Vegan Tahini Brownies Fudgy And Gluten Free

They’re vegan (obvs) and gluten-free and made with nourishing, perhaps surprising ingredients, but they taste like a gooey, decadent fudgy brownie. The best of both worlds! The batter is, unsurprisingly, very fudgy and rich, so don’t be alarmed if your batter isn’t looser like a more traditional brownie batter.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Made with wholesome ingredients. They’re vegan and gluten-free and made with ingredients like tahini, almond flour, roasted honeynut squash, and coconut sugar. Pure decadence. But these brownies are fudgy, gooey and taste decadent! A brownie that tastes hella good but that you can feel good about. The most delightful fall flavors. This is the perfect “rich chocolate meets warming pumpkin spice flavors” that everyone loves about fall. For more pumpkin-chocolate desserts, try out these cheesecake bars or muffins! Irresistible salty-sweet taste thanks to the salt in the chocolate ganache and the flaky sea salt on top. Did I mention that the chocolate ganache is DELICIOUS by the spoon?

Ingredient notes

Roasted Honeynut Squash. Honeynut Squash is basically a mini butternut squash but it’s sweeter and it’s only available in the fall. I do not recommend using refrigerated tahini, as it gets very thick and can change the texture of the batter. So if you typically refrigerate your tahini, you’ll want to bring it to room temperature. Aquafaba. Aquafaba is simply the liquid leftover from cooked chickpeas. Lightly whipping the aquafaba with an electric mixer, as is done in this recipe, acts as an egg substitute. Usually three tablespoons = one egg. This recipe calls for 6 tablespoons (~2 eggs). Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. When using cocoa powder, it’s important to sift the dry ingredients to prevent those clumps. I know, it takes a few extra minutes and an extra dish to wash, but it’s worth it. I promise! Maple Syrup + Coconut Sugar. I use both in this recipe because I wanted both a liquid and a dry sweetener for texture purposes. If you don’t have coconut sugar, you can substitute with brown sugar. Almond Flour. This is the only “flour” in the recipe, but as I mentioned earlier, it’s not really a flour, just almonds, which is why these brownies are gooey and delicate. Oat Flour. The recipe only calls for 2 tablespoons of oat flour. That’s because I tried to keep the recipe grain-free and use only almond flour, but the batter was simply too runny. So the oat flour helps bring the batter together. Pumpkin Pie Spice. I make my own pumpkin pie spice (the recipe is below), but this is the season for stocking up on pumpkin pie spice! Trader Joe’s has an inexpensive blend, as does Whole Foods’ 365 brand. Note: If pumpkin season is long gone and you don’t want a subtle pumpkin-y flavor, just omit the spices. I still like to use a bit of cinnamon (about 1/2-1 teaspoon). Dark Chocolate Chunks. I used dark chocolate chunks from Whole Foods for the batter (affiliate link), but you could also just take a bar of chocolate and chop it up into bite-sized chunks (you’ll need some dark chocolate for the ganache as well). Or use vegan chocolate chips. Chocolate Ganache. Since the brownies are relatively healthy, I wanted a more decadent topping so I went with an easy but rich chocolate ganache. It’s made with dark chocolate, a bit of coconut oil, coconut cream, and sea salt. Trust me when I say it is wildly delicious and addictive by the spoon. Sea Salt. I do think the sea salt is essential as it brings out the chocolateyness (not a word but you know what I mean) in the chocolate and makes for that ultimate sweet-salty dessert.

Tips for making this recipe

As I mentioned, since these brownies do not contain any real flour, they are quite delicate and soft so handle them with care! If you want a firmer brownie, pop them in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. I also love what refrigeration does to the ganache, so you might want to just store them in the fridge. I used an 8×8-in square pan, but you could also try these in a 9×5 loaf pan and bake them for longer since the brownies will be thicker in texture. The photos below show what the texture of the unbaked batter should look like. The photo below shows what the texture of the baked brownies should look like. That’s all you need to know about these fudgy, gluten-free Vegan Tahini Brownies, so happy baking, my friends!