Description
These mocha quinoa brownies have a delicious deep flavor and ultra fudgy texture. They’re topped with a rich peanut butter frosting. So indulgent you won’t believe they are gluten free and entirely flourless!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the brownie
- 250 g cooked quinoa *see notes for dry quantities
- 50 ml almond milk
- 100 g dairy-free yogurt
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) espresso coffee
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 80 g vegetable oil, neutral flavor *see notes for options
- 100 g coconut sugar (or cane sugar)
- 50 g cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 2 tbsp (10 g) fresh ground coffee (optional)
- 1 tsp (5 g) baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
For the peanut butter frosting
- 1 14–oz (400 ml) full-fat coconut milk, chilled in the fridge overnight
- 120 g smooth peanut butter
- 2 tbsp (50 g) maple syrup or agave
- 1 pinch of salt
Toppings
- Roasted peanuts
- Shaved dark chocolate or chocolate chips *see notes
- A pinch of sea salt flakes
Instructions
Peanut butter frosting
- Open the can of coconut milk without shaking it and scoop out only the layer of solid cream that has formed on top. Leave the liquid for another use.
- In a large mixing bowl using a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the coconut cream for 1 minute until smooth and fluffy.
- Scrape down the bowl and add in the peanut butter, maple and salt. Beat on high speed for 1-2 minutes to incorporate and until you get a firm, light and fluffy mousse.
- Transfer to a container and place in the fridge to chill and firm up, for at least 1 hour, ideally more.
Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350F (175°C) and grease and line an 8×8 (20x20cm) square baking dish with parchment paper.
- Cook the quinoa accordingly to the packaging instructions, about 10 minutes in a saucepan with twice its volume of water until its tender and fluffy. Remove the pan from heat. Take off the excess water then cover with a lid and leave for 10 minutes more.
- Measure precisely 250g of cooked quinoa and place in a blender with the almond milk, yogurt, coffee and vanilla. Blend until smooth and creamy. Then add the oil and blend to combine.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, ground coffee, baking powder and salt.
- Pour the wet preparation to the dry ingredients and mix well to combine, until you get a smooth and pretty thick batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use a spatula to spread it evenly and smooth the surface.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the center of the brownies is dry to touch but may seem slightly underdone. Check with a toothpick if the brownie is baked in the middle. It must come out nearly clean. If the brownie is still too wet, cook for another 5 minutes and check again.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
- Once the brownies has completely cooled, put the peanut butter frosting on top and spread it with a spatula. Sprinkle with roasted peanuts, chocolate shaves and a pinch of sea salt flakes. Cut in slices and enjoy!
Notes
- 250g cooked quinoa equals to about 80g dry quinoa. In any case, make sure to precisely weight the quinoa you’ve cooked before to add.
- I recommend grapeseed oil because it’s made with a natural processing method and has a very light flavor, but you can use peanut, canola or any light flavored vegetable oil.
- Use a vegetable peeler to shave a dark chocolate bar.
- For a thick and creamy frosting, it’s important that you use coconut cream and not milk. For that, place a can of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge overnight. Then open the can without shaking and scoop out only the thick layer of cream that has formed on top.
- Store the brownies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Enjoy the brownie straight from the fridge. You can prepare the brownies and the frosting ahead and store them separately in the fridge.