Dairy Free: Chocolate Brownies

Obvious sentence alert: we love brownies here at DSHQ. So much in fact, that we've paired them with mint, we've revelled with ginger, we've even combined them with cheesecake to create an unholy hybrid of delight.

What we haven't done is attempt the seemingly impossible: creating a healthy brownie. I know, right? How and why? What sorcery is this? We've journeyed to the local health food shop the far ends of the earth to bring you a magical solution, a dairy and low sugar chocolate brownie that will leave you feeling almost as virtuous as a patron saint of chocolate.

These brownies are not for the fans of super-sweet: they're rich, fudgy, dark and just a little brooding. All of the more unusual ingredients should be found in health food shops, or can be easily tracked down online.

Low Sugar and Dairy Free Chocolate Brownies (Makes 12)

You will need:

• 2 ripe bananas
• 2 tbsp hazelnut butter (or almond butter, if you prefer)
• 4 tbsp cacao powder
• 3 tbsp coconut oil
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp mixed spice
• A few drops vanilla essence
• 2 free-range eggs, beaten
• 1 tbsp self-raising flour (you can replace this with coconut or another nut flour for a gluten free version).
• Raw cacao nibs, for decorating (optional)

Make it!

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180C / 350F / Gas mark 4. Use a little coconut oil to grease and line a small baking tray or oven-proof dish.
2. Place the bananas in a bowl and mash with a fork or hand-blender until smooth.
3. Add the hazelnut butter, and stir together.
4. Melt the coconut oil and add to the mixture, along with the cacao powder, folding in until combined.
5. Gently stir in the honey, vanilla and spices.
6. Add half the beaten egg, along with the flour and fold in. Finish with the rest of the egg and fold until combined.
7. Tip into the prepared tin, and scatter with cacao nibs.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the top is set and a skewer comes out almost clean. (Whip it out a little earlier if you like your brownies extra gooey.)
9. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then cut into slices and serve warm.