This Vegan Brownie Recipe bakes up rich with the most amazing mix of ingredients. Gluten-free Crazy Brownies taste like the best fudgy dessert.
These fudgy, dense, and sweet brownies come straight out of Dreena Burton's cookbook - Plant-Powered Families, over 100 Kid-tested Whole-foods Vegan Recipes.
Quite a mouthful and quite a book full.
I was lucky enough to be asked to share this recipe with you. Not only because I'd be proud of having it on my blog but I'd also be happy about getting to enjoy eating them. Sooner than later.
Dreena's book has lots of colorful photos to drool over and the recipes will keep you enthralled.
Jump to:
There are also wonderful personal photos scattered throughout. Check out the cover!
I have been admiring Dreena's recipes since the very beginning of my vegan days. Every single recipe I have tried has been worth remaking and this recipe is no exception.
In fact, Crazy Brownies is one of my favorites! It's a vegan brownie recipe that isn' like any other you have had. It's gluten-free even!
Just look at this recipe. Scroll on down this page and take a gander at the ingredients. The outcome is fantastic!
💭 Plant powered families book highlights
- Artichoke Sunflower Burgers
- Baconut
- Blueberry Lassy Muffins
- Cinnamon French Toast
- Creamy Fettuccine
- Saucy BBQ Chickpeas and Green Beans
- Ta-Quinos
- White Bean Guacamole
📋 Ingredients
- Kidney beans have a richer flavor than black beans and they seem to go even better with chocolate.
- Dates are a wonderful sweetener and they add a nice texture too.
- Red potatoes give more texture and their taste is mild enough not to overpower the rich flavors.
- Tahini is made from sesame seeds and also adds an earthy flavor.
- Coconut butter is a nice flavor to add for richness inside the brownies.
- Maple syrup is the sweetener that we all love.
- Dairy-free milk adds flavor and necessary liquid.
- Cocoa powder turns into deep rich chocolate.
- Coconut sugar adds a different type of sweet flavor in a very understated way.
- Arrowroot powder helps thicken the mix.
- Vanilla extract adds so much flavor to the mix. Don't skip it.
- Baking powder is a leavening agent.
- Baking soda is a leavening agent.
- Sea salt is the perfect understated seasoning.
- Dairy-free chocolate chips add a mild crunch and more sweetened chocolate flavor.
🥣 How to make crazy brownies
There is a video included in this post so don't miss it but let me help you with the instructions. They are really easy.
- Get out your food processor.
- Add the kidney beans, dates, tahini, red potatoes, and coconut butter. Blend.
- Now add the maple syrup and plant milk and blend again.
- Add the cocoa powder, sugar, arrowroot, vanilla bean powder, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. It only takes seconds but process again.
- Mix until smooth and then hand stir in the chocolate chips.
- Pour into a square baking pan and bake a 350 degrees F for 22-24 minutes.
- Cut into squares and take a bite. It's a super good vegan brownie recipe.
💭 FAQ's
Potatoes add moisture and density when combined with the beans. If you don’t have cooked potato, substitute ¼ cup of potato starch and increase the milk to 5 tablespoons.
I use good-quality tahini, with a mellow, buttery flavor and smooth texture. If you don’t have nut allergies, try substituting macadamia or almond butter. Another 1 tablespoon of non-dairy milk may be needed if the nut butter is quite thick/dense.
If you don’t have coconut butter, you can substitute another 11/2 tablespoons of nut butter like macadamia, almond, or cashew butter—or more tahini.
Yes! Just put them in a freezer bag or freezer container. You can keep them at good quality for up to four months.
Frosting Note:
Chocolate Ganache, (also in the cookbook), is wickedly good on these brownies!
Isn't that great! I want to make every recipe out of this cookbook and I bet you will too. Everything is plant-based - we are so lucky!
Click here if you would like to take a look at the cookbook over at Amazon.
👩🏻🍳 More vegan brownies
- It's amazing how different brownies there are, This Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie recipe is a favorite.
- Double Chocolate and Crunchy Brownies are extra inviting with hearts on top.
- Just in time for fall - Autumn Oreo Brownies!
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If you take a photo of your rich vegan brownies I would love to see it. Follow me over on Instagram and tag me on your photo @vegan_in_the_freezer.
Your opinion means a lot to me and if you'd like to leave a comment and possibly a star rating I'd love to hear your thoughts.
📋 Recipe
Vegan Brownie Recipe - Crazy Brownies
Ingredients
- ½ cup kidney beans
- ½ cup dates - pitted
- ⅓ cup red potatoes - yellow or red potato (see note) peeled, precooked, and cooled
- 2 tablespoons tahini - or nut butter, see note and nut-free option
- 2 tablespoons coconut butter - see note
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons nondairy milk
- ½ cup cocoa powder - plus 2 tablespoons
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract - or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 tablespoons chocolate chips - dairy free, mini are nice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8" × 8" brownie pan with parchment paper.
- Using a small or mini food processor, puree the beans, dates, potato, tahini, and coconut butter until smooth, and then add the maple syrup and milk and puree again.
- Add the cocoa powder, sugar, arrowroot, vanilla bean powder, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt to the processor and puree until combined. (If your processor is too small, transfer the date mixture to a bowl, and use a spatula to incorporate the dry ingredients.) Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Transfer the mixture to the brownie pan, and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake for 22–24 minutes (brownies will firm with cooling and are more fudgy with less baking, so don’t overbake).
- Remove, let cool completely, frost if desired, and cut into squares.
Video
Nutrition
Ginny McMeans
Thanks Sonia! Yes, she is the best!
Lee Ann
Going to soak my kidney beans right now!
Ginny McMeans
Fantastic Lee Ann! You're going to love them!
Christine
These are FANTASTIC! I made them for my in-laws who are nowhere close to vegan and everyone loved them! I will admit I was hesitant as I was blending potato, beans, and tahini but decided to forge on. I knew it was going to be great as soon as I tasted the batter! I LOVE the dense and chewy texture of them and am now cooking my second batch as we speak but only after licking every possible bit of batter out of the mixer.
Ginny McMeans
hahaha! I am jumping up and down. This is what I like to hear and thank you so much for letting me know how it went with your in-laws. 🙂
Andrea
These are amazing. Everyone in the family loves them, including my incredibly picky eater. I used PB in lieu of coconut butter & half the tahini but otherwise followed the recipe. Will make them again and again.
Ginny McMeans
Fantastic Andrea! Glad the whole family loves them. That's a great feat 🙂
Kathy
Ok. These are the bomb! SO RICH AND FUDGY! Oooh they are good. Made as written except used 3 TBS peanut butter and not tbs coconut oil...not sure what coconut butter is. No way are beans and potatoes detectable. New follower here, love your blog!
Ginny McMeans
That is so fantastic Kathy! I am glad you found me and thanks for your kind words!
Amanda
I just found this link at the bottom of another recipe - there just isn't a link to it on the site menu. If you have other tips, please share! Thank you. https://veganinthefreezer.com/preparing-food-for-the-freezer/
Ginny McMeans
Hi Amanda! Yes, You found the right link. If you click on that link and then scroll down on that page there is a list of 8 different pages and topics addressing things that will help you in your freezing endeavors. Thanks so much for your interest and please let me know if I can help you in any way.