I have been on a journey with creating the ultimate vegan brownie and eventually came up with something I was really happy with at my cafe. I was a bit daunted by the additional challenge of making it gluten and nut free, but after a bit of research and a few trials, I have come up with something which I am super happy with.
Moist & Fudgy Brownies | Vegan | Gluten Free | Nut Free | Dairy Free
INGREDIENTS
120 ml aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas)
290g caster sugar
170g dark chocolate, ( I used Cocoa Libre Dark Chocolate Bars) broken into pieces (or you can use milk chocolate alternative chocolate drops)
115g vegan block butter, cubed
180g gluten free flour
45g cocoa powder
¾ tsp fine sea salt
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp espresso powder
85g finely chopped dark chocolate
Method
- Line a 20×20 cm square metal baking tin with parchment paper and ensure there is some overhang on the sides as it will make it easy to lift the brownies out of the tin.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Sift the flour and cocoa powder together in a medium bowl.
- Add the aquafaba and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Use an electric handheld mixer or a stand mixer on high speed and beat the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes until thickened, glossy, and wavy ribbons frequently appear in the bowl.
- Add in the vanilla, salt, and espresso powder, and fold with a silicone spatula until well combined (the espresso will continue dissolving into the mixture as it rests).
- Place broken chocolate pieces (or chocolate chips) and cubed butter into a heatproof bowl. Fill a saucepan with a few inches of water – not so much that the bottom of the bowl would touch the water. Place the bowl in the saucepan. Heat the water on the stove and keep just below boiling point.
- Allow the chocolate mixture to melt, whisking occasionally until smooth and the chocolate is melted. Once the chocolate is completely melted, keep the bowl on the saucepan for an additional 30 to 60 seconds to further warm through.
- Add the flour-cocoa mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined (stop mixing once the flour traces are gone). Fold in the chopped chocolate. Pour the batter into the lined pan and smooth out the surface with the spatula so the batter is an even layer.
- Bake the brownies in the preheated oven for approx 35 minutes. The batter will still be runny, so you will need to use your judgment and give it another 5 minutes if you think its not cooked.
- Transfer the brownies to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Then carefully lift the brownies out of the pan using the parchment paper handles onto the wire rack. Allow to cool for a further 20 to 30 minutes before slicing. Slice the brownies and enjoy!
