Description
When cookies, brownie and salted caramel meet to bring the perfect treat to life. Vegan, gluten-free and oil-free brownie cookies with a creamy caramel frosting and crunchy hazelnuts on top. Soft in the inside with perfectly crispy edges.
Ingredients
Scale
Brownie cookies
- 2 cups almond meal
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
- 6 tbsp aquafaba (canned chickpea brine)
- 4 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp crushed roasted hazelnuts
Salted caramel
- 8 pitted soft dates (see notes)
- 1/3 cup thick coconut cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
Toppings
- 1 tbsp crushed roasted hazelnuts
- a pinch of sea salt flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- Combine the almond meal, brown rice flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- In a separate bowl, mix the aquafaba, maple syrup and vanilla. Fold the wet mixture into the dry ingredients using a spatula, then with your hands, until a thick and uniform dough forms. If the dough is too dry and crumbly, add a little more aquafaba, one teaspoon at the time, until you get the desired consistency.
- Fold in the crushed roasted hazelnuts and mix with a spatula until evenly dispersed throughout the batter.
- Split the dough into 6 equal size portions using a medium cookie scoop or a measuring spoon, and roll them into balls in your hands.
- Place the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking tray, leaving 2 inches between each cookie. Gently press them down with the palm of your hand to flatten. The cookies won’t spread a lot. Bake for 12 minutes as a first step.
- Meanwhile, prepare the salted caramel sauce. Place the chopped pitted dates, coconut cream, vanilla and salt in a high speed blender and mix until perfectly smooth and creamy.
- After the 12 minutes, remove the cookies from the oven and add one tablespoon of caramel sauce in the middle on top of each cookie and sprinkle with crushed hazelnuts. Return to the oven for 2 minutes more.
- Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven and sprinkle with sea salt flakes. Let them cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes. Then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely before eating.
Notes
- You can get aquafaba either by cooking dry chickpeas from scratch or straight from a can of chickpeas. You don’t need to reduce or beat the aquafaba for this recipe, simply add the liquid to the preparation.
- It’s really important that you use soft dates to get a smooth and creamy caramel. I highly recommend to use medjool dates, a natural smooth, juicy and sweet variety. If you can’t find medjool dates or if your dates are dry, soak them in hot water for 15 minutes before using to soften.
- For the caramel, I recommend to use thick full-fat coconut cream, with at least 85% of coconut.