There is nothing more yummy than Little Debbie’s Snack Cakes. Yes, they are garbage in a box but they are good in their own weird way. Maybe it is due to the long list of ingredients that manipulate your taste buds and deprive you of any nutrients??? Check out the ingredient’s in Ol’ Debbie’s Fudge Brownies:
INGREDIENTS:
Enriched bleached flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate [vitamin B1], riboflavin [vitamin B2], folic acid), corn syrup, partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil with TBHQ to preserve flavor, sugar, dextrose, water, cocoa, walnuts, high fructose corn syrup, whey (milk), eggs, soy lecithin (emulsifier), corn starch, salt, leavening (sodium aluminum phosphate, baking soda), colors (caramel color, red 40), natural and artificial flavors, egg whites, citric acid, sorbic acid (to retain freshness), almonds.
Allergy Information: Contains Wheat, Walnuts, Milk, Eggs, Soy and Almonds. Manufactured on equipment that processes products containing peanuts and tree nuts.
Yuck and Yuck! Partially hydrogenated soybean oil, HFCS, red 40, “natural and artificial flavors” are just a FEW of the problem ingredients not counting the wheat, corn & sugar. There is NOTHING good in the box!!
Now check out the nutrition (or lack thereof):
WOW, these are a DIABETIC COMA in a box! And we eat these and give them to our children as snacks?!?! I have avoided anything that Little Debbie makes for the last 9-10 years for this reason. The lethargic feeling and long-term consequences (weight gain) wasn’t worth the 1 minute of pleasure. This Copy Cat Recipes if for ME but I am glad you can benefit too! 😉
Now here are My Copy Cat Fudge Brownies! These are DELICIOUS!! My goal was to recreate the look, taste and warm feeling you get while eating Little Debbie’s (like you know you are doing something wrong) when I created this recipe! Well, I did it, thanks to my grandmother inspiration, she eats so well and her nutrition is so healthy i wanted to make this for the kids! Pureed Food is an Appetizing Solution if Chewing or Swallowing is Hard and she also has great recipes. I PROMISE if you make these you will fool your “Grain-Lovin” neighbors and family! You know, the ones that think you are crazy and are deprived of all the “good stuff.” They will think you are off your “diet!” lol
It took me Less than 20 minute from start to finish which I LOVE now that I have 2 little ones under 2! Mama needs her chocolate and I can literally whip these up in a jiffy!! I was so happy that I can give my 23 month old son one of these brownies without any guilt or worries that he will be bouncing off the walls, he does that well all by himself!
Also, I am so excited that I finally got a chance to use my Brownie Pan I got for Christmas! I LOVE THIS PAN, thanks Aunt Mary! I think next I will make my biscuits and also maybe individual Pineapple Upside Down Cakes using this pan! The price is also right, check it out HERE! Less than $18 on Amazon but I think they have them at Wal-Mart or you may have one in the closet from a Pampered Chef party. I love the Brownie Pan because it portions out the recipe nicely and the brownies cook quicker because the heat transfers through the metal dividers!
Dairy-Free Option
Simply use coconut oil in the place of butter and coconut milk in the place of the dairy. They will have a slight coconut flavor which I LOVE!
Nut-Free Option
Can’t have nuts?? No problem! Grind raw pumpkin seeds in a Magic Bullet (I LOVE my Magic Bullet for jobs like this) until you have a fine powder that looks like almond flour (only it will be green). For this recipe around 2.25 oz by weight or you should be able to measure it cup for cup as long as the pumpkin seeds don’t get packed down.
Brownies
- 3/4 cup almond flour (I use blanched Honeyville)
- 1 tbsp. coconut flour (I use Tropical Traditions or Bob's Red Mill)
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 3 tbsp. Raw Cacao Powder or unsweetened cocoa powder (Not Dutch Processed)
- 1/4 tsp. plus 1/8 tsp Pure Kal Stevia to taste (or sweetener of choice)
- 2 pastured eggs (room temperature)
- 2 tbsp. salted butter (room temp) or coconut oil for dairy free (if using unsalted butter or coconut oil, add a pinch of salt)
- 2 tbsp. heavy whipping cream (or sour cream; coconut milk/almond milk for dairy free)
- 2 tbsp. cold brewed coffee (or any liquid but coffee is nice)
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp. mini chocolate chips (Enjoy Life Brand or THIS chocolate Bar cut up or you could use THESE lower-carb chips from blog) (These are optional but included in the carb count)
Fudge Sauce
- 3 tbsp. unsalted butter (or ghee)
- 3 tbsp. raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tbsp. milk (cow's, heavy cream, almond or coconut milk)
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/16th tsp. Organic Kal Stevia or 1/8 tsp. Organic Trader Joe's Stevia, or sweetener of choice (to taste)
- 1 tbsp. coconut sugar or raw honey (Optional. I used it to make the frosting a little sweeter without risking the bitterness from adding extra Stevia)
Brownies
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lube with butter or coconut oil a 8X8 inch pan or use a brownie pan. (If using a regular pan, line bottom with parchment just to make sure they don't stick.)
Blend dry ingredients in medium bowl. Add wet ingredients to same bowl and mix with wooded spoon until blended. Taste for sweetness and adjust if needed.
Pour batter into pan and spread evenly to corners. If using brownie pan, place divider in batter to create 12 separate brownies. Using the divider will also help the brownies cook faster without drying them out.
(If not doing frosting, top with 1/2 cup chopped nuts. If doing frosting, hold off on nuts right now.)
Bake for 10-12 minutes if using brownie pan and 12-14 minutes if using 8X8 pan. DO NOT OVER BAKE!!
While brownies are baking, make Fudge Sauce. (Omit frosting for dairy-free or use coconut oil instead of butter. The next batch I make I will use coconut oil instead of butter and coconut milk instead of cow milk. I feel confident it will work but I haven't tried it yet).
Fudge Sauce
In small sauce pan, melt butter. Turn off heat and whisk in cocoa powder until smooth. Add milk, vanilla and sweeter. Whisk until smooth. Taste for sweetness and adjust if necessary.
Once brownies come out of oven (and still warm), pour fudge sauce over brownies and spread. If using brownie pan, keep divider in and add 1 tbsp of frosting per brownie. Let set for about 15 minutes (optional) and then remove divider or cut and serve brownies. EAT! 😉
Serve warm, room temperature or out of the fridge. Store leftovers in fridge.
Like this recipe?? Be sure to check out Satisfying Eats Cookbook HERE for more yummy, SATISFYING recipes!
** Nutritional information was obtained through http://caloriecount.about.com/
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