Wholly Wholesome was founded in 1996 with the goal of creating great tasting, organic baked goods for ingredient conscious consumers. During a trip through my local health foods store, I came across a Wholly Wholesome Fudge Brownie in the freezer section. The simple brown box with a beautiful brownie peeking out caught my attention. The words “free from wheat and dairy” cemented the decision to give it a try in hopes of finding a healthier option on those occasions when a brownie craving appears.
The full ingredients list of the brownie looks like this: organic cane sugar, water sunflower oil, cocoa powder, gluten-free whole grain oat flour, brown rice flour, chocolate chunks (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter natural vanilla extract, salt), tapioca syrup, potato starch, tapioca starch, chia seeds, garbanzo beans, vanilla, aluminum free baking powder (corn starch, baking soda, monocalcium phosphate) sea salt, guar gum, baking soda. The brownie is free from wheat, dairy (casein & lactose), egg, soy, nuts (peanut and tree nut), sesame, fish and shellfish. On an extra impressive not, it is mentioned that there is a wholly gluten free dedicated bakehouse. This means that only gluten free items are baked in the bakehouse. It prevents any potential cross contamination from items that do contain gluten.
I’m a big fan of whole food ingredients. Whole food ingredients have minimal or no processing. This means they contain more flavor and have a much higher nutritional value compared to foods or ingredients that are processed. I also love it when surprise healthy ingredients show up, in this case chia seeds and garbanzo beans. Chia seeds are known for having a significant amount of fiber and omega fatty acids along with other nutrients and antioxidants. These properties can make them useful in a wide range of health conditions from decreasing inflammation to your gut health. The garbanzo beans also jumped out a surprise ingredient. Garbanzo beans are considered both a vegetable and a protein because they contain such a high level of nutrition. This might just be because they are a “complete protein” meaning that they contain all nine essential amino acids. In addition, they contain a number of other vitamins and minerals that help your brain and nervous system function optimally. These two ingredients gave the promise of extra health benefits to brownie if the quality and flavor happened to be there.
How did the brownie score in the flavor department? It was a big hit! The flavor was rich and creamy. I would put it more on the fudgy brownie side than cakey. The quality of the chocolate could best be described as semi-sweet. The ingredients were very well blended with the garbanzo beans and chia seeds not being noticeable in any fashion. The flavors of all the ingredients were very well balanced where the dominant and star flavor is that of a rich, semi-sweet chocolate.
This brownie would satisfy a brownie lover’s craving whether that person is a health food nut or not. It’s also an excellent option for someone who is keeps a gluten free diet or dairy free diet to have a flavorful treat that will still be in alignment with their dietary requirements. Next time you’re in the freezer section of your local health food store, see if you can find Wholly Wholesome Fudge Brownies. Your body and your taste buds will thank you.
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