What could be better for breakfast than a healthy Pumpkin Breakfast Brownie? This one is made gluten- and dairy-free with lots of healthy fiber and protein.
The big day is almost here…Thanksgiving! I’ve tried to offer some healthy ideas for your holiday table this year, whether you be a host with the most or a guest just needing to bring a dish or two. I mentioned before that I’m taking it low-key this year and just cooking for my husband and me. While I couldn’t be happier to have some breathing room and no expectations for anything fancy, I have two recipes for you this week that can be served as a special holiday breakfast or dessert.
The first recipe came about when I bought a giant zucchini for a recipe that I didn’t end up making. So, half of the zucchini went into a stir-fry and the other half ended up in these Pumpkin Breakfast Brownies. This recipe is easy-peasy, just combine the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor, including the grated zucchini:
Some of the star ingredients also include pumpkin, almond butter, and vanilla (you can use the pods or the extract). The sweetness in this recipe comes from the raisins and maple syrup. You could absolutely leave out the maple syrup if you wanted an even less sweet flavor. The batter doesn’t look all that special:
Post-baking is a different story:
This recipe kind of reminded me a little bit of Black Bean Brownies where the texture becomes much firmer after cooling completely.
Items recommended for this recipe:
- Organic pumpkin puree
- Organic almond butter
- Sprouted ground flax (my favorite!)
- Organic REAL maple syrup
Here’s the printable recipe for these Healthy Pumpkin Breakfast Brownies:
Print
Healthy Pumpkin Breakfast Brownies
Prep Time: 20 minutes- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 4 1x
Category: Breakfast
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Healthy, gluten-free
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
What could be better than a healthy breakfast brownie?
Ingredients
- ½ cup gluten-free uncooked rolled oats
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup dried currants or raisins
- seeds of two vanilla pods or ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup grated zucchini
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the rolled oats in the bowl of a food processor on turn on high until finely ground, about 20 seconds.
- Add the pumpkin puree, almond butter, eggs, baking powder, currants or raisins, vanilla, ground flax, cinnamon, grated zucchini, non-dairy milk, and maple syrup and process on high until thoroughly combined. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides if necessary.
- Spray an 8 x 8-inch baking dish lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
- Pour the mixture from the food processor into the baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes or until the top of the brownies is firm and golden brown. Be careful not to burn.
- Serve hot with fruit and non-dairy milk or non-dairy yogurt. The texture will be soft, like a pudding. For a more traditional brownie texture, let cool completely or refrigerate overnight before serving.
I struggled whether to call this recipe a pudding or brownies, but, ultimately, Pumpkin Breakfast Brownies just had a wonderful ring to it.
I found it to be a satisfying breakfast, especially served with a chopped apple and a drizzling of dairy-free yogurt. I mean, come on, brownies for breakfast? What could be better than that? 🙂
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Lauren (@PoweredbyPB) says
They look so delicious, love the idea of a breakfast brownie!
Carrie says
Me too! Reminds me of eating cold pie the day after a party, but even more appetizing. 🙂
Suzanne @ hello, veggy! says
Brownies for bfast?? Yes please!
Carrie says
I’m right there with you! 🙂
Heather says
Oh these look great Carrie! Yum!! I love making brownies healthy and this is a great way to use up zucchini!;)
Emma says
These look so good! I have all the ingredients but have committed myself to do green smoothies for breakfast this week. Maybe I could squeeze them in at some other time of day though…
Carrie says
Oh yeah, they could be lunch or dinner brownies, too. 🙂
Serena says
These look so good AND I have all the ingredients! I have a green smoothie every morning for breakfast, but I find I really like to have something small on the side that I can sink my teeth into. I’m thinking of whipping up a batch of these and cutting them into very small squares to complement my smoothies. Thanks for the recipe!
Carrie says
I agree, Serena, I like to have something chewy to go along with my green smoothie. I think one of these crumbled on top of a green smoothie or served on the side like you suggested would be perfect. I might steal that idea. 🙂
Sandy says
Awesome idea Carrie! 🙂 I bet they were delicious
Jeanne says
Hi Carrie!
I can’t wait to try this recipe tomorrow. Good luck on your finals, I know you will do great!
Jeanne
Carrie says
Thanks, Jeanne! 🙂
Kim says
Carrie,
These look great I have all the ingredients except zucchini maybe I can sub bananas or apple sauce, or just grated apples . Zucchini season is long gone in my part of the country NJ.
Carrie says
Good point, Kim! I forgot that it’s nearing winter in other parts of the country (oops). Let’s see, how about a mixture of grated broccoli stems and carrots?
Kim says
Carrie,
Thank you for the sub info, I made them with grated apples and raisins. They were delish, I also didn’t add the extra date sugar plenty sweet for me. They fill my need for something sweet and chocolate. I’m going to make them again today with grated carrots, raisins, and cashew butter, since that’s what I have on hand, could also add some nuts if one is inclined. Might be able to make a carrot cake like version.
Carrie says
YUM!!! I’m so happy it turned out well with the grated apple. I’m curious to know if it’s sweet enough with just grated carrot and no date sugar. Please let me know how it works for you. 🙂
kimmythevegan says
Brownies for breakfast? Yes please! =)
Sabina says
hi-
is it possible to mix this in a blender instead of a food processor? or what about if you have neither, can you mix by hand?
also, can you substitute the date sugar for simply dates? or does this affect the consistency/hardness?
thanks!
Carrie says
Hi Sabina! Great questions. Well, you need a food processor to grind the oats into oat flour. If you want to use a blender, I think you might have some problems (just imagine making regular brownies in a blender). And, if you use regular dates instead of date sugar, you will need to pre-soak them if you are going to use a regular blender. I mean, you could definitely try these options including stirring by hand, but it’s going to require a lot more work, obviously. If you go that route, you could always buy oat flour, use regular sugar (or a liquid sweetener), and have your almond butter at room temperature for easier mixing. A hand mixer might be another good option. Let me know what you end up doing; I’d love have your feedback.
athletic avocado says
amazing recipe! Totally loving your blog! 🙂
Carrie Forrest, MBA/MPH says
Awww, thanks!!! 🙂
Maribel says
Love these brownies anytime of the day!
Thanks for this great recipe!
★★★★★