45 Calorie Brownies

Hey guys, happy Monday!

Yes, I know, Mondays suck. You drank too much during the weekend, ate too many pizza pockets for it to be considered just a ‘light 2 am snack’, didn’t do your laundry, and forgot all your big weekend cleaning plans that you made the previous week. You now wake up to the horrible sound of your alarm, eyes glued together from residual waterproof mascara, and stumble to the coffee machine. Oh, don’t forget to glare at your cat with jealousy as it continues sleeping cuddled up in your blanket, because you’d do anything to trade lives with it in the moment…

Okay, maybe I just described myself, but you know what, I bet everyone struggles like this on a Monday morning, right? And if not… then you just win at life and I have nothing else to say to you. Oh, and it also started pouring as soon as I stepped out of the house, so all my hair straightening efforts went to waste of course (this is where the waterproof mascara comes to the rescue people!).

So, after a rainy, tired Monday, I came home and wanted nothing more than some sort of chocolate concoction (topped with Nutella and ice cream too but we won’t talk about that) to accompany my Netflix binging on the couch. I dug out a little notebook I had from two years ago that I’d scribble all my recipes into, and stopped on none other than the 45 calorie brownies!

Now you might be shocked here – firstly because I keep a notebook in this day and age instead of typing it out – but maybe more so because I just said these brownies are 45 calories.

What?! Girl you’re lying.

No, I promise! Warm, chocolatey, and guilt free!

(Guilt free by my standards means I can eat the whole pan, obviously).

Ingredients

½ cup oats

½ cup Stevia

½ cup cocoa powder

¾ cup 0% fat Greek yoghurt

¼ cup almond milk (I used an unsweetened one)

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking powder

Salt

Preheat your oven to 400 ºF. Next, oil a baking dish or pan. I used an 8”x 8” foil pan but I’d suggest something even smaller, as mine came out pretty thin. Mix all the ingredients in a blender, until the mixture is of an even consistency, and pour into your baking pan. Pop it into the oven for 12 minutes and you’re done! I personally do 12 minutes because I like them gooey, but feel free to leave it in to your preference.

This recipe is great because you can add chocolate chips, cocoa nibs, nuts; I personally used to top it with almond butter and coconut flakes when I first started making these.

Now, the whole recipe is 409 calories, and I cut them up into 9 squares, making each of the squares roughly 45 calories! Feel free to cut it into 6, or 4 … or just leave it as one whole huge brownie (No? Just me? Okay).

I paired my brownies with powdered peanut butter, which is only 40 calories for two tablespoons, and some fruit. Oh and I had to add a scoop of ice cream because I just want to okay? It’s been a rough week, stop judging me. Um, It’s only Monday? Okay fine, rough start to the week, jeez. I love ice cream, leave me alone.

xo, Teresa