#OwenCooks: Flourless Avocado Brownies

Y'all, I have a sweet tooth like you wouldn't believe. This presented a challenge when I decided to make a commitment to eating healthy. No lie, my daily diet used to consist of a muffin for breakfast (and a banana), a chocolate chip Cliff Bar for a snack, a couple of cookies with lunch, and maybe a handful of Reese's mini cups as an afternoon snack.

Oh, and I might have a Gatorade after my workout and maybe some ice cream in the evening. Maybe some Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Dude, I was a sugar addict.

Obviously, cutting processed sugar from my life would be a good place to start down a path to healthy living. And after I'd polished off my birthday cake in February, I did just that. No more cinnamon buns. No more ice cream. No more snacking on midafternoon cookies.

I cut the junk food. I drank nothing but water. It worked; coupled with daily exercise, I began to drop weight and feel better immediately. I don't get hangry anymore as my blood sugar rises and plummets like a rollercoaster. I snack on fruit and berries, sure, and also raw almonds and hard-boiled eggs. I don't miss the sugar rush. These days, an orange is sweet enough.

But part of my exploration of healthy eating has been trying to find ways to, you know, have my cake and eat it, too. And when I was discussing this with my trainer and he mentioned another client knew a kickass recipe for avocado brownies, well, hell, I went home and Googled that shit, and these babies are the result.

They're from a recipe by Castaway Kitchen, whose Keto Chewy Chocolate Chip cookies we will discuss in due time.

The brownies, though. They are flourless. Low carb. Gluten and dairy free. They're like 80% avocado and egg, according to the recipe, and they use coconut oil and a sugar substitute instead of butter and sugar.

And they're delicious. I can't keep these things on the kitchen counter for more than a few days before my folks have snapped them all up. Which is fine, because a) I like an approving audience, and b) I'm still trying to keep desserts to a minimum.

But if you need a dessert or a treat for a party, these bad boys work wonders, and you don't even have to feel guilty about it!