6 ingredient, Fudgy “Little Isabel” Brownies

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I didn’t even plan on blogging these..Here’s the story: there was a little bowl of 3 Ingredient Chocolate, that I whipped up a few days ago, sitting in our fridge.

IMG_1946My mom got it out when I got home from my run and I aimlessly/quickly added some almond flour, baking powder, and a little sweetener..oh and white chocolate chips on top, of course. 😉

IMG_1937It was a tiny pan and I even cooked them in the TOASTER OVEN but, regardless, my family and I devoured them.

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I was shocked, I didn’t think much about them..throwing them (not literally) on the counter and not even bothering to try them. I was merely trying to rid our fridge of the melted chocolate bowl, not worried about the outcome, but they did look quite yummy…

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When dinner was over, (a really scrumptious dinner I might add, hello Caprese pasta and  french bread) my family asked me about them and I warned that they were thrown together and may not be very good.

To my surprise, they were gone in an insant!

My mom said (and I quote) Hmm hmmm *clearing throat* “Isabel! I just realized what these remind me of.. Little Debbies!

So I decided to make a full batch, oven-baked (not toaster oven this time 😉 version of the now-gone brownies.

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Now, granted, I’ve never had a Little Debbie, or at least I don’t remember having one. But I can definitely say that these brownies are a-maz-ing.

First things first, they couldn’t be easier. 6 ingredients that you most likely have and they only require ONE bowl and NO mixer! Now here comes the big list, they are Gluten free, grain free, oil free, salt free, bean free (no garbanzo beans or black beans here!), dairy free, and vegan! 

“EW!” you say.

“NO WAY!” I rebuke.

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These brownies are extremely fudgy, filled with chocolately and sweet flavor, and will satisfy even the toughest of critics brownie cravings. So try them out and tell me exactly what YOU think! (not just my biased opinion). 😉

And just a side note: NO, I did not intend on putting powdered sugar OR sprinkles on the brownies…my plan was to capture the falling of the powdered sugar beautifully onto the brownies..but unfortunately it is harder than it looks!

6 ingredient “Little Isabel” Brownies 

  • 1/2 cup of Cocoa Powder
  • 1/2 cup of milk of choice (I use unsweetened, vanilla Almond)
  • 1 tablespoon of honey
  • 1 cup of nut flour or oat flour (Just grind up Nuts or Oats in a blender or food processor until flour-like consistency, measure after you have made the flour!) 
  • 1/4 cup of Truvia blend sweetener (or you can use coconut sugar, brown sugar, or 1/2 cup of regular, white sugar)
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • opt: white or semi-sweet chocolate chips sprinkled ON TOP

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, stir cocoa, milk, and honey. It will pretty dry at first, so stir well, until wet and combined.

2. Now add in flour, sweetener, and baking powder and stir lightly until combined. The batter will be pretty thick.

3. Grease (I just put coconut oil on my hand and spread it all over the pan) an 8 x 8 in pan. (or whatever you prefer, as long as they are not too thinly spread). The brownies will rise but if they are too thin they will not hold up as well. Spread evenly into the pan and sprinkle with (optional..sort of 😉 chips.

4. Place in oven and bake for 22 minutes. (ovens vary, check at 15 min and 20 min)

tip: if using white chocolate chips, the chips will start to brown. Make sure they do not get too dark, this will let you know if you are over baking; try to keep them lightly browned.  Also, they are done when you touch them and they are no longer too gooey. They can be a little gooey, but make sure they are puffy and seem held together. 

I bake on middle rack, make sure the pan is pushed into oven and not on the edge, so that the brownies receive equal heat. 

5. Let cool and enjoy these decadent and (less) guilty brownies!!!

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If you try them out AND you are on instagram, tag @smilebakersblog or #littleisabelbrownies ! Thanks a bunch for reading!

“All In” Lunch Salad

So yesterday, with the beautiful sun shining, the temperature rising, and the fact that everyone (in my family) was eating on their own summer schedule….I threw together my own fresh, light salad and felt like such a #blogger.  😉

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I grabbed a plethora of ingredients that resided in my full fridge and got started. Lettuce, veggies, fruit, some extra added crunch and flavor..and boom! A delicious “all in” salad, made just for you.

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My cross country training starts today (crossing my fingers that my hip is feeling better!) and I am off to run an easy 5 miler. Hope everyone is enjoying their Memorial Day!

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“All In” Lunch Salad 

  • – up to 2 cups of lettuce (Whatever you prefer, I used half Romaine and half Spinach leaves)
  • -1/4 cup chopped carrots
  • -1/2 cup of sliced cucumber
  • -1/2 cup of sliced strawberries
  • -handful of roasted/salted pumpkin seeds
  • -handful of broken up pecans
  • -1  1/2 tbl of hummus (pine nut) ❤
  • -sprinkle of crumbled feta cheese on top
  • -salt/pepper to taste
  • -opt: drizzle of oil/vinegar greek dressing

Prep as you go down the list. I used a mandolin veggie slicer. Combine all ingredients and throw in a large bowl! I chop my salad with scissors and mix everything together right before it eat it. Enjoy this summery, light salad!

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Thanks for reading!!! 🙂 Isabel

Gluten Free Apple Pie Fries!

Apple Pie Fries… from the moment I saw them on Pinterest (follow me @IsabelBarganier!) I knew I had to make them gluten free!

They are super easy to make thanks to the new Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pie Crust! (Just bought it at Earthfare, this is not a sponsored post!)

You can enjoy these for breakfast (who doesn’t love apple pie for bfast, miniature pop tarts anyone?) , a fun snack, or dessert. These cute, little fries are lightly sweet and packed with flavor. The filling is simply cooked apples, cinnamon, and optional sweetener! Dip in caramel sauce or on top of vanilla ice cream (paleo banana ice cream!)  for an extra kick of yumminess!

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RECIPE

-2 cups of Gluten Free Pie Crust Mix (I used half of the bag of pie crust and replaced half of the butter with coconut oil. If you do not want to use the pie crust I used, a simple recipe for pie crust is: 1 1/2 cups of gf all-purpose flour, 4 tablespoons of cold water or milk; Fold in the butter/oil with two forks or a pastry cutter until well combined. Then, lightly stir in the water and follow my recipe!)

-2 medium apples (I used Granny Smith)

-3 tablespoons of Cinnamon

-optional: 1 teaspoon of honey or brown sugar

-1 egg (for egg wash)

Start by following the directions for your pie crust. Once it is all mixed up divide into 2 equal balls of dough and refrigerate while you cook the apples.

Chop your apples roughly and place in a small sauce pan with the cinnamon and 1/4 cup of water. Cook on medium, until the apples are soft. Transfer apples to a food processor, and pulse until they are still thick and still have texture, but almosttt look like apple sauce. (set aside)

Take out your dough and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, roll out both balls into a large rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Spread the apples on one ‘rectangle’ of dough and carefully place the other ‘rectangle’ on top of it. Beat one egg and lightly brush the top of the dough with it. Sprinkle with a little more cinnamon..or a lotta more 😉

Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into fry shapes. With a fork, make a crust on the edges with the tip of the fork or make small holes from top to bottom. Separate the fries and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. (Until golden brown on top!)

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Hope you enjoy! Please feel free to email me at Smilebakers@gmail.com or leave questions, comments, and suggestions below! 🙂 So sorry if anyone got an unfinished blog post email, I think I accidentally published it at first.