Gluten-Free Vegan Matcha Brownies

I really hope you’ll love these Gluten-Free Vegan Matcha Brownies! Or should I have called them Blondies? Or even Greenies?

I’d been dreaming of a gluten-free and vegan matcha brownie recipe for ages and I think I’ve finally cracked it!

The base for these amazingly fudgy, gooey brownies was inspired by one of my favourite chocolate cake recipes, which is made from ground almonds and puréed dates, which combine together to make a perfectly textured, meltingly soft, sticky decadence otherwise known as a cake batter.

However, instead of chocolate, I went for another of life’s greatest pleasures, matcha green tea powder. I love matcha and have used it to make everything from shortbread and chocolate truffles to panna cotta.

It works perfectly in these brownies, as its earthy bitterness really compliments the caramel substitute-worthy dates. I also added a few tablespoonfuls of desiccated coconut, which adds a lovely nutty sweetness and contrasting texture.

Matcha is wonderful in baked goods because of its vivid colour, and it also conveniently happens to add a plethora of health benefits. You can buy matcha powder from local health stores or Asian supermarkets.

These brownies are also super easy to make, as you can add all the ingredients in whatever order you wish, and it comes together in just one bowl!

And what’s best about this particular sponge is that it’s unbelievably healthy!

It’s naturally sweetened with dates, full of fibre and protein from the ground almonds, but tastes super rich and indulgent! It’s even healthy enough to eat for breakfast, the best kind of dessert…amirite?

I drizzled these brownies with a 3-ingredient white chocolate icing, not only for the aesthetic pleasure and the soul-soothing activity of drizzling a luxuriously creamy icing over a batch of freshly baked brownies, but also because I love the combination of matcha and white chocolate!

I then finished the whole thing off with a flourish of freeze-dried berries and rose petals. Though obviously I won’t judge you if you just polish off the whole lot straight out the pan instead of bothering with these extra steps.

I hope you’ll love these Gluten-Free Vegan Matcha Brownies! For more matcha recipes, check out my:

• overnight oats
• shortbread
• chocolate truffles
• panna cotta
• donuts

If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.

Helpful tools to make these Gluten-Free Vegan Matcha Brownies:

food processor

blender

hand-held stick blender

glass mixing bowl

measuring jug

square baking tin

baking paper

Gluten-Free Vegan Matcha Brownies

These Gluten-Free Vegan Matcha Brownies are amazingly fudgy, gooey and delicious. 

3.67 from 3 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: gluten-free matcha brownies, paleo brownies, vegan matcha brownies

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 12 brownies

Calories: 183kcal

Ingredients

For the brownies:

• 15 pitted dates soaked overnight in cold water or for 15 minutes in boiling water
• 200 g (1 3/4 cups) ground almonds (almond meal)
• 6 tablespoons desiccated coconut
• 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 4 tablespoons coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)
• 1 teaspoon matcha powder to taste
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)

For the white chocolate icing (optional):

• 30 g (1/8 cup) cacao butter
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)

To decorate (optional):

• Freeze-dried strawberries or raspberries
• Rose petals
• Desiccated coconut

Instructions

For the cake:

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
• Drain away most of the water from soaking the dates, leaving a little bit
• Use a food processor or blender (or a hand-held stick blender) to blend the dates into a smooth purée (leaving a little water will make it much easier)
• Add the puréed dates into a bowl along with all the other ingredients and mix well
• Transfer to a greased baking tin (lined with baking paper) - I used a 23cm/9inch square baking tin
• Bake in oven for around 15 minutes
• Let cool before applying the icing if using

For the icing:

• Melt the cacao butter in a bowl over a saucepan of boiling water
• Mix in the milk and maple syrup
• Drizzle icing over the brownie using a teaspoon
• If you wish to decorate, scatter over freeze-dried strawberries or raspberries, rose petals or desiccated coconut whilst the icing is still wet
• Once completely cool and the icing has set, cut into squares and transfer to an airtight container
• Keeps well in the fridge for up to a few days

Nutrition Facts

Gluten-Free Vegan Matcha Brownies

Amount Per Serving

Calories 183

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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