Maple Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Blondies

Last Sunday, my family got together for lunch to celebrate Mother's Day. My sister asked me to bring a dessert. Now, there are a lot of great options out there for people eating on a gluten, dairy and sugar free diet, a few of which I've shared on this blog, but since this was a special occasion, and also the first time my (non-food-allergy) family would be tasting one of my "untamed" desserts, I wanted to make sure they'd like it. So I strayed a from my diet a little and used a sweetener other than stevia. This recipe is still sugar free according to some standards, but one taste of these blondies and any discerning tongue would know that there was sucrose present. Sucrose in the form of pure maple syrup, that is. 

Pure maple syrup isn't exactly healthy, but it does have some additional nutrients and benefits that white sugar doesn't have. One good thing is that maple syrup creates a more alkaline environment in the body. Since many of the foods we eat today (including white sugar) create an acidic environment, it's important to consume alkaline-producing foods to help balance our body's pH. So there's that.

Along with maple syrup, I also threw in some applesauce, coconut oil, almond meal, cinnamon and chocolate just to see how many comforting flavors I could put into one dessert. I really wanted to call these "Maple Cinnamon Apple Coconut Almond Chocolate Chip Blondies", but it just doesn't roll off the tongue very easily.

The flour is a mix of brown rice flour and almond meal. One tip I've learned is that it's usually a good idea to mix different kinds of flours in gluten free baking.

This is coconut oil, egg and maple syrup. Take out the egg and it would make a great glaze for the top of a carrot cake or drizzled over a sweet potato casserole. (Although, even as I type that, I'm thinking, "That sounds way too sweet." Man, have my taste buds changed.)

The best part of this recipe was making (and eating) my own chocolate chips. Which, by the way, were gluten, dairy AND sugar free! First, melt some coconut oil and add in some cocoa powder. I had a square of baking chocolate that I threw in also. Once it's all mixed together and melted, add stevia to taste.

Pour it into a shallow container (you don't want it to spread too thin, though), cover it and stick it in the freezer.

After at least 30 minutes, the chocolate should be hardened enough to cut into chips. Ready for any recipe...or for eating right out of the container.

The blondies turned out great and they were a big hit with my family. I knew they were a hit when my niece, Sidney, took her first bite and exclaimed, "I love this! I love this so much!" My other niece, Abigail, asked for seconds, and then, I caught my dad scraping crumbs and chocolate out of the empty pan. I enjoy food, but it might be even better seeing other people enjoy food I've made.

I'm used to experimenting with recipes for my own meals, and it's not a big deal because I'm pretty open-minded when it comes to foods and flavors. Sharing a made-up recipe with others can be a little scary, though. My family would have told me if they didn't like it, and since I came home with only one blondie left, I'm giving this recipe a stamp of approval.

My recipe was loosely based on these blondies, which also look fantastic. You can find the complete chocolate chip recipe there as well, with measurements (although I used less stevia).

Maple Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Blondies
1 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup almond meal
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp stevia powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1/2 cup pure maple syrup

Mix dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Beat egg in large bowl and add syrup and  oil. blend with mixer. Add dry ingredients slowly and mix together. Stir in the applesauce, then fold in the chocolate chips. Pour into a greased 8x8 baking pan and bake at 325F for 30-35 minutes.