If you had told me not much more than a year ago that the best brownie I ever had would have NO dairy or eggs I would have told you you were crazy. This happy vegan just made a batch (with walnuts) and could eat the whole pan!
The beauty of The Brownie is that it’s fudge’ier than cake and cake’ier than fudge. I like mine with nuts, but you can have them plain or get crazy and load them up with your favorite fillers.
As with all my cooking posts, these are so simple to make and you will love their ROI (Return On Investment). Enjoy!
You’ll notice that for the egg replacer, I used ground flaxseed meal, which you can get at any supermarket, mixed with water, and it’s great for baking.
Eggs in baking are used for binding so there are many awesome alternatives to eggs. I’ve also included an egg substitute cheat sheet from The Happy Herbivore that I printed out and have on my fridge always at the ready.
Makes 8 good-sized brownies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup melted vegan butter
- 2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 5 Tbsp water)
- 1/2 cup (organic) sugar
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup whole wheat baking flour
- optional: 1/2 cup each walnuts OR pecans + 1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease an 8×8-inch (or similar size) baking dish with coconut oil or vegan butter.
- Prepare flax eggs in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Add melted vegan butter or coconut oil, coconut sugar, maple syrup and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl. Whisk thoroughly to combine and to dissolve the sugar.
- Add flax eggs and whisk once more until combined. Then add baking powder, sea salt, and cocoa powder and whisk.
- Add whole wheat baking flour and fold with a spatula until just mixed. Then add desired add-ins (optional), such as vegan chocolate chips or nuts.
- Add the batter to the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer with a rubber spatula. Add a few additional toppings if desired, such as chocolate chips and nuts (optional).
- Bake for 17-22 minutes, or until the edges appear dry and slightly fluffy and the center is no longer wet or sticky.
- Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes, preferably 45 minutes – 1 hour (the longer they cool, the less tender they will be). Then gently lift out of pan and use a sharp knife to cut into desired number of squares (I went for 9).
- These are delicious on their own, but is also delicious with So Delicious Very Vanilla cashew-based ice cream or a nut-based whipped cream.
- Store completely cooled leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or the fridge up to a few days. Will keep in the freezer up to 1 month.
Notes
*Adapted from the Minimalist Baker with a few modifications. Also, the original recipe is gluten free, this one is not!
