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Vegan Tahini Brownies (Fudgy and Gluten-Free)
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Vegan Tahini Brownies (Fudgy and Gluten-Free)

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Cooling and Assembly25 minutes
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 271kcal
Author: Nisha Vora

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons aquafaba
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup almond flour or almond meal
  • 2 tablespoons oat flour (certified gluten-free as needed)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (can sub store-bought) (See note 1)

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 cup cooked honeynut squash (see note 2), mashed well into a puree
  • 1/2 cup smooth tahini, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks or vegan chocolate chips

Toppings

  • 2 tablespoons dark chocolate chunks or vegan chocolate chips
  • 2-3 tablespoons roasted hazelnuts (or almonds), chopped (optional)
  • Coarse sea salt or flaky sea salt

Chocolate Ganache

  • 3 ounces dark chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 4 teaspoons coconut oil (I prefer the refined variety for a more neutral taste)
  • 1/3 cup coconut cream (from a can of full-fat coconut milk or from a can of coconut cream)
  • A pinch of sea salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Line a 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, sift together the cocoa powder, almond flour, oat flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
  • Pour 6 tablespoons of the liquid from a can of chickpeas into a small bowl. With an electric mixer, beat the aquafaba on medium speed until it starts to get foamy, 60-90 seconds.
  • In a large bowl, beat together the honeynut squash puree, tahini, maple syrup, and coconut sugar until combined. Add in the aquafaba and vanilla and beat until just combined.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and stir to combine with a wooden spoon until smooth and just combined.
  • Using a silicone spatula, fold in the 1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks.
  • Add the batter to the prepared baking pan and spread out, smoothing with a spatula. Bake for about 30 minutes (checking at 25 minutes - see note 3), or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean and the edges begin to pull slightly away from the pan. Cool the brownies on a wire rack for 20 minutes before adding the ganache.
  • Make the Chocolate Ganache: Create a double boiler on the stove. Once the water is simmering, add the chopped chocolate and coconut oil, whisking until the chocolate is smooth and melted. Off the heat, stir in the coconut cream and a pinch of sea salt and whisk until well combined.
  • Spread the ganache over the brownies and top with the 2 tablespoons dark chocolate chunks, chopped hazelnuts, and flaky sea salt. For a firmer brownie, store the brownies in the refrigerator.

Notes

Note 1: 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).
Note 2: To cook the honeynut squash, I recommend slicing it in half (vertically) and brushing the flesh with a thin layer of refined coconut oil (or other neutral oil) and dust with cinnamon. Bake in the oven, flesh side down on a baking sheet, at 400°F/200°C for 20-25 minutes until fork tender. Alternatively, you could also steam the honeynut squash.
Note 3: Be sure not to over bake the brownies. In this case, I checked at 25 minutes but ended up giving them 30 minutes because they seemed a bit too fudgy at 25 minutes. They might not look done, but if you over bake them, they will be dry and not fudgy.