Iron Packed Beetroot Brownies
Something I love about the colder months is that the seasonal veg works beautifully in healthy bakes. Parsnips, sweet potato, beetroot, pumpkin, courgette, month by month they take their turn in transforming our baked goods into sneaky ways to get more veg in our diet.
Just like these brownies, that feature two types of veg and a fruit. The star ingredient and veggie of course, is beetroot, but chickpeas also count as a vegetable as well! And then we have gooey medjool dates, our natural sweetener.
The common theme of all of these? They’re good sources of non-heme iron, which if you’re a tired endo warrior, you’re going to probably need more of (more on that to come below).
But let’s get to the good stuff. The taste and the texture. These brownies accidentally turned out to be (in our opinion) the best brownies I’ve ever made, and what’s ironic is that I made them with what we had in the cupboard! I’ve also provided a vegan option, which is also delicious and still packed with iron. They are fudgy with a velvety bite to them, and are super dark and rich. The perfect accompaniment to a cold winters evening.
These iron packed beetroot brownies are…
Gluten free to help minimise symptoms and reactions in certain endo folk.
Whilst not everyone with endometriosis needs to go gluten free or entirely gluten free (some people feel better just not eating it that often), reducing gluten may help some of us manage our pain and endo belly symptoms.
In a major and recent survey study of 2388 endometriosis patients, out of those who removed or reduced gluten, 45% experienced a reduction in pain. In another study, 75% of patients had a significant reduction in painful symptoms after eliminating gluten for 12 months. There is also a significant association between endometriosis and coeliac disease. And whilst the research on endometriosis and gluten has limitations, I myself experienced improvements by reducing gluten in my diet (in fact, it was one of the key players for helping me live a normal life again no longer ruled by pain and my periods), as have many of my clients (though not all, it’s very individual).
If you’d like to learn more about why gluten may impact some of us with endo and how, and what all the research says, I recently did a huge deep dive into all the research on my podcast, here.
Rich in iron to support ovarian function, reduce chronic fatigue and improve ADHD symptoms.
Iron deficiency is extremely common, but did you know that low iron is a pretty big problem for us endo folk?
A recent major study of over 43,000 endo patients found that we have a six-fold increased risk of iron deficiency. SIBO could be a player here, as it inhibits iron absorption but it could also be from heavy menstrual bleeding, restricting red meat and other factors.
Iron plays a major role in preventing fatigue, and yet many of the clients who I work with, come to me with significantly low levels. Supporting healthy iron absorption and intake is a key part of beating endo fatigue and recovering from heavy blood loss and low levels can cause brain fog, extreme tiredness, heart palpitations, dizziness, muscle weakness and depression to name a few. Healthy iron levels are also essential for ovarian function, which is key to producing healthy amounts of sex hormones and low levels are associated with menstrual irregularities and fertility problems. Additionally, low iron levels are linked to ADHD development and can worsen ADHD symptoms, and ADHD is a condition which many people with endo struggle with.
Whilst heme iron (found in animal products and spirulina) is the easiest form of iron to absorb, we can also top up our iron levels with non-heme iron rich foods, found in plants. Beetroot, chickpeas, dates, dark chocolate, cashews, cacao and flax are all moderate to rich sources of non-heme iron, making this brownie a great addition to your daily iron intake. Ideally, pair with a vitamin C food like berries, to aid absorption, as non-heme iron can be difficult for our body to absorb, but vit C has been shown to aid this process.
Made with whole foods and are rich in healthy fats, fibre and protein to stabilise blood sugar, sweetened naturally with fruit and made with chickpeas for an extra blood sugar supportive boost.
Unfortunately, simple carbohydrates, like those found in baked goods such as brownies, are some of the biggest blood sugar spikers, which can pose a problem for us endo peeps.
Blood sugar spiking foods such as high sugar foods and processed foods can potentially contribute to more PMS, menstrual pain and endo pain. Blood sugar spikes increase oxidative stress, which leads to more inflammation in the body and that may trigger further pain and symptoms. In fact, oxidative stress is higher in people with endo, and it’s a key driver of endo growth.
To avoid these issues, for these brownies, I have focused on the presence of healthy fats (from the cashew butter, egg, flax and walnuts), fibre (beetroot, chickpeas, oats, cashew butter and walnuts) and protein (eggs, cashew butter, flax, walnuts), which have all been shown to help stabilise blood sugar levels and slow down the uptake of glucose/starch from our food (oats, beetroot, chocolate and dates in this case) to our blood stream, preventing blood sugar spikes.
One of the easiest ways for us to support our blood sugar is to opt for whole food carbohydrates, such as whole oats instead of flour, and fruit instead of sugar or maple syrup, as I have done here. Whole foods still contain their fibre, which helps slow down digestion and the resulting absorption of glucose to the blood stream, creating a steady drip rather than a flood. The added benefit is that rolled oats contain beta-glucan, a special type of fibre found in oats that offers a wide range of health benefits, including stabilising blood sugar post-meals (and as a result, makes oat-based foods more effective than wheat based foods for blood sugar stability).
Another great way to support blood sugar is with lower glycemic index foods, and every ingredient in this recipe is low to moderate on the glycemic index scale. The glycemic index is a tool that looks at foods and the impact they can have on your blood sugar, on a scale of 0-100. A high GI index would be 70 and above, a medium GI is 56-69 and a low GI index is 55 or less. High GI foods are very likely to spike your blood sugar levels and do so quickly, foods with a medium GI rating tend to cause a moderate rise and low GI foods tend to keep blood sugar levels stable and steady over time with a gentle rise. This is because low GI foods break down slowly in the gut because they are rich in fibre and slow release carbohydrates, this means that the release of glucose to the blood stream is slow and gradual.
Whilst sweeteners like sugar are high glycemic, the fruits I’ve used to sweeten this cake, pears and dates, are low to moderate (dates vary depending on the type of date you use, some are low, some are moderate).
To further slow down that moderate rise in blood sugar, I’ve added another super star ingredient - chickpeas. Research has shown that when compared to other carbohydrates, like white bread, chickpeas not only cause a lesser spike, but a smaller crash as well. When compared to white bread, which created a large spike followed by a more severe crash, chickpeas created a gentler, more even rise in blood sugar that was followed by a gentle return to baseline blood sugar levels pre-meal. What’s even more interesting is that when eaten first, chickpeas reduce blood sugar spikes in the following meal! So, we can use chickpeas here to prevent or lessen any potential blood sugar spikes from the glucose/starches in the dates, beetroot, oats and chocolate.
Constant blood sugar swings can take their toll on hormones, leading to issues like elevated androgens (think testosterone), which can affect ovulation and cycle length. Blood sugar swings may also cause oestrogen excess or dominance and low progesterone if ovulation is interrupted or stopped entirely. Both of these imbalances can cause more PMS, heavier periods, and may also exacerbate endometriosis symptoms.
Additionally, this cake can help us out with luteal phase cravings. When we’re in our luteal phase, we often experience more blood sugar swings because oestrogen, which dominates in our follicular phase, helps us to regulate our blood sugar response, but is lower in the luteal phase. As a result, we tend to get cravings for sweet foods or foods high in starch, such as cookies! The problem is, these foods keep us on a blood sugar rollercoaster, and raise inflammation levels, resulting in more of those inflammatory symptoms and pain that we’re trying to avoid. This cake, being lower in sugar and rich in fibre, can help us get our fix without the pain triggering spikes.
Finally, blood sugar swings are linked heavily with mood disorders such as depression and anxiety, so if you struggle with low moods in your luteal phase, supporting blood sugar can actually support your mental health.
Are a great source of anti-inflammatory and hormone supportive micronutrients, including magnesium, zinc and folate.
Are a great source of anti-inflammatory and hormone supportive micronutrients, including magnesium, zinc and folate.
Research has shown magnesium to be an effective treatment in preventing dysmenorrhea (period pain) because it reduces inflammatory prostaglandins that are the drivers of both endo and period pain. One study showed that six months of magnesium treatment reduced prostaglandin F2a by over half! In fact, in recent research, magnesium is being explored as a dietary treatment for endo and a higher intake of magnesium rich foods was associated with a lower risk of endo. Additionally, magnesium helps to regulate our sex hormones, and as result, is a recognised treatment for preventing PMS.
Low levels of zinc have been linked to endo, and research has shown it can significantly reduce period pain thanks to its anti-inflammatory benefits. It additionally supports follicle development and ovulation, while deficiency has been linked to infertility.
Folate is crucial to ovarian function and ovulation, and low folate levels can cause irritability, mood swings and fatigue, and fertility problems.
Important notes to help you tailor this recipe to your own body and needs (and tastebuds!)
Making this dairy free
Research shows that about half of people with endo may experience improvements in pain and symptoms with the removal of dairy. However, dairy is nuanced so it’s worth reading or listening to this series to help you work out if it’s right for you and how much you can tolerate (you may not need to cut it out entirely!).
If you know you can’t tolerate milk, use a good quality dairy free milk like an almond that just has simple ingredients (almonds, water, salt) and no added gums, starches or preservatives. I used almond milk with one test and goat’s milk with another (as I don’t do well on cow’s milk) and they both came out great.
Making this vegan
I have made a vegan version of these brownies and they’re still delicious, but they won’t come out exactly the same texture as the original - they are more soft and gooey! Cut the egg, and increase the nut butter to 100g, and increase the melted dark chocolate to 40g. For this version, I recommend keeping to 100g beetroot otherwise they will be too moist.
Making this nut free
Sub the cashew butter for sunflower seed butter, and swap the walnuts for whole seeds of choice.
Are oats gluten free?
Oats do not contain any gluten, but most factories that handle oats, also handle gluten, which means there are often trace amounts of gluten on the oats. If you have coeliac disease or an allergy, you need to avoid all traces of gluten, so go for gluten free oats. The same may be said if you have a very reactive intolerance. However, if you just generally avoid or minimise gluten, regular oars should be just fine.
Is this low FODMAP?
If you swap the cashew butter for almond butter or sunflower seed butter, and opt for a low FODMAP milk, then yes, each serving is low FODMAP!
Further resources
If you’re struggling with your endo nutrition or gut health, you might find my courses and one to one coaching helpful. You can find out more here. I’ve also got endless podcast episodes on endometriosis and SIBO.
iron packed beetroot brownies
Ingredients:
For the brownies:
1 tin chickpeas (400g can weight, 240g when drained and rinsed)
100g-120g raw beetroot (go for the higher amount for a richer beet flavour)
60 g rolled oats
70g soft dates
1 egg
40 g smooth nut butter (almond or cashew)
30 g dark chocolate, melted (ideally, 85% or higher to keep sugar levels lower)
30g cacao powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp ground flaxseed (or 1 tsp psyllium husk)
2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
85–90 ml milk of choice
50g walnuts to stir through
For the frosting:
50g dark chocolate (ideally, 85% or higher to keep sugar levels down)
1-2 tbsps nut butter (I used cashew)
makes: 8 brownies
prep time: 30 mins (inc frosting)
bake time: 20-30 mins
cool time: 1 hour
Method:
For the brownies
Preheat the oven to 180c (fan assisted) and line either a standard loaf tin or an 8x8 deep brownie dish with baking paper. I used a loaf tin and really loved how thick the brownies came out!
Gently melt the 30g dark chocolate over a double boiler.
Meanwhile, peel and chop the beet into small chunks, or grate if preferred.
Pulse the oats in a spice grinder or food processor to make a flour, it won’t be super smooth, but get it as smooth as you can.
Remove the stones from your dates. If your dates are very hard and tough, soak for 10 minutes in hot water.
Add all the ingredients except for the baking powder and walnuts, into the food processor with the oat flour, and blend well until smooth. It should look like the texture of hummus.
Add the baking powder and blend again briefly to distribute well.
Stir through the walnuts.
Spoon into your brownie tin/loaf tin and bake on the middle shelf for 25-30 minutes, you can also remove at 20 minutes for an extra fudgy brownie.
Remove from the oven, and leave for 10 minutes in the tray to set, then remove and cool on a cooling rack. These brownies are delicious just warm, but the best when refrigerated for an hour. Keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days - they get better each day!
For the frosting
Melt the chocolate gently over a double boiler.
When melted, add the cashew butter and stir well to combine.
Pour over the brownies and smooth out with a spatula or back of a spoon.
Refrigerate to set.
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Need more help or want to learn how to work with me?
Ways to work with me:
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This EndoLife, It Starts with Breakfast digital cookbook
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