These Vegan Peanut Butter Brownies are fudgy and full of cocoa flavor. These brownies are egg-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free and better for you too!
1cup/ 230 ml unsweetened applesauce*homemade or store-bought
¾cup/ 231 grams agave nectar
5tablespoon/88 grams peanut butter *
2tablespoonavocado oil* or of your choice
¼cupwater or more*
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350-degree F /180-degree C.
Now create flaxseed meal gel by mixing 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal to 3 tablespoon water, keep aside for 5 minutes. It will turn gel-like.
Sift dry ingredients in one bowl.
Quick blend peanut butter, avocado oil, applesauce and flaxseed meal gel, agave nectar, water to form a smooth paste. We are doing this as peanut butter is quite thick and it's difficult to fold it in the batter.
Now add the blended paste and to the dry ingredients, mix well with a spatula/ spoon until lump-free.
Use the cut and fold method. Do not beat with a whisk or over mix.
Taste test the batter and pour it in the prepared pan.
Tap it gently on the surface and bake on the middle rack for 28-32 minutes or until the toothpick comes out with fewer crumbs and not batter.
Mine was done at a 29-minute mark. Do not over bake. Let it cool on a cooling rack.
Place in the fridge for 3-4 hours or overnight and then cut for clean-cut edges.
In the freezer for 1 month wrapped individually in cling wrap and foil.
These chocolate brownies taste great straight out of the fridge, but tastes even heavenly if you warm it 15-20 seconds in the microwave and serve it with some ice cream .
These brownies are intensely dense , fudgy and chocolaty .Possible substitutions -If you you prefer bit on a sweeter side reduce cocoa and water by 1 tablespoon.The total amount of flour is 1 ¼ cup – you can skip oat flour and use wheat or multi-grain flour only.Maple syrup or brown rice syrup can be substituted for agave nectarI use raw sugar, use preferred sugar/sugar-free options like Stevia or Truvia.Substitute flaxseed meal with 4 tablespoons thick yogurt.Any nut butter can be used instead of peanut butter- for example almond or hazelnut butter.Substitute applesauce with banana puree.Substitute avocado oil with your choice of oil. ( Coconut oil is great).Possible additions -You can add nuts or cranberries to the batter.
Helpful tips to make the best peanut butter brownies-
Use creamy peanut butter and not chunky one.
We do not want a cake, we want brownies so just mix the batter with a spatula and not with a whisk.
The batter is supposed to be thick, if its too thick ,add some water -1 tablespoon at a time. The reason being flour quality differs and absorbs different amounts of liquid.
Do not over bake the brownies.
Brownies are done when the toothpick inserted comes out with few moist crumbs and not sticky batter.
Pan size used to make brownies-
I have used 9” round springform panAny 8” or 9” square or round pan works great. The cooking time and thickness may vary a bit.Brownies are generally made in a square pan. As I wanted it to be Christmas Tree brownies I used a round pan.I have used a springform pan to make brownies.If you are baking in another pan that is not springform, make sure you double line it with an overhang of parchment for easy removal as it’s done for any other brownies.
How to decorate brownies?
You can decorate it the way you want, so many possibilities, just be creative :)You may top it with nuts, cranberries or extra chocolate chips.For Christmas themed brownies I decided to bake it in a round pan and cut it in wedges.Then drizzle it with green candy melts and add sprinkles.I have used lollipop sticks, instead, you can use ice cream sticks, pretzels, candy cane too.You can go for Buttercream as well - check out my Simple Buttercream recipe.Please note-I have used green Wilton candy melts chocolate to decorate these peanut butter chocolate brownies. But those are not VEGAN.You can use a Vegan White Chocolate - melt it and add in desired candy colors.Do not use gel colors, chocolate will seize, only oil-based candy colors work with chocolate.Put some Vegan colorful sprinkles on top. Vegan sprinkles are easily available online.