Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Bars (with squash)
These gluten-free double chocolate bars make for one delicious dessert. These gluten-free, veggie-filled, double chocolate brownies are the perfect after-dinner treat, or really, anytime treat!
You could call these double chocolate squash bars because they are packed with roasted acorn squash. These bars are made without any butter, milk, or flour.
They are a delicious gluten-free and dairy free healthy-ish treat or even breakfast!
When my daughter was younger, I used to sneak all kinds of veggies into the treats I made her. In fact, I went a little further than just sneaking stuff into her treats.
If I recall, she was around two and a half when she had her first taste of bona fide cream-and-sugar ice cream at a friend’s birthday and was totally puzzled! Mainly because I had been giving her frozen banana-strawberry-yogurt “ice cream” up until then.
Now, I had friends who didn’t support this sneaking around business; “Shashi, she needs to know what she is tasting”, they would often say!
But, it seemed to work for us – it kept things interesting and fun – and fuss-free in our house!
As the years rolled by, though, I started sharing some of the ingredients that went into making her cupcakes and cookies – but, she had grown to love them; so, she wasn’t too fazed.
Avocado in cupcakes, beets in pizza (yes, you read that right, that’s beets IN pizza), spinach in pancakes, and pumpkin in cookies – she ate them all without complaining!
However, now and then, I would throw in an ingredient I knew she detested – just to shake things up and see if she really truly disliked said ingredient.
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For example, when I cook a bowl of quinoa, she claims to deplore it and won’t touch it – but, when I made her these lentil chocolate pancakes – there was no protesting as she gobbled them up!
The same happened when I made these gluten-free double chocolate bars. Or, you could call them double chocolate squash bars, or maybe even brownies, as they are not as dense as a brownie – but not as light and fluffy as a cake.
These Double Chocolate Bars are totally gluten-free and flour free.
That means absolutely no oat or almond or coconut flour at all – but you really wouldn’t know it.
And, these bars also happen to be dairy free!
Using squash with chocolate chips and cocoa and eggs, make these bars or brownies so totally decadent – perfect for dessert or even breakfast for that matter! I sure hope y’all give these bars/brownies a try!
Ingredients
- 4 Eggs
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar Packed
- 1/2 Acorn Squash Roasted for 30 minutes
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 teaspoon Instant Coffee
- 1/2 cup Dark Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cut an acorn squash in half. Save one half for another use, and roast the second half in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. When done, set aside to come to room temperature.
- Use an electric beater or stand mixer to mix the eggs till well blended.
- Scrape out the roasted acorn squash and add it to the eggs.
- Add the brown sugar to the egg mixture and beat until well incorporated.
- Using a spatula, fold in the cocoa powder, instant coffee, and dark chocolate chips.
- Spoon into a parchment-lined 9×9 baking tray and bake for 25 minutes.
- Allow to cool, then cut into nine squares.
- Enjoy!
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This recipe was also published on Food Fanatic please click over to check it out!
I am using a glass baking dish. Is the heat setting for the oven for glass pans or should l lower the temp a bit??
These sound great. I am just curious if you could throw out a near estimate of how much pureed squash you are actually using in this recipe. I have some that I froze in jars awhile back, and wanted to defrost them to try out this recipe, but I am unsure how much each squash actually made! Thanks!
Hey – I am so sorry, but I cut and roasted an acorn squash and used half of one – I didn’t measure it – I’d hate to say a measurement and it be wrong…it wasn’t a whole cup…maybe a half cup or a quarter…acorn squashes are not too big…
I am sorry I’m not much of a help – I need to remake these and measure out exactly how much squash I use – then I will get back to you…
So I decided to just go for it, and used a heaping 2 cups of squash for a DOUBLE recipe: absolute perfection!! They were moist and delicious, and my children loved them. I will definitely make them again. Thanks again!
I am always excited when I read double chocolate, just because these bars are gluten free too. A friend of mine asked me to look out for gluten free. saved. 🙂
Wow, what an amazing idea with the squash!! I love how creative you are…. totally bookmarking this one to make. 🙂
I only have one word for this recipe…Yum! I love that you use alternative ingredients with great results, Shashi! I’ve got to try these soon!!
I actually saw these when they first popped up on Pinterest (?) and I just thought–OH. MY. GOSH. I’m seriously impressed by the gluten-free-ness of these–yay for you, I’m bookmarking these now! xo
You know I’m the chocolate freak so I find these utterly irresistible!
Thanks Melanie!
If it’s got chocolate in it, I’m all over it. Can’t believe this is gluten-free. Love the use of the acorn squash.
Thanks MJ – I love baking with squash – it makes everything so moist!
The texture of these is perfect, Shashi! They look decadent delicious!!
Thanks Marissa!
They look scrumptious and so tempting! Looking at them made me want to make and devour them!
Haha – thanks so much Denise!
These are so good looking. My friend Jan can’t eat anything with gluten and she’ll be over the moon with these. Thanks!
Thanks Maureen!
YES! AND THE ACORN SQUASH MAKES A RE-APPEARANCE in BAKED GOODS!!! 😀 😀 😀 I loved it in my donuts, and this – OH HECK YES!
Oh HECK yes indeed! 🙂
I will have to test these out for my gluten free girlfriend! She’s a chocoholic and will be thrilled!
I hope you and your girlfriend love these as much as my daughter and I did – might want to add a tad bit more sugar if you want your bars sweet, though.
I’m all about the sneak approach. I love testing it out on my husband to see if he can tell. Definitely need to give these a shot!
Haha – so your husband is your guinea pig er…”taste-tester” – much like my daughter is mine?! Thanks Gina!
This is seriously just insane! Acorn squash in brownies…I am skeptical but judging by the pictures and the ingredient list I am VERY intrigued! THese have been pinned and will def be satisfying my next bronwie craving 🙂 SO creative!
Thanks so much Selena – I would so love for you to try these and let me know if you happen to like them – don’t let me know if you don’t! – 🙂 Just kidding – please let me know either way…
Wow, what a great way to eat squash!
Thanks Sharon!
Awesome! I had some paleo brownies the other day and they weren’t as dense as what I would consider a brownie. Sounds like these fall into the same category, and perhaps you correctly call them bars, not brownies. The squash is pretty funky, great idea!
Thanks Chris! These are definitely not too dense – but not light and fluffy either, but, they sure are tasty! 🙂
I’m all for sneaking veggies in treats, except for beets. Because sneaking beets into well, anything is a cruel thing to do… 😉
Loving this 6-ingredient easy, super healthy bars!
Hahaha! Thanks Mike! After that comment, am thinking I might just have to go and “beetify” your cauliflower crust… 🙂
Wow, only 6 ingredients? I have to try them!
Yes – yes – please do, Beth! 🙂
Wow can’t believe there is squash in there!!! These look amazing! 🙂
Thanks so much Bethany and Rachel!
These look delicious, and would not last very long in my apartment at all (I’d give it mayyyybe a day before I finished the pan)! 😛
Haha – now Farrah that’s a record – it took my daughter and I 2 days to finish these, and I was thinking we were pigs! 🙂
Let’s just say that portion control ain’t my strong suit! :P!
You had me at the ingredient list! I love how simple and veggie-fied these are! PS. Definitely trying the quinoa pancakes too 🙂
Oh Katie – thank you! Your comment so made my day! I would love to know what you think of them – please tag me @RunninSrilankan on IG or Twitter and let me know?
I can’t believe using only 6 ingredients (I shouldn’t even count the squash indeed!) gave such a great result! It’s definitely kind of magic. Did you add some magic extract?! 🙂 Great work!
Shashi how the HELL did I miss this? How dare you post it late. You’ve been killing it with these treats, I would pour sunny D over myself for them (I totally saw them today- In huge jugs!!!)
Hahahaha! Now that’ worth a trip to NYC to see!!!! BTW – Thanks so much Arman!
So I’m noticing a trend here in what sorts of things you can hide in lil Shashi’s treats. Basically, as long as chocolate is involved, lil Shashi is a fan. She thought she hated quinoa. Then you added it to chocolate and she loved it. I mean, I can’t blame her here…who doesn’t like chocolate?? Also, speaking of chocolate, I’m going to need these chocolate bars asap. Please put them in the mail today. 😉
Haha – yup – that’s right – she does love her chocolate – though today I made some Buckwheat waffles without any sort of chocolate and she ate them and didn’t complain – am thinking maybe I should just wafflize everything?!?! 🙂
Oh heck – just send me your address and I will UPS them to ya as that USPS mailman is always hungry!
These look so fudgy! Would never guess that there was squash hiding in them!
Thanks Joanne – in a weird way, am thinking the squash added to their fudge-y-ness!
I’m not even going to guess just how good these are Shashi! 🙂
If they’re anything like your Chocolate Chip & Kabocha breakfast bars (which I’ve made several times now) then they are to die for. 😀
Thanks so much Neil! I am honored my friend! Though, if I had to pick between the two, I would have to go with these! 🙂
You are an absolute master at sneaking in the veggies- I’m constantly blown away but your secret ingredients! These look amazing- who wouldn’t gobble them up?! I definitely need to learn your ways, Sienna’s been in a little bit of an anti-veg phase recently…
Thanks so much Sonali! Am not sure what it is about those toddler years – that’s when my daughter started being picky – I had so many games I played with her to spark her interest – but the most effective one was just sneaking stuff into her meals 😉
I’m sure it makes them so moist and amazing :)I love that there is squash in here! They look delicious! My mom never gave me any sweets at all as a kid, until some lady at a bakery gave me a cookie when I was 5 I think … according to my mom I didn’t even know what to do with it since I’d never had an actual cookie.. 🙂
Haha – now your mom was one smart cookie! No pun intended! 🙂
Thanks so much Sneha!
I am a fan of vegetable desserts! These bars look so GOOD for you and delicious as well.
Thanks Angie!
Your daughter is blessed! You have taken such good care of her nutrition. I do love how these are GF and FF! And a little hint of coffee is wonderful in a chocolate bar xx
Thanks Charlie! You are spot on – a little coffee so enhances chocolate – in some cases, cinnamon does the same too!
xx
I love the use of vegetables in sweet treats Shashi 🙂
Sweet treats are just so much more enjoyable with veggies in them – right?! 🙂
Those look incredible! I love the use of squash, I’m sure it makes them so moist and amazing 🙂
Thanks so much June – yes – the squash works so well!
Wow, lady. What you can do with vegetables is pretty amazing! So, as your daughter is older now, does she still like the sneaky vegetable treats? My kids never gave me a hard time when they were young. They ate everything, and they had to try everything. So, they grew up on Indian food, spicy food, and food from every country. Now, they are so picky! One is a vegetarian and does t like Mediterranean food (?!) one doesn’t like bananas, tomatoes, lentils, seafood, one doesn’t like squash, or certain cooked vegetables and then the youngest, he doesn’t like pasta, rice, seafood, lentils…argh!!! Funnily, they will eat quinoa, go figure.
I’m so frazzled at dinner time it’s not even funny.
Anyway, I’m still amazed at these bars, the look fabulous and love the squash addition!
Thanks so much Nazneen! Yes – she still likes treats with veggies hidden in them! She in fact tells me sometimes not to tell her what’s in something I bake.
Wow – Now I am intrigued to see what your dinner table looks like… 🙂
These have me intrigued!! I can’t wait to try them! I love that they are gluten free because I can make them for my brother.
Thanks Ashley!
okay, squash? that’s genius. I’m so trying that next!
Thanks Lindsay!
I love that there is squash in here! They look delicious! My mom never gave me any sweets at all as a kid, until some lady at a bakery gave me a cookie when I was 5 I think … according to my mom I didn’t even know what to do with it since I’d never had an actual cookie!! haha Oh how things have changed since then 🙂
Thanks Ashley! Haha – too funny! I am impressed your mom kept you cookie free till you were 5!
These look and sound amazing! I will definitely be making these in my near future. Pinning.
Thanks so much Elizabeth – I would so love to know what you think if you do make these.