Amazing oil-free brownies made with just 10 everyday ingredients! These brownies are gluten-free and can easily be made vegan by subbing a flax egg for the egg. They can be whipped up on a moment’s notice and are divine with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream!
How do you solve a problem like an overly ripe avocado and a vegan milk chocolate bar? Why, you make brownies, of course! You know, #logic. 😉
Aside from eating organic/whole foods/plant-based, I don’t subscribe to any particular dietary dogma, but I know that many of you out there try to avoid added oil whenever possible, opting instead to get your dietary fats from whole foods.
Well, my oil-free friends: This brownie recipe is for you!
These oil-free brownies are dense, fudgy, and pleasantly sweet, but not cloyingly so. They put healthy plant fats to good use: avocado and cashew butter play a starring role, providing the richness that you would normally get from, say, coconut oil. The cocoa, maple syrup, and vegan milk chocolate do a great job of covering up the avocado flavour, and it doesn’t come through much at all in the finished product.
While my recipe calls for one whole egg, you could probably sub a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax mixed with 2.5 tablespoon water) with good results. I have not tried this yet, so let us know in the comments how it worked for you if you decide to go the vegan route!
Making these oil-free brownies could not be easier! You’ll start by mixing together oat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and sea salt.
Next, you’ll blend together one avocado, some cashew butter, one egg (or a flax egg) maple syrup, and vanilla extract in a food processor until smooth.
Then, you’ll pour the avocado mixture over the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
Last but not least, you’ll add 85-100 grams of chopped vegan milk chocolate (or chocolate of your choice) to the batter and briefly stir it in. Or, as I did in the photo below, add half to the batter and press the other half in on top. I ADORE Zazubean “Sassy” vegan milk chocolate in this recipe. It’s made with coconut milk and is studded with hazelnuts and dried pomegranate. AND it’s fair trade and organic! Swoon!
Transfer to a parchment paper-lined square baking dish and wait for 30 agonizing minutes while it bakes.
Want to save this post?
Want to save this? Enter your email address below and we'll send it directly to your inbox. Plus you'll receive great new recipes, workouts, and inspiration for a happier, healthier life every week!
Remove from the oven and wait 60 more agonizing minutes for it to cool before slicing and enjoying with a big scoop of your favourite non-dairy ice cream. (I love Coconut Bliss!)
If you, too, are a chocoholic, check out these recipes:
Chocolate Chunk Cashew Butter Blondies
Chocolate Cake Batter Smoothie
Ultra Creamy Chocolate Chia Pudding
Print
Amazing Oil-Free Brownies | Gluten-Free + Vegan Option
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 9 servings 1x
Description
Amazing oil-free vegan brownies made with avocado, cashew butter, oat flour, and maple syrup. Best served with a BIG scoop of non-dairy vanilla ice cream and berries. Total swoon!
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups oat flour
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 large ripe avocado
- ¼ cup cashew butter
- 1 large egg (can probably sub 1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax mixed with ⅖ tbsp water))
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 (85-100 gram) Zazubean Sassy vegan milk chocolate bar, chopped (may sub your favourite dark chocolate if desired//Zazubean Nudie is an 80% dark chocolate bar sweetened with coconut sugar that also works very well in this recipe)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 8×8 or 9×9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
- Stir/whisk together the oat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and sea salt in a medium/large bowl.
- Place the avocado, cashew butter, egg/flax egg, maple syrup, and vanilla in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the ‘S’ blade. Blend until smooth.
- Spoon the avocado mixture over top of the flour mixture and stir just until combined.
- Fold in the chopped chocolate. You can fold in all of it at once or add half to the batter and press the other half on top of the brownie once in the pan.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and bake for 30 minutes.
- Cool for at least 1 hour in the dish before lifting out and transferring to a cooling rack to cool fully. You may transfer the brownie to the fridge at this point to expedite the cooling process.
- Once brownies have cooled completely, slice into 9 squares and enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to enjoy. Brownies will keep in the refrigerator for several days.
Notes
MAKE THEM VEGAN: Sub a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax mixed with 2.5 tablespoon water) for the egg.
MAKE THEM NUT-FREE: Use sunflower seed butter or tahini instead of the cashew butter. Make sure that your chocolate bar is nut-free.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Vegan
If you make this recipe, be sure to let us know how it turned out by leaving a comment! 🙂
Peace, love, and brownies,
Allie <3 🙂
Jamie says
This is the best brownie recipe. Mine turned out perfectly. I ate two pieces and felt very energized.
Allison says
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Jamie!