vegan brownies – Lisa's Project: Vegan

Vegan

Very Fudgy Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Brownies

Tuesday, October 28, 2014Tuesday, October 28, 2014by Lisa Dawn1 Comment

I am always on the lookout for cookie and brownie ideas, especially if they have peanut butter in them because, really, there is nothing better than peanut butter…in my opinion!

I adapted this recipe from one I found out on the internets. These are very fudgy and very decadent. But there is nothing “bad” in them – just peanut butter, maple syrup and homemade applesauce (with the last of the apples from this year’s apple picking adventure!)

1/2 cup all natural peanut butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegan mini chocolate chips, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 350. Get your brownie pan ready. I use my 8×8.

Mix the peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla and applesauce with a hand mixer until smooth. Add cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix again until smooth.

Fold 1/4 cup of chocolate chips into batter. Pour batter a brownie pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips over the top.

Bake for 20 minutes or until top is just set. Cool and then cut into squares. Enjoy!

Vegan

Dessert Roundup: Brownies & Bars

Tuesday, September 16, 2014by Lisa Dawn2 Comments

Dessert roundup part two. More favorites.

1. Easy Vegan Brownies. My basic, go to brownie.

2. Brownies Topped with Pretzels & Homemade Caramel Sauce. A more dense brownie than #1. Necessary to hold up to this incredibly decadent sauce.

3. Chocolate Chip Brownies (Secret Ingredient: Butternut Squash). A great way to use extra butternut squash or a fun way to get squash into little people’s mouths!

4. Raw Brownie Cubes. Same flavor, different procedure. Super healthy.

5. Banana Chocolate Chunk Blondies. Blondies! And they are oil free.

6. Chocolate Chunk Macadamia Nut Blondies. Different recipe than #6 and wow, those macadamia nuts!

7. Caramel Crunch Bars. I make these after I make #2.

8. Chewy Crispy Truffle Bars. Love these. Great for a travel snack.

9. Homemade Granola Bars. In 5 easy steps.

10. Almond-Date-Chocolate Chip Squares. My sister calls these beauties “pretend candy.”

11. Chocolate Almond Truffles. Roll in shredded coconut for a lovely variation.

12. Salty Pretzel Chocolate Bark. So much fun to make and eat. I also love this blueberry toasted almond chocolate bark.

Vegan

Brownies Topped with Pretzels & Homemade Caramel Sauce

Saturday, May 24, 2014Saturday, May 24, 2014by Lisa Dawn2 Comments

Last night we went to a party at Citifield and even though the game got rained out, we had a great time at our annual gathering.

Citifield is super vegan friendly. We had lots of great ballpark eats including vegan hot dogs and burgers from Yves, vegan pizza with Daiya cheese and fruit for dessert.

But there was one thing my husband could not stop talking about on the ride home. He spied a salted caramel pretzel brownie. So I conjured up a recipe overnight and here is what I served after lunch today. Super easy and even the Mako sharky enjoyed them!

Brownies (depending on how you cut the brownies, you could have anywhere from 16 to 25)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups vegan sugar (I use coconut palm sugar)
3/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup water
1 cup sunflower oil

Preheat oven to 350.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Mix together with a fork. Add the water, oil, and vanilla. Mix well. Pour into a brownie pan (mine is 9×9) and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool and then cut into squares.

Caramel Sauce (makes about 2 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups vegan sugar (I used Mascobado)
1/3 cup water
1 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon sea salt

Combine the sugar and the water and place over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Note that most caramel recipes wait for the sugar to turn brown, but Mascobado sugar is already brown so there is no waiting for that.

Add the coconut milk and whisk together. Cook it down for a few minutes.

Take off the heat and let the sauce cool. (Store in a glass jar.)

To serve this decadent dessert, break pretzels up. My son loves Newman’s Own organic pretzels.

Place a brownie on a plate and top with the crushed pretzels. Drizzle with caramel sauce. Enjoy!

Vegan

Chocolate Chip Brownies (Secret Ingredient: Butternut Squash)

Sunday, October 6, 2013Thursday, January 28, 2016by Lisa Dawn4 Comments

I have been working on a new article for Chickpea Magazine featuring butternut squash as the main ingredient. I have been cooking up a storm creating squash recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert!

Here is one that didn’t make it into the article but is a great way to use butternut squash as a healthy alternative to oil. And I am using turbinado (raw) sugar in an effort to use the least processed ingredients in my cooking.

These brownies are rich, fudge-y and perfectly delicious. No one would know there was squash inside!

1 scant cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup vegan sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 flax egg (1 flax egg = 1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons water)
1 cup plant milk
1/2 cup butternut squash puree *
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup vegan chocolate chips

* Peel, deseed and cube a butternut squash. Place in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes until easily pierced with a fork. A butternut squash will yield 3 to 4 cups of puree so save the rest for other recipes.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Make the flax egg and set aside.

Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a big bowl. Add the flax egg, vegan milk, squash, vanilla extract and mix well. Add the chips and mix to combine.

Pour into a brownie pan and cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cut into squares. Enjoy!

Vegan

Easy Vegan Brownies

Saturday, July 13, 2013Saturday, July 13, 2013by Lisa Dawn2 Comments

Early morning baking in our house. Easy (and super fudge-y) brownies inspired by this recipe!

1 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup vegan cane sugar
1/2 cup vegan brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
1/2 cup sunflower oil
2 flax eggs (1 flax egg = 1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons water)
2 tablespoons vegan milk (I used almond today)

Preheat oven to 350. Make the flax eggs.

Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a bowl. Add the sugars and vanilla powder. Mix well.

Add the oil, flax eggs, and vegan milk. Mix well until a batter forms.

Drop the batter into a brownie pan and press it down using a wooden spoon or spatula. I used my 9×9 pan but had a little extra room so an 8×8 one would definitely be better.

Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool and then cut into squares. Enjoy!