Christmas Brownies (Vegan)

A fudgy, festive brownie bursting with Christmas flavor. An easy to prepare, dairy and egg-free dessert perfect for the holidays.

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 27

Total Time 55

100 grams dark chocolate - I used Lindt Excellence 70% bar (1 bar)
70 grams (5 tbsp) plant based butter with salt
250 grams (1¼ cups) cane sugar
150 grams (1¼ cups) all-purpose flour
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp peppermint extract
2½ tbsp ground flax seed
4½ tbsp water
3 tbsp plant based yogurt - room temperature
150 grams (10 tbsp) Chocolove Peppermint in Dark Chocolate - roughly chopped (you will need 2 bars)

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, almond extract, and peppermint extract; continue blending on medium-high speed for another 30 seconds. Add the flour and blend on medium speed just until combined. Add the Chocolove Peppermint in Dark 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.

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 almond extract, peppermint extract, and heavy cream to the bowl, blend on high speed for 3- 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 - Cover the top of the buttercream with a layer of crushed candy cane and/or some holiday sprinkles.
Store the brownies in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days.