A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 93% of children don’t eat enough vegetables. Veggies may get a bad rap among children, but eating a healthy array of vegetables will provide kids with energy, vitamins, anti-oxidants, fiber, water, and help protect against chronic diseases later in life.
So how can we ensure our little ones get in their daily servings of veggies, and all the health benefits that come with them? Luckily, we can get creative with recipes! Your kid isn’t a fan of fresh carrots? Add them to brownies. Your kid hates the sight of anything green on their plate? Add them to brownies. Not a fan of beans? You guessed it—brownies.
We’ve compiled three healthful brownie recipes that will have your kiddos begging for seconds.
3 Veggie-Packed Brownie Recipes
Carrot Brownies
Ever thought of packing carrots into your brownies? We haven’t either.
Ingredients:
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup carrots, shredded
- 1 box brownie mix (any brand is fine)
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a mixing bowl, add eggs, oil, water, and shredded carrots, and mix everything together until smooth.
- Add brownie mix powder, cinnamon powder, chocolate chips and mix until just combined. Don’t over-mix! The mixture will be thick.
- Pour the batter into a 9×9 square pan lined with aluminum foil and sprayed with oil. Spread batter with a spatula.
- Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out with a few sticky crumbs.
- Let it cool down. Then cut slices and enjoy!
Credit: CakeWhiz
Zucchini and Beet Brownies
Ingredients:
- 2 cups zucchini, finely chopped or grated
- 1 cup cooked beets, pureed
- 1 1/4 cup vegan sugar
- 1/4 cup neutral-flavored oil like vegetable or canola (or swap with applesauce for oil-free)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 2 cups gluten-free flour mix or regular wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 spray non-stick spray oil
For fudge frosting:
- 1/3 cup refined coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar (use a vegan variety)
- 1/8 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Chop zucchini in a food processor or by hand with a cheese grater and place in a large mixing bowl.
- Puree cooked beets and add them to the zucchini.
- Sprinkle sugar over veggies and stir with a spoon.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir slowly until mixed well into a thick batter.
- Spray oil on a 9×13 baking dish or rub with a coating of any neutral-flavored oil.
- Pour brownie batter in the oiled pan and bake at 350°F (177°C) for 30 minutes.
- If you’re topping with fudge frosting, let the brownies cool completely.
- Melt coconut oil and add cocoa powder, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt.
- Mix well with a fork or small whisk to make sure all the clumps are out.
- Pour fudge frosting evenly over the brownies. Pick up the pan and rock it back and forth to make an even layer of fudge over the brownies.
- The fudge will harden as it cools. Put in the fridge to firm up faster.
- Cut into squares.
Credit: The Hidden Veggies
Fudgy Black Bean Brownies
Though technically not a vegetable, legumes still provide a healthy amount of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Ingredients:
- ¾ cups canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons vanilla cultured coconut milk yogurt
- 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup vegan buttery spread, melted
- ⅓ teaspoon baking powder
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 4×8 loaf pan with parchment paper, so that there is an overhang on each side. You will need the overhang to remove the brownies from the pan.
- In a blender or food processor, puree the black beans with the non-dairy milk and the yogurt. Stop periodically and scrape down the sides and make sure that all the bean skins are gone. You want this batter to be really smooth.
- Transfer the bean mixture to a bowl and add the melted vegan buttery spread, sugar, cocoa powder, and baking powder.
- Stir well. Spoon batter into the loaf pan and smooth it out with the back of a spoon.
- Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes. They may seem a teeny bit underdone in the middle — that’s okay! They will firm up as they cool, plus this is a fudgy brownie, not a cake-like brownie.
- Allow to cool completely in the pan, then lift the whole brownie out by pulling up on the edges of the parchment paper. Transfer to a cutting board and slice into 8 pieces using a very sharp knife.
Credit: the pretty bee
For more topics related to health and wellness, follow along with our Hospitality Health ER blog! We’ve recently covered related topics in Jaw Clenching and Hacks For Combatting Eyestrain. For giveaways, updates, and COVID-19 tips, like us on Facebook and Instagram.
