Small Batch Vegan Brownies
Small batch vegan brownies – this easy vegan brownie recipe makes just four brownies (or eight mini brownie bites) and is baked in a loaf tin. The brownies are perfectly dense, fudgy, chocolatey, chewy and delicious. This is the perfect recipe to satisfy any brownie cravings if there are just two of you in need!
Servings 4 brownies
Ingredients
- 60 g (½ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 30 g (¼ cup) cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)*
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 50 ml (3 tablespoon + 1 tsp) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy)
- 35 g (2 tablespoon + 1 tsp) non-dairy yogurt (I use coconut)**
- 120 g (½ cup + 1 ½ Tbsp) caster (or granulated) sugar***
- 40 g dark chocolate (about 70% cocoa is best) chopped
- 25 g cocoa/cacao butter (or coconut oil)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°fan/350°F/gas mark 4. Grease a 10x20cm / 4x8 inch loaf tin (mine measures 9 x 19cm on the base) and line with baking parchment.
- Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, espresso powder and salt and set aside.
- Place the milk, yogurt and sugar in a medium sized pan over a low heat. Stir often until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is hot and glossy looking but not quite boiling.
- Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate and cocoa butter and the vanilla extract. Stir until melted and smooth.
- Tip in the dry ingredients and stir until no dry lumps remain. The batter will be quite thick. If you wish to add any mix-ins such as chocolate chips or chopped nuts then mix them in now.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared tin and spread it level. Smooth the top with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes (mine took 22), until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out gunky with moist crumbs but no wet batter. If it comes out clean that means they are over-baked so keep an eye on them and check them every minute or two after they have been in the oven for about 18 minutes.
- Leave the brownies to cool completely in the tin before slicing into squares. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Notes
- For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.
- If you don’t have a loaf tin the right size then a small baking dish/roasting tin about the same size, a foil takeaway tray or maybe a 15cm / 6 inch round cake tin could work. Bear in mind that if the brownies are thinner however they will cook a little quicker so keep an eye on them.
- *A little bit of instant espresso powder helps to deepen the chocolate flavour of the brownies but you can omit it if you don’t have any.
- **I don’t know what you could substitute for the yogurt I’m afraid. I haven’t tested them with anything else.
- ***It is the sugar that creates the shiny, crisp crust so don’t reduce it!
- If you like you can add a handful of chocolate chips or chopped nuts to the brownie batter.
- You absolutely do not want to overbake brownies. Make sure that you take them out of the oven when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out a bit gunky with moist crumbs (but not wet batter). If the skewer comes out clean they they are overdone and might be dry, so keep a close eye on them. Check them every minute or two towards the end of baking.