No, they are probably not what you’re thinking…
A while back, I got an email with a recipe for flax walnut brownies and now that I have tried them, they seem to give me very surprising bg levels.
I am T2 on metformin and mostly always low-carb eating (30-60 grams per day).
Recently, I have had high bg readings (120+ morning, 160s noon, 150s evening) and have been worried that maybe the metformin is not working anymore.
However, since I do have a weakness for dark moist brownies, I decided to make the brownies to use up some flax and walnuts I had. Once I started eating the brownies (hot out of the pan- LOL) my bg readings went down into the 80s and have stayed there!!! all day. Even my fasting bg has been 85-87 every morning, much better than it was ever before.
Since I have been eating these brownies, along with a usual low carb diet (although I have been eating a little less regular food because I have been having a brownie with every meal), for 4 days so far, and the bg readings are all REALLY great, I can’t help but wonder if it is the brownies that are affecting me this weird way. Nothing else that I can tell has changed except brownies (exercise, sleep, meds, diet, etc) .
So I am really curious if anybody else who is on a <60 grams of carb a day diet has this unusual reaction to these brownies (or maybe the same reaction but to another high flax recipe?).
Anyhow, here is the exact recipe with my notes, in case anyone else is interested in trying it - if you do, please post if you had any different bg readings that you think might be caused by these weird brownies - Thanks!
Flax Walnut Low Carb Brownies
1/4 lb salted butter
2 cups powdered erythritol (this ingredient is important to the brownies - we get it online)
4 eggs
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp sea salt
4 oz melted unsweetened chocolate
2 cups flax seed meal
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup water
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 cup Splenda (I prefer zero carb Sweetzfree drops instead)
2 cups walnut meats (if they are smaller pieces, the brownies will be easier to cut)
Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a 9X13 pan.
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Cream the butter until fluffy and add the erythritol mixing well.
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Beat the eggs into the mixture, one at a time.
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Add salt and cocoa, beat well.
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Add chocolate, beat until fluffy.
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Add everything else -vanilla, flax, baking powder, cream, water, Splenda, and walnuts and mix well to combine.
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Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan and bake for 35 minutes until top springs back, or a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Do not overbake!
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Cool, then cut into 40 squares. The texture is much better when the brownies are cool than when warm. Each brownie has about 1 gram of carb. They are not quite like “regular” brownies, but they are a pretty good substitute.