Today is posting day for Secret Recipe Club‘s Group C! Secret Recipe Club is a group of ardent food bloggers that are kept in line by some truly marvelous hosts: Camilla, Jane, Sarah, and the fabulous Group C host, Debbi. Each month the membership receives their assignments, we all lurk around our assigned blog, we bake or make some new delicious food, and then on posting day….(drum roll please)…we all roll out the results.
My “secret pal” for this month was Brittany at We Heart Vegan. Let me this say that I sometimes like to believe I am a closet vegetarian. I can go for days and not eat any animal protein. But, then I smell bacon and all bets are off. I applaud those, like Brittany, who are informed and embrace the vegan lifestyle. Brittany’s journey in all things vegan is interesting and you can check it out here.
I settled on Brittany’s Be-All-End-All Vegan Brownies. With a name like that, who could resist?
Vegan Brownies with Flax
Original recipe here.1 pkg. Starbuck Via Italian roast (or 1 t. instant espresso) dissolved in 1/2 c. hot water
2 T. ground flax meal
6 T. hot water
1 c. coconut oil
3/4 c. milk chocolate chips (or 3/4 c. vegan chocolate chips)
1 t. vanilla extract
2 c. granulated sugar
1 c. all purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. organic cocoa powder
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. sea saltPreheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare an 8” x 8” pan.
Dissolve coffee in the hot water. In a small dish, combine the flax meal with the 6 Tbsp. hot water. Stir well and let sit about 5 minutes.
In a double boiler, heat coconut oil, chocolate chips and vanilla extract until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in coffee mixture and sugar. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the chocolate mixture and flax seed mixture and stir to combine.
Bake for 40-50 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
Recipe notes: Brittany states not to remove the brownies from the pan immediately (tough, right?) but to let them cool completely or even overnight. “Do not cut or remove the brownies from the baking dish or you will have a big pile of brownie crumble… though that may not be the worst that could happen…” She usually lets her brownies set overnight, then uses a then spatula and a sharp knife to remove them from the pan.
These brownies puffed up to the rim on the 8″ x 8″ pan but fell while they were cooling. That’s okay because these are a super dense brownie.
Tasting notes: I love baking with coconut oil. The oil just leaves a hint of coconutty goodness to baked goods. These are nutty, super-moist, and delicious. They remind me of baked fudge and I think the next time I make these I will spoon them out warm and top with vanilla bean.
I gave one to The Hubs for the true test before I told him they were vegan. He didn’t bat an eye and told me these were keepers.
Brittany’s quest is to show that living a vegan lifestyle does not mean you have to give up taste. She started her blog “as a way to show everyone that good vegan food can not only be healthy, but also cheap and appealing to everyone. ” I really enjoyed reading through her posts and looking at some truly delicious food. In fact, you might want to check out the following recipes:
Vegan Tuna Salad (i.e. chickpea salad)
Thanks for a keeper, Brittany!
For all my SRC posts, click here.
Comments & Replies
36 responses to “Vegan Brownies with Flax”
Vegan they may be but that has not taken away any of the fudginess and deliciousness 😀
What wonderful brownies!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
So, I would also recommend keeping these in the fridge, too. Especially if you life in a hot climate. Keeps them a bit more together.
With 1 cup of coconut oil, I have no doubt at all these vegan brownies are the keepers. They look divine!
Truly keepers, Angie.
Well, I’ve never tried cooking with coconut oil… Your comments are probably enough to push me over the edge and make me try something new 🙂
I bake a LOT with coconut oil. I think it adds a great flavor, especially to choco chip cookies.
They sure look delicious even began and flaxy and all ———- 🙂 The plate is beautiful!
I know, right? (T.J. Maxx for the plate. On sale even…love that place.)
Vegan brownies are hard to get right but these look awesome!
You couldn’t fool anyone with these and pass them off as regular brownies, but they are great in their own right.
I love these brownies Debra!
Thanks, Gloria.
What a wonderful event this is Debra! I love the choice that you made by sharing these Vegan Brownies. I just happen to buy some ground flax meal and was wondering how I could incorporate it into something delicious. These brownies look like the way to go. I won’t tell Marion they are vegan just to see what she thinks, lol…I like the notion of scooping them out while they are hot though and adding a dollop of ice cream. Oh yum. Just the thought makes me want to bake them right now but that isn’t happening today because the oven is off limits in this heat!
Thank you so much for sharing, Debra…
Thanks, Louise. You should also check out that raw oatmeal cookie recipe on the link up. It has flax meal in it as well.
YUM! I have a serious hankering for chocolate now. I commend you for keeping the recipe vegan. It’s one of my pet peeves when a non-vegan blogger is assigned a vegan blog and then adds meat or dairy to their dish. It seems disrespectful to me somehow. You’re awesome.
Well, I did use regular Tollhouse choco chips. I didn’t research whether they were non-vegan or not. 🙂 (Hey, added my own blog today—I was late but it got done!) LOL
OK, well you still tried! lol! No, they’re not vegan but Ghirardelli semisweet are. And they’re really good! Though Tollhouse are my second favorite. I noticed you added your own link – good job! I was out of town over the weekend and was too exhausted to notice if you’d added yours until the next day and was happy to see you did. 🙂
You keep me on my toes!
I love how you kept this vegan, mostly. They sound really good!
Thanks, Debbie. I really had no idea what vegan choco chips were so I used regular milk chocolate chips b/c that is what I had. (I guess no dairy….)
Yes, I could be a vegetarian if it weren’t for bacon too :). These brownies might help me get over the bacon though. They look delish!
Bacon is difficult to overcome. 🙂
Mmmmm… bacon would be so good in those brownies… 😉
Hmmmmm, indeed.
Yep – Bacon and a grilled steak is what is keeping me from being a vegetarian. 🙂 Vegan would be hard because of the omission of all dairy and honey. However, I know I wouldn’t have a problem eating these vegan brownies. They look rich and gooey, just like I like them.
Doh! I forgot about honey.
Looks like a potential recipe to try for my one dairy-free kiddo and to trick my other dairy-loving daughter 😉 as brownies are always a hit.
I think if you presented these as just EXTRA fudgy brownies, your dairy-loving daughter would never know. 🙂
These look so good – I love coconut oil in brownies – it lends so much more flavor to them. Pinning this!
I agree. Hey, have been making batches and batches of your canned bruschetta! So good!
Love that you made brownies healthy! I bet they taste divine. Great SRC pick!
Healthier, maybe. I don’t think one should eat a pan full! Lol
I’ve been looking for an excuse to use my coconut oil~ Looks delicious~ Great src pick~ Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines
Love the plate too~
No more excuses…. Use it up!
How could I say no to a brownie. And I have all the ingredients. Must be an omen.
Ingredients? Check… Then you must make this.