Vegan, Gluten-Free Brownies with Pecans and Cacao Nibs
Vegan, Gluten-Free Brownies with Pecans and Cacao Nibs
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Servings: 9 to 12 brownies
The texture? Ultra-soft. The chocolate level? Ultra-rich. And unbelievably, these brownies don't contain milk or eggs, but instead... vinegar! Vinegar is a healthy addition to any diet, a useful cleaning tool, and also an indispensable ingredient when it comes to making delicious vegan desserts. When mixed with baking soda, apple cider vinegar creates a chemical reaction that makes these brownies light and fluffy, without a trace of bitter taste. For a gluten-free version, a mix of almond powder and rice flour works wonders, try if for yourself! Delicious when served with coconut milk whipped cream!
Ingredients
- 3 tsp golden flax seeds, ground
- 1 cup raw almonds
- ¾ cup brown rice flour or white flour
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ cup raw cacao powder
- 1 pinch of sea salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ cup dark chocolate chunks
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 3 tbsp hazelnut butter (or any nut butter of your choice)
- 1 cup cane sugar
- ¼ cup almond milk
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup raw pecans
- ¼ cup raw cacao nibs (optional)
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a bowl, mix ground flax with 2 tbsp of water. Set aside so flax can gel.
- Place almonds in the bowl of a food processor and pulse into a fine powder.
- In a large bowl, mix almond powder, rice flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda.
- In a saucepan over low heat, melt half the chocolate chunks with coconut oil and hazelnut butter. Remove from heat and mix with a spatula.
- In a bowl, combine flax gel with sugar, almond milk, apple cider vinegar and chocolate mix.
- Mix these wet ingredients with dry ingredients and stir until blended. Add pecans and cacao nibs (if using).
- Pour batter into a square 8 inch cake pan and bake 25-30 minutes. Leave to cool in the pan for at least one hour before serving (very important!).
