Kale brownies: Many would ask, “Why?” We say, “Why not?” We’re not trying to hide anything over here, but if you’re going to eat brownies anyway, why not get your daily dose of kale at the same time?
We made these brownies for Kale-a-Palooza, a party thrown by Food Bloggers Los Angeles. At the house of Priscilla of She’s Cookin, the dining table was filled with every imaginable kind of kale dish, including salads, rice dishes, pizzas, hummus, muffins, and even kale cocktails. Then we were treated to a kale cooking demonstration courtesy of Cut ‘n Clean Greens. Basically, all you need to know is that kale goes well in just about anything.
These brownies are not pretending to be healthy. And sure, if you put enough sugar, butter, and chocolate in anything, you can “hide” the taste of kale. But there’s something about how moist and rich these brownies are that we can only attribute to the kale.
In a perfect world, we would have taken pictures of these brownies with beautiful bunches of kale in the background. But they were all gone too soon for us to get any decent shots. How delicious are they? We got the ultimate compliment on them from our 9-year-old: “Mom, can you make some more of those kale brownies for my sleepover tonight?”
You can’t really even seen the green in these brownies
Kale Brownies
Adapted from The Baked Brownie by the Brown-Eyed Baker
1 large bunch kale
1 1/4 cup flour
2 T. cocoa powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 3-ounce dark chocolate bar (we used Theo Chocolate)
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 eggs at room temperature, beaten
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Wash the kale and pat it dry. Gently tear the leafy portion away from the thick stems. Place the kale leaves in a steamer and steam for 5 minutes or until wilted. Place the wilted kale in a food processor and puree the kale. Drain any excess liquid and set aside the kale. You should have about 1 cup of kale.
Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Mix until thoroughly combined.
In the top of a large double boiler, melt the butter, the chocolate chips, and the dark chocolate together, stirring until evenly melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let it sit until it cools to room temperature. Add the eggs, kale, sugars, and vanilla and mix with the chocolate mixture until combined (do not over-mix). Gently fold in the flour mixture until just barely combined, taking care not to over-mix.
Prepare a 13″x 9″ pan by greasing it with butter and then lining it with parchment paper. Carefully pour the brownie batter into the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Yield: 24 brownies.
Note: As soon as possible after they come out of the oven, carefully lift the brownies up (by holding on to the parchment paper) and out of the pan (if they sit in the hot pan they may continue to “cook” and may get dry). Allow the brownies to cool while sitting on the parchment paper before cutting them.
Hi! I'm Jeanne Fratello - a writer, reporter, and a mom who is on a mission to find great food for kids and to keep parents up to date on the latest nutrition news. 
These are a big hit! Delicious!
Thanks – yep, they were gobbled up!
I would never think to put kale in brownies – brilliant!
This is such a smart idea!!
Thanks, Amee and Jeannette! I think all in all they are not the healthiest thing you’d ever eat but it is one way to get your daily dose of kale…
temperature?
Hi Christa – Thanks for stopping by! Bake at 350 degrees.
Thank you for the prompt response, I figured it from other recipies. Now another question, I liked the batter and it was tasty (after putting in the oven) but then I realize I had not put the sugars in, so I checked the recipie instructions and realized that it is not there either. The brownies are in the oven as I type, so I am a bit nervous…. I will let you know so you can make a note or adjustment in the recipie. The first kale-brownie recipie I ever encounter was from a blogger in Portland Oregon who grewo so much kale from her home tiny space that decided to experimient. Never found her site again, so I am so glad you have this post and now I discovered your blog which looks interesting.
Yes – the sugars get mixed in with the egg mixture!
Ok, I just made these last night. They are by far the best brownies I’ve ever had on the planet Earth! If you remember, we met at Kale-a-palooza and I could not stop raving about them then. Thanks for this winning recipe!
Wow – Thank you so much, Tina! Great to meet you!!
Oh yeah, these were GOOOOOD!
Oh my gosh!!!! These are outrageously delicious. I modified the recipe a little: used coconut oil instead of butter and 1 cup of agave syrup instead of the white sugar and they turned out divine. Thank you for posting this. My kids will inhale these as soon as they get home from school, I have no doubt.
Thank you – glad to hear it, and love to hear about these additions!
Who know kale could be this sinfully delicious. Will use this recipe to trick my nephews into eating greens.