Chocolate Cherry Brownies

Hey everyone! This is the last school-lunch-related post of the month, and we're going to "celebrate" with a dessert recipe! I found a recipe for Sweet Potato Brownies on Instagram and drastically changed it to make these Chocolate Cherry Brownies. The recipe is entirely different now; it's sweeter, smoother, and has a fun flavor complex, and I love it! They're super sweet, and the sweetness comes from just bananas, agave nectar, and chocolate chips. The banana and the coconut oil give it the added moisture to give it a traditional, brownie-like consistency. I think they're delicious and I hope you do too! These are perfect to take in your lunch, and they're fairly easy to make. Throwing the batter together should only take around 20 minutes or less, and you can finish your homework while the brownies are in the oven. Note: these brownies are best the day after you make them. Try your best to wait until the next day to eat them, because the texture isn't quite right until they've taken awhile to set and cool completely.

Chocolate Cherry Brownies
Makes 16 brownies

Ingredients
2 large, ripe bananas (about 1 cup mashed)
3 eggs
1/4 cup melted coconut oil, plus extra for greasing the baking dish
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup fair-trade cocoa powder
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp baking soda
6 oz (about half of a package) of semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup dried cherries, chopped
2 tbsp finely shredded coconut, for garnish (optional)

Preparation
1. Peel the bananas and mash them in a small bowl with a potato masher or a fork. Try to make sure you work out any chunks and lumps that you can. If needed, use an electric beater to beat the bananas on a low speed in order to work out the lumps.

2. Combine the eggs, coconut oil, coconut flour, cocoa powder, agave nectar, vanilla extract, and baking soda in a medium-large bowl. Beat on a low speed using your electric beater until completely mixed. Add the bananas and beat on a higher speed until fully incorporated.

3. Fold in the chocolate chips and dried cherries. Grease an 8x8 baking dish with coconut oil and pour the batter into the dish. Bake for 25 - 35 minutes, or until you can insert a toothpick into the batter and it will come out clean. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Once it has cooled for at least 30 minutes, cut into 16 squares. Let it cool completely and serve the next day. Garnish with shredded coconut if you desire. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe! I know I do. ;) I ate three squares in a row after I got home from my shows yesterday. I basically was in Little Mermaid mode for 12 hours yesterday, so I think I deserved the treat! Please follow Teens Can Cook, Too on all the sites below:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo (@teenscancooktoo)
Instagram: http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo (@teenscancooktoo)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ  

Stay healthy!
- Madeline