnered with Crosby’s molasses on this post to bring you a super delicious lunch treat for your kids that is pretty much guilt-free. I’ve always loved using molasses in my cooking seeing as how it has nutritional values that you can’t find and other sweeteners. I love how molasses contains iron, riboflavin, magnesium, B6 and other minerals we need yet still sweetens your baking. Molasses is a natural sweetener comparable to honey and maple syrup but it also has those nutritional bonuses to it.
Crosby’s is a Canadian family-owned-and-operated company and is 140 years old! I remember my Grandma using Crosby’s for her molasses bars recipe and I can’t think of any other molasses that I’ve ever used in my kitchen. Crosby’s is also one of the world’s largest importers of fancy and blackstrap molasses and is actually based in Saint John, NB. As an FYI there are no additives or preservatives in molasses, there’s only pure sugar cane juice it’s gluten-free, and safe for people with peanut allergies and celiac disease.
The inspiration for this recipe came from the Crosby’s ebook which you can download yourself and also find the original recipe for healthy zucchini brownies. Just head to this link HERE and download all the recipes for yourself. If you want to check out all of the recipes on their website, head to their Recipe Index!
I wanted to take their healthy brownie recipe and turn it into brownie bites for the kids, there’s just something so satisfying about those little brownie bites that everyone loves. They also are super easy to store in the freezer and then dole out for the kids lunches.
More Molasses Recipes You May Enjoy:
I have a LOT of molasses recipes; give some of these a try with Crosby’s molasses!
- Gingersnap Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Icing
- Raisin Molasses Gem Cookies
- Old Fashioned Gingerbread
Happy baking, you guys! Let me know how these went over with your kids ( or you!).
Love,
Karlynn
Healthy Zucchini Brownie Bites
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 2/3 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup Crosby’s Fancy Molasses
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 tablespoons chia seed
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup hemp hearts
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups shredded zucchini excess liquid squeezed out
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 325 °F.
- Grease the wells of a mini-muffin tin pan thoroughly.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the applesauce, honey, vanilla and molasses. Add in the egg and combine thoroughly. Stir in the chia seed and the hemp hearts, let sit for 10 minutes. Stir once the chia starts dissolving into the mixture.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
- Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. ( the more you mix, the more gluten forms and then you get cakey brownies)
- Fold in the shredded zucchini until combined into the batter.
- Use a tablespoon sized cookie scoop to fill the mini muffin tins.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15-17 minutes.
- Remove, cool for a few minutes, then remove the brownie bites from the pan.
- Cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
- The smaller you grate the zucchini, the more it will blend into the brownies.
- Don’t skip the mini chocolate chips, they give these the flavor boost they need to taste like a treat!
- Don’t over bake these, just like regular brownies.
- The more you stir, the cake-ier the brownies will get, as it forms gluten. If you want cakey brownies then stir away.
Nutrition
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Roberta Maran says
Hi!! I love your basic (hardly) brownie recipe.
I am a little confused in making time….
One place says 25 minutes( on the initial summary page)
And the actual recipe says up to 40 minutes.
That is a huge difference when baking….. can you let me know and update the info on the website, please.
We want trusting, happy bakers…..!!