Last summer, I made a few batches of brownies. At the time, I was still relatively new to gluten free baking. It also didn’t help that I had to make everything in small enough batches to fit in my toaster oven. All my brownies were turning out too fluffy and cake-like, so I eventually gave up on making brownies.
After discovering that almond meal and almond flour give baked goods a denser texture, I knew that that’s what brownies needed. In the end, I found a recipe that actually works. Usually, when I want to bake something I haven’t mastered, I find a recipe that works more or less, identify individual problems, and then try to fix these problems until I have an entirely different recipe. This recipe needed no adjustments. It’s quite perfect as is. So, while it’s not my own recipe, it’s too good not to share.
Vegan Brownies
Ingredients
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup almond meal – I used the coarse stuff
3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp corn free baking powder
3 tbsp chia meal (ground chia seeds)
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp water
1/2 cup agave nectar or maple syrup
3 tbsp margarine/vegan butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F and grease a baking pan. I used a 9×13 inch rectangle pan.
Combine all the wet ingredients and the chia seed meal in a small bowl and let it sit for five minutes. In the meantime, mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix in the wet ingredients. Pour the batter into the greased baking pan and spread it out so that it’s mostly smooth on top. Bake for 45-55 minutes.
Lisa @ Je suis alimentageuse says
Oooh this sounds good. I might try it with coconut flour, but I like dense brownies too =) Pinning this and trying it out myself!
Christina Najjar says
Thanks Lisa! Let me know how it works out. I have a hard time getting coconut flour to bind without eggs. Maybe the chia meal will make it work though.
Anonymous says
What if you're allergic to nuts? What type of flour would you use for similar results?
Christina Najjar says
I'm sorry, I haven't figured out an alternative to almond meal 🙁 I've heard of people who grind sunflower seeds in a high powered blender to make flour, though. I hope this helps.
RadianceUnfolds says
If I use whole chia seeds, will the outcome be the same, or do I need to alter the amounts for whole chia?
Christina Najjar says
I'm not quite sure. If I had to guess, though, I'd say you need to increase the amount of chia seeds in order to cover more surface inside the brownies. Let me know how it works out if you do give it a try.
RadianceUnfolds says
Using 3 tbsp whole chia worked great. This is the most awesome brownie recipe! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Christina Najjar says
Thanks for letting me know! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Anonymous says
FYI: almonds are not considered nuts
Wikipedia: The fruit of the almond is a drupe, consisting of an outer hull and a hard shell with the seed (which is not a true nut) inside.
Anonymous says
Have you ever tried to make this in cupcake tins? If so, what were the results?
Christina Najjar says
I haven't tried it but I imagine it would work if you oil a muffin pan. I would check on them after half an hour and see if they're cooked by using a toothpick. Let me know if you try it out!
Kate says
This recipe is so great. I added 1 scoop of Garden of Life Protein Powder and 2 Tbsps of Coconut Manna to give it extra oompf on protein. They are so satisfying and you can feel like you're getting a healthy snack through and through, even without my embellishments.
Christina Najjar says
Those are some really interesting additions! I'll have to give it a try soon! Thank you 🙂