I was extremely temped not to say anything in today’s post and just bombard you with picture…
… after picture…
… of deliciously fudgy chocolate gingerbread brownies instead, but as soon as I started editing said picture after picture, I came up with a list of things I wanted to tell you about them… even if it meant I had to go back and eat a handful just so my descriptions could be as accurate as possible. The sacrifices I make for blogging…
So let’s talk about these brownies. I’d offer you one to munch on while you listened to me go on and on about how much I love them, but for how far it’s come, technology still lacks the capacity to let me teleport an object in time and/or space, so I apologize for that — try and use your imagination instead…
These brownies are freaking delicious. There’s really nothing more to say…
I kid, I kid. I mean, they are freaking delicious, but you want more solid deets, right? The nitty gritty. The up close and personal…
You want to hear about how these brownies have a slightly crackly outer shell that gives way to a soft yet dense interior.
You want to hear about how that soft yet dense interior is bursting with rich chocolatey flavour thanks to the addition of melted chocolate in the batter.
You want to hear about how the warming spices and molasses co-mingle with that chocolate to create a tantalizingly complex flavour profile that’s an absolute delight for the taste buds.
You want to hear about how, despite being rich and chocolatey, these brownies are actually [relatively] healthy not-too-bad for you. The recipe doesn’t call for as much butter or sugar as most traditional ones do, yet you’d be hard-pressed to tell for how flavourful and moist they are.
You want… me to stop talking and just give you the recipe? I can do that 😉
I’d love to know if you make this (or any!) recipe! Tag @runwithspoons on Instagram and Twitter, and be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy and delicious recipes straight to your inbox!
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Lightened Up Chocolate Gingerbread Brownies
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 9 brownies 1x
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1/4 cup regular molasses
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tbsp. plain Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease an 8×8 baking pan.
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine butter, molasses, brown sugar, and chocolate. Stir until butter and chocolate have melted and everything becomes fully incorporated. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and spices. Stir until fully combined. Add the cooled chocolate molasses mixture and being stirring. When batter begins to moisten, add egg and yogurt, mixing well until everything is fully combined.
- Pour batter into prepared baking pan, using a spatula to ensure that it is evenly distributed. Bake for 20 minutes and allow to cool in pan before slicing into squares.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
I try not to play favourites, but I have to admit that I’m definitely crushing on these at the moment. I’ve made two batches in less than 48 hours, and I’d gladly make a third if I didn’t have so many other holiday recipes that I wanted to try out. As it stands, I’ll have to shelf this recipe for a little while, but it’s definitely going to be made again (brownies and milk for Santa, perhaps?). Moist and tender, sweet and spicy, rich and complex… flavour and texture perfection all around.
I was suggested this web site by my cousin. I am
not sure whether this post is written by him
as nobody else know such detailed about my difficulty.
You are amazing! Thanks!
I baked these tonight but subbed maple syrup for the molasses and omitted the spices. Amazeballs! I love your recipes because they’re healthy but not tasteless or bland at all! I just love your blog in general 😉
Aww thanks Danielle! Super sweet of you to say, and I’m glad you liked the bars 😀
Ohhhhhh, ME…me, me, me, me, MEEEEEEEEEE! Pick me! *wildly waves hand above head* 😉
These pictures are absolutely GORGEOUS, girlie! But of course that doesn’t surprise me in the least! I’ve never had gingerbread brownies before…or even thought to add ginger to brownie batter…but I freakin’ LOVE chocolate covered candied ginger! I used to buy it from Whole Foods all the time! Brilliant! And I love that the sugar is minimal…I can always ALWAYS trust your desserts to be perfectly sweet for me! (I’m always nervous to try other recipes because I never know if I should lower the sugar or not).
And we ALWAYS laid out Oreos and milk for Santa!
PS, I LOVE the new recipe “thingy” for lack of a better word. I’m assuming that was what you were working on all weekend when you were going cross-eyed from typing code?
Thank ya, lovely lady! The recipe box was actually an afterthought and the easiest part of the whole process 😆 All the code stuff was just general upkeep that no one ends up seeing but needs to get done anyways. Bugger.
Oh, these look ridiculously amazing. I love ginger brownies. Now I might have to make some this weekend! 🙂
I’m so in love with the chocolate-gingerbread flavor combination, and those brownies look so unbelievable! I’m definitely bookmarking this recipe, and had to share it with my readers on my blog’s Weekend Wrap-Up today, too. I’ve left the link to the wrap up below and would love it if you’d stop by. Either way, thank you for the beautiful recipe and pictures, and enjoy your weekend!
http://www.floptimism.com/2013/12/weekend-wrap-up-snow-day.html
Your pictures are always amazing, but it’s your descriptions which always sell me on the recipe. Crackly outside with a moist and deliciously chocolaty inside because of actual melted chocolate in the batter. Sign me up please. I will gladly we your recipe tester.
So I always love your eats! I have a funny thing to tell you. Anytime I’m more hungry some days than others, I always remind myself of your little saying, ” Eat ALL the food!” Lol. It always makes me laugh and helps me not to choose to restrict myself:) I thought I was the ONLY person who stirred coconut flour in her oats!:) Cool:) I’ve also been stirring in some oat fiber, which is pretty awesome, let me tell you! Anywho! I’m looking forward to linking up tomorrow! Have a great Wed<3<3<3
Chocolate AND gingerbread in the form of a brownie?!? I have died and gone to heaven!!!! MUST.MAKE.IMMEDIATELY.
Chocolate and gingerbread…yum! 🙂
We actually never put out cookies for santa. That’s one tradition I suppose we skipped at our house. I never made brownies from scratch, either. Yikes!
We put out cookies every year when I was little until I turned 7, then my brothers broke the news to me :(- I was crushed lol. Mum always made shortbread- do you like shortbread? Or She made biscotti studded with chocolate and orange- yum. Could you do a post on your current recovery mindset- how far you have come and how you got there, what struggles you faced? I know so many people would appreciate it- and more selfies- you are too cute! Sorry- I’m being demanding lol 🙂 Merry Christmas season Amanda! 🙂
Whaaaaaat?! What a meanie! I guess that’s one of the perks of being an only child — no older siblings to spoil the fun. And no worries about being demanding 😛 I’ve been working on a couple of recovery posts and hope to have them up soon — it’s just been hard to find the time to sit down and really get my thoughts together, especially since recovery is such a complicated thing 😕
These brownies are totally going on my my must make list. I’m a big gingerbread fan but don’t make nearly enough gingerbread treats, so this has got to change! Pinning now, thanks in advance! 🙂
Awwww that’s just plain mean Amanda! But thanks for the awesome recipe 😉 But I totally think these look beautiful, wholesome enough, and delicious! It seems like the molasses really moistens these up (I don’t hate that word but I bet someone reading this is going EEEEKKK, lol). Great job with the recipe and the pictures. I’m getting more and more impressed by your ever-growing skills girl <3
I love that you use such simple ingredients! It’s rare to find healthy recipes nowadays that do not contain obscure ingredients like buckwheat flour, flax egg (?) etc!
What can I say? I’m a simple girl 🙂
I’m amazed how moist these look despite only having 2 tbsp of butter! I don’t know how you do it girl, but I bow down to you. I will gladly be your recipe taste tester. 😉
oh my… I’m drooling on my keyboard. 🙂 I’ve got to try these GF!
I was going to try it with oat flour — I have a feeling that would be pretty awesome!
you had me at molasses.
😉
Oh my goodness these look amazing. How do you do it!? And your photos are SO gorgeous!
You do not understand how much I wish you could just come to London (bringing those brownies of course…gingerbread and brownies are my two fave things in the whole world!!) because we could run and eat brownies all day 🙂 PLEASE COME because I will definitely take you up on your offer of being a taste tester 😉
Third time commenting without it reloading….fingers crossed.
I shot gun being your taste tester. Just fed ex the ticket, a carpet strength jacket and I’ll be right over 😉
I used to leave out cookies and carrots for santa and his reindeer, until I caught my mum breaking up cookie pieces and throwing it on the ground in the middle of the night!
Wow lady just wow these look so good! I’m intrigued to try molasses as I’ve seen it start popping up in recipes on lots of blogs lately and it sounds great.
Happy Wednesday <3
It’s definitely a strong flavour that might take a little getting used to, but it’s absolutely delicious once you “get the hang” of it.
I have ALWAYS put cookies out for Santa…. I’m sure he would enjoy brownies too! These look beyond delicious! Pinning!
You are so creative, your photos make my mouth water, and I can’t wait to try these. Plus you make me want sweets early in the am.. not such a bad thing 😉
ohhhh my gosh, these sounds so incredible! i have a holiday party to go to this weekend and i’m definitely bring these, thank you for sharing 🙂
I hope you like them, Jordan! Side note: your blog name is -awesome- 😀
oh dear goodness my mouth is watering for these. the way you described them too–swooooon.
It would be WAY too mean not to give us this recipe!! They look so delicious. Love the Christmas tree background 🙂 I”m pretty sure we did the milk and cookies out for Santa for a couple of years… but by the time 4th grade rolled around I was helping my mom be Santa. Early adulthood, I guess. Ha!
Beautiful pictures! These brownies do look pretty freakin’ amazing. Yum.
From a brownie non-lover … those look AMAZING
Those brownies look insanely delicious! I may have to ask Ryan to pick up some more cocoa powder on the way home – brownies are always an incentive so I doubt he’ll say no 😉
First of all- sign me up for that open taste tester position. I have credentials 😉
Second, I’ll admit to being completely skeptical when you mentioned that these brownies were both chocolate and gingerbread. In my mind those two things should not be mixed. I was wrong. So so wrong.
Cookies for Santa, and baby carrots for the reindeer!
Okay so now I feel like a complete goober — I had no idea carrots for the reindeer was a thing!
In Russia we have no tradition to leave milk and cookies for Santa. And in general there is no Santa 😀 Gifts are given by Father Frost and he from those guys that give you candies… And it more harmonous too 😉
I started swallowing of saliva, only having seen pictures and your description simply finished me… It will be certain in my list of New Year’s baking 😉
these look amazing!!! I absolutely love brownies – slightly undercooked, of course 🙂