I have to say, I tried making brownies many times at 7000 feet and then at 5000 feet. From a mix. From scratch. Classic baking. Modern style. Still brownies always eluded me. I tried to veganize so many recipes but all I did was waste some quality chocolate. Then, I finally achieved success by using an already vegan recipe.

I decided, after about the fifth attempt, that altitude wasn’t my problem. Making a non-vegan recipe into a vegan one was the issue. Vegan butter substitute doesn’t act anything like milk butter. It’s made from oil and water and doesn’t hold a recipe together when melted as classic recipes dictated. My pan came out of the oven looking like it was filled with boiling toffee. So I tried unmelted vegan butter and still I failed.

The next problem, I reasoned, was using melted chocolate. My attempts were more like fudge than brownies. So I finally abandoned the classic brownie recipe I was trying to recreate. Instead I used a modern vegan version with cocoa powder instead of melted unsweetened chocolate. Success was mine.

So, what did I learn? You need eggs and butter to complete a brownie recipe that call for melting the chocolate and butter. And, sometimes it’s easier to adapt a vegan recipe to high altitude than it is to veganize an altitude-friendly recipe. Oh, and success tastes so good.

Until next time, happy baking!

Print Recipe

Chewy Vegan Brownies

I tried making brownies many times at high altitude. From a mix. From scratch. Classic baking. Modern style. Still brownies eluded me. I tried to veganize so many recipes but all I did was waste some quality chocolate. Then, I finally achieved success by using an already vegan recipe.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Vegan

Keyword: Baking, Bar Cookies, Brownies, Chocolate, High Altitude, Recipe

Servings: 16

Author: The Decadent Vegan Baker

Equipment

• 8 x 8-inch baking pan

Ingredients

• 1 cup + 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup organic sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon almond milk
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegan semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

• Heat oven to 350F. Line an 8 x 8" baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
• Place flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Place applesauce, maple syrup, milk, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add wet mixture to dry and fold in with a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
• Scrape batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, for 32-34 minutes. Place pan on a wire rack to cool before serving. Store at room temperature.

Notes

Adapted from Chowhound.com