These decadent dairy-free and gluten free brownies with vegan chocolate ganache frosting are insanely fudgy. With a few secret ingredients and ultra-rich ganache, this is a dessert you do not want to miss.
This post is sponsored by Feedfeed and So Delicious Dairy Free. All opinions are our own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support us!
We firmly believe that there's never enough chocolate, especially when it comes to brownies. So we added a luscious vegan chocolate ganache frosting to our gluten-free brownies.
The brownies themselves contain two different kinds of chocolate. Dairy-free dark chocolate chips add the first layer of intensity. They don't skimp on any of the dark chocolate goodness we love. Plus they add a bitterness that these brownies need.
Second, we round out the dark chocolate chips with a hefty scoop of unsweetened cocoa powder.
Even though we're all about that intense dark chocolate flavor, brownies need some sweetness. We use a combination of coconut sugar and maple syrup to flavor these vegan gluten free brownies.
Maple syrup is both a lower-glycemic, unrefined sugar source, and it has a delightful flavor. We've covered our love for maple before, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that we're adding it to our brownies!
As for the coconut sugar, we love the coconutty flavor it brings, without overpowering the chocolate. Of course, if you can't find coconut sugar (it's readily available online and in most grocery stores), or simply aren't feeling it, you can always sub in regular white sugar.
Coconut sugar does happen to have a lower glycemic index than the ultra-refined white stuff, however. That means that it causes less of a blood sugar spike. But, we say that if you're going to eat a brownie, enjoy it!
Valentine’s Day is less than two weeks away. Yes, you have plenty of time to plan. But maybe we've done all the work for you?
These decadent vegan and gluten free brownies are sure to bring a smile to your valentine's face.
To really amp up the romance, we sprinkled crushed rose petals over the creamy vegan chocolate ganache. Voila: chocolate and flowers in one edible gift! Pretty innovative gift giving, if you ask us.
The rose petals aren’t just for show either. They add a lovely floral note that tones down all that rich chocolate underneath.
Fret not if you're not into floral flavors, though. Try flaky salt or chopped nuts, or serve these brownies with fresh raspberries or coconut whipped cream (yum!).
We’re thrilled to partner with Feedfeed and So Delicious Dairy Free to bring you these vegan brownies using So Delicious Dairy Free French Vanilla Organic Coffee Creamer.
It's the secret ingredient in our vegan chocolate ganache frosting. The vanilla flavor in the creamer is perfect in the frosting. The result is creamier than we even expected!
The So Delicious Organic Coffee Creamer is also a great healthier alternative to regular coffee creamer. I love adding French Vanilla Organic Creamer to my coffee (I’m sipping some as I type this!).
The best part about this product is its versatility. It's truly delicious in vegan dessert recipes like this one. I’m looking forward to using it in some homemade ice cream this summer!
We love using So Delicious Dairy Free products for more than just taste. This creamer contains only seven ingredients (all organic!) and it’s completely free from carrageenan, which is a plus.
I love their almond-based products as well. As far as creamers go, nothing beats the creaminess of their coconut milks, though.
Even if you’re not dairy free or vegan, So Delicious products are worth a try. My dad is definitely not dairy free, but never uses dairy creamer because the alternative is so delicious (see what I did there?!).
Recipe notes
A few important things to note about making the vegan chocolate ganache frosting for your gluten free brownies:
1. You’ll have to heat up the cream before pouring it over the chocolate. To do so, bring to a very light simmer in a small saucepan, stirring frequently to avoid burning. You want it hot enough to melt the chocolate, but since it's only a half cup of cream, it burns easily. You could also heat it in the microwave, but I like keeping an eye on it on the stovetop.
2. Be sure to soften the butter before adding it to the chocolate ganache! If you forget to take it out of the fridge a few hours before baking, you can use the microwave. To do so, cut the stick into tablespoon-sized pieces, remove wrapper and heat in 7 second intervals until softened.
3. Lastly, the instructions note that you must refrigerate the ganache frosting for 30 minutes before whipping it. This is an important step - otherwise, the frosting won’t have time to set and you won't get the right texture to top the brownies. It’s worth the 30 minute wait - once it sets, it whips up perfectly in about 30 seconds!
If you follow all of these instructions, you’re guaranteed to have the best vegan ganache frosting of your life - we promise!
More favorite vegan & gf dessert recipes
- Classic Peanut Butter Cookies
- Vegan Creme Brûlée
- Chocolate Pie with Chocolate Cookie Crust
- Mini Almond Joy Bites
- Strawberry Mousse Pie
- S'mores Brownies
If you make these vegan and gluten free brownies, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.
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Brownies with Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These rich, fudgy vegan and gluten free brownies are the perfect treat for your Valentine. Rose petals are optional, but encouraged!
Ingredients
Brownies:
- 2 flax eggs (for each egg, stir together 1 tbsp of ground flax seed + 2.5 tbsp water)
- ½ cup creamy almond butter
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup melted vegan dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup gluten free all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup vegan chocolate chips
Frosting:
- ½ cup So Delicious Dairy Free French Vanilla Organic Coffee Creamer
- 1 ½ cup vegan dark chocolate, chopped
- ½ cup vegan butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar + more if needed
- Crushed rose petals for topping (optional)
Instructions
Brownies:
- Preheat oven to 350 F and line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper.
- Make flax eggs by combining 2 tablespoon flax meal with 5 tablespoon room temp water. Stir and set aside to thicken for 20 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together gluten free flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together almond butter, coconut sugar, maple syrup, melted coconut oil and vanilla until smooth. Whisk in flax eggs and melted chocolate until well incorporated. Add cocoa powder in thirds and whisk until smooth.
- Use a spatula to fold in flour mixture (at this point, the batter will be too thick to whisk). Stir until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Pour into parchment paper lined pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 32-35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before frosting (about an hour).
Frosting:
- Heat creamer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until it just comes to a slight simmer. Keep a close eye on the pot so it doesn't burn.
- Pour chocolate into a mixing bowl. When cream is very hot, pour over chopped chocolate. Don't touch it for 1-2 minutes, until the chocolate starts to melt. After about 2 minutes, stir with a spatula to incorporate.
- Slice butter into 8 tablespoon before adding to chocolate mixture. Note - the butter must be softened before you add it, otherwise you'll end up with chunks of butter in the frosting. If you forget to soften the butter ahead of time, slice into 8 tbsp, place on a microwave-safe plate or bowl and heat in 7 second intervals until softened.
- After adding butter, let sit for a few minutes, the stir to combine. Using the whisk attachment on a stand mixer (or hand mixer), starting beating the mixture. Add salt and 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, beat just to combine.
- Place bowl in refrigerator for 30 minutes. It needs time to cool/harden before you whip it into a frosting.
- After 30 minutes, remove from fridge and beat again. If it's still too thin, add another tablespoon of powdered sugar and continue beating for 30-45 seconds, or until frosting is lighter in color and fluffy.
- Do not frost brownies until they are completely cool, otherwise the frosting will melt. After frosting, sprinkle with crushed rose petals and enjoy!
Notes
The butter must be softened before you add it to the frosting, otherwise you'll end up with chunks of butter in the frosting. If you forget to soften the butter ahead of time, slice into 8 tbsp, place on a microwave-safe plate or bowl and heat in 7 second intervals until softened.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Brownie
- Calories: 264
- Sugar: 25.4 g
- Sodium: 188.5 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 8.6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 31.5 g
- Fiber: 2.5 g
- Protein: 3.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Kandace says
Hello, what can we substitute almond butter with as we cant have it? thank you!
Lexi says
Hi Kandace! We recently tried this with peanut butter instead of almond and it worked well. If you also can't have peanuts, sunflower seed butter should work too!