Rich & Chocolatey Vegan Oat Brownies

Hannah Sunderani
Sep 26, 2016
6 min read

I'm going to be completely honest when I tell you that baking does not come naturally to me...especially vegan baking! I find it much harder than cooking because any minor alteration to the recipe, like subbing one ingredient for another, mixing batter or dough too-much or too-little, or even the type of oven you have can impact the final outcome. Eek! Here in France it's a constant reminder just how novice a baker I am. I marvel at the French bakers who do it with such grace and precision. I can't walk by a patisserie without peering inside, in complete disbelief at their tiny intricate cakes. They are true pieces of art! And honestly, I'm not sure I will ever be able to grasp the French excellence and prestige when it comes to baking. For me: simple, easy-to-make, and ooey-gooey recipes takes the cake (pun intended!). My dessert recipes are typically the "sub as you like...and make sure it's gooey" kinda style! I like to think it's my British upbringing, whom always choose taste over presentation!

It's with this mentality I began creating a vegan brownie recipe to share! Vegan brownies totally fit my no-fuss criteria, being much more forgiving of the rules than other desserts: If you under bake them you've got a gooey molten lava style square; yuuum! And if you over bake them you've got a wonderful caky-like texture - still so yum! For this post I particularly wanted to create an oat brownie recipe to share, because anything oaty always scores extra brownie points in our home (pun intended, again!), and recipes for oaty brownies are less common, so why not!?

Turns out, it wasn't as simple as I thought...I started this brownie baking journey by adapting an old non-vegan recipe from Bon Appetit, which I loved baking prior to switching to a more plant-based diet. I substituted all purpose flour for oat flour, and the dairy ingredients for non-dairy. The original recipe called for 1/2 cup butter so I subbed it with 1/2 cup coconut oil. What a mistake! After mixing all the ingredients together I was left with the oiliest brownie batter I had ever seen! Unfortunately, I had all-too-easily ignored the warning signs and one hour later I was experiencing a complete kitchen nightmare. I would open the oven to see it STILL wasn't cooked, and the wet batter had started to turn my parchment paper into a paper mache mess! I would pull out the brownies desperately adding more flour in hopes to soak up the oil, and place it back in the oven again. After 45 minutes of doing this I threw in the tea towel and went for a nap!

A vegan baking failure at it's finest...

BUT, I tried not to let this little mishap deter me. I channeled my inner Brit with some words of encouragement. "Keep calm and carry on!" A cliche expression I know, but good advice nonetheless. When you bake a mistake, you learn from it, and you move on! I started thinking hard about my brownie batter consistency, my wet to dry ratios, and why it hadn't worked. I looked up various vegan brownie recipes - studying from my favourites like Dana from Minimalist Baker, who always has simple ingredients and easy to follow recipes. What was she doing that I was missing? Her drool-worthy brownie batters so perfectly resembled traditional. I wanted to cannon-ball right into her photos, and swim around in the euphoric liquid batter. (Much like Augustus from Willy Wonka I suppose, only with a happier ending!). I was sure my batter consistency was the root of my problems. I needed a batter like Dana's! The type that looks so good you wonder whether to just grab a spoon and eat it raw! I read her various brownie posts, studying her baking methods, and researched other expert opinions for plant-based baking. Then I re-wrote a recipe that I was sure would work. After, I ignored the new recipe for a week; as a sort of recovery method. I was super bummed when it hadn't worked out the first time and wasn't ready to fail again! Theres nothing more sad then throwing away a heavy brick of dessert only to hear a big *THUNK* as it hits the bottom of your trash can. So once the brownie mourning process was complete I got back to work!

The second time around I watched my batter intently as I went - trying my hardest to get the right consistency: the kind that made me want to lick the bowl like a 5-year-old kid. I needed to channel my inner Dana, and create the texture of traditional brownie batter. For the wet ingredients I whipped together my chia eggs, mashed a small banana and poured in waaay less melted coconut oil. Then I slowly poured in filter water until it was the perfect texture. "Do it like Dana!" I thought. I poured the batter into a pan and popped them in the oven. Nose against oven door, I peered inside crossing fingers, toes and limbs. Finally, I took a big sigh of relief! The chocolatey aroma started to fill my kitchen, and the batter started to rise.

Sheer glory can only describe the feeling of puling out these freshly baked brownies! I stuck in a toothpick and it came out signing my praises. It was a glorious moment of triumph! AND THE TASTE! The crunchy exterior danced in my mouth, paired with an ultra soft and decant chocolate inner, with a subtle hint of banana. Dana would have been proud!

I can surely say, with no hesitation, that this is a fool-proof vegan recipe for any newby baker! If I can do it, anyone can! These Rich and Chocolatey Vegan Oat Brownies are quick, easy, and a wonderful plant-based alternative to traditional. They are destined to be adored. And, if I can give any advice on vegan baking it's to "keep calm and carry on!" Vegan baking, like all baking, is a practice. I've still got so much to learn, but I'm thrilled to have this beautiful brownie recipe that's hella worthy of sharing! Hope you love these vegan oat brownies as much as I do.

Rich & Chocolatey Vegan Oat Brownies

Makes: 16| Prep Time: 15 mins| Cook Time: 25-30 mins

Ingredients:

2 tbsp chia seeds
6 tbsp filtered water, plus more if needed
1 3/4 cups oat flour (ground whole oats)
3/4 cups cocoa powder
3/4 cups castor sugar
3/4 cups coconut sugar (or castor sugar)
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp mashed banana (approx. 1 small banana)
3 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
1/4 cup filtered water
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325F. Then, begin by making your chia eggs.* Add 2 tbsp chia seeds to 6 tbsp filtered water. Beat together. Let sit for 10 minutes to gel. Add a splash more water if needed to get the same consistency as regular beaten eggs.
While you're waiting for your eggs to gel, toss together your dry ingredients (oat flour, cocoa powder, castor sugar, coconut sugar, fine sea salt and baking powder) in a large mixing bowl. Mix to combine removing any clumps with your fingers.
Add 3 tbsp of mashed banana to the dry ingredients. Pour in melted coconut oil, add chia eggs and stir to combine.
Next slowly pour your filtered water into the mixing bowl while stirring. Continue stirring to make a thick and gooey brownie batter. Add 1 tsp vanilla extract and stir to combine.
Line a 7x7 inch baking pan with parchment paper and transfer brownie batter to the pan. Place in oven to cook for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through. Test brownie's readiness by inserting a toothpick into the middle of the baking pan. It's ready when the toothpick comes out mostly dry, with just a few moist crumbs.
Let brownies cool entirely. Then cut into 16 squares and serve.*

*Note: These Vegan Oat Brownies can be stored in fridge for up to 5 days.

*Note: Ratio for one chia egg is: 1 tbsp chia seeds to 3 tbsp filtered water. You may need to add a splash extra water if the egg is too thick after 10 minutes of gelling. You want it to resemble a similar texture to beaten eggs.

Approvals: