Brown Sugar Espresso Brownies (Vegan)
A rich and chocolaty brownie with a mellow toffee flavor topped with an espresso-filled buttercream. This irresistible dairy-free dessert is a must-have.
Ingredients
Brown Sugar Brownie
- 100 grams dark chocolate - I used Lindt Excellence 70% bar
- 70 grams / 5 tbsp plant based butter with salt
- 240 grams / 1¼ cups light brown sugar
- 150 grams / 1¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2½ tbsp ground flax seed
- 3 tbsp / 45 grams plant based yogurt - room temperature
- 4½ tbsp water
- 150 grams / ½ cup + 2 tbsp chocolate chunks - I used Enjoy Life Chocolate Chunks
Espresso Buttercream
- 113 grams / 8 tbsp plant based butter with salt
- 240 grams / 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp plant based heavy cream - cold
- 1 tbsp espresso powder
- 1 tbsp espresso or hot coffee
- optional decoration - espresso powder and coffee beans
Instructions
Brown Sugar Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8x8 square pan with parchment paper.
- To a small bowl, add the ground flax seed, water and yogurt; stir to combine and set aside for 5 minutes while it thickens.
- To a small pot, add the chocolate and butter. Place the pot over medium heat until the chocolate and butter have melted. Remove the pot from the heat, stir to combine and set the pot aside.
- To a medium bowl, add the sugar and flax seed mixture. With a hand mixer on medium-high speed, blend the sugar and flax mixture for one minute. Add the chocolate/butter mixture and vanilla extract and continue blending on medium-high speed for another 30 seconds. Add the flour and blend on medium speed just until combined. Add the chocolate chunks to the bowl and fold them into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 27 minutes or until the edges start pulling away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted comes out with minimal crumbs. Allow the brownies to cool to room temperature before removing them from the pan.
Espresso Buttercream
- To a small bowl, add the espresso powder and the espresso (or hot coffee); stir until the espresso powder is dissolved and set aside. You will need 1 tablespoon of this mixture to flavor the buttercream.***make sure the espresso mixture has cooled to room temperature before preparing the buttercream***
- Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip the butter on high with a balloon whisk attachment for 3 minutes. Add the powdered sugar to the bowl and continue blending on high for another 30 seconds to a minute or until the ingredients come together. Add the vanilla extract, heavy cream and 1 tablespoon of the espresso mixture to the bowl and blend on high speed for 5 minutes.
- Once the brownies have cooled to room temperature, the buttercream can be added to the top. Spread the buttercream evenly across the top of the cooled brownies. Optional: Sprinkle the top of the buttercream with a little espresso powder and a few coffee beans.Store the brownies in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days.