A vegan, gluten-free cake-like lower-fat (but not fat-free!!) brownie topped with pecans; refined sugar-free option
Ingredients
2¼ c. old-fashioned rolled oats (enough to make 2 c. oat flour)
2 TBS. chia seeds
⅔ generous c. unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 c. non-dairy milk (I used soy milk, but any non-dairy milk will do)
¾ tsp. vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
½ c. melted oil (coconut or canola)
½ c. pureed squash--NOT APPLESAUCE (I used baby food)
1½ c. sugar/evaporated cane juice (OR 2 c. coconut sugar) + 12 packets stevia OR 2 c. sugar/evaporated cane juice (no stevia)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
⅓-1/2 c. raw or toasted pecans (whole or chopped)
Instructions
First, you can try to make this completely oil-free, but do so at your risk (see note below). I have found that if you reduce fat too much, it will taste more like a muffin or bread, & not so much like dessert. But then again, I feel like dessert is dessert & bread is bread, so if you're going to have dessert, it should be a little decadent, don't you? Preheat oven to 350 F.
Lightly oil or grease your baking pans to prevent sticking. You can use two 8 X 8 pans.
Combine oats with chia seeds & make your oat flour (so you will blend your chia seeds in with your oats). I make mine using my Blendtec, but you can do it any high-powered blender like a Vita-mix, or even a food processor with the S-blade. Make sure the flour is as fine as you can get it.
Sift the flour with cocoa powder, baking soda, & salt. Set aside.
Whisk milk & vinegar (this will cause the milk to curdle a little--think of it like making butter milk). Combine this mixture with remaining liquids (oil & squash puree).
In the dry ingredient bowl, make a well & pour wet ingredients. Stir enough times to incorporate all the flour (it should be fairly thick--don't add additional water or liquid). Pour batter into pan(s), smooth it out, & top with whole or chopped pecans.
Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Remove from oven & allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.
Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream, &/or sliced fresh strawberries. See below for links to recipes for vegan vanilla ice cream & coconut "whipped" cream.
Notes
***About reducing fat/sugar: The thing I've learned about reducing fat & sugar over the years, is that desserts taste better & bake better when they retain some fat & sugar. (If you want something completely lowfat/fat-free, eat some fruit!) The recipe as it stands with ½ cup oil & reduced sugar is about as low as I wanted to go. If you reduce the oil or sugar more, I can't guarantee good results! Venture at your own risk :) Also, if you must, you can eliminate the pecans. But I think the pecans do these brownies a huge service & give it some extra contrast, flavor, & texture.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 brownie Calories: 140, 4 WWP points Fat: 7 g Carbohydrates: 20 g Sugar: 13 g Sodium: 100 mg Fiber: 2 g Protein: 2 g
Recipe by bring joy at https://bring-joy.com/2015/04/28/vegan-gluten-free-brownies-recipe