One of my favorite things about the Holiday season is baking!I’ll admit, I 100% agree with Santa that the best cookie around is a Chocolate Chip Cookie. Hands down my favorite thing to make.  However, I have a close second…  BROWNIES! Yes, I’m shouting, because I love them so much!

Over the past 7 months since starting a vegan diet, I have struggled to find a brownie recipe I really like. One that was good enough to share with those most dear to me, my family and friends.

There were a lot of mishaps in the kitchen… like the time that my attempt to make vegan brownies resulted in something as solid as a rock. And I cannot lie – I ate them anyway (I was desperate!).

Fortunately, no teeth were lost in the ordeal, but I’m certain my husband wouldn’t have been surprised if there had been! There was a lot of loud crunch crunching, which reminded me of the dinner scene in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

LOVE that movie!

Anyway, I finally got with the program and tried a recipe from the best vegan baker/cook I know – Angela Liddon, founder of Oh She Glows. Angela also came up with my favorite recipe for vegan chocolate chip cookies, so it was really no surprise that her brownie recipe is the best one I’ve found to date.

To Angela’s recipe I only made two slight adaptations.

1. I replaced the almond milk with soy milk
2. I left out the walnuts. Going for pure chocolate goodness!

Angela was so kind as to allow me to share her fabulous recipe with you here .

Vegan Brownies (adapted from Oh She Glows)

Ingredients

• Flax Egg = 1.5 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water, mixed together in a small bowl
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup raw whole almonds, ground finely in food processor to make a flour/meal
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 6 tbsp Earth Balance
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (non-dairy), divided into 1/2 + 1/4 cups
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp soy milk
• 1 -1/4 cups sugar

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Line pan (approx. 9×9) with parchment paper. Grease pan with baking spray.

In a large bowl mix dry ingredients (almond meal, flour, cocoa powder, salt, & baking soda).

In a medium microwave safe bowl, add ¾ cup chocolate chips and Earth Balance. Microwave for 45 seconds (or until melted), then stir.

To the melted chocolate, whisk in vanilla, soy milk, and sugar. Pour melted chocolate mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Add remaining ¼ cup chocolate chips, stir.

Pour brownie batter into prepared pan. Bake for approximately 35 minutes.

Tip: Let cool completely (2 hours) before gently removing from pan and cutting.

Enjoy!

Happy Baking, my lovely friends!