22 September 2018

Vegan Chocolate Brownies


Deliciously rich and decadent dark chocolate brownies, made with avocado! I adapted this recipe from my matcha blondies, also made with avo. They're fudgy and dense, a little chewy with a  classic crisp, shiny top and a perfectly tart raspberry to complement the rich dark chocolate flavour.


These brownies really couldn't be easier to make, simply melt some dark chocolate, stir in some blitzed avo, fold in the flour and bake, for a fudgy, dense and perfectly decadent brownie. Serve at room temperature with a cup of tea, or warm up until gooey and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, however you choose to enjoy these, they're the perfect bake for any occasion and are especially great on a rainy autumn day. 



It's no secret that most sweet treats and convenience foods aren't good for us, they're energy-dense and typically considered 'empty calories' i.e. they contain little to no essential nutrients, they're also likely to replace more nutritious foods in our diets, making them even worse for us. Fortunately, these brownies contain avocado as the fat source (to create that lovely texture) and soy yogurt to replace the eggs (which also contains protein), helping you to get a little goodness with your treat! This means that you're getting some fibre, vitamin E, potassium and vitamin C in your snack, the fibre and protein in these brownies will also help to prevent such a vast spike in your blood sugar. 


Dark chocolate also comes with its own load of health benefits, being a great source of iron, magnesium, fibre, and containing plenty of antioxidants, it's even said to improve blood flow to the brain and have a positive effect on stress levels, mood and mental health. So whilst these brownies may not be healthier than eating fruit, for example, they're packed choc-full of the good stuff and will give you that much-needed pick me up, whilst being way more beneficial than a typical sweet treat.  It's all about balance, so have your cake and enjoy it too!

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Vegan Chocolate Brownies | Yield: 9 | Time: 45 minutes

You'll need

  • Chopping board
  • Knife
  • 8x8 brownie tin
  • Baking paper
  • Measuring cups & spoons 
  • Blender/food processor

Ingredients

  • 150g vegan dark chocolate (I used 70%)
  • 1 extra large avocado*
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup vanilla soy yogurt
  • 2/3 cup plain flour
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 9 raspberries
*equivalent to: 3 small / 2 medium /1.5 large avocados

Method

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C and line an 8x8 brownie tin with grease-proof paper.
  2. Melt 100g of the dark chocolate in a glass bowl over a double boiler, stir constantly and ensure that no water gets into the chocolate. Once melted remove from the heat and place to one side. Add the avocado flesh, sugar and soy yogurt to a food processor or blender and blitz until smooth. Stir into the melted dark chocolate. Roughly chop the rest of the chocolate, then fold in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and chocolate chunks until fully combined. 
  3. Spread the mix into the brownie tin and place 9 raspberries on top (one for each brownie), place in the middle of the oven and bake for 28-30 minutes. Leave to cool fully before cutting. Serve up and enjoy!
Cassidy xx