Healthy Vegan Brownies

Enter these fudgy vegan brownies. They’re chewy, gooey and slightly cakey – the best of both worlds. Not only are these easy vegan brownies insanely delicious, they’re also refined sugar-free, nut-free and super healthy. 

Plus, unlike other healthy vegan brownie recipes, these need no bananas, no applesauce or other strange ingredients. All you need are a few simple pantry staples and you’re good to go! 

Healthy Vegan Brownies Ingredients 

• Dates: Are the main sweetener for these fudgy vegan brownies. Additionally, they add a slight caramel flavor that compliments the other flavors! 
• Spelt flour: I like using spelt flour for the nutty flavor as well as the numerous health benefits. 
• Cocoa powder: I cannot stress this enough! Use a dutch-processed cocoa powder. Not only will it have a fudgier and richer chocolate flavor, it’ll also make the brownies darker and more black/brown in color.
• Tahini: For some richness and buttery flavors.
• Coconut oil: Is essential for creating  that fudgy flavor in these brownies. Do not skip this!
• Instant Coffee: Amps up the chocolate flavor – it’s optional but highly recommended. You can also use espresso powder if you prefer – linking my favorite here.
• Dark chocolate: You can use chocolate chips, however I recommend chopping up a chocolate bar and using that. It tastes so much better!!

Tips and Tricks 

• Don’t overmix: I say this way too much, but it truly makes a big difference. Just gently fold the flour into the wet ingredients and leave it. It might look like it needs another mix or two, but trust me, leave it! 
• Use boiling water: I have already specified this in the recipe, but it truly helps the cocoa powder and instant coffee ‘bloom’ – similar to when you fry spices to amp up the flavors. 
• Under-bake: This is such an underrated tip. But underbaking ensures that you will always have fudgy and chewy brownies. The more you bake these brownies, the less moisture they will have. I would say at minimum, bake these for at least 20 minutes. The longest I would bake these for is 25 minutes. After that they will just be dry! 

Healthy Vegan Brownies

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Yasmeen Ali
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 12 bars 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

---

Description

Enter these fudgy vegan brownies. They’re chewy, gooey and slightly cakey – the best of both worlds. 

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Dry Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups spelt flour (sub with AP flour)
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder (can use half black cocoa and half regular cocoa if you want them extra rich)
• 1 tbsp instant coffee or espresso powder
• 3/4 tsp baking powder.
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Wet Ingredients

• 2 cups boiling water or hot milk
• 16 medium medjool dates, pitted
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate, chopped

---

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven and prep your pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line preferred pan with parchment paper, I used an 8×8 pan.
2. Soak the dates. Add the medjool dates into a large bowl and pour the boiling water over top, make sure the dates are completely submerged. Set aside and let soak for 10 minutes.
3. Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, add spelt flour, cocoa powder, instant coffee or espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk well and set aside.
4. Blend the wet ingredients together. Once the dates are done soaking, dump the bowl of dates and water into a high-speed blender (I used a Vitamix) or a small food processor along with the tahini, melted coconut oil and vanilla. Turn the blender on low, slowly ramping the speed up to high. Let the mixture blend for 3-4 minutes until it turns a light golden-brown color and is super silky and smooth (btw it should taste like caramel).
5. Mix the batter and pour into the pan. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of flour and gently fold the batter together. Once the batter is almost mixed, add in the chopped chocolate and fold to incorporate into the batter. Pour the batter into the pan smoothing out the top. Sprinkle some additional chocolate on top for decoration.
6. Bake, cool, and enjoy. Bake the brownies for 20 minutes, until puffed up and the top starts to crack ever so slightly, we are looking for fine lines, not a fault line! The brownies might seem a little underdone, but trust me, this is what will make them super gooey and fudgy. Let the brownies cool 10 minutes before slicing into small squares. I like to top with a sprinkle of flaky salt for presentation. Store the brownies in an airtight container on the counter for a few days, or in the fridge for up to a week.

---

Notes

If you would like to cut the brownies immediately, pop them into the refrigerator for 10 minutes. This will allow them cool down faster, and make for easier slicing. Plus, it makes the brownies have more of a sheen and crack!