Vegan Chocolate-Nutty Brownies with Frosting

Yep, it’s as good as it looks–maybe even better, since the recipe is completely devoid of  butter, milk, eggs, or refined sugar! I love the chocolaty, velvety, melt-in-the-mouth texture, only to be interrupted by the delightful walnut crunchiness.

A.k.a., Yum.

If you didn’t already know it, you’d never guess that it’s vegan. It’s too rich for such modesty!

I’ve been making these brownies for well over a decade (they date back to my college days), and they were always a favorite dessert during lent–or just about any time 🙂

Rich in heart-healthy fats, that is (and maybe even calories, at about 360 Kcal per slice). To cut the calories by almost 1/3, you can simply use only half the amount of almonds and walnuts. The calories, however,are not empty, since they mostly come from the walnuts and almonds, which provide not only the brownies’ rich taste, but also  the following:

– A special form of vitamin E, gamma-tocopherol, which support cardiovascular health (from the walnuts)

– Minerals such as copper, manganese, molybdenum, magnesium, phosphoris, vitamin B2, and biotin.

– Heart protective omega 3 and monounsaturated fatty acids in both walnuts and almonds.

To make these little darlings, what you need is the following:

• 3/4 cup oil (canola)
• 2 1/2 cups crushed walnuts
• 2 1/2 cup almond powder (or just grind plain almonds in a blender)
• 2-1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I use spelt flour)
• 1 1/2 cup carob molasses (or date syrup–it’s up to you if you want to use sugar)
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 cups cold water
• 2 Tablespoons vanilla
• 1 Tablespoon vinegar (preferably apple vinegar)
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup brown sugar or Sucanat for the frosting

1) Grease the pan with a bit of the oil, and preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

2) Grind the walnuts and almonds into a powder, using a blender. (Skip this step if you’re using almond flour and ready crushed walnuts).

3) In one bowl, combine the ground nuts, flour, 1/2 cup cocoa powder,  baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

4) In a separate bowl, mix together the oil (except for 1 tablespoon, held aside for the frosting), 1-1/2 cups cold water, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, and the 1 1/2 cups of carob molasses.
5) Add to the ingredients of (3) and (4) and mix thoroughly, preferable using a mixer.

6) Pour the mixture into the pan, and when you are ready to put it into the oven, put the vinegar into the batter and stir in. Put it in the oven, and poke it after some time with a toothpick in order to make holes in it

After the cake is cooked, and you wait for it to cool (in pan), start making the frosting:

– The frosting recipe:

1. In a heavy saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, cornstarch, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in 1/2 cup water.

2. Cook over medium heat until it starts to boil.
3. Cook another minute or two longer, until smooth, but no longer. Add in 1/2 tablespoon vanilla, and the remaining tablespoon of oil.

4. Cool the frosting. When both cake and frosting are cool, frost the top of the cake.

When the whole cake has cooled properly, cut it into around 24 pieces (plus or minus, depending on the size of the baking pan you’ve used!)