Fudgy Pumpkin Spiced Brownies

Oooey, Gooey and Oh so good for you!

Let the kids have the sweets! Keep these warm, moist, chocolate brownies all to yourself. Muahahahaha! (Just don't tell the kids).

Hi internet friends, hope you're having a spectacularly spooky October and are beginning to get very excited about Halloween (if you actually started getting excited about this back in September and have shamelessly decorated your room with all of Poundland's finest crap - don't worry, I assure you you're not alone). As an avid fan of all things Horror, there is just something about this time of year that gets me into a state of unadulterated euphoria. I just can't help but get overjoyed at the sight of every pumpkin, the crunch of every orange leaf and the viewing of every millisecond of my personal favorite horror-related show Release the Hounds. Trash at its best!

However, I must also admit that as we get further into the festive season, the temptation to eat all the seasonal treats is getting harder to resist. It just seems that everywhere wants us to eat the naughty stuff and if you know me, I hold the belief that there is nothing wrong with this... in moderation (i.e. every now and then). What I've noticed is starting to happen though is that moderation and I keep having disagreements. You see, on Friday, I consumed what can only be described as a small vat of trifle, yesterday I greedily munched down on cinnamon rolls and today I am going to meet my good friend Ellen in town where I know the call of Starbucks and it's addictive pumpkin spiced latte will be too hard to resist. Point being - the line between moderation and 'all the food - all the time' has somewhat become blurred a little.
Before this gets out of hand and leads to my stomach looking five months gone, I'm going to take a little responsibility and (hopefully) regain some self-control. So, what to do when you think you may be over-indulging? Make brownies of course!

Don't be deceived by my apparently reckless suggestion. Whilst it may seem that I've just jumped over-board the health ship into a chocolate ocean, completely naked and wielding a 3 metre long spoon in warrior fashion (Christ, what an image - sorry), there is method in the madness. These gooey, pumpkin chocolate brownies are actually quite good for you. In fact, I would go as far to say that these brownies can be eaten every day of the week, completely guilt-free, meaning that you can keep the indulgent feels without the worry about the effects to your body. Whilst they're maybe not as nutritious as a kale salad; at this time of year I personally don't want to miss out on the good stuff and as I never really crave kale (do humans crave kale?), a lightened up brownie seems like the perfect way to satisfy both my need for treats as well as my desire to stay relatively 'healthy'. As I also know that in the next few months, a combination of Halloween, birthday events and finally Christmas (don't get me started on how excited I am for that!) is going to involve me consuming a lot of junk food, it makes me feel better to know that I have the option to make lighter choices where I can.

Ingredients:

Makes 8-10 Brownies.
2/3-1 cup pumpkin puree (the more you use, the more moist and gooey the brownies will be)
3 tbsp Greek yoghurt
1 medium egg
3/4-1 cup oat flour - I make my own by grinding up oats in a food processor/blender (tip: for denser brownies, use 1 cup)
1/4 cup cocoa or cacao powder
1/3 cup granulated sweetener of choice (I used truvia)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Optional but recommended - some chopped walnuts and mini dark chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (I used a fan setting which is a bit higher than a conventional oven setting).
Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl except the sweetener (i.e. Flour, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon).
Combine all the wet ingredients in a bowl along with the sweetener.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix to combine.
Now here's an exciting moment - you have a choice. You can either stir in the optional add-ins if choosing to use them, sprinkle them on top of the mixture once it's in the pan or my personal favourite option - both.
Place in a baking dish lined with parchment paper and sprayed with cooking spray (I actually used a loaf pan for this recipe) and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until an inserted tooth pick comes out clean.

Side note: I intend to start working on some vegan versions using almond milk and flax eggs as soon as possible, I will report back with future results.

These brownies are both wonderfully fudgy and moist thanks to the high water content of the pumpkin puree and have a nice dense texture due to the oat flour. Low in fat, gluten-free (if using certified gluten-free oats/flour), low in sugar, a good serving of fruit/veg and a some extra protein thanks to the Greek yoghurt - these guys get full marks for being an indulgent, chocolate treat without the nutritional drawbacks.
Now, these may not be the best brownies that I have ever had, that title is still held by my mum's home-baked walnut and cherry stuffed chocolate squares of heaven. They are soooo good that I have considered committing homicide for them. However, when comparing the nutritional stats between the two, these pumpkin brownies are something that can actually be enjoyed daily compared to once in a blue moon. Brownies on a daily basis - yes please!

Extra note: when I first attempted this recipe, I included 1/3 cup of almond milk in the batter which made for brownies so gooey that they had to consumed with the aid of spoons! If you're the type of person who likes to get down and dirty with a warm, molten, almost fondant like brownie than I recommend giving this a go. :)

Extra, extra note: When I do go to Starbucks today, I'm going to ask for only two pumps of the syrup in my latte as opposed to four. That's basically like having a salad right? Yes. Good.

Happy eating!