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After a million attempts to make the best vegan & gluten-free cinnamon rolls last year, I have quite a bit of leftover gluten-free flour stocked in my pantry. What better way to use it than by making some gluten-free brownies?
What I love about these gluten-free brownies is that they are made without nuts, eggs, or dairy, so they are vegan and allergy-friendly. They also have a sneaky serving of pumpkin puree added in, to reduce the need for oil.
I like my brownies to be rich and fudge-like, rather than cake-like, and I like to have bites of dark chocolate chips throughout, for a nice contrast of textures and flavors.
Adding a some dark chocolate does add some refined sugar to this recipe, unless you use a chopped dark chocolate bar that is naturally sweetened, like the kind by Eating Evolved (which are made with coconut sugar). For a sugar-free add-in, try using some crunchy cacao nibs or some chopped walnuts, if you can eat nuts.
Because I used pumpkin to replace some of the oil, these brownies still have a hint of cake-like texture, but I think it’s a pretty nice option for those who want a lower-fat brownie that tastes like a “real” one. My husband told me these taste like a brownie mix from a box– and that’s his highest compliment when it comes to brownies. Ha! I hope you’ll enjoy them, too.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ground flax or chia seeds
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
- 1/2 cup gluten-free flour blend (I use Bob's Red Mill)
- 1/4 cup cacao powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (or chopped dark chocolate)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. (You can lightly grease the dish to help the parchment paper stay in place first.)
- In a large bowl, stir together the ground chia or flax seeds and the water. This is your vegan "egg." Add in the pumpkin puree, coconut sugar, melted coconut oil, flour, cacao powder, salt, baking soda, and vinegar, and stir until a smooth batter has formed. If the dough doesn't stir easily, you can add one more tablespoon of water to help thin it out.
- Fold in the dark chocolate, if using, then transfer the batter to the lined baking dish. Use a spatula to spread it evenly into the bottom of the pan-- it will be thicker than traditional brownie batter.
- Bake until the center of the brownies don't jiggle, about 30 to 35 minutes. Allow the brownies to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before cutting into them, because they are more fragile when hot.
- Slice into 16 squares and serve. Leftovers can be loosely wrapped and stored on the counter for up to 3 days, or keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Video
Nutrition
Per brownie: Calories: 99, Fat: 5g, Carbohydrates: 13g, Fiber: 1g, Protein: 1g
Recipe Notes:
- I used the 1-to-1 Baking Flour by Bob’s Red Mill, because it’s easy to find in most stores. It contains binders, like xanthan gum, so I’m not sure how this recipe will turn out if you use a different type of flour, though all purpose or whole wheat flour should bake similarly, in theory. If you were to use something like oat flour or almond flour, the results would be very different.
- I’d recommend starting with my Chewy Paleo & Vegan Brownies or Almond Butter Brownies if you need a grain-free recipe.
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Reader Feedback: Do you have a Fall dessert that needs a healthy makeover?
Wow! These brownies turned out amazing. They don’t taste vegan, gluten free, or healthy at all, which is exactly what I was looking for! I’m so happy to find this recipe. I am doing “van life” so didn’t have an oven but have been craving brownies that I could actually eat. I cooked them in a small 8″ round pot on the stove on low for 30 minutes and they turned out great. The trick to this is to seal the cover on really well so all the steam stays in to cook the top, and to let them set for the full 30mins. I used parchment paper to line the bottom so it was easy to get out once it cooled. The bottom was a little crusted but it went really well with a mix of rich, gooey and cakey textures all throughout. So delicious! Thanks again for this epic recipe!
Wondering if this is really supposed to go in a 9 inch square pan? I triple checked i followed recipe quantities exactly and used the Bob’s red mill 1:1 even. But it is a small enough of think batter that I struggled to spread it all the way out to sides in an 8 inch (transfered my parchment from 9″ when became obvious that wouldn’t work). Baking now, fingers crossed they turn out great anyway!
I can’t find a 9 inch square pan anywhere. I have an 8 x 8. Was that a typo by chance? If not do you know how I should adjust the bake time if using an 8 x 8? Thank you in advance.
Excellent recipe! We like to eat oil free so I subbed tahini instead of the oil. So delicious! Thanks for this vegan brownie recipe with no gluten, nuts, corn, soy, etc.
Out of curiosity, is there a way to switch our the coconut sugar for honey or maple syrup, or even dates?
They look delicious by the way!
I would try my date-sweetened brownie recipe here: https://detoxinista.com/date-sweetened-flourless-brownie-recipe/
LOVED THIS RECIPE!!! I am allergic to coconuts, so I substituted Earth Balance Vegan Butter for coconut oil and maple syrup for coconut sugar and the recipe turned out great!!! The maple syrup made the brownies gooey and delicious!
These were delicious! Moist and chewy. Gluten free and dairy free.😊
This sounds awesome and it could work for me if I could make modifications for my food allergies. Can I replace the pumpkin for apple sauce? A neutral oil like canola instead of coconut oil?
I used Earth Balance Vegan Butter instead of coconut oil and it worked fine!!
The BEST brownies of any kind I’ve ever made. Used chunks of super dark chocolate instead of chips
Hi Megan, I really enjoy your recipes. Thanks for all you do! I follow a vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free diet and have autoimmune. I find that coconut sugar doesn’t agree with me. I usually sweeten treats with Brown Rice Syrup, on the advice of my naturopath. My question is “Would Brown Rice Syrup work as a substitute for the coconut sugar in this amazing recipe? Thanks, Katie