Whether you're cutting out grains and dairy or just looking for an amazing brownie recipe, these decadent Paleo & Vegan Dark Chocolate Avocado Fudge Brownies are just what you need! These rich dark chocolate squares of heaven are loaded with healthy fats and antioxidants while also being allergen-friendly. These brownies are quick, easy and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Impress your Valentine (or yourself) this year with these PEGAN (see what I did there?) healthy sweet treats!
Just a quick heads up! I received a sample box of chocolates from my friends over at Cococlectic in order to create this recipe and give my honest feedback about their products, but there are no affiliate links in this post! I am truly passionate about supporting brands that focus on real food and the folks over at Cococlectic do just that!
Move over Willy Wonka. There's a new chocolate company in town, and they're delivering straight to your door step! So what is Cococlectic exactly?
Cococlectic is a bean-to-bar chocolate monthly subscription service. Each box of delicious chocolates is carefully selected and guaranteed to be made with non-GMO, fair trade, soy, gluten, dairy and tree-nut free ingredients. Did I mention the chocolates are delicious? The box I so graciously received contained 4 bars of chocolates crafted by the chocolate aficionados over at Markham & Fitz Chocolate. Each bar was made with simply cocoa beans, cocoa butter and organic sugar, and each one was absolutely incredible! I used one of the bars to create these brownies and I can't help but credit the quality of the chocolate bar itself for how great these brownies turned out! If this month's box is any indicator as to what's in next month's box, I can't urge you enough to order one before it's too late. Use code PALEOISH at checkout and receive $10 off any monthly subscription! I will not receive any compensation for you using my code. I'm just simply sharing my love of chocolates with you and simultaneously saving you money!
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What if I were to tell you that you can have your cake and eat it too?
Or in this case, brownies. Yup, these brownies are about as nutrient-dense as a brownie could possibly be so ahead and eat! With ingredients like flax seed, full-fat coconut milk, coconut oil, avocado oil AND a whole avocado, these brownies are bursting with protein and healthy fats. They're so rich in the good stuff, you might as well start eating them for breakfast. I mean,why not? One of these brownies has enough healthy fats to keep you satisfied until lunch time, and I'm not just saying that. I speak from experience. I've eaten one of these for breakfast the last three days and it's kept me full for hours. That's more than a bowl of Cookie Crisp can say.
Here are the healthy Vegan and Paleo-friendly ingredients you'll need to recreate these brownies:
- 2.5 ounces of dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao) or unsweetened baking chocolate : To make these brownies 100% Paleo, you should use dark chocolate that is refined-sugar free (sweetened with unrefined sugars like maple syrup or honey). Those bars aren't always so easy to come by (not to mention, they're expensive), so you can go ahead and use unsweetened baking chocolate instead.
- ¼ cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- ¼ cup coconut sugar (or pure maple sugar)
- ¼ cup cacao powder
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- ½ cup coconut flour: I'm almost certain that almond flour can be used in place of coconut flour if that's what you have on hand, BUT I have not tested it with almond flour so don't quote me on that. I've swapped almond flour for coconut flour in many Paleo baking experiments and never had any issues.
- 3 tablespoons tapioca starch (aka tapioca flour)
- ¼ teaspoon baking SODA: Fun fact! Baking soda is allowed on the Paleo diet because it's 100% sodium bicarbonate. On the other hand, baking powder usually contains corn starch which is not considered Paleo. Womp Womp.
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup: You could also use honey, keeping in mind that they'll no longer be truly Vegan.
- 1 ripe avocado: I promise you can't taste it.
- Flax seed "eggs"
Vegan Substitute for Eggs
Truthfully, this is the first time I've experimented with egg-free baked goods. I figured it would be some sort of painstaking process to get the texture right without any eggs. With a little help from Google and my blogging buddy/the Vegan Baking Fairy, Valentina, I learned that whisking 3 tablespoons of hot water into a tablespoon of milled flax seed creates the perfect swap for eggs in baking recipes! Who would have thought?! Simply mix the water and flax together and within 10 minutes the mixture will miraculously gel and become very eggy. Mind blown. This recipe calls for two flax seed "eggs," so you're going to whisk 6 tablespoons of hot water into 2 tablespoons of flax.
Optional Toppings/Add-Ins
Since Valentine's Day is just two days away (crazy, right?), I decided these brownies needed to be PINK! Lucky for me, I had a bag of freeze-dried strawberries collecting dust that I decided to get creative with. I blended them into a powder and then sifted a layer of the powder over the brownies as soon as they came out of the oven.
You could also get SUPER CHOCOLATE WASTED off of these by adding dark chocolate chips to the brownie mix. Chopped walnuts, almonds and pistachios would also be really good!
FAQs
Can I make these with eggs instead of the Vegan flaxseed substitute?
Yup! The first time I made these I totally forgot that they were supposed to be Vegan (*face palm*) and used eggs. Simply swap out the flax seed mixture for 2 eggs! Side note: the egg and egg-free variations tasted exactly the same. Love when that happens!
How do I store these brownies?
You can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. Keep in mind that if you store them in the fridge, the texture will become more cakey and less fudgy, so I don't necessarily recommend doing that.
Can I freeze them?
Heck yes. These brownies freeze very well for up to 3 months. Simpy defrost them at room temperature and voila -as good as new.
If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to me in the comments or via any of my social media outlets! You can find me on Facebook. Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest! If it's urgent, go ahead and shoot me an EMAIL ([email protected]) and I'll respond ASAP!
Continue reading below for the full recipe! If you make these, I'd love to hear all about it! Tag me in your beautiful photo recreations with #paleoishkristaeats. Oh, and before I go HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY to you and yours or you and your cat or whoever! I hope it's a good one!
PIN NOW! BAKE LATER!
BEFORE YOU GO, BE SURE TO CHECK OUT A FEW OF MY OTHER SWEET PALEOFIED DESSERT RECIPES!
- Paleo No Bake Dark Chocolate Avocado Truffles
- No Bake Dark Chocolate Truffles
- Paleo Dark Chocolate Almond Coconut Bites
📖 Recipe
Dark Chocolate Avocado Fudge Brownies | Paleo & Vegan
Ingredients
For the Vegan Egg Substitute
- 6 tablespoons hot water
- 2 tablespoons milled flax seed
For the Chocolate Mixture
- 2.5 ounces dark chocolate at least 70%
- ¼ cup full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup cacao powder
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
For the Dry Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut flour
- 3 tablespoons tapioca starch
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
For the Wet Ingredients
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 ripe avocado
Optional Topping
- ¼ cup freeze-dried strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk 6 tablespoons hot water into 2 tablespoons milled flax seed. Set mixture aside for at least 10 minutes or until the mixture becomes a gel-like texture.
- In a small saucepan, add all of the ingredients for the chocolate mixture and heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until everything melts into a smooth chocolate sauce.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk all of the dry ingredients together. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together along with the gelled flax seed mixture.
- Add the chocolate sauce mixture and the wet ingredient mixture to the large bowl with the dry ingredients. Blend with a hand mixer over low speed until well-combined
- Pour the brownie batter into a greased 8-by-8-inch glass baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- While the brownies are baking, if using, blend the freeze-dried strawberries into a powder using a blender or food processor. Sift the strawberry powder over the brownies as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Let the brownies cool completely before cutting into 9 squares. ENJOY! 🙂
Notes
- These brownies can easily be made non-vegan by swapping out the milled flax seed mixture for two whisked eggs.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
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