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Seriously Fudgy Vegan and Grain-Free Brownies with Peanut Butter

4.93 from 14 reader reviews
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 12
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Ingredients

  • ¾ cup natural smooth peanut butter, plus extra
  • ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
  • ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • ½ cup dairy free chocolate chunks/chips, divided
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
  • 3 tablespoons coconut flour
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • flaky sea salt for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8x2 baking pan with parchment paper “slings” going both ways. There should be overhang on both sides. Grease the parchment paper thoroughly with oil.
  • In a medium saucepan, combine the peanut butter, applesauce, maple syrup, and all but 3 tablespoons of the chocolate chunks. Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir with a spatula until all of the chocolate is melted, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract and remove the saucepan from the heat. Let the peanut butter mixture cool slightly.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the cocoa powder, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
  • Once the peanut butter mixture is slightly cooled, add the cocoa powder mixture to the saucepan. Using the spatula, mix everything to combine. The batter will be thick!
  • Scrape the brownie batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly, smoothing the top with your spatula. Then, drizzle some drippy peanut butter on top and drag a paring knife through the top of the brownies to create a swirl effect. The batter is quite thick, so you have to be quite deliberate. Press the remaining chocolate chunks into the top and sprinkle with flaky sea salt if you like.
  • Bake the brownies until firm and slightly dry on top, about 27-30 minutes. Let them cool completely, for at least 2 hours, before slicing into squares. Store brownies covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Recipe Notes

  • Makes 9 large or 12 medium brownies
  • You can use any nut or seed butter in place of the peanut butter!
  • The batter is quite stiff, but if you’d like to make swirls of peanut butter on the top, just make sure that your peanut butter is quite drippy/runny. Drizzle a bit on top and then drag a paring knife through the peanut butter and the brownie batter before baking.
  • These brownies are naturally oil-free minus the parchment paper greasing at the beginning. I imagine you can get away with not greasing the paper though. Might just stick a tiny bit.
Grain-free and vegan brownies with peanut butter are seriously fudgy and so delicious. Sweetened with maple syrup and dark chocolate.