german chocolate cake brownies

One of my favorite (macro-friendly) hacks for whipping up boxed brownies is simply mixing brownie mix with 1 can of pumpkin puree. No oil. No eggs. Just two ingredients. I have given that hack some extra love with my ‘The Best Brookie Ever’ recipe and my Snickers Brownie Skillet recipe - and now, this hybrid of ooey-gooey, tastes-like-half-baked brownies and german chocolate cake come together for a decadent, yet healthified German Chocolate Cake Brownies recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1 box of brownie mix

  • 1 15oz can pumpkin purée

  • 1 cup dates

  • 1 cup full-fat coconut milk

  • Unsweetened coconut flakes

  • Pecans, raw & chopped

  • Dark chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the brownie mix and pumpkin purée in a large bowl. Transfer that to a 9” baking dish (lined with parchment paper). Bake per the box instructions.

Meanwhile, soak your dates in warm water. After your dates have soaked for at least 20 minutes, throw them in a blender with full-fat coconut milk and a pinch of sea salt. Start with 1 cup of dates per 1 cup of coconut milk. That ratio should give you a nice caramel consistency. If necessary, add more coconut milk (or warm water) to make less thick.

After the brownies have cooked per the box instructions (they will still feel half-baked though), let cool and spread with a layer of the 2-ingredient caramel sauce. Then, sprinkle on the coconut flakes, pecans and dark chocolate chips.

Let set in the refrigerator for at least an hour, preferably overnight and the brownies will have a fudge-consistency.

recipesAlec Trefferssweets