You’ve been so virtuous and faithful. Sure, your eyes have wandered and you’ve had a few impure thoughts, but you made a commitment and plan to stick to it. Yet, there’s only so much temptation a person can take . . . .
Well, give in to the temptation and stay true–to your healthy diet! This Valentine’s Day, indulge your craving for chocolate without straying from your commitment to a low-fat, vegan way of eating. You will be amazed at how moist, rich, and delicious a low-fat brownie can be.
Fatfree and Fabulous Fudgy Brownies
These brownies are actually better the second day…if you can make them last two days! They are about as fudgy as it gets without added oils or chocolate chips, so you can indulge your sweet tooth without worry.
Ingredients
- 1/2 tbsp. ground flax seed
- 1-1/2 tbsp. hot water
- 3/4 cup lite silken tofu (firm), crumbled
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup unbleached white flour or cake flour
- 1 cup unbleached cane sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional–depending on how nutty you like your brownies)
Instructions
- Mix the ground flax seeds with 1- 1/2 tablespoons of hot water and set aside. (Mixture will thicken slightly.)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mist an 8-inch x 8-inch x 2-inch glass baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside.
- Blend the tofu, water, maple syrup, cocoa powder, flax mixture, and vanilla extract until completely smooth. (I use a hand-blender, but you can do this in a regular blender.)
- Place the remaining ingredients, except the walnuts, in a medium mixing bowl and stir them together until they are well combined. Pour the blended mixture into the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl, and stir them until they are just combined–try not to over-stir. Fold in the walnuts, if using.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Completely cool the brownies in the pan. Cut and serve.
Preparation time: 15 minute(s) | Cooking time: 30 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 12
The nutritional breakdown, based on 12 brownies:
Nutrition (per serving without walnuts): 163 calories, 9 calories from fat, 1g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 75.4mg sodium, 124.5mg potassium, 37.7g carbohydrates, 2.2g fiber, 24.9g sugar, 3.3g protein, 2.9 points.
Nutrition (per serving, with walnuts): 179 calories, 22 calories from fat, 2.6g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 75.5mg sodium, 135.2mg potassium, 38g carbohydrates, 2.3g fiber, 25g sugar, 3.7g protein, 3.3 points.
This recipe is an adaptation of Ultra-Fudgy Fudge Brownies from the first edition of Vegan Vittles.
Rhonda
December 23, 2012 at 10:18 amI tried these today — they’re yummy! I made them sugar-free (sugar makes my heart race). They’re quite fudgy and they don’t have a weird soy taste. I have to say that I really enjoy trying your recipes because they’ve obviously been tested. I’ve never had any weird results, and I’ve really enjoyed the recipes I’ve tried so far. I liked the cheeze sauce from the mac and cheeze recipe, and I also like the beet brownies. Thank you for all of your hard work — it’s so hard to find vegan recipes that are lowfat AND delicious!
Marion
February 1, 2013 at 12:15 pmHi Susan, I’ve been making your recipes for a few months now and it’s always been a hit. I’ve never left a comment before (I’m just a shy vegan Frenchie ;o) but today I HAD too! The reason : I made these brownies and I was just speechless, they are sooooooooo good and I simply had to read the ingredients list again to make sure there wasn’t a pinch of fat in the recipe! Just unbelievable… A question though : how long can you keep it in the fridge? I froze the leftovers after 3 days (I live by myself so I didn’t finish the dish even if I so wanted too!). Thanks in advance!
Susanti
April 22, 2013 at 10:50 pmI just made this and they are fantastic! My new favorite vegan brownie recipe. Thanks for all the great recipes.
Miri
August 1, 2013 at 9:23 pmI made these today. Unfortunately they came out heavy , gummy like . I was hoping for a crumbly brownies that melt in your mouth. These were so heavy and thick that I felt a brick in my stomach for hours……Don ‘t know if it was the tofu or the flax….I will try a modification next time using almond meal and no tofu .
Melissa
February 14, 2014 at 9:43 amJust made these and they are by far the best vegan brownie recipe I’ve tried. The ones that call for black beans tend to still have a hint of the taste of black beans…not appetizing. I made these gluten free by substituting GF flour wherever it called for flour, same ratios, worked great. Also, I didn’t have flax meal on hand but I did have chia seed, so I just subbed that (still dissolved in the hot water first). The only thing I may do different next time is use less sugar- they were a little sweet for my tastes (but probably perfect for my non-vegan or plant based friends/family). Thanks Susan for the recipe- you made this very preggo mama quite happy! 🙂
Pat
December 14, 2014 at 10:41 pmHow can I make this gluten free? Thanks
Maggie
December 26, 2017 at 5:50 pmI just made these for the first time, and they’re wonderful. I added half a cup of whole, fresh cranberries with the nuts, and the result is insanely good – the tart fruit and sweet brownie are SO good together. We ran short of maple syrup and substituted part of it with black strap molasses – there’s a little molasses flavor in the finished product, but I like it, so I’d say the by-necessity substitution worked fine.
Dani
February 20, 2018 at 6:23 amJust made these to give to my sister who I haven’t seen for 12 years, and her 3 kids, 2 of whom I’ve never met. I’m out to make an impression! They smell AMAZING. Fingers crossed they’ll create a lasting memory of the first time they meant their auntie.