Whole Wheat Carob Brownies

Carob gets a bad rap as the chocolate substitute nobody asked for, but in baked goods like these brownies, it absolutely holds its own. Naturally sweet and caffeine-free, carob powder lets you bake something rich and dessert-like that kids and folks avoiding chocolate can enjoy.

This recipe is also notable for what it doesn’t have. No butter, no eggs, no white sugar, no chocolate. Applesauce replaces both the fat and the eggs, doing the work of keeping the bars moist while binding everything together. Honey provides the sweetness with a more rounded flavor than refined sugar.

Whole wheat pastry flour is the right choice here. It has the bran and germ of regular whole wheat but is milled from softer wheat, so the protein stays low and the bars don’t go tough. Sub regular whole wheat flour and you’ll end up with something closer to a hockey puck than a brownie.

Don’t overbake. The bars set up considerably as they cool and pulling them at 35 minutes when the center has just set keeps them tender.

Pro Tips

• Sift the carob powder if it has lumps. Carob clumps more aggressively than cocoa.
• Toast the walnuts or pecans before chopping for a richer flavor.
• Test with a toothpick. A few moist crumbs is right, wet batter means more time.
• Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze individually wrapped pieces.

Variations

• Stir in ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut for extra texture.
• Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the dry ingredients for a warming spice note.
• Top with a thin carob glaze (carob powder + honey + a splash of water) once cool.