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Bars

Vegan Blondies with Salted Caramel

September 3, 2020 by Rachael Ng 4 Comments

Soft and sweet Vegan Blondie Bars drizzled with a luscious Vegan Salted Caramel sauce! Top these sugary bars with a sprinkling of flakey sea salt for extra oomph!

Vegan Blondie Bars with Salted Caramel

When I set out to make a vegan version of my blondie bars, I knew I needed to find an egg replacer that would perfectly bind the ingredients together while also giving us that chewy blondie texture without any extra grit. So I looked to my vegan brownie recipe, and I reached for the corn starch. Friends, corn starch is such an excellent egg replacer in this recipe! It binds the ingredients, lends an extra chewy texture to these bars, and, most importantly, goes undetected. In other words, these vegan blondies are just as good as any other blondie bar!

Some of the Ingredients You’ll Need + Substitutions:

Plant-based butter adds that buttery flavor we all know and love. Because we’re after this exact flavor, I don’t recommend any substitutes.

Brown sugar brings that traditional butterscotch flavor to these bars. You can use either light or dark brown sugar.

Coconut sugar is my go-to low glycemic index sweetener. It tastes less sweet than cane sugar and it’s better for you! You can use more brown sugar in its place, but that will make these bars very sweet tasting.

Corn starch mixes with water to bind these bars together. The official egg replacer in this recipe, the starch is totally necessary. You can use arrowroot starch in its place.

White granulated sugar is used to make the caramel sauce. Using a white, refined sugar helps you gauge when the caramel is done as it’s colorless until it’s ready. You can use raw sugar, but you’ll need to keep an extra eye on the boiling caramel to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Coconut cream gives the caramel creaminess and thickness. For this recipe, you want to us only the thick, scoop-able cream that sits at the top of the can. I recommend buying a can of coconut cream that contains only coconut and water. I’ve found that the creams with fillers can keep the cream from solidifying, which we don’t want for this recipe as we need the solid cream.

Yield: 9 or 16 Bars

Vegan Blondies with Salted Caramel

Vegan Blondies with Salted Caramel

Soft and sweet vegan blondie bars drizzled with a luscious vegan salted caramel sauce! Top these sugary bars with a sprinkling of flakey sea salt for extra salty-sweet oomph!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Additional Time 3 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

Blondie Bars

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) plant-based butter
  • 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/4 cup corn starch
  • 2 Tbsp warm water
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Flakey sea salt to sprinkle

Vegan Salted Caramel

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup room temp or warm water
  • 1/2 cup thick coconut cream (the thick cream from a can of coconut cream)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

Make the Caramel

  1. In a small bowl, combine the coconut cream and vanilla extract; set aside. Prepare a work space next to your stove with a wooden spoon and folded towel or hot pad holder.
  2. In a medium, heavy bottom saucepan, add the granulated sugar and then the water, dispersing the water over the sugar. Very lightly swirl the pan, if need be, to soak all the sugar in the water. Place on medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, without stirring or touching the mixture, and cook until sugar is amber in color - this can take up to 15-20 minutes but it will burn very quickly once color starts to form.
  3. Immediately remove the sugar from the heat and place on your towel. Slowly add the thick coconut cream and vanilla and gently stir with a wooden spoon. The mixture will bubble up and be very hot, so be careful! Gently stir the caramel until it stops bubbling.
  4. Place the caramel/saucepan back on the heat and bring mixture to a boil. Use a candy thermometer to measure the temperature. Boil just until mixture reaches 240°F-245°F (soft-ball stage). Remove from heat and stir in the salt. Pour caramel into a heat-proof bowl to cool. While it cools, make your blondies.

Make the Blondies

  1. Preheat your oven to 325°F and prepare an 8x8 baking dish. Spray your dish with non-stick spray and then line with parchment paper. I like to cut one long strip to cover the bottom and two sides, and then I fold the excess over the sides and trim them - that way I can use them as handles later when I pull the blondies out to slice.
  2. Melt your butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring it to a boil and then immediately remove from the heat. In a medium bowl, add the butter, brown sugar, and coconut sugar and mix; set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, mix together the warm water and corn starch until totally combined. Add this to your butter/sugar mixture and stir. Mix in the vanilla extract.
  4. Add the baking powder and salt and stir. Then add the flour, mixing until well combined and no flour streaks remain. Scrape the batter (it will be thick) into your prepared baking dish, smoothing it evenly across your dish.
  5. Bake at 325°F for 15-20 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. Allow to cool completely. Run a butter knife around the edges and use the parchment paper overhang to pull the entire blondie up and out of the dish. Use a sharp knife to slice into 12 or 16 bars.
  6. Drizzle cooled caramel sauce over the cooled blondie bars and immediately sprinkle with flakey sea salt! Store any leftovers in a single layer in an airtight container (do not stack the bars!).

Notes

  • Bringing the caramel sauce to "soft-ball stage" is necessary as it makes sure the caramel is thick enough to stay on top on your blondies
  • Allow the caramel to cool completely before transferring to a lidded jar. You can store leftover caramel in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, reheating as necessary to drizzle on whatever you like (it will thicken in the refrigerator)

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Bars

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Filed Under: Bars, Brownies, Dairy-free, Vegan Tagged With: blondies, caramel blondies, dairy free blondies, vegan blondies

Brownie Fruit Pizza (dairy-free)

August 10, 2020 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

A chewy brownie “pizza” topped with a silky cream cheese frosting and lots of fresh fruit! This fun dessert is sure to delight, and I promise it will fly off the pan at any get-together!

Brownie Fruit Pizza

Brownie. Pizza. Do I really need to say more?! If you’re here, then there’s a chance that you, too, have fond memories of a giant, fruit-loaded, frosted brownie or sugar cookie! Traditionally, you bake your brownie in a pizza pan and then top it with cream cheese frosting, fresh fruit, and a drizzle of chocolate. But if you’re anything like me in the dessert department, then you can’t resist an opportunity for chocolate frosting. Chocolate cream cheese frosting? DONE.

I’ve taken my favorite brownie recipe, scaled it to make the perfect, crackly-topped brownie – in just the right, pizza perfect size. Then I added an easy chocolate cream cheese frosting, along with fresh sliced peaches, blueberries, and blackberries. Totally irresistible, and the perfect Summer dessert. If you love frosted brownies, then there’s no way you won’t love this Brownie Fruit Pizza!

Some of the Ingredients You’ll Need + Substitutions:

  • Chocolate chips are necessary for the perfect crackly top! If you use chopped chocolate, your brownie may not have a crackly top.
  • Olive oil is used in place of butter in this recipe. Feel free to use your favorite vegetable oil, butter, or melted coconut oil.
  • Instant coffee deepens the chocolate flavor of the brownie. It’s totally optional, but I highly recommend it! You can use espresso powder instead.
  • Eggs act as a binder for the brownie. If you’re looking for a vegan replacement, I recommend checking out my Vegan Classic Brownies recipe instead.
  • Granulated sugar is necessary for the brownie – feel free to use white, brown, raw, or coconut sugar.
  • Dutched cocoa has a deeper flavor and color than regular cocoa powder. If you don’t have any on hand, regular cocoa will work just fine – your brownie and frosting will be lighter in color, though.
  • Plant-based butter is key for the buttercream frosting. If you’re not dairy-free then you can use regular butter.
  • Plant-based cream cheese adds that classic cream cheese flavor. You can also use regular cream cheese (softened to room temp) or more butter – for a regular buttercream – in its place.
  • Shortening helps thicken the frosting, but if you’re looking for a simpler recipe, you can go ahead and use more butter instead. If you use more butter, you may need to use less milk for the frosting.
  • Powdered sugar makes up the frosting! I don’t recommend any other sugars or sweeteners in its place.

How to Make Brownie Fruit Pizza

The brownie base of this pizza comes together like so many of my other brownie recipes. You’ll melt chocolate chips (yes, you must use chocolate chips and not chopped chocolate!) along with oil and instant coffee. Then you’ll whisk eggs and sugar together until they’re thick, a bit fluffy, and lighter in color. This color will vary depending on what kind of sugar you use – i.e. white sugar will allow the yellow of the yolks to shine through while coconut sugar will make the mixture light brown.

You’ll gently mix these two together, sift in the dry ingredients, and bake! Once your little brownie “pizza crust” is totally cool, you’ll whip up a simple frosting by beating butter, cream cheese, shortening, cocoa, powdered sugar, and milk. This adaptable recipe allows you to easily use either dairy-free or regular dairy products. The texture of your frosting should be smooth, creamy, and thick enough to hold peaks – see the below photo. If you plan to use plant-based cream cheese, you want it to be cold up until beating it. If you plan to use regular cream cheese, you want it to be softened to room temperature before beating it.

After spreading the frosting over the brownie, you’ll top it all with your favorite fresh fruit. I chose sliced peaches, blackberries, and blueberries. You want to wash your fruit and then pat it dry before adding it to the top of your pizza. I recommend serving the pizza right away, but if you’d like to assemble it a few hours prior to serving, place it in the refrigerator to keep the frosting from melting and the fruit from leaking juice. Set the pizza out 30 minutes before you plan to serve it so the frosting has a chance to soften.

Yield: 8-10 Servings

Brownie Fruit Pizza

Brownie Fruit Pizza

A chewy brownie "pizza" topped with a silky cream cheese frosting and lots of fresh fruit! This fun, dairy-free dessert is sure to delight, and I promise it will fly off the pan at any get-together!

Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 55 minutes

Ingredients

Brownie

  • 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp instant coffee
  • 2 large eggs, room temp
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar (raw, coconut, white, or brown)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1-2 cups fresh fruit, washed and patted dry

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1/4 cup plant-based butter, softened
  • 4oz plant-based cream cheese, cold (if using regular cream cheese, it should be softened to room temp)
  • 2 Tbsp shortening (or more butter)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 2 2/3 cups powdered sugar
  • 3-5 Tbsp plant-based milk

Instructions

Make the Brownie

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a pizza pan with non-stick spray. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes.
  2. In a microwaveable bowl, add the chocolate chips, oil, and instant coffee. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring well between each one, until chocolate is melted; set aside.
  3. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the eggs and then the sugar. Whisk on medium-high until thick and light in color. Whisk in the vanilla. Gently fold in the melted chocolate mixture until well combined.
  4. Sift in the cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix until no flour pockets remain. Pour batter into your greased pizza pan.
  5. Bake at 350°F for 9-11 minutes. Allow brownie to cool completely before frosting.

Prepare the Frosting

  1. Once your brownie is cool, prepare the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat the softened butter, cold cream cheese (or softened cream cheese if using regular, dairy cream cheese), and shortening. Beat in the vanilla.
  2. Sift in the cocoa powder and beat until well combined. Sift in the powdered sugar, beating again until crumbly. Beat in the milk, 1 Tbsp at at time, until you have a smooth, creamy, and spreadable (but stiff enough to hold peaks) frosting.
  3. Spread frosting over the cooled brownie, leaving about 1/2" of crust around the edge. Immediately top the frosting with fresh fruit.
  4. Refrigerate pizza until 30 minutes before you plan to serve it - that way the frosting can soften. If you plan to eat the dessert right away, you can skip refrigeration.
  5. Slice the pizza into 8, 10, or 12 pieces, wiping the knife clean between each slice for a cleaner look.
  6. If you have leftovers, refrigerate them in an airtight container.

Notes

  • For Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting: leave out the cocoa powder and use 3 cups of powdered sugar
  • Your plant-based cream cheese should be cold. Leave it in the refrigerator until you're ready to make your frosting. If you're using regular, dairy cream cheese, you want to set it out to let it soften to room temperature before beating it
  • Both plant-based butter and regular butter should be softened to room temperature before making the frosting. Watch that your plant-based butter doesn't soften too much - if your plant-based butter gets too soft, you may need to use less milk in the frosting

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Brownies

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Filed Under: Bars, Brownies, Dairy-free Tagged With: brownie fruit pizza, brownie pizza, fruit pizza, summer dessert

Vegan Classic Brownies

July 1, 2020 by Rachael Ng 16 Comments

A vegan version of my favorite brownies! These Vegan Classic Brownies are delicious, chewy, and complete with a delicate, crackly top. I promise you won’t miss the eggs or dairy in this easy recipe!

Vegan Classic Brownies

You all have been asking me for vegan brownies for months now, and I’m so excited to finally have this recipe for you! After lots of trial and error, I’ve landed on a mix of simple ingredients so you can make Vegan Classic Brownies at home when the chocolate craving hits.

I’m going to go ahead and put it out there that I don’t recommend any substitutes for this recipe. Trust me. I tried this recipe with flaxseed meal, aquafaba, egg replacers, chocolate chips, and many different amounts of flour and cocoa powder. I think it wasn’t until my 9th test that I finally figured out the perfect formula of ingredients.

Most importantly, you must use chopped chocolate for this recipe. Chocolate chips will not work. If you’ve made my brownie recipes before, this will seem odd given that I always use chocolate chips to achieve beautiful brownies. But this recipe is different. The eggs have been replaced with corn starch and water, and there is a lot more flour! And you have to use chopped chocolate. Or your brownie batter will boil and bubble, refuse to set, and be a gritty brownie mess! So trust me, and use your favorite vegan chocolate bars!

The ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:

  • Solid chocolate bar(s) – I like to use the $5 dark chocolate Pound Plus bar from Trader Joe’s. If that’s not an option, feel free to use your favorite vegan chocolate bars! (I’ve also made these brownies with the Moser-Roth chocolate bars from Aldi)
  • Plant-based butter – I’ve had success using both Earth Balance Buttery Sticks and Country Crock Plant Butter sticks
  • Olive oil
  • Vanilla extract
  • Corn starch + water – the magic binder for these vegan brownies!! I’m not sure if arrowroot or tapioca starch will work, so I can only recommend corn starch
  • Sugar – feel free to use your favorite granulated sugar. I like to use a 50:50 mix of coconut and raw or regular cane sugar
  • Salt
  • Baking powder – this will add lift to the brownies since there are no whipped eggs to provide lift
  • Dutch-process cocoa powder – this cocoa powder has a darker color and deeper flavor than natural cocoa powder. The Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa is now 100% Dutched and the easiest to find in US grocery stores
  • All-purpose flour
Yield: 16 Small Brownies

Vegan Classic Brownies

Vegan Classic Brownies

Delicious and chewy Classic Brownies made vegan! I promise you won't miss the eggs or dairy in this easy brownie recipe!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8oz dark or semi-sweet chocolate bar, chopped (NOT chocolate chips)
  • 1/4 cup plant-based butter
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup warm water
  • 6 Tbsp corn starch
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (can be raw, white, brown, or coconut)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa
  • 1 cup + 2 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare an 8x8" baking dish with non-stick spray and parchment paper. I like to cut one long, thin strip of parchment paper to cover the bottom + two sides of the dish. Then fold the excess over the two edges and trim with scissors, keeping about a 1/2" of excess paper.
  2. In a microwaveable bowl, add the chopped chocolate, plant butter, and olive oil. Heat in 15-30 second intervals, stirring between each, until the chocolate is all melted and smooth; set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the warm water and corn starch. Use a firm spoon to mix the two until they reach a thin, uniform consistency - it's normal for it to be goopy and thick at first.
  4. Add the corn starch mix to a large bowl, along with the sugar. Mix for about 30 seconds. Then stir in the vanilla extract. Add the melted chocolate and mix until totally combined.
  5. Stir in the salt and baking powder. Then sift in the cocoa powder and flour. Use a large spoon or spatula to mix the ingredients all together, until no flour pockets remain. The batter will be more like a sticky cookie dough. It will be a lot thicker than traditional brownie batter.
  6. Spoon the batter into your prepared baking dish. Use your fingers to gently spread, press, and smooth the batter into the dish, making an even layer of batter.
  7. Bake the brownies at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until the center looks firm and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few big crumbs.
  8. Allow brownies to cool completely before lifting them up and out of the baking dish with the parchment paper "tabs". Slice the brownies into 9 or 16 equal pieces.
  9. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

  • After multiple tests for this recipe, I recommend you only follow this recipe as written
  • You must use chopped chocolate bars and NOT chocolate chips. When this same recipe was made with chocolate chips, the batter boiled in the oven and never set
  • I like to use the Pound Plus chocolate bars from Trader Joe's here in the US. Both of their "dark chocolate" bars are free of dairy

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 193Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 113mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 1gSugar: 20gProtein: 1g

calculated nutrition information may not always be accurate

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Brownies

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

Filed Under: Bars, Brownies, Dairy-free, Vegan Tagged With: classic brownies, dairy free brownies, eggless brownies, vegan brownies

Fresh Orange Rice Krispie Treats (dairy-free)

April 10, 2020 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

Fresh Orange Rice Krispie Treats

My toddler has been on a marshmallow kick lately. And by that I mean she’ll randomly think about marshmallows, talk about marshmallows, ask for a marshmallow, and pretend she’s roasting marshmallows on a stick (we’ve never actually done this). Every time we go down the baking aisle and see the bags of mallows, she begs for me to buy some. Whenever I give in (an undoubtedly let her eat a few in the car), I’m left with a bag of marshmallows that’s 95% full and taking up precious pantry space.

This time I decided we would make rice krispie treats. They’re easy. Sort of fun for her (because she gets to eat marshmallows while we “bake”). And they’re one of those treats that us ’90s kids get all nostalgic about. Oh, and they can easily be made dairy-free – or vegan with the right brand of marshmallows – with plant-based butter. And since I’ve been so into orange here lately, I figured we’d spice things up a bit by adding fresh orange zest to these treats. The end result is a delicious, orange-spiked rice krispie treat that tastes like an orange creamsicle. In other words, so much flavor bang with hardly any extra work. Yes!!

Most marshmallow brands have the same (or extremely similar) recipe on the backs of their bags. My recipe follows this standard, aside from a few extra mini marshmallows added in at the end and, of course, the orange zest. While you’re melting the marshmallows into the butter, you’ll add in fresh zest from three medium oranges. Once the marshmallows are melted, you’ll mix in the cereal and extra mini mallows, and then all you’ve left to do is gently press the mixture into a greased baking dish! Then slice and enjoy your gooey, orangey marshmallow treats!

More citrus recipes:

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes (vegan option)
Soft Iced Lemon Cookies
Soft & Chewy Orange Sugar Cookies
Orange Loaf with Almond Buttercream (vegan option)
Yield: 9-16 Treats

Fresh Orange Rice Krispie Treats

Fresh Orange Rice Krispie Treats

Gooey rice krispie treats made with fresh orange zest and extra marshmallow! A super quick and easy dessert easily made dairy-free or vegan.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 cups marshmallows (10oz bag or 45 large mallows) + 3 cups mini marshmallows
  • 1/4 cup vegan butter
  • Zest from 3-4 medium oranges
  • 6 cups crisp rice cereal

Instructions

  1. Prepare an 8x8" dish or pan with non-stick spray. Then add parchment paper - cut one long piece and fold the excess over the two sides for easy removal of the treats.
  2. In a medium bowl, toss together the rice cereal and 3 cups of mini marshmallows; set aside.
  3. In a large sauce pan or stock pot, melt the vegan butter over medium-low heat. Add the 6 cups of marshmallows and zest from 3 oranges and stir until the marshmallows are totally melted.
  4. Turn the heat to low and stir in the rice cereal/mini mallows until everything is well combined.
  5. Scoop the mixture into your prepared baking dish/pan. Use the back of a greased spoon or spatula to gently press the mixture into the pan - I spray mine with non-stick spray. You want to press the mixture into an even layer without over-pressing it (this would create harder, more compact treats).
  6. Top the treats with the leftover orange zest (from 1 orange).
  7. Allow the treats to cool/set for at least 10 minutes before slicing into 9 or 16 squares. For perfect slices, remove the whole dessert from the pan and slice on a cutting board.
  8. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

  • I bought two bags of marshmallows for this recipe. In total you will need 9 cups of marshmallows.
  • The extra mini marshmallows are optional but I totally recommend adding them for ultra marshmallow goodness!
  • For vegan treats, use vegan marshmallows

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Bars

Did you make this recipe?

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Filed Under: Bars, Dairy-free Tagged With: dairy-free, fresh orange, marshmallow, orange flavored, orange rice krispie treats, rice krispie, rice krispie treats, vegan

Classic Weeknight Brownies (DF)

January 14, 2020 by Rachael Ng 4 Comments

So I decided to take my favorite brownie recipe (which happens to be gluten-free) and make classic, gluten-full, fudgy brownies! For the folks looking for a simple brownie with ordinary ingredients, these brownies are for you. Made with regular cane sugars, eggs, all-purpose flour, and good ole chocolate chips, these brownies are as classic as they come. I, of course, used vegan butter for my brownies, but regular butter would work wonderfully, too!

For these brownies, you’ll melt the chocolate and fats together, whip up the eggs and sugars so they’re nice and thick, and then combine ingredients to form a batter. I only recommend using chocolate chips for this recipe as I could not achieve the same crackly top results with chopped chocolate – still unsure of the science behind this, but chocolate chips yield a crackly top every time! It’s also important to whisk your eggs and sugars until the mixture becomes thick, fluffy, and light in color – this is the traditional way to add “lift” to brownies without using any leavening agents (like baking soda, etc). The end result is a perfectly sweetened, fudgy brownie with a lovely crackly top.

Yield: 24 Brownies

Classic Weeknight Brownies

Classic Weeknight Brownies

Classic, crackly-top fudgy brownies made with familiar ingredients from your pantry! The perfect brownies to bake for friends and family!

Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours

Ingredients

  • 2 cups dairy-free chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup plant-based butter (or solid coconut oil)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 heaping tsp instant coffee granules (optional)
  • 4 large eggs, room temp
  • 1 cup white granulated sugar (or coconut sugar)
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 3 Tbsp cocoa powder (natural or Dutch process)
  • 2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9x13" baking dish with non-stick spray and parchment paper. I like to cut my parchment paper into two pieces that will criss-cross along the bottom of the dish and then go up the sides. Trim parchment paper at the top edge of the dish.
  2. Using a microwave, or the double boiler method, melt together the chocolate chips, vegan butter, olive oil, and instant coffee. If microwaving, cook the ingredients in 30 second intervals, stirring well between each one. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the room temperature eggs and sugars. Whisk on medium-high speed until mixture becomes thick, light in color, and somewhat fluffy, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla extract.
  4. Add the melted chocolate mixture to your eggs and sugars, gently folding in the chocolate until totally combined - this takes a bit of patience.
  5. Finally, sift the salt, cocoa powder, and flour into the bowl of batter. Use a large spatula or spoon to mix until no flour/cocoa pockets remain. Pour batter into your prepared baking dish. If your batter has a lot of air in it, there may be lots of bubbles coming to the surface. Feel free to tap your baking dish on the counter and/or use a toothpick to pop some of the bubbles before baking.
  6. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the brownies comes out with a few crumbs. I like to test my brownies using a toothpick toward the outer edge; that way, I can ensure I don't over-bake the brownies and the middle, along with the outer pieces, will still be fudgy.
  7. Allow brownies to totally cool in the baking dish - for quicker cooling, placing the dish on top of a cooling rack. Run a butter knife along the corners of the brownies, and then use the parchment paper tabs to life the whole brownie up and out of the dish. Carefully slice into 24 pieces, wiping your knife clean between each slice to ensure clean cuts.
  8. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature, in a single layer or with parchment paper between layers (to keep the delicate, crackly top in tact).

Notes

  • Chocolate chips are necessary for the delicate, crackly top in this recipe

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • KitchenAid Stand Mixer
    KitchenAid Stand Mixer
  • Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls
    Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 194Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 117mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 19gProtein: 2g

calculated nutrition information may not always be accurate

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Brownies

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

More brownie recipes:

Orange Brownies (DF + GF)
Dark Chocolate Zucchini Brownies (DF + GF)
Tahini Swirl Brownies (DF + GF)
Peppermint Hot Cocoa Brownies (DF + GF)

Filed Under: Bars, Brownies, Dairy-free Tagged With: brownies, crackly brownies, crackly top, dairy free brownies, easy brownies, fudgy brownies, homemade brownies

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Meet Rachael

Hi! I’m Rachael, a home baker who creates dairy-free, indulgent treats. As a sweets lover and former candy addict, I believe we shouldn’t have to give up everything we love in pursuit of wellness. That’s why I create delicious and approachable desserts that you can enjoy, in moderation, no matter your goals! Because, let’s face it, sometimes you just need a giant slice of frosted cake, sans guilt! Read More…

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This Coffee Banana Layer Cake has layers of coffee flavored banana cake with a coffee buttercream frosting — if you’re looking for an excuse to eat cake for breakfast, this is it ☕️✨☕️
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies — save these for when your mid-week cookie craving hits 🍪🥛
Ultra fluffy Coconut Cake!! Three 6” layers of homemade coconut flavored cake with coconut buttercream — all wrapped up with plenty of shredded coconut for maximum flavor 🥥✨
Easy, one-bowl Coconut Lime Cookies packed with SPRING flavor! Add your fave chocolate chips and enjoy these soft-baked cookies ☺️
Thin Mint Cookies 🌱 Snappy chocolate peppermint cookies with a dark chocolate peppermint coating — a homemade version of the cookie we all know and love 🤎
Quick & simple Double Chocolate Banana Cookies with a *real* cookie texture! These chocolate cookies use mashed banana in place of eggs for a lovely banana flavor (without sacrificing texture — no cakey cookies here) 🍌✨
Fan of cookie bars? You’ll love these Peanut Butter Cookie Bars with chocolate chips and a sprinkling of sea salt (optional!) 🥜🧂
✨NEW✨ Ginger Kale Smoothie — a zippy, nutritious drink based off the beloved green smoothie from Jamba Juice. With bright lemon, nutrient-dense kale, and frozen fruit, this flavorful smoothie makes for a perfect snack 🥭
It’s officially spring, which means I’m ready for all things FRUITY 🫐🍑✨

Top Recipes

  • Egg Yolk Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
  • Peanut Butter Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
  • Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Big Chocolate Chip Cookies for Two
  • Double Chocolate Banana Cookies

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