Peanut Butter Brownies (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Here is one of my favourite brownie recipes of all times. These vegan peanut butter brownies are so tasty, juicy, fudgy and rich that they can be a perfect treat for any occasion. They are also gluten-free, paleo friendly, and really quick and easy to make.

I love that these brownies don’t contain any grains, oils or refined sugars. Still, they taste like the real deal; to keep your heart happy and your body healthy. The best possible combination, I think!

Ingredients for the vegan peanut butter brownies

To make these vegan, gluten-free peanut butter brownies, you will need only natural, wholesome ingredients:

• natural peanut butter (choose one that is 100% peanuts, or make your own from raw peanuts, following the same procedure as described in this home-made hazelnut butter recipe)
• raw cacao powder (or any good quality, pure cacao powder)
• raw peanuts (or dry-roasted ones)
• coconut blossom sugar
• agave or maple syrup
• chia seeds
• flax seeds
• water
• apple cider vinegar
• bicarbonate of soda
• Himalayan salt

How to make the brownies

Making these peanut brownies isn’t really that much of a culinary wisdom. This recipe is really easy and even completely kids-friendly.

Firstly, you will need to grind and soak the chia and flaxseeds in water and vinegar mixture. While they are absorbing the liquid and turning into a gelatinous mass that will bind the cake batter, you will mix the peanut butter, coconut sugar and agave or maple syrup.

Then you will combine this with the chia and flaxseed mixture, add salt and bicarbonate of soda, and, finally, add the dry ingredients – ground peanuts and cacao powder.

I like to mix it with my hands at this stage to combine it well. It does get quite sticky though, so keep that in mind. When transferring the vegan peanut butter brownie batter into a cake mould, I like to oil my hands with some coconut oil.

For the best, soft and fudgy texture, I bake these vegan peanut butter brownies for 20-25 minutes on 180 °C. You can experiment with what works for you, since the final result with this cake is not that sensitive to temperature and time in the oven (even if you “mess up” a bit, it will still be delicious).

Serving and storing the peanut butter brownie

One of my favourite ways to eat these vegan peanut butter brownies is with a scoop of home-made banana and peanut “nice-cream” – which is as simple as a couple of frozen bananas and a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter blended in a food processor and chilled in a freezer.

If you get to save any of these delicious brownies for later, it is okay to keep them at the room temperature in a closed container. If it is too hot outside, or you need them to stay fresh for a longer time, keeping them in the fridge will work great.

Yield: 16 portions (20 cm × 20 cm tray)

Peanut Butter Brownies (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

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These vegan and gluten-free peanut butter brownies are a delicious, healthy treat that everyone will enjoy. They are easy to make, taste heavenly, and have that perfect fudgy brownie texture.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup natural peanut butter*
• 1/2 cup coconut blossom sugar
• 2 tbsp agave nectar
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tbsp flax seeds
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup cacao powder
• 1 pinch bicarbonate of soda
• 1 pinch Himalayan salt
• 1/2 cup raw peanuts (grind them into "flour")

Instructions

1. Grind the flax and chia seeds and mix them with half a cup water and two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.
2. Let the mixture sit for at least five minutes with an occasional stir to make sure that the seeds have absorbed the liquid.
3. In another bowl, mix the peanut butter with coconut sugar and agave (I like to use a fork to do this).
4. Add the chia and flax mixture and stir well.
5. Add the salt and soda, mix well, and add the ground peanuts and cacao.
6. In this phase I find it more convenient to knead the mixture with a hand, because it will get pretty thick. It will be sticky too, but don't get discouraged!
7. Once everything is well blended, press the mixture into a baking tray (i use a 20×20 cm² cake mould), with oiled hands to avoid the stickiness.
8. Bake on 180 °C for 20-25 minutes.
9. Let the cake cool down a bit before slicing.

Notes

* Try to get peanut butter that has no additional ingredients except from peanuts. I like to use my own home-made peanut butter, which I make from raw peanuts the same way as shown in this hazelnut butter recipe. Many stores nowadays also sell peanut butter brands that use only peanuts as ingredients.

* This brownie is really delicious as is, but you won't regret pairing it with a scoop or two of raw banana nice-cream (to make it, just blend frozen bananas and some peanut butter in a blender, that's it!) to balance out the deep chocolate flavour and rich texture of this brownie.