If you love chocolate brownies and care about your health, these eggless pumpkin millet brownies are just right for you. Once you see how easy it is to make healthy brownies in microwave oven, you will not want to do it any other way!
I do tend to try to bring in health into our life by making subtle additions and substitutions to various desserts and snacks. These do not make the food less tasty, but they do make it a bit more coarse or robust that what we may be used to. It’s just a matter of eating healthy. You can find more about that here.
Other recipes involving healthier ingredients in baking are the pumpkin wholewheat cake, the ragi cake and this wholesome nutrisurprise cake.
These healthy eggless brownies have chocolate, but no one can guess it has pumpkin in it. The added healthy use of millets (ragi or finger millet flour) makes it even more of a happy treat!
For the three delicious layers of yum, just get these ingredients together. An important tool for this recipe is a good parchment paper. And I always use oddy ecobake parchment paper as it works extremely well.
The three layers of the eggless millet pumpkin brownies
Here is a video you can follow for this healthy millet dessert. The written steps are given below.
I love this recipe as all the three layers of the eggless pumpkin brownie are so delicious. Indeed, you will love this guilt-free indulgence.
Just remember to chill it before cutting it into squares, to get neat edges.
Layer 1
We start by grinding almonds, cocoa powder, ragi, sugar and butter. Use a food processor or the small jar of your mixer grinder. And just like that, the first layer is ready! It will stick together if you press it. Otherwise it will resemble fine sand particles.
Start the magic by covering a microwave safe dish with parchment paper. Using two layers to properly cover all four sides is advisable.
Now spread the ground mixture evenly on it. A small silicon spatula is best for this purpose.
Layer 2
It is now time to add your favourite spreads. I enjoy using peanut butter and Nutella. Just add in spoonfuls, using a spare spoon to help you get it on the first layer without disturbing it.
After topping the first layer with the second one, keep it keep aside.
Layer 3
Now mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Just toss in the flours, cocoa, sugar soda, salt and pumpkin spice.
In case you do not have a box of readymade pumpkin spice, you can make your own by grinding a mixture of cloves, mace, cinnamon and nutmeg. You can use this mixture for all kinds of baking, it smells heavenly! Keep aside.
Now for the wet ingredients.
In a microwave safe dish, gently melt the cooking chocolate. Don’t blast it with microwave heat, it will lose it’s qualities. Just keep heating at 20 second intervals, stirring for 30 seconds before heating again.
Once it is smooth and creamy, add oil, pumpkin and milk. (Refer to the notes for the version with eggs.)
You can add chopped nuts too. Almonds, walnuts and/or cashews work well.
Fold the dry into the wet mixture. Mix. Spread on the first two layers gently.
Cooking the Brownies
Just pop the dish into the mocrowave and cook on high power for 3 minutes. Pause for 30 seconds and cook again for a minute.
Let it stay in the microwave oven for 2 minutes more, undisturbed. There should be no liquid or sift parts in the dough. However, do not overcook it, as it will become dry.
Cool and chill thoroughly in the fridge.
Cutting and decorating the eggless millet pumpkin brownies
Once it is chilled, turn it upside down on clean parchment.
The bottom of the brownies has now become the top. Peel the paper away. It is ready to be eaten as it is. Cut into squares.
Have it plain like this, or decorate with chocolate ganache. Simply melt chocolate and add equal quantity of fresh cream. USe this to drizzle on the brownies. Let it set for a few minutes.
How about adding your favourite ice cream?
Whichever way, it’s delicious, and healthy. t
½ tsp pumpkin spice
Eggless Millet Pumpkin Brownies
Course: DessertCuisine: WesternDifficulty: Medium8
servings20
minutes4
minutesIngredients
LAYER 1
1 ½ tbsp butter
5 Almonds
1 tsp cocoa powder
3 tbsp ragi
2 tbsp brown sugarLAYER 2
peanut butter and nutella (optional)LAYER 3
½ cup ragi
½ cup atta
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pumpkin spice
150 g dark chocolate bits
½ cup olive oil
1 cup pumpkin grated
Milk ½ cup
(OR 1 egg +2 tbsp milk)Parchment Paper and Microwave safe dish
Directions
- Grind the almonds, cocoa, ragi, sugar and butter for a few seconds in a small jar of the food processor or mixie.
- Cover a microwave safe dish with parchment papers.
- Spread the ground mixture evenly on it. Top with spoonfuls of your favourite spreads and keep aside.
- Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add the flours, cocoa, sugar soda, salt and spice. Keep aside.
- Gently melt the chocolate (see notes), add oil, pumpkin and milk.
- Add chopped nuts (optional)
- Fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture. Mix. Spread this on the first two layers gently.
- Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes, giving a 30 second gap in between. Let it sit undisturbed for 2-3 minutes. Now check that the mixture is cooked and set. There should be no liquidy portion.
- Cool and chill thoroughly. Now turn it upside down on clean parchment. Peel the paper away. Cut into squares.
- Top with chocolate ganache if desired. (See notes)
Notes
- Be careful when melting chocolate. Do not let it cook for more than 20 seconds at a time.
- If you would like to try the version with eggs, replace the 1/2 cup of milk with 1 egg and 2 tbsp of milk.
- Make chocolate ganache by gently heating some cooking chocolate ( say 2 tbsp) for 20 seconds at a time till smooth and molten. Now cool and add equal amount of fresh cream. Drizzle on the brownies. If you want it to set quickly, reduce amount of cream to 1 tbsp.