A Sunday afternoon craving had me searching for a chocolate treat and this fit the bill perfectly.
These guys are vegan, gluten free & refined sugar free... and yes they are totally delicious (as confirmed by my sugar & gluten loving partner). I love a recipe that allows you to make it your own so you can feel free to jazz these up with nuts, chocolate or anything that takes your fancy.
Ingredients
Flax egg (2 Tbsp) flaxseed meal + 5 Tbsp water*
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup coconut sugar (or regular sugar)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup cocoa
3/4 cup gluten free flour** (I didn't have any so used 1/2 cup of buckwheat flour & 1/4 cup of tapioca flour which turned out delish)
1/4 cup almond meal (or any ground nut/seed - I ground up sunflower seeds which worked great)
Optional add-ins:
1/3 cup your choice of nut/s
1/3 cup chocolate chips
Method
Preheat oven to 180 °C fan bake and line a 8x8 baking dish (or similar size) with baking paper
Prepare flax eggs in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl add melted coconut oil, coconut sugar, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whisk thoroughly to combine and start dissolving the coconut sugar.
Add flax eggs and whisk once more until combined.
Then add baking powder, sea salt, and cocoa powder and whisk.
Add gluten-free flour blend and almond meal and fold with a spatula until just mixed.
Then add desired add-ins (optional), such as chocolate chips or nuts.
Add the mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer
Add a few additional toppings if desired
Bake for 18-22 minutes, depending on how you like your brownies you might want to reduce or increase the cooking time. I did 18 mins which was still soft on the inside.
Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes (otherwise they can fall apart)
These are so good on their own, but are also really yummy with a dollop of your favourite yogurt or ice cream and maybe even a few berries!
Once cooled you can store leftovers in an airtight container and they can also be stored in the freezer for a later date (2 months max).
* If you eat eggs you can use an egg in place of the flax egg, I have not tested this version
**If you're not gluten free you could always sub for regular flour although I have not tested it
Nicole x
This recipe is loosely adapted from the Minimalist Baker
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