Photography by Andrew Hayes-Watkins
ACCORDING TO SI AND DAVE:
‘No butter, no eggs but these beauties still taste fantastic. Swirling the nut butter in at the end is a great touch – we like peanut butter but almond or hazelnut both work fine too. There are lots of recipes for vegan brownies these days but we think these are the best we’ve tasted.’
INGREDIENTS:
- 275ml plant-based milk
- 150ml groundnut or walnut oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp ground flax seeds
- 60ml hot water
- 125g plain flour*
- 125g cocoa
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 100g light soft brown sugar*
- 75g caster sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 150g vegan chocolate chips
- 100g nut butter, see recipe**
TO MAKE:
- Preheat your oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4 and line a 20 x 20cm brownie tin with baking paper.
- Whisk the milk, oil and vanilla in a bowl and set aside.
- Mix the ground flax seeds with the hot water and leave to stand for five minutes.
- Whisk the remaining ingredients, except the chocolate chips and nut butter, in a separate bowl.
- Beat the flax seeds into the milk, then add the dry mix and fold gently before adding the chocolate chips.
- Scrape the mixture into the tin and dot spoonfuls of the nut butter all over the batter, then swirl it through. Don’t mix it up too much!
- Bake for 20–25 minutes until the brownies have just set.
- Leave to cool completely, then cut into squares.
COOK’S TIP: If you like your brownies extra juicy, put them in the fridge for several hours after baking before storing in an airtight container.
*You can substitute the plain flour for our coconut flour or almond flour and coconut sugar for the light soft brown sugar for a slightly different take on this classic.
**Home-made Nut Butter
Roast two handfuls of almonds or hazelnuts at 180 degrees for 15 minutes, leave them to cool completely, then add a little coconut oil to loosen the mixture to taste and blend to a smooth delicious buttery consistency. This will keep fresh for up to a week.
