VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE CHIP BROWNIES WITH HIDDEN VEGETABLES
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
 
PREP time includes the cooking time of the eggplant, sweet potato & cauliflower.
Ingredients
  • Wet ingredients
  • ½ medium eggplant (the eggplant I used was about 10,5 oz / 300 g and I used half of it)
  • 3,5 oz / 100 g raw cauliflower (~1 cup cut into small pieces)
  • 4,2 oz / 120 g raw sweet potato (~1 cup cut into small cubes)
  • ½ small avocado (~1/3 cup loosely packed)
  • ½ cup cooked butter beans
  • 12 pitted dates (~1 cup, I used dates smaller than Medjool dates)
  • 3,5 oz / 100 g vegan dark chocolate (recommended: 70%)
  • 2 tbsp scoopable (room temperature) coconut oil
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • Optional: 1 tbsp strong coffee (enhances the chocolate tones)
  • Dry ingredients
  • ⅓ cup oat flour
  • ⅓ cup white rice flour
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • + ⅓ cup chocolate chips (chopped dark chocolate)
  • Recommended toppings:
  • 1 can chilled coconut milk, only the creamy part used (chill overnight in the fridge)
  • 1-2 tsp maple syrup (or sweetener of choice to taste)
  • ½ tsp Organic Burst baobab powder
  • ¼ tsp vanilla bean powder
  • ¼ tsp beetroot powder
  • Raspberries or other berries
Instructions
  1. Preparations: cook the eggplant first. Preheat oven to 390F/200C.
  2. Prick eggplant with a fork all around and cook it in the oven for ~50 min (turn every 10-15 minutes) until eggplant feels soft. *SEE NOTES* Let eggplant cool for 5 -10 min.
  3. While the eggplant is in the oven, cook / steam cauliflower pieces and sweet potato cubes. I steamed them both together for about 15 min until soft enough to mash with a fork.
  4. Lower heat to 375F/190C after cooking the eggplant.
  5. When the eggplant has cooled, cut it in half and scoop out the soft cooked eggplant. Remove seeds and squeeze out extra liquid with your hands. Half of a medium sized 10,5 oz / 300 g eggplant should give you about ½ cup of cooked eggplant.
  6. Melt dark chocolate in a water bath. Add coconut oil and mix with a spoon until all melted.
  7. Baking the brownies: put all wet ingredients in a blender or food processor and start blending until smooth.
  8. Mix all dry ingredients (except chocolate chips) in a bowl.
  9. Combine dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well. Add chocolate chips and fold in gently.
  10. Line a baking tin (mine was appr. 10 x 7 inch / 25 cm x 18 cm) with parchment paper, and pour batter in the tin.
  11. Bake brownie for 30 minutes. Test with a tooth pick and bake for another 5 min if tooth pick comes out very wet. If just a few crumbs stick to the tooth pick, take it out of the oven.
  12. After baking keep the brownies in the baking tin for another 15 minutes before removing.
  13. If you can resist, keep brownies in the fridge overnight to let the chocolate flavors intensify. Take out of the fridge about 15 min before serving.
  14. Toppings: Scoop out the creamy part of a coconut milk can. Whip the cream until soft and fluffy. Add seasoning and continue whipping until smooth.
  15. Serve brownies with whipped coconut cream and fresh raspberries (or other berries)
  16. Brownies keep well in the fridge for about 5 days (if covered properly).
Notes
The eggplant should be thoroughly cooked to achieve the best tasting result so make sure to adjust eggplant cooking time if it isn't soft in 50 minutes.
Recipe by My Berry Forest at https://www.myberryforest.com/vegan-gluten-free-chocolate-chip-brownies-hidden-vegetables/