Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies are decadent, rich, fudgy, dark and oh so chocolatey. They’re naturally sweetened too. This recipe is vegan, gluten free and grain free.
Just Gimme Chocolate
If I’m going to have dessert, just gimme chocolate.
Possibly the reason for my having at least some chocolate component in so many of the sweet recipes on Vanilla And Bean.
So when I got my hot little hands on Alexandra’s Plant Based Comfort Food ebook (no longer available) and saw the cover, I immediately went straight for the brownies.
Rich. Decadent. Fudgy. Dark.
Pass me another, please.
Even Rob agreed. Although he just had to throw in that these brownies aren’t regular (his word), as if I were unaware (rolls eyes). I didn’t hear him complaining upon multiple reach-ins to the brownie jar.
Rich and Oh So Chocolatey
Dutch cocoa powder and 72% dark chocolate chunks make these brownies over-the-top chocolately. Chocolate chips will work well here too, if preferred.
If dairy free or vegan, be sure to read the labels on chocolate and always go for a high quality chocolate. VegNews lists many available varieties. I tend to buy baking chocolate in bulk because there’s less packaging waste and it’s more economical.
About the Brownies
This recipe incorporates coconut sugar. Have you baked with it? It’s subtly sweet and is considered a natural sweetener. It’s much milder than brown sugar, so these brownies aren’t very sweet. Rather, it’s the hazelnuts and chocolate flavors that stand out.
When paired with chocolate it allows the chocolate notes to shine making these brownies extra rich. Perfect for a dark-chocolate lover.
These brownies come together fast, with very little clean up while they bake, filling your home with the most divine scent of chocolate.
If serving as a dessert, pair these fudgy brownies with berries and coconut cream. Or, if berries are out of season, serve with vanilla bea ice cream with a slightly warm brownie. Mmmmm.
Now excuse me while I take another bite. :D
More Naturally Sweetened Snacks to Love
- Maple Pecan Granola
- Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Peanut Butter Banana Oat Bars
- No Bake Chocolate Almond Coconut Bars
- Pumpkin Energy Bites
Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (100g) Hazelnut Meal gluten free
- 3/4 cup (72g) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder dutch process
- 1 teaspoon tapioca flour or arrowroot
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 3/4 cup (105g) Coconut Sugar
- 3/4 cup (175g) Coconut Milk
- 3 tablespoons Coconut Oil melted
- 1/2 cup (95g) Dark Chocolate chopped (70% - 72% dark chocolate)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C) and line an 8" x 8" (20cm x 20cm) baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl sift in the hazelnut meal, cocoa powder, tapioca, extract, salt, and baking powder. If there is any hazelnut meal left in the sifter, add that to the bowl. Whisk in the coconut sugar. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, and oil. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Fold in the chopped chocolate.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared baking dish. Using an offset spatula, smooth the top. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the brownies comes out almost clean (be sure to test several spots and the chopped chocolate will stick to the toothpick making it look like they're not done!).
- Remove from oven and allow brownies to cool in the pan on a cooling rack. Cut into 16 equal pieces. Serve with fresh berries and coconut cream or ice cream. To rewarm brownies, place in a warmed 350F oven for about 5 minutes. Store in a covered container at room temperature. Do not refrigerate.
These are amazing! Have made them for the third time, they’re so fudgy and gooey I just love them. Do you know if they can be frozen/how long they keep for?
Hi Anisa! So happy to hear. Thank you for your note! Wrapped snugly they can be frozen. Although best fresh, these should keep at room temperature for about three days. I hope this helps!
Would corn starch work in place of the tapioca flour/arrowroot?
Thank you!
Hi Danielle! Although I’ve not tried it, 1/2 tsp cornstarch should work just fine.
I just made these and they are pretty, pretty good! No coconut flavor just decadent chocolate that is not too sweet at all. I used vegan semi sweet chocolate chunks and took them out after 24 min. Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi Gabby! Thank you so much for coming back and leaving a note! So happy to hear you enjoyed the brownies. I’ll pass it on to Alexandra!
Can I use pyure instead of coconut sugar? I’m not crazy about the taste of coconut.
Hey Jessica! I’ve never baked with Pyure, so I’m not sure how it would do in this recipe. Since it’s an all purpose sweetener though, you may want to give it a go and see how you like it. If you do, please let us know how it turned out! My interest is piqued. I hope this helps!
I made these with a slight modification. I thought I could ground hazelnuts but the batter was very liquid so I added a cup of almond flour (all I had on hand). They were amazing. Your recipes are very inspiring….thank you!
Thank you for your note and kind words, Sue! Almond flour sounds like a fabulous addition! :D