Grab your heaviest baking sheet and get ready for some gut-friendly gains with our Farmer Cheese Protein Brownies. This easy-to-make recipe uses a blend of Lifeway Kefir and Lifeway Farmer Cheese in the batter for an absolutely perfect, gooey cake.
To boost the protein and improve the texture of this recipe without refined flour, we used chocolate protein powder, which also supports the health of muscles, skin, nails, and hair. Lastly, we topped the brownies with a drizzle that takes them over the top without being too sweet. These brownies are more than meets they eye and taste even better than they look!
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 a 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 a 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.
Ingredients
For the Brownie Base:
- 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder or chocolate collagen peptides
- 2/3 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder (Dutch-processed)
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/8 cup coconut sugar or alternative
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 cup raw almond butter or raw cashew butter
- 1 cup Lowfat Plain Kefir
- 1/2 cup, divided Farmer Cheese
- 6 egg whites
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Drizzle:
- 2 tbsp. dark cocoa powder (Dutch-processed)
- 2 tsp. raw honey
- 1 tbsp. additional raw almond or cashew butter
- 2 tbsp. additional Lifeway Kefir
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line an 8x8 brownie pan with parchment paper
- In a medium bowl, whisk vanilla protein powder, cocoa powder, almond flour, coconut flour, coconut sugar (or baking stevia) and baking soda.
- In a standing mixer, whisk together almond or cashew butter, Lifeway Kefir, 1/2 cup Lifeway Farmer Cheese, egg whites, and vanilla.
- Gently fold in dry mixture into wet mixture.
- Add to baking sheet and set aside.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!
- For the drizzle: Once the brownies have cooled slightly, combine 2 tbsp. dark cocoa powder, 2 tsp. raw honey, 1 tbsp. additional almond or cashew butter, and 2 tbsp. Lifeway Kefir in a small bowl or mini blender. Mix all this together, then drizzle over the top of the brownies and enjoy!
