Tag Archives: blondies

Vegan Brookie – where brownies meet chocolate chip pan cookies

vegan brookie

vegan brookie

Once people hear that I bake vegan at high altitude, I am often asked if I also bake gluten-free. My baking style is complicated, and using gluten-free flour can have it’s own challenges. But I am nothing if not crazy for a challenge (or, perhaps, a glutton for punishment). So, when I discovered Otto’s Naturals cassava flour I went in search of a new recipe.

First I examined the flour. Cassava flour seemed like an interesting alternative flour in that it is grain-free, gluten-free, vegan, and allergen-free. I found a recipe that made brookies with almond flour, another alternate in the baking world, and I looked into almond flour to see how the two differed so I could tweak the recipe. You would have thought I should take it slow, never having tried the recipe or cassava flour. No, I jumped right in. I should have known better.

The first attempt was an absolute failure. But I had done my scientific research! I found out that cassava flour should easily replace all-purpose flour, but almond flour was more grainy and oily. So I made adjustments, but didn’t listen to my instincts. It was too dry. As in Sahara Desert dry.

For the second attempt I turned to my Chewy Vegan Brownies. The layers weren’t to be chewy, so I dialed back on that aspect. The new brookies were less dry and tasted better yet they were somewhat rubbery. It was time to delve further into my own past bakes.

My Brown Butter Blondies had good texture and baked well, so I used them as a modified template. Next I adjusted for the starchiness of the cassava flour. A little of this and a dab of that and I achieved a measure of success. The next, and final round, had a little more of this and a bigger dab of that to create a tasty vegan brookie that was also gluten-free.

The lesson here — to say no to gluten-free vegans? No, definitely not. What I really learned was that I am allowed to try, and try, and try again. Also, that I should listen to that inner voice and start experiments with something simple, like a cookie.

Until next time, happy baking!

vegan brookie
Print Recipe

Vegan Brookie - where brownies meet chocolate chip pan cookies

Once people hear that I bake vegan at high altitude, I am often asked if I also bake gluten-free. My baking style is complicated, and using gluten-free flour can have it’s own challenges. But I am nothing if not crazy for a challenge (or, perhaps, a glutton for punishment). So, when I discovered Otto’s Naturals cassava flour I went in search of a new recipe.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Vegan
Keyword: Baking, Bar Cookies, Blondies, Brownies, Chocolate, Gluten Free, High Altitude, Recipe
Servings: 8 people
Author: The Decadent Vegan Baker

Equipment

  • 1 8 x 8-inch baking pan

Ingredients

for the chocolate chip cookie layer:

  • 3/4 cup cassava flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed organic light brown sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
  • 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil melted
  • 5 tablespoons vegan chocolate chips

for the brownie layer:

  • 3/4 cup cassava flour
  • 1/4 cup dutch process cocoa powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup organic sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 cup + 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
  • 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil melted
  • 1 tablespoons vegan mini chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8 x 8-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper with a bit of extra paper on two opposite sides. (This helps to remove the baked brookies from the pan). Set aside.

For the cookie layer:

  • Sift the cassava flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and brown sugar together into a medium bowl. Add the vanilla, non-dairy milk, and melted coconut oil. Stir with a spatula until well combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir until incorporated. Set aside.

For the brownie layer:

  • Sift the cassava flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar together into a medium bowl. Add the vanilla, maple syrup, non-dairy milk, and melted coconut oil. Stir with a spatula until well combined. Add the mini chocolate chips and stir until incorporated.

To assemble the brookie:

  • Dump the brownie batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Dump the cookie batter over the brownie batter and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 26 to 28 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the brookie is starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. Place the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes to cool, then lift the brookies out of the pan by the excess parchment paper and place them on a wire rack. Let the brookies cool completely before cutting.
  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge or on the counter for up to 3 days.

Brown Butter Blondies with Cherries and Chocolate Chips

brown butter blondies with cherries

brown butter blondies with cherries and chocolate chips

Vegan butter has come a long way over the years. In the past the only option was run-of-the-mill margarine, but now some butter versions will actually brown. This may not sound like a big deal, but the act of browning changes not just the color but the flavor as well. As the butter turns amber in color, the flavor deepens. And if you are browning butter together with sugar, then you will be treated to a rich, butterscotch scent and taste.

Butter is often melted before adding to bar cookies, so I thought I’d start there but go one step further (as usual) and use browned butter to achieve a deeper flavor. After finding a vegan blondie recipe that called for melted butter, I then went one more step further by adding fresh and dried cherries to the batter.

All of my extras paid off! I achieved a rich dessert with my flavorful blondie. I also had a kitchen that smelled like a bit of heaven.

Until next time, happy baking!

brown butter blondies with cherries
Print Recipe

Brown Butter Blondies with Cherries and Chocolate Chips

Vegan butter has come a long way over the years. In the past the only option was run-of-the-mill margarine, but now some butter versions will actually brown. This may not sound like a big deal, but the act of browning changes not just the color but the flavor as well. As the butter turns amber in color, the flavor deepens. And if you are browning butter together with sugar, then you will be treated to a rich, butterscotch scent and taste.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Vegan
Keyword: Bar Cookies, Blondies, Cherry, Chocolate, Recipe
Servings: 12 servings
Author: The Decadent Vegan Baker

Equipment

  • 8 x 8-inch baking pan
  • heavy bottomed saucepan

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup dried cherries chopped
  • 1/2 cup vegan butter a brand than browns
  • 1 cup firmly packed organic light brown sugar
  • 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup + 2 teaspoons nondairy milk
  • 1.5 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 cup fresh cherries pitted and chopped
  • 1/2 cup vegan mini chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8 x 8-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper. Set aside. Place the dried cherries in a small bowl and soak them in water (or complementary-flavored juice). Set aside.
  • Place the vegan butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan set over low to medium heat. Just before the butter is fully melted, add all the brown sugar at once and stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar is uniformly wet. Increase the heat to medium. Stir occasionally until the mixture looks like molten lava instead of wet sand, 3 to 5 minutes. Make sure to stir the entire bottom of the pot, and watch closely to see when the mixture changes.
  • Take the now molten lava mixture off the heat. Add the vanilla and stir well to incorporate. Add the milk, stir it in thoroughly, and set the mixture aside to cool to room temperature.
  • Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a medium bowl. Add the cooled browned butter mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Strain the soaked cherries and add them to the bowl along with the fresh cherries and chocolate chips. Fold the cherries and chips gently into the batter.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and shake the pan to smooth the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the pan on a wire rack and cool the blondies completely before cutting.
  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge or on the counter for up to 3 days.

Notes

Based on Chocolate Chunk Blondies by Robin Robertson

 

Caramel Brownies

Caramel Brownies

Caramel Brownies

Since I moved to high altitude, I have had a love-hate relationship with brownies. I love to eat them, but I hate to bake them because vegan brownies up higher are difficult to get right. I decided to take a different approach to succeeding at this task. Generally, I had been looking at non-vegan, low altitude recipes and then making a few guesses at how to adjust them. This time I looked at a non-traditional vegan blondie recipe, and when I made my changes it worked. No soggy center and lack of any evidence that they had risen! Now I can go back to loving brownies.

First off, to get them from a blondie to a brownie I added cacao powder. I also added chocolate chips because you can never get too much chocolate. I deleted the almonds to help the chocolate and caramel tastes come to the forefront. Then, for altitude, I added liquids. I also added baking powder which is unusual at altitude, but it helped the wetter brownies to rise.

Caramel Brownies inspired by Caramel-Almond Blondies

3.5 TBS warm water
1/2 tsp Navitas Organics chia seeds
6 TBS almond butter
1/4 cup organic light brown sugar, lightly packed
1.5 TBS agave nectar
1.5 tsp almond milk
2.5 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup Navitas Organics cacao powder
2 tsp Navitas Organics maca powder
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1-2 TBS vegan chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8 x 4 x 2” loaf pan with two pieces of parchment paper, overlapping the pieces to create a sling that hangs over the sides of the pan slightly. Put 1.5 TBS water in a small bowl with the chia seeds and stir to combine. Set aside for 15 minutes to thicken.

Add the remaining 2 TBS water to a large bowl along with the almond butter, brown sugar, agave nectar, milk, and vanilla extract. Add in the chia gel. Stir until the mixture is well combined. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cacao powder, maca powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well.

Navitas Organics maca, chia, cacao

Navitas Organics maca, chia, cacao

Transfer the batter to the loaf pan and push it out to the edges. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the top feels dry. Take the pan out of the oven and scatter the chocolate chips over the hot brownies. When slightly melted, run a fork through the chocolate to spread it over the top. Let them cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then use the paper sling to remove to a wire rack to cool. Cut into 6 pieces when fully cooled.

Until next time, happy baking!