gluten free chocolate chip brownies

My Naturopath has been urging me to go gluten free for months. I minimized my gluten intake last year, and actually did start to feel a lot more energy. I also lost weight! So I totally get why she wants me to cut gluten out of my life. I haven’t been tested for gluten sensitivity but I think she is right in assuming that it may be a contributor to my TMJ problems, as it can lead to chronic inflammation. But I’m not going to lie. It hasn’t been that easy to cut this trouble making wheat from my diet. I need to ease my way into it by reinventing recipes slowly and giving myself enough time to make it my lifestyle. If I go all in, I will likely have a relapse (cue in 2am desperation with a giant bowl of pasta).

I’ve played around with recipes over the last year, and do have to say that this banana pancake recipe is pretty darn good. So I know that with a bit of effort there are plenty of delicious things I can eat. I’ve made them several times with agave syrup for my guys and they really enjoyed them. I really appreciate the effort they’ve made to try new things with me. So why not keep the de-glutenizing momentum going with a few other household favorites – like brownies!

My son came home from school one day and was elated to see that I was baking brownies. I warned him that they may not taste the way he likes – to which he replied “oh no, this isn’t another gluten free healthy recipe thing, is it?” I started to explain why I needed to cut back but about 5 seconds in I noticed he was licking the bowl and spoon clean. So. There was no need to say anymore. I’ve made them several times, and it’s been a win. I used this recipe but if you want to give this a try without starting from scratch, Trader Joe’s makes a delicious gluten free brownie mix.