Vegan Brownies made easy with tips and tricks to get the perfect yield

This World Vegan Day celebrated on November 1st, we bring you a slew of recipes along with tips and tricks to master them. This article is all about vegan brownies' major substitutions and how you can ace the shiny top not to mention get the nice bind, in case you are skipping the gluten. High-quality matters, from the cocoa powder to the chocolate chips, or in case the chocolate bars you are using.

Fudgy Vegan Brownies Recipe

(Makes 16 squares)

Ingredients

• 350 gm caster sugar
• 120 ml water
• 2 tbsp ground flax seeds
• 75 ml water (for the flax seeds)
• 120 ml oil
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 65 gm Cadbury cocoa powder, sifted
• 190 gm all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 120 gm chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, while the oven heats, prepare the batter.
2. Take a small bowl, add the water and ground flax seeds, whisk, and set aside to thicken.
3. Take a medium-sized saucepan and add sugar and water. Whisk to dissolve the sugar and heat over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes, while stirring occasionally. You should have a cloudy-looking water, not clear. Set aside
4. Add all the dry ingredients to a big bowl – cocoa powder, flour, and salt. Give the sugar syrup a whisk, and pour it into this bowl.
5. Proceed to add the oil, and vanilla extract. Then add the flax eggs, once thickened, or the applesauce and mix with a spatula until a batter forms. Take care not to overmix.
6. Fold in the chocolate chips now, using the spatula.
7. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. If it slides away, grease the pan a little to make the paper stick.
8. Sprinkle the top with more chocolate chips. This is optional but highly recommended.
9. Bake the brownie batter for 35-40 minutes. Make sure to check with a toothpick, fudgy brownies will yield some moist crumbs.
10. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely, in the pan itself. Use a sharp knife to run around the edges and using the parchment, lift the brownies out.
11. Peel off the paper and slice it into 16 squares. The longer you let your vegan brownies cool, the easier/cleaner the cut will be. Serve fresh.

Tips and Tricks for Vegan Brownies

Vegan brownies are not that easy to master especially if you’re using gluten-free flour, and substituting the regular sugar. The recipe below has been tried and tested but just in case you’re still a little skeptical, we’ve got some tips:

• Mind the Sugar

The key to achieving that coveted shiny and cracked crust on your vegan brownies lies in the proper dissolution of sugar, so we make sure you grid down the granulated sugar if you’re using that. You also need to make sure when heating the sugar-water mixture, that you maintain a medium-low heat and watch the sugar dissolve. Any higher temperature than that, the water will evaporate faster and you’ll have less sugar syrup than you need.

• The Flax Eggs

Always use freshly ground flax seeds, as ground flax from before, can lose its binding properties over time. The ideal ratio is 1 tablespoon of ground flax to 2.5 tablespoons of water. Let the mixture sit for at least 5-7 minutes until it achieves a gel-like consistency. If dislike the taste or smell of flaxseeds, switch to applesauce, tripling the amount.

• Perfecting the Cocoa Powder

The quality and handling of cocoa powder significantly impact your brownies' richness make sure to use high-quality cocoa powder like Cadbury Cocoa Powder. Make sure to sift your cocoa powder to prevent lumps to avoid bitter powdery pockets in your brownies. Also, avoid using straight-from-the-fridge cocoa powder, bring it to room temperature, for it blends better with other ingredients at room temperature.

• Using chocolate chips

Chocolate chips and brownies are the perfect match, you can use Cadbury chocolate, but chocolate chips are a better idea, not to mention cost effective as well. They add a nice texture and flavor to the vegan brownies and also contribute to that shiny top. For optimal results, reserve some chips for sprinkling on top just before baking.

• Cooling and Cutting the Brownies

Patience is crucial to get the perfect brownie squares, to get that, let the hot brownies cool completely in the pan for at least two hours to come down to room temperature. For even cleaner cuts, refrigerate for an hour after initial cooling. Then, when ready to cut, use a long, sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped clean between each cut.