Level up your snack game with these protein brownies. Made with chocolate and pumpkin, these brownies will be a fast favourite.
- Makes12
- Cook time20 minutes
- Prep time20 minutes, + cooling time
Ingredients
- 100g Coles Kitchen Diced Butternut Pumpkin
- 50g butter
- 2/3 cup (150g) firmly packed brown sugar
- 100g dark chocolate, chopped
- 3 Coles Australian Free Range Eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
- 1/4 cup (25g) cocoa
- 2 x 190g salted caramel protein bars, cut into 1cm pieces
Check ingredient labels to make sure they meet your specific dietary requirements and always consult a health professional before changing your diet. View dietary information here.
Percentage Daily Intake information on our recipes is calculated using the nutrition reference values for an average Australian adult.
Method
Step 1
Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a 20cm (base measurement) square cake pan and line the base and sides with baking paper.Step 2
Steam or microwave pumpkin until soft. Allow any steam to evaporate then mash until smooth.Step 3
Place butter, sugar and chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until melted and combined.Step 4
Remove from heat and stir in pumpkin. Cool for 5 mins. Stir in the eggs until well combined. Stir in combined sifted flour and cocoa. Stir in protein bar pieces. Pour into pan and spread evenly with a spatula.Step 5
Bake for 20 mins or until firm to touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with damp crumbs. Set aside in the pan to cool slightly. Brownie will continue to cook from residual heat on standing and also firm up on cooling. Cut into squares to serve.
Protein brownie recipe
This recipe for protein brownies features an ingredient no one will ever be able to guess – pumpkin!
This versatile vegetable adds sweetness and helps ensure a moist brownie. Best of all, the kids will never notice the hidden veg.
This value for money recipe uses protein bars, rather than protein powder. These are sliced and folded into the brownie batter right at the end, adding visual and textural interest. Plus that hint of salted caramel flavour.
Chocolate protein brownies
These double-choc brownies are a decadent treat, perfect for afternoon tea. They’ll be more cake-like than dense and fudgy, thanks to the self-raising flour, but still with that delicious brownie gooeyness.
Protein brownie variations
Serving the choc protein brownies as dessert? Once the brownies are out of the oven and cooled a little, slice them and serve with a salted caramel sauce, such as the one in this recipe here. Or a dollop of Greek yoghurt.
To change up the flavours, choose one of the other varieties in the Coles Joyful Protein Bar range, such as peanut butter. Use this cheesecake brownie recipe as inspiration and swirl through some actual peanut butter through the brownie batter too.
If raspberries are in season, consider dotting the mixture with the berries before baking. Or dice some roasted nuts and swirl them through the mixture, before sprinkling some on top.
Now get cooking
These chocolate and raspberry protein brownies use cacao powder and wholemeal flour, and are sweetened with banana and maple syrup. Or try this version with chia and pumpkin seeds. For a more decadent style, these red velvet brownies include a creamy cheesecake swirl. In this recipe the brownies are swirled with peanut butter and dotted with chocolate biscuits. Or try these double-choc brownies decorated with raspberries and white chocolate. Like the idea of hidden vegetables in brownies and cakes? This recipe swaps the pumpkin for sweet potato, while carrot is the star in this gluten-free, vegan raw carrot cake. This spiced pumpkin cake is topped with cream cheese icing and a maple caramel sauce. For more decadent chocolate dessert recipes, visit our collection here.
