Vegan Fudge Brownies

The moment I realized I had turned into a brownie snob was the first time I saw a vegan brownie recipe made with black beans. I recall a deep sense of skepticism brewing inside of me, but at the same time, I was intrigued. I made a batch. Predictably, I was disappointed with the results.

I studied chocolate in Switzerland…and even produced chocolate for a time. Brownies were always part of my offering, and I made some insanely delicious and moist fudge brownies.

My recipe was also a long way from being vegan…and I was actually ok with my future non-brownie vegan life. I couldn’t imagine ever embracing the creations that used beans or avocados – those are not brownies in my mind.

I was eventually asked by a client to create a vegan brownie recipe. So, instead of working with those internet creations, I returned to my original recipe and worked through each ingredient to come up with something satisfying to eat, chewy around the edges, fudgy in the middle and a bit shiny on top. I knew I would never create a version with the extreme shine and mouthfeel I was accustomed to because I didn’t want to use all that saturated fat in the ingredients I chose to work with.

My result…is…well, very much brownie-like – even to a snob like me.

Caution – these brownies still contain a significant amount of sugar (necessary for flavor and structure) and fat – approach with caution and go easy on them. Share your results with friends and family…and enjoy a square or two yourself.

Difficulty: simple
Yield: makes about 18-21 squares