Recipe: One Bowl Lightened Up Oreo Brownies (Gluten Free!)

Whenever I ask Jesse what sweet treat I should make, I generally get one of two answers; brownies or cookies. 

Whilst he'll happily eat anything sweet, these seem to be the two front runners - and low and behold, a few weeks ago when I asked Jesse what he'd like, brownies were the reply I received... 

But I didn't feel like just any brownies. 

Frosted brownies felt like too much effort. 

Unfrosted brownies felt way too boring.

At first, I thought of peanut butter swirl brownies - but then I remembered I'd finished off the last jar or peanut butter and I didn't feel like walking to the shops. 

So I got to thinking... 

I wasn't feeling chocolate chips but I kept digging through my cupboard of treasures to get some inspiration - and that's when I saw a packet of gluten free "oreos" tucked away in the corner of the pantry. 

Oreos and brownies sounded like a good idea to me. I decided that I was feeling too lazy for a complicated recipe so I had to come up with a one bowl recipe that was fudgy and delicious and filled with delicious oreo pieces - and of course it had to be lightened up too!

I got to work and came up with the best brownies ever. In fact, they were so good that Jesse took one bite and then looked at me with huge eyes and a mouth filled with a second mouthful of brownie, saying "no way... these taste like the fattiest most calorific brownies ever - you can't tell me this is a healthier recipe? It's not... is it?". 

Whilst these babies are lower in fat, sugar and calories, you really can't tell. The first day you bake them they'll have a crunchy oreo topping - but if you leave them in the fridge overnight, you'll find your oreo chunks have turned into fudgy burst of goodness and you'll be feeling like you're floating on a heavenly cloud of chocolatey goodness.

So let me share the recipe with you! >> 

Lightened Up One Bowl Oreo Brownies Recipe makes 9 large squares

gluten free, low fat, lower sugar, lower calorie + dairy free option 

2 eggs 

1/4 cup (60g) plain greek yogurt*

30 ml rice bran oil or melted coconut oil 

1/3 cup + 1 tbsp (75g) coconut sugar or brown sugar (**see notes)

1 cup (120g) gluten free plain flour 

1/2 cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt 

1/4 cup milk of your choice

~About 5-6 gluten free oreos, crushed (we like these ones best)

• Grease and/or line a  6" or 8" brownie tin and set aside (we like to use our 6 or 7" brownie tin for thicker brownies!)
• Preheat your oven to 160C/320F 
• In a medium mixing bowl, add your eggs, yogurt, oil and sugar and mix until combined. 
• Add in your flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt, mixing to combine the ingredients.
• As the mix will be quite dry, add your milk and mix to incorporate all of your brownie ingreidents, mixing until smooth and combined. 
• Add in about a third of your crushed oreos to your brownie batter, stirring to incorporate.
• Pour your brownie mixture into your prepared tin, smoothing and spreading out the mix to ensure it is evenly spread.
• Sprinkle your crushed oreos over the top of your brownie batter, ligthly pressing down the oreos into the batter. 
• Bake your brownies for 15-20 minutes, or until your edges are firm and a skewer inserted into the middle removes with only a few moist crumbs.
• Allow your brownies to cool before slicing. We suggest chilling them in the fridge before slicing and serving as we like them chilled, however, it's up to you! 
• The brownies will have a crunchy oreo topping on the day you make them, however, if you leave them in the fridge overnight your oreos will turn into delicious fudgy bursts of chocolate-y goodness!
• These brownies will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge in an airtight container or months if stored in an airtight ziplock bag in the freezer (simply place them in the fridge overnight to defrost). 

Notes:

• *For a dairy free option, replace the yogurt with an equal amount of either a non-dairy yogurt or applesauce.
• **If you like things sweeter, use 1/2 cup of sugar or add 2-3 teaspoons of liquid stevia or a sweetener of your choice. 

But tell me, if you're choosing a dessert or sweet to make or eat, what are your top choices?

I'm a chocolate girl so I probably always choose chocolate cake - but then I also love icecream :P