Add the taste of fall to your next batch of brownies, and try our Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Protein Brownies made with Lifeway Kefir. While we’ll never turn down a batch of fudgy brownies, we think this recipe has quite the edge over the competition! Prepared with gut-healthy Lifeway Kefir, these brownies are packed with protein, fiber, and additional nutrients in every single sweet bite.
Speaking of sweet, you also can’t beat the ingredients used in this healthy dessert recipe since they’re made with wholesome ingredients and contain no highly refined sugar or flour. Pumpkin Spice Lifeway Kefir steals the show here offering just the right taste of spiced fall flavor, and just in case you can’t find it near you, Plain Lifeway Kefir makes the perfect alternative since it’s versatile in baking and beyond.
Lifeway Kefir tenderizes baked good recipes just like this one offering a delicate crumb and reduces the tendency of the batter to turn out tough or dry. It also makes an excellent alternative to other liquids since it adds not only protein, but B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and potassium to baked goods.
Filled with flavor from top to bottom, these brownies are made with dark chocolate chips, pumpkin, applesauce, and nutty cashew or almond butter combined with pumpkin spice that produce a dessert worth firing up your oven for. Don’t leave off the healthy frosting on top—it’s the best part!
The Benefits of Cultured Dairy for Better Health:
Research continues to show the importance of eating healthy foods, including cultured dairy such as kefir, for optimal digestion and gut health, a strong immune system, and to support the microbiome. Fermented foods like kefir hold important value in this line of research due to the link between the gut-brain axis and overall health. Specifically, kefir has been shown to help diversify the microbiome, improve digestion, reduce inflammation, support healthier blood sugar levels, and improve satiety since the bioavailable protein it contains triggers the release of GLP-1.
Lifeway Kefir is packed with variety of vital nutrients important for overall health, including bone and muscle health; these include vitamin D3, K, calcium, and vitamin B12. Along with our probiotic-rich kefir, Lifeway also offers artisan-made Farmer Cheese, a creamy high-protein cheese made with live and active cultures to support healthy muscles and healthy microbiome. Lifeway Farmer Cheese is easy to spread, free of gums and thickeners, and contains no added salt or sugar for optimal health benefits.
Prep Time: 30 mins Servings: 10-12Ingredients
For the Brownies:
- 1 cup pure pumpkin purée (canned--not pumpkin pie mix)
- 1/2 cup raw cashew butter or almond butter
- 1 cup Lowfat Pumpkin Spice Kefir
- **or you can use Lowfat Plain Kefir
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup dark cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
- 1 scoop chocolate protein powder (about 30 grams)
- 1/8 cup raw coconut sugar or alternative
- 1/2 - 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice mix (depending on how much you prefer)
- 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
For the Frosting:
- 3/4 additional Pumpkin Spice Lifeway Kefir (or Plain)
- 1 cup additional dark cocoa powder or cacao powder
- 2-3 tbsp. additional chocolate protein powder
- 1/3 cup raw honey or pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- optional: dark chocolate drizzle
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, Fahrenheit. Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper and press down in the corners well. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer bowl or a large bowl, add the pumpkin purée, raw cashew or almond butter, 1 cup Pumpkin Spice (or plain) Lifeway Kefir, unsweetened applesauce, vanilla, and mix all of these ingredients together well with the stand mixer or by hand with a hand mixer.
- In a separate bowl, mix 1/2 cup cocoa powder, scoop of chocolate protein powder, raw coconut sugar or alternative, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and stir together well. Add this to the mixture from step 2, and combine/mix well until no more crumbs remain. Fold in 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips last.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared/lined pan and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a fork comes out clean. While the brownies are baking, prepare the frosting.
- For the frosting, mix 3/4 cup additional Lifeway Kefir, 1 cup dark cocoa powder or cacao powder, 2-3 tbsp. additional chocolate protein powder, 1/3 cup raw honey, and stir together well until it thickens and is fully combined. Let it set in the fridge while your brownies bake to firm up and chill a bit.
- Once the brownies are done, take the frosting out of the fridge, fold in the 1/2 dark chocolate chips into the frosting, and let the brownies cool about 10 minutes before adding the frosting. The frosting will melt slightly if the brownies are still very warm, so if you prefer to wait until they cool down to frost them, feel free. You can also make a dark chocolate drizzle with some of the chocolate chips by melting them and then drizzle it over if you like.
