Chocolate, cherries, and coconut come together for a flavor twist on a classic recipe in these Vegan Black Forest Brownies. Oil-free and free of any refined sugar or syrups, these plant-based treats are naturally sweetened with dates and banana. Make a batch of this kid-friendly dessert for something the whole family will love.
If you like this, you’ll also love Oat-Rageously Healthy Black Bean Brownies (Gluten-Free), 5-Minute Chocolate Banana “I-Scream!”, 4-Ingredient Raw Chocolate Walnut Brownies, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana “Monkey”Bars,
Chef Katie’s Plant-Based Baking Tips:
Freeze your Ripe Bananas: Save over-ripe bananas in the freezer: Simply peel, break into pieces, and store in a plastic bag. When ready to make this recipe, thaw out in your refrigerator overnight.
Weigh your Ingredients: For consistent results, use a digital kitchen scale for precise measuring. This small investment will save you time from fooling with measuring cups. It will also help make you a better baker.
Sift the Dry: It’s always important to sift together the dry ingredients for a lighter, fluffier batter. This is even more important, though, when working with whole wheat flour. If you don’t have a sifter, use a whisk to combine the dry ingredients and add some air into the flour mix.
Dark Cocoa Powder: For the best flavor, use a high-quality dark baking cocoa powder. It’s worth investing in a product that has deep, rich flavor. This will make your chocolate baking more delicious.
Gluten-Free? Simply swap out the whole wheat pastry flour for a gluten-free flour blend.
No Refined Sugars or Syrups: I’m on a mission to avoid using sugar, maple syrup, and other refined sweeteners. These ingredients leave you feeling hungry and can spike a sweet-tooth craving that pushes you to overeat. For this recipe, whole foods, natural sweetness comes from unsweetened applesauce, banana, and dates.
Medium | Servings: 12 | Ready In: 70 minutes | Yield: one 9 x 9 pan
Print Recipe
Vegan Black Forest Brownies with Cherries and Coconut (Oil-Free, Date Sweetened)
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted dates 200g
- 1/2 cup warm water 4 oz
- 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour 90g
- 1/2 cup dark cocoa powder 60g
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon ground flax meal 6.5g
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 114g
- 3/4 cup ripe banana, mashed (about 1 1/2 medium bananas) 180g
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup dried unsweetened cherries
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flake
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350. Line a 9×9 square baking pan with parchment paper.
- Soak the Dates: Combine the dates and 1/2 cup warm water. Let soak at least 5 minutes, to soften the dates.
- For Whole Wheat Dry Ingredients: Sift together the dry ingredients: whole wheat pastry flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
- For the Oil-Free Wet Ingredients: Combine the dates (and their soaking liquid), black beans, flax meal, applesauce, mashed banana, and vanilla in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth.
- To make the Black Forest Vegan Brownie Batter: Add the pureed wet mixture to the sifted dry ingredients. Add the dried cherries. Stir together until combined. Spread brownie mixture evenly in the pan. Sprinkle on the coconut flake.
- Bake at 350, 50-60 min. Bars are ready when a toothpick can cleanly be inserted and removed. The top will also start to crack. Remove from the oven and let cool 15 minutes before slicing.
- Cut into 16 bars and serve.
Notes
Yield: 16bars (9×9 pan)
Nutrition Facts
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings 16.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| calories 111 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 1 g | 2 % |
| Saturated Fat 0 g | 2 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 0 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0 % |
| Sodium 153 mg | 6 % |
| Potassium 192 mg | 5 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 26 g | 9 % |
| Dietary Fiber 5 g | 19 % |
| Sugars 15 g | |
| Protein 3 g | 6 % |
| Vitamin A | 5 % |
| Vitamin C | 3 % |
| Calcium | 3 % |
| Iron | 11 % |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
Shopping and Gear List
- Sincerely Nuts Chopped Dates – One Lb. Bag
- Bob’s Red Mill Pastry Flour Whole Wheat – 5 lb
- Rodelle Organic Baking Cocoa Powder Dutch Processed 25 Oz.
- 8oz bag, Sunrise Fresh Dried Cherries, No Sugar Added, Dark Sweet Cherries
- Lets Do Organics: Organic Coconut Flakes, 7 oz (3 pack)
- Kirkland Saigon Cinnamon 10.7 Oz Bottles( Pack of 2) – 21.4 Oz Total
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