Desperation is a great force for creativity in the kitchen!

My baking has been pretty minimal to non-existent the last year.

Helping women with all things wellness and advanced functional medicine studying have taken my attention away from messy playtime in the kitchen.

Wanted something sweet and healthy the other night and literally created a concoction out of what I found in the cupboards and fridge + a recipe I stumbled upon.

Yep, this is how I roll. I normally just mess about with ingredients as my brain can’t follow anything, but this time I sort of adapted the recipe (link below).

The end result is soft, gooey and just yum. You do not need any equipment (just a few measuring spoons and cups) or baking skills to make this a success. Pinky promise.

INGREDIENTS

40g (1/2 cup) coconut flour
1 tbsp tapioca starch
½ tsp baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ medium size roasted butternut squash
1 tablespoon chia seeds plus 3 tablespoons water, set for 10 minutes
6 tbsp nut or seed butter (I use almond or cashew)
4 tablespoons coconut sugar
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
60ml (1/4 cup) maple syrup or honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
50g (1/2 cup) chopped walnuts
100g (3/4 cup) carob flakes or dark chocolate (80%)

1. Preheat your oven to 175ºC/350ºF and grease a square baking tin

2. In a small bowl, mix together the flours, baking soda and salt

3. In a separate large bowl, mash the squash and mix in the chia, nut butter, coconut oil, coconut sugar, and maple syrup until combined

4. Slowly add the flour mixture to wet mixture, stirring until combined. Fold in walnuts and carob/chocolate

5. Pour batter onto the baking pan and smooth out the top

6. Bake for 25-40 minutes, depending on the desired consistency

6. Remove from the oven, let it cool and slice into squares

NOTES

1. Carob is a great substitute for chocolate of you cannot tolerate chocolate as it’s caffeine-free, but pretty much the same texture and a very similar taste to chocolate.

2. Recipe is adapted from Sprinkle of Green, original recipe is here.

3. I’ve used less oil, sugar, and substituted bananas for butternut squash, and chocolate for carob.