Maca mint blondies

This month marks the third instalment of the SOS Kitchen Challenge, hosted by Ricki of Diet, Dessert and Dogs and Kim of Affairs of Living. I’m fairly new to the blog challenge scene, but I’m definitely hooked by the blogger bug after participating in Sweetly Raw’s raw parfait challege a few weeks ago. Although I didn’t win, I realized it’s great motivation to start using flavours and ingredients in innovative ways.

The SOS challenge was created specifically for people who follow a special diet, whether because of allergies or otherwise. It invites bloggers to create delicious dishes based on one key ingredient. This month, it’s mint!

I must admit, I’ve never been a big fan of the green mentha herb. I love the smell of it, but sometimes the taste can be, well, a tad overwhelming for my taste buds. So, for this challenge, I knew I had to come up with a flavour combination that resulted in a very light, yet noticeable, touch of minty sweetness.

Maca Mint Blondies | A Dash of Compassion

I don’t really know where the initial inspiration for this recipe came from, but it somehow ended up almost perfect on my first attempt. These blondies have a moist, brownie crumb (hence the reason why I called them blondies) with a sweet taste of brown sugar and mint. The addition of maca root powder, rich in essential minerals and amino acids, makes this a more nutritious treat.

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Maca mint blondies

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups spelt flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 4 tbsp maca root powder
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 cup sunflower or canola oil
  • 1 cup Sucanat
  • 1/2 cup nondairy milk
  • 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp pure mint extract
  • 1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips

Directions:

  1. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, maca powder and salt. Set aside.
  2. In another bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, non-dairy milk, vinegar and mint extract; add to the dry mixture and mix until combined.
  3. Fold in the chocolate chips. Don't overmix.
  4. Spoon batter into an oiled 8 x 8-inch square pan and smooth out with the back of a spoon. Bake at 350 until a toothpick inserted in the center of the batter comes out clean, about 15 to 20 minutes.
  5. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares.