These Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownies are fudgy and gooey, seriously indulgent and made with a secret ingredient!
After making these Double Chocolate Chip Cookies I was excited by the possibility of making more decadent yet secretly healthy chocolate treats. And these brownies are just that: they’re sumptuously chocolatey, seriously moist and luxuriously dense. Plus, they have that signature cracked top and melt-in-your-mouth interior.
I experimented with various different chocolate brownie recipes, wanting to make something similar to these Matcha Brownies and these Black Bean Brownies ie. fudgy, not cakey, refined sugar free brownies.
Why you’ll love these Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownies
Not only are these brownies vegan and gluten-free (and therefore dairy-free and egg-free too) but they’re also:
- refined sugar free
- sweetened naturally with dates
- oil-free
- flourless and grain-free
- high in protein and fibre.
They taste sinfully indulgent, but are secretly healthy, and will leave you feeling pleasantly satisfied and full of energy, rather than nauseous and lethargic.
What’s more, this recipe is super easy to make, requiring just 6 simple ingredients and one food processor.
What’s the secret ingredient?
As I was doing some research, I stumbled across a recipe for Ricotta Brownies and wondered how I could make a vegan version…then I thought of tofu! It’s made in a similar way to ricotta, but with soy beans instead of milk, so it has a similar texture and is similarly thick and creamy.
If you find the idea of a tofu-based dessert repulsive, I must say I was a little nervous myself about the brownies tasting too strongly of tofu, but I was happy to note that the cocoa powder renders the flavour completely undetectable. The tofu really enhances the texture as it works as a kind of butter substitute, adding creaminess and richness.
The sweetness in these brownies comes entirely from dates, which get blended up with the tofu to create a thick, silky-smooth, caramel-like mixture.
Inspired by my Chocolate Torte recipe, the flour-replacement in these grain-free brownies is ground almonds (almond meal/flour), which creates a simultaneously fudgy and chewy texture without sugar. The ground almonds paired with the tofu add lots of protein, which makes these brownies filling and satisfying.
Substitutions you can make to this recipe:
- you can substitute the ground almonds with ground walnuts or ground hazelnuts
- you can substitute the tofu with the same quantity of plant-based yogurt – coconut yogurt, soy yogurt, almond yogurt etc.
Equipment you’ll need to make these Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownies:
- food processor or blender – to blend up the tofu and dates
- square baking tin – to bake the brownies
- baking paper – to line the baking tin to make removing the brownies easier
How long do these Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownies keep for?
Quite unusually for gluten-free baked goods, the texture of these brownies lasts for a good few days – they should be stored covered in the fridge as you don’t want the tofu to go bad!
More vegan and gluten-free chocolate recipes:
- Chocolate Cookies
- Chocolate Banana Bread
- Chocolate Muffins
- Chocolate Mousse Cake
- Chocolate Cupcakes
- Chocolate Tart
- Avocado Brownies
- Beetroot Brownies
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 #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.
Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients
- 300 g (10.5 oz) silken tofu
- 150 g (2/3 cup) pitted dates soaked overnight in cold water or in boiling water for 10 minutes
- 200 g (1 2/3 cup) ground almonds (almond meal) *
- 35 g (1/3 cup) cocoa powder
- 2 heaped teaspoons baking powder (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
- Drain and rinse the tofu, then pat dry with a paper towel
- Place the tofu and dates in a food processor or blender and whizz until completely smooth
- Add the ground almonds, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt, and blend just enough to combine everything
- Transfer the mixture to a baking tin lined with baking paper (I used a 23cm/9inch square baking tin)
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the top is cracked and the brownies have just set - don’t worry if they still look a bit gooey when you take them out, as they will firm up as the cool down
- Leave to cool slightly before cutting
- Keeps well covered in the fridge for up to a few days
Notes
Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you click through and purchase any of the products, a small percentage will come to me, with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.
Jenna
Hi, can I use maple syrup instead of dates to sweeten?
Rhian Williams
Yes should be ok – would love to hear how you get on!
Tia
hi, i made these today but i half the recipe, turned out pretty good but not as sweet and has a taste of tofu? what should i do?
Rhian Williams
Hi – thank you so much for your feedback! It can depend on the type of tofu you use as some brands have a stronger taste than others. If making again I would suggest you could use slightly less tofu and more dates. Or I have several other brownie recipes that don’t use tofu if you prefer that! For example these sweet potato brownies: https://www.rhiansrecipes.com/sweet-potato-brownies/ or this Chocolate Torte recipe could be used to make brownies, it’s very similar to these brownies but without the tofu: https://www.rhiansrecipes.com/gluten-free-vegan-chocolate-torte/ hope that helps!!
Sylvia lindsley
Is this recipe suitable for type diabetics? I have made it before and enjoyed it. My diabetic son has a birthday coming up. He finds sweeteners give.him problems.
Rhian Williams
Hi! I don’t think I’m qualified to advise on that unfortunately, so it’s best to check with your son’s doctor or dietician.