Protein Pumpkin Brownies

 

I’ve been following an Instagram account called Petite Pancakery, which specializes in low-calorie high-protein treats. I made these fudgy pumpkin brownies in October and ended up not talking about them, through no fault of their own. 

The protein powder I had at the time was Vega Protein and Greens Vanilla protein powder. I tried it in several applications, both smoothies and baked treats, and I’ve had to admit that I just don’t like it. It has an after-taste that reminds me of artificial sweeteners and I don’t enjoy that at all. All this to say that were it not for the taste of this specific protein powder, these brownies would have been really good – YMMV. Let me know if you have a good lactose-free protein powder to recommend! 

Note that I did not have applesauce that day, so I used a total of 280 grams of pumpkin purée. And I did not weigh my egg. 

For the brownies 

60 g all-purpose flour 

20 g protein powder of your choice 

30 g monkfruit sweetener (I used Lakanto) 

60 g unsweetened cocoa powder 

½ tsp. baking powder 

½ tsp. salt 

220 g pumpkin purée 

60 g unsweetened applesauce 

20 g pancake syrup (pick a brand with 0 net carbs) 

1 raw egg white (~35 g; save the yolk for the second part) 

2 Tbsp. coconut oil 

2 Tbsp. almond milk 

For the cheesecake swirl 

75 g pumpkin purée 

30 g (1 oz.) lactose-free cream cheese 

10 g monkfruit sweetener (I used Lakanto) 

1 egg yolk (~17 g) reserved from egg white above 

½ tsp cinnamon 

Preheat oven at 350 °F. Line and grease an 8”x8” tray and set aside. 

In a small bowl, combine the flour, protein powder, monkfruit, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. 

In a larger bowl, combine the pumpkin purée, applesauce, pancake syrup, egg white, coconut oil, and almond milk. Add dry ingredients and combine until a thick batter forms. Spread batter evenly in prepared tray. 

Mix cheesecake swirl ingredients together and drop spoonfuls on top of brownie batter. Swirl around with a toothpick. 

Bake for about 50 mins. A toothpick test should come out fairly clean, or with a bit of moist crumbs if you prefer it extra fudgy. Let cool in baking tray so it sets further before transferring to a cooling rack. Slice and enjoy!