Daphne Oz's Better-For-You Brownie Bites

These recipes from Daphne Oz, author of The Happy Cook and mom of three, make eating healthy feel like a reward—and have helped her deal with her post-baby body struggles.

Daphne says: If I could eat only one dessert for the rest of my life, it would probably be an extra fudgy brownie, warm from the oven, with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream on top. If only I could eat this dessert as often as I want—every day…maybe every meal.

Sadly, this cannot be. So I came up with my version of a brownie that lets me celebrate my love of this decadent chocolate beast while feeling good every bite of the way.  

Black beans are the unsung hero of extra fudgy brownies, and they happen to be insanely good for you while replacing the need for all-purpose flour entirely. Sweet potato here might also seem a little strange, but get to know her; she’ll help make these sweet and seductively moist while loading you up on healthy vitamins and minerals. I hesitate to call these “brownies you could eat from breakfast”…but I sometimes do! It’s kind of the best part if you’re cleaning up after a dinner party the next morning before anyone else is awake—just you, a frothy cappuccino, and the last leftover brownie bite! So you know I won’t judge.  

Tip: If you prefer cakey brownies, use teff flour in place of black beans and only ¼ teaspoon baking soda plus ¼ teaspoon baking powder. 

Excerpt from The Happy Cook by Daphne Oz. Copyright © 2016 by Daphne Oz. Used with permission by William Morrow. All rights reserved.