Roasted Hazelnut Brownies
Ever since Gluten Free Vegan Baking came out, I get asked a lot about recipes without almond flour. This I can understand, since it can be tough on digestion (although works wonders for grain-free baking). I have been playing around with cassava flour, and love the unique texture it provides these brownies. Whereas traditional brownies can be described as lighter and cake-like, these are more dense. Not overly sweet and with a subtle hint of chocolatey fudge with a taste of roasted hazelnut in each bite, this is a blood sugar balancing brownie with hidden nutrition!
Roasted Hazelnut Brownies
Makes 9 brownies
Prep time: 25 minutes / Cook time: 30 minutes / Cooling time: 2 hours
Equipment: Cookie sheet, 8-by-8-inch baking dish, hand mixer or stand mixer
½ cup raw hazelnuts
2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flax plus 4 tablespoons water)
1 cup cassava flour
¾ cup coconut sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
¼ cup tapioca flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¾ cup full-fat coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk
⅓ cup pumpkin puree
⅓ cup coconut nectar or maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup cacao nibs (optional)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast the hazelnuts for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside for about 10 minutes to cool.
Spray an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, prepare the flax eggs by whisking together the ground flax and water. Set aside for at least 10 minutes.
In a large bowl or stand mixer, mix the cassava flour, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, tapioca flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir until blended.
To the bowl with the flax eggs, add the coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk, pumpkin puree, coconut nectar or maple syrup, and vanilla. Whisk until creamy.
Place the hazelnuts in a food processor and blend until coarsely chopped (you can also use a large knife to chop by hand).
Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and start beating on medium speed, increasing the speed as needed, until a batter is formed. Add the chopped hazelnuts and cacao nibs if using blend again. Transfer the batter to a baking dish.
Bake for 27 to 30 minutes until the edges have started to crust and pull away from the edges of the baking pan (the middle will still “jiggle” and appear darker and undercooked, but it will set as it cools). Allow the brownies to cool completely in the baking dish, about 2 hours.
