Decadent Red Velvet Brownies with Walnuts

[adapted from recipe by River Cottage chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall  on Guardian website]

INGREDIENTS

  • 250 g unsalted butter
  • 250 g dark chocolate – 70% cocoa (broken into pieces)
  • 250 g cooked and peeled beetroot (grated)
  • 1¼ cup golden caster sugar
  • 1 cup plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or optionally pecans or hazelnuts
  • 3 – 4 eggs
  • some more butter to grease the tins

chocolate and pecan beetroot brownies recipe

EQUIPMENT

  • whisk
  • mixer
  • 2 smaller or 1 large (about A4 size) baking tray, at least 3 cm high
  • baking paper
  • skewer to test if brownies are ready
  • silicone pastry brush

beetroot brownies healthy with walnuts pecans hazelnuts

METHOD

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C (356°F).
  2. Melt the butter either in a small saucepan or in microwave.
  3. Using a bit of melted butter and silicone brush grease baking tins and line them with baking paper, grease some more.
  4. In a double boiler melt chocolate, let it cool down a little bit.
  5. In a mixing bowl whisk eggs with sugar until creamy.
  6. Combine with chocolate mixture and butter.
  7. Fold in also flour, then walnuts and beetroots.
  8. Pour the batter into baking tin(s).
  9. Bake for about 25 – 30 minutes or until skewer comes out almost clean.
  10. Let it cool down completely before cutting into squares.

Makes about 15 – 20 portions.

NOTES

For more decadent chocolate & walnut dessert ideas check out this Cape brandy pudding by Jeanne of Cook Sister.

Your thoughts…

  1. These look so good! YUM YUM:)!!

  2. That is an interesting use of beet root, I would have never thought of that. They look great and am interested in trying them.

  3. Bless you sweetheart. I bought beets just today to bake a chocolate cake & then changed my mind when I saw 1 cake with 250gms butter. This does look better with an A4 X 2 portion, Margot. Tomorrow here I come!

  4. how cool! i’ve never heard of these before!

  5. I have made a beetroot and chocolate cake, but never thought of Brownie size…..I think I can con the family!!!

  6. What a nice way to enjoy some beets! :)

  7. I love the flowers! Are those real?

  8. Thank you for all the comments :)

    Erin – those flowers are made of paper… came with some teddy bear ages ago and end up in my box with nonsense I’m using for photographs ;)

  9. Talk about getting your kids to eat their veggies!

  10. These look very moist and delicious! I’ve made a chocolate beetroot cake before (and it was pretty good) but brownies would be spectacular I think!

  11. What a great idea to have beetroots in a brownie. Adds a nice healthy touch to it.

  12. Hon, your brownies came out so perfectly.

  13. Sounds delicious!

  14. I’ve never thought to put vegies in brownies other than fruits. Great idea. Worth to try!

  15. Margot your brownies look delicious!xGreat way of adding veggies for the kids to eat :)

    Rosie x

  16. Wow. These just look and sound so good. What a great idea!

  17. I made these and I used 1/2 cup of coconut oil in place of butter and tofu in place of the eggs (I am vegan) and blended some leftover steel cuts from breakfast in with the beets. The brownies turned out lovely and I will be making them again soon!

  18. Thank you for such a lovely comments.

    This is still our favourite brownie recipe… they taste so good! :)

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