Vegan Carob Brownies

|Katie Layland
National brownie day is...well not actually until the 8th of December, so we are a little premature here. But who can wait when this delicious brownie alternative is ready to go.
      
The standard brownie recipe typically contains chocolate, wheat flour, sugar, butter and eggs. Which, if you are suffering from skin conditions can be problematic for your sensitive skin (and leave you with a bad flare).
       
So, we have searched to find an alternative that is still sweet, moist and delicious and uses ingredients featured in the Eczema Detox programs. 
This tasty recipe comes from one of our lovely followers, and we just had to make it ourselves. 

The health benefits:

Carob has been used for over 4,000 years for its various health benefits. Carob is naturally caffeine free and supplies calcium, magnesium, B2, B6 dietary fibre and more. Carob is a great alternative to cocoa powder, which is very rich in amines, AND can be quite drying to those prone to dry skin. 

Pears are not only rich sources of dietary fibre (providing 24% of your daily needs), they also contain 12% of your daily vitamin C requirements, plus vitamin K, potassium and smaller amounts of calcium, magnesium and vitamins B2, B3 and B6. Peeled, ripe pears are also naturally low in three of the itchy chemicals - salicylates, amines/histamines and glutamates - which makes peeled, ripe pears one of the few eczema-friendly fruits. 

    

NOTES:

If you are following the FID Program (the Food Intolerance Diagnosis Program from The Eczema Detox book), this recipe can be enjoyed as it is FID friendly. Just be sure to skip the raw cashew nuts for a garnish until you have progressed onto the Eczema Detox programs. 

As with any sweet treats, be sure to enjoy this brownie recipe in moderation as natural sweeteners like maple syrup, and brown rice syrup should be kept to a minimum on the Eczema Detox programs. 
Cocoa butter could be used as the oil instead of the rice bran oil. However, this version has not yet been tested. Be sure to use food grade and melt it first before adding to the wet ingredients.  

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 medium peeled pears, cored and diced (this makes around 1 cup)
  • 1 teaspoon of real vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup of rice bran oil or sunflower oil
  • 1 cup of brown rice syrup or maple syrup (I used half a cup of each for this recipe)
  • 3/4 cup of eczema friendly flour of choice (Sarah uses spelt flour and I trialled this with an all-purpose gluten-free flour mix and both work well). NOTE: the final batter should not be too runny and this may depend on the type of flour used. If the final mixture is too runny, add about 3-4 extra tablespoons of flour to help thicken it up
  • 5 tablespoons of roasted carob powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon of good quality sea salt (such as Celtic sea salt)
  • 3/4 teaspoon of gluten-free baking powder (this was not in the original recipe; however, I found it helped the mixture to rise a little)
  • Optional - 1/4 cup of carob nibs (kibble), softened in boiling water for a few minutes then drained. OR crushed raw cashew nuts

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease a brownie tray or square dish that is approximately 24 x 16cm (9.4 x 6.2 inches).
In a bowl, mash the peeled pears with a potato masher or fork until well mashed, then add the rest of the wet ingredients to the mashed pear and whisk until well combined.
In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients and stir together well.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold with a spatula until well combined. If you are using carob nibs or cashew nuts, add these at the end then gently stir into the mixture. 
Pour the mixture into the tray and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. You can use a toothpick in the middle to see when this is just cooked through as you do not want this to be overcooked. 


Products 

At Eczema Life, we recommend nutritionist Karen Fischer's low food chemical program (The Eczema Detox) along with additive-free supplements for skin health and wellbeing. Click on the images to view more details:

    

Food photos by Katie Layland, recipe by Sarah Eppley (a member of our Eczema Diet Support Group on Facebook). Join the group here.   

The Eczema Toolkit

the holistic way to clear skin

The Eczema Detox is Karen Fischer's latest best-selling eczema manual designed to help you find relief. Through her work she found some patients needed a special program to identify personal triggers, so the FID Program was created. The Eczema Clear Skin Toolkit combines gut health and nutrition with soothing, barrier repair skincare and supplements to calm the itch and support skin repair, the immune system and more. If you’ve tried everything and nothing has worked, this is the skin calming toolkit you've been praying for.

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Eczema Friend

the itch buster  |  rash cream

The low pH eczema cream that helps to relieve itchy skin, red skin rash and mild eczema and dermatitis. Suitable for all types of rashes. It's the cream you'll wish you had tried first.

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Frequently asked questions

Does food allergy trigger eczema?

Food allergy and eczema are closely linked, and allergies can absolutely make eczema worse, but they're often not what starts it in the first place. In fact, research suggests the reverse may be more accurate: eczema itself may come first and increase the risk of developing food allergies, rather than the other way around (Tsakok et al. 2016). One study found that babies with eczema were up to six times more likely to become
sensitised to foods compared to those without eczema. In children with established eczema, up to 66% showed food sensitisation, with confirmed food allergy in up to 81% of cases (Tsakok et al. 2016).

If you or your child has a diagnosed food allergy, those foods should be avoided for now. For additional guidance, the Food Intolerance Diagnosis (FID) Program in The Eczema Detox book can help identify food intolerances that do not show up in allergy tests (see next FAQ).
Do food allergy tests help eczema?

Skin prick tests and other food allergy tests including blood tests and patch tests can be unreliable on their own, so an oral food
challenge (supervised by an allergy specialist if you are prone to anaphylaxis), is the most accurate way to confirm whether you or your child is reacting to a particular food. For additional guidance, the FID Program in The Eczema Detox book can help you to identify your personal triggers.
About the authors

Ren Karen Fischer is a nutritionist, mother of two, and award-winning author of seven books, including the bestsellers The Eczema Diet and The Eczema Detox. Fischer is also a peer-reviewed published researcher, and is currently undertaking eczema research as part of a Master's by Research at Bond University. Combining clinical research with real-world experience, she is dedicated to advancing evidence-based care for eczema.

Nutritionist Bonnie Taylor holds a Bachelor of Health Science degree and helps people with eczema identify their individual triggers through the FID Program. Taylor has worked alongside Fischer for many years and offers nutrition consultations by appointment.