Paleo brownies, vegan

This vegan paleo brownie recipe is the solid thing to look and write about while we're doing a no-sugar challenge. It’s supposed to be a challenge after all and we will definitely not be thinking about them all day long.

So we made these satisfying, fudgy, beautifully rich paleo brownies a while ago, like before summer, using mainly coconut sugar, almond butter, cacao powder and almond flour…and they’re SO tasty. Like amazingly good. Also, in case you’re not an award-winning baker, they’re simple to make and ready in about 30 minutes from scratch.

The brownies are rather on the fudgier, softer side, and the top isn’t crinkly, which we would’ve loved, but hey – we take what we can get. And these are good for a healthier chocolate dessert. Here’s a list of the ingredients you’ll need:

Vegan Paleo Brownie Ingredients

Almond butter. A lot of almond butter, these brownies are basically almond butter, we're not gonna lie. If you don’t like or don’t have almond butter, you can also use any other nut- or seed butter that you like. Tahini might make the paleo brownies a bit bitter though. And if you use peanut butter – they won’t be paleo, if that’s important for you.

Almond flour. We know, why don’t you just use almonds? We don’t know. We honestly don’t know why, it probably will work somehow, somewhere, but for now, we won’t overanalyze. You need blanched almond flour.

Coconut sugar. You can also use dark brown sugar if you don’t need the brownies to be paleo.

Some water. We could lie to you and say we used almond milk, but we didn’t. Plain water works perfectly in recipes like this one.

Cacao. We did have some raw unsweetened cacao, but we baked it, so does it make a difference? You probably can use any type of unsweetened cocoa powder.

Dark chocolate. We love love love dark chocolate, it is currently the only dessert we enjoy. And when it comes to brownie recipes, it definitely belongs.

Baking agents. Quite like undercover or talent agents, these ingredients are invisible to the naked eye and we're not quite sure if they’re necessary. But we don’t want to risk it right? So add some baking soda, vinegar, and a pinch of salt to the batter.

How it comes together

The two greatest things about these vegan paleo brownies are that they taste notable and that they’re simple to make. Here’s the to-do list:

Preheat oven to 350F/180C.

Look through your pantry and gather all of the ingredients you need. Make sure to check all drawers and use the things that you didn’t know were there and are about to expire. We know it’s not just us.

Now, grab a mixing bowl and combine the coconut sugar with the baking soda and vinegar, we usually use a fork for this one.

Then gently add in the almond butter and the water. We do this, so that the sugar can melt and dissolve properly. Keep whisking until you get a creamy mixture.

Then slowly add in the cacao. Since this ingredient likes to float in the air like a ghost, this step can get messy and dusty if you do all of it at once. So add it one spoon at a time, whisk, and add another one until all of the cocoa powder has made it into the almond butter sugar mixture. Then add in the almond flour and mix until combined.

Line a small baking pan with parchment paper and pour the mixture into it. Make sure to not spread the batter too thinly. Even if you don’t fill out the entire pan, that’s okay. It’s not going to spread out on its own.

Bake for about 15 minutes – the top will feel firm to the touch, but the inside will still be fudgy.

Take the brownies out, melt some dark chocolate and mix it with a tsp of almond butter. Drizzle the melted chocolate all over and cut into bars. Enjoy immediately and store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.