From time to time, I get this NEED to bake. It’s like a primal urge – and there’s really no stopping me. Deep down, there’s just something so satisfying about mushing things around in a bowl, putting them in an oven, then magically pulling out a tray of fragrant warm delicious comfort in less than an hour. Especially with the cool turn of fall nipping at our heels, I’ve got to admit: I’m looking at you, oven.

One thing I’m not so into, however, is comprising excellent energy, health, and the fit of my favorite jeans simply for the sake of being compliant to my flavor-fueled urges. So I cheat. I use a medley of tricks and sneaky substitutions to make my baked recipes something that are… dare I say… beneficial. One of my favorite baking facelifts is to replace eggs with “superseeds” like flax or chia, which are full of omega fats, fiber, protein and minerals. I swear: your muffins don’t know the difference.

The egg replacement formula:

2 Eggs = 1/3 cup water + 2 Tbsp ground flax seed powder or chia seed powder
Simply combine the water and the seeds, and wait for 15 minutes to form a thick gel.

Wanna see how it works? I made this little video with Navitas Naturals, my superfood company crush, who offers an organic sprouted flaxseed powder and sprouted chia seed powder.  Of course, using a coffee grinder to mill whole flaxseed or chia into a fine powder will work just as well.

The brownie universe isn’t exactly full of surprises. The combination of sugar, butter, flour, chocolate, eggs, a few extraneous ingredients, plus a little oven time, inevitably leads to some form of brownie action. Of course, the resulting degree of deliciousness is all in the details — just talk to the adamant nut-adders, the chocolate chip enthusiasts, or the “fudgy” versus “cakey” people that can seemingly never agree. Yet, by and large, the language of brownies is pretty much the same: delicious chocolate squares that just about everyone loves. Including me.

But I have a secret. With the exception of chocolate (which can be profoundly beneficial in its unprocessed form), I don’t use any of the “conventional” ingredients in my homemade brownies. In fact, I don’t even bake them. (I know — what a rebel.) Instead, by using exclusively natural, whole foods, the inherently gorgeous flavor of each healthy ingredient does all the sweet singing — without needing the crutch of sugar or butter. Undercover health benefits like antioxidants, good omega fats, potassium, magnesium (and more) nutritionally rank this dessert as more of an energy bar than an “extra 20 minutes on the treadmill indulgence.” Best of all, five ingredients plus five minutes is all it takes to go from zero to brownie.

Oh, and as for their decadent texture? Simply put: go team “fudgy.” Here’s the printable recipe.

I wish for the TED community to create a movement to educate every child about food, inspire families to cook again and bring people together everywhere to fight obesity…..My hope is that millions more people will learn, as so many have already, that it is a happier, healthier life that is built around eating good food, together with family and friends.

With all my heart, I couldn’t agree more. Take a moment and watch Jamie’s impassioned acceptance speech, and his simple call to action. We are responsible for re-teaching one another the benefits of a natural diet, empowering the next generation with the fundamental knowledge of whole foods and organic cooking. Help others embrace responsibility of their health, and share the power of good food with those you love.