Protein Low Carb Keto Brownies

Preheat oven to 350ºF and line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper, leaving some sticking up to use as a handle to get the brownies out of the pan.

In a medium bowl using an electric hand mixer, beat 5 tablespoons of the coconut oil, reserving the rest for later, along with erythritol, egg, egg yolks and mint extract for 1 minute. The mixture should turn a lighter yellow.

Place 4 ounces of the chocolate in a medium, microwave-safe bowl, along with the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted oil. Cook on half power, using 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until chocolate is smooth and melted.

While beating, pour melted chocolate into the egg mixture until thick and well combined. Add protein powder, baking soda and salt and stir until well combined. Then vigorously whisk in almond milk until batter smooths out a little bit.

Finely chop remaining 1 ounce of chocolate (think the size of mini chocolate chips or a bit smaller) and stir into the batter. Spread evenly into the prepared pan and bake until edges just begin to darken, the center rises a little bit, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20–21 minutes. Do not over-bake!

Let cool in the pan for 20 minutes and then gently use the parchment paper handles to lift the brownies onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once completely cooled, slice and devour!

Note: I have also made this with sifted cocoa powder and it works—they are just more richly chocolatey and a little less sweet. You could also use any other chocolate protein powder, such as egg protein for paleo.