Bloody Eyeball Brownies (paleo, gluten-free)

These spooky Bloody Eyeball Brownies are rich, fudgy, and totally paleo, grain-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free perfect for a creepy treat!

▢ 1 1/3 cups (133 grams) finely ground blanched almond flour
▢ 3/4 cup (86 grams) Dutch-process cocoa powder sifted if lumpy
▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
▢ 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (196 grams) refined coconut oil melted (you can use unrefined if you don't mind the coconut taste) or butter for a non-paleo version if you can have dairy
▢ 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) coconut sugar it's best to weigh this (granulated sugar for a non-paleo version)
▢ 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
▢ 3 large 50 grams each out of shell, room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and line an 8"×8" (20cmx20cm) pan with parchment paper.
In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside.
1 1/3 cups (133 grams) finely ground blanched almond flour, 3/4 cup (86 grams) Dutch-process cocoa powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the melted butter or coconut oil, sugar, and vanilla extract. Once combined, add the eggs one at a time, and stir just until combined (don't use a hand mixer like in the video!).
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (196 grams) refined coconut oil, 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) coconut sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 3 large
Add the dry mixture to the wet and stir just until almost no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix!
Bake for 23 minutes. The brownies will puff up a little bit and may crack a little bit around the edges and the top will appear dry and crisp (not at all wet). When you remove it from the oven and tilt the pan, it may appear to move a little but shouldn't look super jiggly. A toothpick inserted into the center will come out wet. A toothpick inserted into the sides will come out with some moist crumbs on it, but not totally raw batter. The brownies will continue to bake as they sit in the pan and will firm up as they cool.
Let cool completely and then chill until they firm up and they become fudge-like. This makes cutting out circles easier.

If your coconut butter is hard, very gently heat it until it's soft enough to combine with the other ingredients. I did mine at 30% power in the microwave for a few seconds. It just needs to be soft! Not melted. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until combined. If your coconut butter melted a little bit, the frosting may look clumpy and greyish. Don't worry as it it'll turn white and solid looking once it comes to room temperature!
6 tablespoons (90 grams) coconut butter, 1 tablespoon (20 grams) honey, 3 tablespoons canned full-fat coconut milk, dash salt

Cut out circles using a biscuit cutter (mine was 2.5"). Spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting over the top of the brownies. Place the brownies in the refrigerator for at least an hour so that the frosting firms up. This isn't necessary but it makes the decorating process easier. Refrigerate until almost ready to serve.
Rinse the lychees and pat them dry with paper towels. Place a blueberry in the center of the lychee and place on a paper towel lined plate until all the eyeballs are ready. Place the eyeballs on the frosted cupcakes. Spread about 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons of jam over the eye.
lychees, blueberries, 1/4 to 1/3 cup strawberry jam
Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

I used chocolate chips but the openings in the lychees were too big for them. I had to fill the lychees with a little banana to keep the chocolate chips propped up.
The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator.