Brownie and healthy don’t usually go in the same sentence.
The team at Garden of Vegan set Head Chef Druen Dorn the ultimate challenge.
A healthy chocolate brownie.
Druen’s challenge was to create the most decadent chocolate brownie that ticked all the boxes.
It had to be;
-Gluten Free
-Sugar Free
-Oil Free
-Vegan
-Vegetarian friendly
-Dairy Free
-Made from wholefoods
-Plant-based
-Have a gooey, fudge like consistency
-Not be too rich or bitter from the cacao
-Be able to be enjoyed warmed up with nice cream, sorbet or fresh fruit
-Also, be able to be eaten on the go, without heating to get that quick brownie fix
The challenge seemed impossible.
But Druen has absolutely nailed it!
The secret is the sweet potato.
Baking the sweet potato first either in the oven or an air fryer releases the sugars adding just the right amount of natural plant-based sweetness to this decadent fudge brownie.
The golden sweet potato also makes the fudge like consistency, gooey, soft and nice and moist, but not too moist. As baby bear from Goldie Locks and the Three Bears might say, this brownie is just right…
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes in total
Total time: 60 minutes
Serving size: 10 large brownies
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: Modern European
Health and Dietary requirements: Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Plant-based, Dairy Free, Oil Free, Refined Sugar Free, plant-based
Storage: Fridge or freezer
Date: Consume within 5 days (if it lasts that long)
Ingredients
Metric
Wet Ingredients
2 cup of cooked sweet potato
½ cup of activated almond butter. 👇
1 ½ cups of coconut cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup of pure maple syrup
8 dates
Dry Ingredients
1 ¼ cups of whole buckwheat blended into flour
1 cup of cacao powder
½ cup of grated ceremonial grade cacao paste.
1 tsp aluminium free baking powder
1 tsp celtic sea salt
Optional extras
More dates for additional sweetness
¼ cup of vegan chocolate chips
½ cup of your choice of nut (we suggest walnut, pecan or macadamia)
More peanut butter for a chocolate peanut butter fudge brownie
Instruction
1. Cook sweet potato at 180 degrees for 40 minutes in the oven.
Or air Fry at 180 degrees for 25 minutes.
Cook until it would be ideal for mashing, slightly undercooked, not too soft.
Baking will allow for more sugars to release. Steamed also works.
2. While the sweet potato is cooking, mix all dry ingredients. Set a side.
3. Mix all wet ingredients, including sweet potato once cooked. This can be blended
4. Mix wet and dry ingredients and add any optional extras (hand mix or blend on low-medium).
5. Line a baking dish with baking paper and transfer brownie batter.
6. Bake at 180 degrees celsius for 15-25 minutes.
7. Serve with banana nice cream, berry compote or vegan vanilla custard.
Photo By JulyProkopiv
Feature image By Madina Asileva