I have unsuccessfully attempted to make a vegan gluten free brownie for many years.  It’s quite the task to get the desired moist, slightly chewy texture without eggs and gluten.  The ingredients that make a difference are flax seed and dates!  The recipe is so easy too.

Warning: These are not ‘healthed up’ to the nth degree like most of my recipes! They contain coconut oil.  So if you are cleansing or trying to break a sugar addiction, do not make these!   They are great for my fellow sweet toothed folks and kids as an occasional treat maybe once per month or so.

Ingredients

2 1/2 ounces unsweetened bakers chocolate

1/4 cup  room temp. coconut oil

15-16 dates

4 tbsp nut milk

1 tbsp brown rice syrup/maple syrup

3 tbsp flaxseed meal

4 tbsp warm water to mix with flax seed

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup oat flour.  Blend rolled oats in a coffee grinder to make your own

1/4 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
2. Grease an 8×8 baking dish with coconut oil.
3. Pit and soak dates for 15-30 minutes to soften.
4. Combine flax meal with warm water.  Stir well and set aside so it forms a gel.  This is the ‘egg.’
5. Combine chocolate  and coconut oil.  Microwave for 90 seconds  or until completely melted and stir well.
6. Add dates, vanilla and milk to a food processor and make into a paste.
7. Add chocolate and oil mixture and flax mixture to the food processor next and process well.  A blender may also be used if the blades can catch the mixture.
8. Combine flour, cacao, salt  and baking soda and mix well.
9. Combine dry mixture to wet mixture and hand mix well.  At first it may seem as if there’s too much flour but it will disappear and form in a huge glob- not a typical batter.  If you have a hard time getting the dry ingredients all moist add anywhere from 1-4 tbsp more of warm water.
10. Transfer the glob into a 8×8 pan and spread evenly.
11. Bake for 27-30 minutes.
12. It will be very fragile while hot.  Let it cool completely before cutting.  Placing it in the fridge for a 30 minutes to chill slightly helps making cutting cleaner.

Let me know how you like it!