With valentine’s day right around the corner, I was craving something extra chocolate-y! I’ve been drinking my healthy hot chocolate pretty much daily and gathered the ingredients for my 3-ingredient oreo mug cake, but I wanted something new …something a little more special. After all, this is my baby’s first Valentine’s day, and I plan on going ALL out!
So what did I do? I took my almond flour brownies, threw in some freeze dried strawberries, and topped with a chocolate drizzle – and voilà, these chocolate covered strawberry almond flour brownies were born! They’re rich, fudgy, and extra indulgent but totally grain-free, dairy-free, and sweetened with coconut sugar. So whether you’re also craving something special this month, or looking to treat that someone special, you gotta give these chocolate covered strawberry almond flour brownies a try. It’s love at first bite!
What You’ll Need to Make Chocolate Covered Strawberry Almond Flour Brownies
Sugar: I used coconut sugar in my brownies, but cane sugar works great too! Use whatever you prefer, even granulated monk fruit sweetener will do the trick.
Almond Flour: Almond flour is the secret ingredient in these chocolate covered strawberry *almond flour* brownies, making them gluten-free and grain-free. Don’t mess with it though, the almond flavor can’t be subbed without compromising this recipe!
Olive Oil: This is the secret to extra fudgy brownies! Olive oil is the magic touch for that perfect consistency and rich flavor. Embrace it – your taste buds will thank you.
Freeze Dried Strawberries: I used the Natierra freeze-dried strawberries and they were delicious. But I know Trader Joe’s sells them too! No freeze-dried strawberries? No problem. Fresh chopped strawberries work just as well.
Can I use store bought brownie mix instead?
You sure can! To make these chocolate covered strawberry brownies with store bought brownie mix, start by preparing the mix according to the package instructions. Then, add in 1 cup of freeze dried strawberries to the batter and stir to combine. Transfer the batter to a lined and/or greased brownie pan and bake according to package instructions. Once brownies are baked, remove them from the oven and let them cool completely before topping with the chocolate drizzle. Just as delicious with half the effort!
Tips and Tricks
- Whip the sugar and eggs until they’re super light and fluffy – a key step for that melt-in-your-mouth brownie texture.
- When bringing together the dry ingredients, give them a gentle stir. Over-mixing can impact the texture of your brownies, so keep it light and just right.
- For that pro finish, hold off on the chocolate drizzle until your brownies are entirely cooled. Patience pays off for that beautiful, glossy topping!
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Almond Flour Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar, I used coconut sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, divided
- 1/2 cup olive oil, or any vegetable oil
- 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries, or 1 cup fresh chopped strawberries
For the chocolate drizzle:
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and eggs with either a hand or stand mixer, or a whisk (hello arm workout!). Continue beating for 3-5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add the almond flour, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and salt. Stir until everything is just combined, careful not to over-mix.
- In a separate small bowl, add the coconut oil and 1 cup of chocolate chips. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until chocolate chips are fully melted.
- Pour melted chocolate chips and olive oil into the brownie batter, and stir to combine. Then, add in the remaining chocolate chip and freeze dried strawberries and fold to combine.
- Pour brownie batter into prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the center is just barely set. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
- Once brownies are cool, make the chocolate drizzle by melting the chocolate chips and coconut oil together in the microwave in 30 seconds increments. Stir the chocolate between each increment until completely smooth.
- Cut the brownies into squares, then top the brownies with the melted chocolate drizzle and additional freeze dried strawberries if you’d like.
