OOEY GOOEY VEGAN BROWNIES

There are some recipes that I have passionately pursued in order to find accaptable grain/gluten and dairy-free alternatives, since the inception of this website. Brownies are one of those things. (Also pizza, which I have gloriously developed to perfection.) And if you’ve scrolled this website, you’ve seen a few brownie recipes. Most were grain-free, contained eggs, probably maple syrup or something other than sugar. So that makes this recipe probably not the “cleanest”, although I did select good quality ingredients: Organic cane sugar, good quality chocolate and gluten-free flour. This is egg-free as well.

I was developing this recipe thinking about the method we used for baking brownies commercially. We essentially made a ganache with chocolate and butter, then added the eggs and dry ingredients. So it’s similar to that. The results though. Fudgey, rich and chocolatey. Enough to satisfy the craving and keep you feeling good after. A sweet treat with intention.

Yield: 9

Tina Wells Health Coach: Tina Wells

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Ooey Gooey Vegan Brownies

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 40 MinInactive time: 20 MinTotal time: 1 H & 30 M

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Ingredients

• 6 Tablespoons vegan butter, I prefer Melt brand (84 grams)
• 1/2 cup almond or nut milk (120g) I prefer Elmhurst brand
• 1/2 cup dairy-free dark chocolate chips, (108 grams), I prefer 70% or more cacao, the darker the better. Plus additional 1/4 cup of chocolate chips or nuts, for topping
• 3/4 cup organic cane sugar (250 grams)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (9 grams)
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional but adds dimension to chocolate)
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder (48 grams)
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (4 grams)
• 1-1/2 cups King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour (180 grams)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (1 gram)
• 1/3 cup organic almond butter or your favorite nut butter. Be sure to stir completely so it has a bit of a runny consistency.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8” baking pan with parchment paper to line the bottom, spray the sides with avocado oil pan spray. (I prefer using a metal pan rather than glass.)
2. In a bowl large enough to accommodate all of the ingredients, sift the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder and salt together to remove any lumps. Set aside.
3. In a large microwave safe mixing bowl, add the plant-based butter, nut milk, cane sugar and 1/2 cup of the dark chocolate chips. Microwave on 50% power for 1 minute increments, stirrring between each cook. Once the butter is melted and the milk is warm, you can stir until the chocolate is smooth. This mixture will resemble ganache.
4. Add the vanilla extract and the vinegar to the ganache..
5. Add the ganache mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine, making sure there are no dry pockets, however do not overmix. Add the extra chocolate chips or nuts if using.
6. Pour into the prepared baking pan. Then, allow the pan to sit ar room temperature for 20 minutes before baking. This allows the flour to hydrate. Do not skip this step or the brownies will have a grainy consistency.
7. Once the 20 minutes have passed, drizzle the nut butter over the top of the brownies, and use a skewer or point of a small knife to spread through battter, making marble patterns.
8. Place on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 25 to 35 minutes. The brownie top should look glossy and develop a paper-thin crust. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick or skewer into the center (avoid the almond butter when testing). Toothpick will have a few moist crumbs.
9. Allow the brownies to cool in the pan placed on a wire rack for 30 minutes. The pan can then be covered and refrigerated if necessary. (The brownies cut cleanly once they are compeltely cooled. Cut into 3 rows by 3 rows to yield 9 square portions. For a smaller portion, cut through each square on a diagonal, to yield 18 small triangles. Store in an airtight container for up to three days. (If they last that long!)

Pro Tip

If you have a kitchen scale (which is a piece of equipment I cannot live without, especially when baking with gluten-free ingredients) please follow the metric weights rather than measuring. Measuring will get you close, but weighing will make this recipe pretty darn close to perfect.

Try to purchase a clean-label chocolate which does not contain sunflower or soy emulsifiers. That also goes for when you are selecting plant-based butter, try to purchase without soy, canola or other seed oils.

©Tina Wells Living, LLC

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