Sugar-Free Vegan Chia Chocolate Brownies

Posted byLori Posted onApril 1, 2011 Comments23

I have decided to come to terms with something that has been nagging me for a while now. I’ve decided that I can accept that I have no idea what to do with my life. Plain and simple. I don’t know what my purpose is. I don’t know who I am suppose to be or how to get to where I’m suppose to be going.

And I realized that I cannot control the what, how, where, when, or why of fate, or destiny, or purpose.

And I release myself of trying. Why try to control the uncontrollable? Why work against the grain, against all those rough edges, wearing myself out? Why not just enjoy the ride into the unknown, along the seemingly smooth angles and edges?

I’m sure there will be ups and downs, as most roller coaster rides have them, but this doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the ups and roll with the downs. Why not enjoy my time I’m at the theme park, life? I can release myself from responsibility of knowing and just have fun with the thrill of what is yet to come.

So, I have chosen to let go of waiting; for something amazing to come along- to point me in the direction of “purpose” and “meaning.” I have decided to accept that I can just go with the flow… if I chose to.

And as soon as I let go, the ride gets faster, scarier, and way more fun. And sometimes, there’s even chocolate involved.

Today is the day of unpurpose, to just let everything be as it will be. Go where it will go. Sounds, see, smell, move as it wants to. Without knowing, without trying. Allow everything to be filled with positivity and see what that breeds. If I told you that I’m taking this idea to heart and deciding upon unpurpose, would you join me?

What if I promised there would be chocolate involved?

I hope you choose to follow [your heart].

Cheers to me. Cheers to you. Cheers to brownies. Because today’s unpurpose is brownies. Eating without guilt, or responsibility. Just enjoyment. 🙂

Sugar-Free Chia Chocolate Brownies

[gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, vegan, and still tasty]

inspired by incredible twins

  • 1/3 cup amaranth flour
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa
  • 1 tbsp lucuma powder (completely optional but adds a touch more sweetness)
  • 2 tbsp chia seeds
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tbsp NuNatural’s Baking Blend (or sweetener of choice)*
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil (liquid)
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 5 tbsp warm water

*These are not really sweet, but more a bitter chocolate type of brownie. A few tablespoons of maple syrup or sweetener would work well if you’re looking for something a bit more dessertish. They’re tasty either way.

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

Place all dry ingredients into a small bowl and whisk together.

In another bowl, add the wet ingredients, mashed banana and all, and stir till well combined. Batter will be a thick.

Scoop brownie batter into mini cupcake or muffin tins, and bake for 15-20 minutes, or obviously until done… but not too done… you get the idea.

For just a touch more added love, sprinkle a few more chia seeds and some extra lucuma powder on top.

Happy Unpurpose (but productive) Friday!

What will your unpurpose be today? And how can you let go of some need to “know”?

Lucuma fans in the house?

I’m thinking these brownies would be mighty fine with some figs added in… yes?

Yes, I did a LOT of baking the past few weeks. 😉

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23 People reacted on this

  1. Cheers and hugs to you, going with the flow… and those brownies. Happy Friday, my dear! xo

  2. Love the freedom and open possibilities that come with “not knowing!” You are on the cusp of great things, Lori!!! 🙂

  3. These look and sound wonderful Lori…and I can relate to you on the needing-to-let-go. The best things tend to happen when you do just that. 🙂

  4. yes, I love this post! It reminds me so much of my “let go” post in the fall – I was exactly where you were: Trying my hardest to make sense out of something that didn’t make sense at all. And, that trying was making me miserable. From a young age, it’s programmed in our heads that we are supposed to go to school, graduate, get a great job, get married and have kids – When that doesn’t happen and/or one piece is out of whack, we tend to freak. But the truth is, this ain’t our momma’s generation! The opportunities we have now don’t even compare to what they were back then. We can do, and we can be, anything we want – and I believe that’s overwhelming for those of us who are always looking to elevate or life and/or refuse to stay in a state of contentment. It’s a bitch, but the best thing to do – Is to let go and come to grips that everything will work itself out. My most favorite saying (that has helped and continued to help me) is “We Receive What We Believe”. If we believe that everything will work itself out – It will! Thinking of you 🙂

  5. Thanks Lori, I needed this today! I’ve been thinking way too hard lately about where to go with things and what I really want to do. I know I need to let go right now – it’s just hard to do!

    Those brownies sound awesome. I think I might make these tweeking with what I have left in the cupboards.

  6. Holy fudgey goodness! These look outstanding! I love that your recipes are GF 🙂 Great blog!!

  7. i so needed to read this post. just blogged about something similar. i know that enjoying the ride really the best thing to do but convincing myself to actually do that is sometimes challenging. booooo.

    anyway, i have not heard of lucuma powder but now i have something to google 🙂

  8. omg Lori!! These look amazing!! And can you believe that I have lucuma powder?? Holla!! Other than smoothies I had no idea how to use it! Thanks doll!!! xoxo

  9. these look and sounds awesome! I think that is my purpose for the weekend… to make these…

    I go through stages like this too, girl. we’re ever – changing all the time, right? (or we should be…?) in the meantime, do the things you enjoy and love. you’ve got a great outlook!

  10. Bitter chocolate sounds exactly right! I love how you showed the plummet beneath where they were presented, right when you started mentioning ‘unpurpose’–the bottom dropping out of your life… I used that rollercoaster metaphor recently too: I think it’s a good one.

    Congrats on being open to the unpurpose thing: I’ve been finding ‘tapping’ really helpful lately, with both accepting the lack of certainty and allowing openness to focus on letting focus come.

    love
    Ela

  11. mmm you’ve been pumpin out some delicious recipes these days!! gotta try some!

  12. I’m learning to look at life in chapters. As in, during this chapter I am being a stay-home mom. Maybe in the next chapter I go back to work. Or have another kid. Or both. Who knows. But it helps me to realize that what I’m doing now doesn’t define what I’ll be doing in 5 years. And that you can have it all, just maybe not all at the same time.

    I’ve never used lacuma. I’m intrigued.

  13. Girl, I hear you on the worry of finding your place and purpose. I struggled with this as well especially when I finally came to the conclusion that what I wanted to do originally (veterinarian) just wasn’t for me. Then it was amazing, my passions burst through me and my cloudy brain cleared and I finally “felt” where I needed to go. During my limbo period I was on a bus and began talking to this total stranger. He knew nothing about me or what I was doing in my life but he turned to me and said “you should go into natural medicine.” It was one moment that I look back to often because somehow he saw my personality etc fitting in there. It was a big moment. Anyways, the moment will come where everything will come together and you will just know what the right fit is:)

    Thank you for all your amazingly healthy treats lately!! you are inspiring me to make my baking/eats healthier, especially with the sugar:)
    Happy Friday!!

  14. oh an unpurpose day sounds amazing. Im like super stressed at the moment and just letting it all go would be sssoo great. Love the idea. I think fogs would be super awesome in this recipe too although I think it looks stellar the way it is. Anything chocolate gets 2 thumbs up in my book!

  15. You know, maybe there isn’t anything you are “supposed” to be doing. I don’t subscribe to the belief that everyone has a purpose in life. Or, I guess a more accurate statement is that I don’t think your purpose is static. Right now, I have this purpose. In 3 years, that could change completely. Just go with it.

    That said, I’m making these brownies. Because I still have some of the cookies left, but today marks the beginning of sugar free week. Good bye cookies, hello, brownies. 😉

  16. […] use a few drops of stevia or sweetener of choice for lucuma (another great way to use lucuma, check out  our friend Lori’s recipe for vegan chia cookies) […]

  17. I love unpurposing!! I have been doing a lot of thinking lately too and I’m not 100% sure where I’m headed — I mean I have my educational direction and what have you, but I’ve got nothing set in stone and truthfully, I don’t know precisely where I’m going with this whole bbing thing. Right now I just enjoy it and I don’t NEED to know where I’m headed with it, ya know?

  18. I love the idea of unpurposing! I just found out last Friday that my job is being cut next year due to state school budget cuts, and I’m sort of in limbo as to what to do next. Perhaps just letting it come is exactly what I need to do. 🙂

  19. Huge lucuma fans!!!!! One of all time favorites lately! And brownies fix everything! We still get discouraged on where our life is going and if we are doing what we are supposed to be doing. But I agree with you and let go of those thoughts and just live. And keep our eyes open for those great opportunities!!! And eat brownies like these along the way!

  20. Im with you girl. I have no idea what I am doing with my life. I feel like I am spinning in circles while everyone else is on their paths to where they need to be. Owell. I say we spin in circles and eat brownies together. What do you say? 😉

  21. These brownies are exactly what I’m craving right now….definitely making them!!!

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