Fudgy Gluten-Free Vegan Protein Brownies

These Gluten-Free Vegan Protein Brownies are a chocolate lover's dream come true. They are rich, fudgy, and made with simple, wholesome ingredients. Each decadent bite packs 14 grams of plant-based protein, making them the ultimate healthy dessert or post-workout treat.

Brownies are one of my favorite treats to make. I've made so many brownie recipes, like my Nut-Free Brownies and my Date-Sweetened Brownies, and now these delicious protein brownies. Each one is uniquely rich, fudgy, and satisfying-but these might just be my favorite yet.

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Vegan Protein Brownie Ingredients:

These healthy protein brownies are great because you probably already have most of the ingredients on hand. Let's take a look.

Dry Ingredients:

• PlantFusion Chocolate Brownie Complete Lean Protein Powder: This is my favorite chocolate protein powder. This plant-based protein powder is super smooth and creamy. It blends perfectly without the chalky or gritty texture of most others. Each serving has 21 grams of protein. My code: "NATURALVEGAN" gets you 25% off your purchase at PlantFusion!
• Oat Flour: I love using oat flour in gluten-free baking. It fluffs up like whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour, but it's gluten-free and packed full of protein and fiber!
• Cacao Powder: You can use either cacao powder or cocoa powder. They will both work exactly the same. I always use cacao powder rather than cocoa powder because it is less processed and contains antioxidants!
• Baking Soda: I chose baking soda instead of baking powder. This gives the brownies a rich, fudgy texture, not a cake-like one.
• Ground flaxseed: This recipe adds flaxseed to the batter to create flax eggs and acts as an egg.
• Almonds: I prefer using whole almonds rather than almond flour because they contain more natural oils. If you don't have a high-speed blender, check out the substitution section to see how to use almond butter instead.
• Medjool Dates: I love making date-sweetened desserts like this and my Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Date Fudge because dates are full of fiber and minerals.
• Sea Salt: I don't think any chocolate recipe is complete without a touch of sea salt.

Wet Ingredients:

• Soy Milk: Any plant milk will work. I prefer using soy milk because it contains more protein and healthy fats, which help to make these brownies richer.
• Pure Vanilla Extract: I always recommend using Mexican vanilla. It has a much stronger vanilla flavor that instantly elevates any recipe!
• Apple cider vinegar: helps activate the baking soda. This gives the brownies a nice height. 

Chocolate Frosting:

• Vegan Dark Chocolate Chips: Any chocolate chips of choice will work. I prefer using dark chocolate chips that are naturally sweetened and refined sugar-free. I find them much healthier.
• Raw Cashew Butter: This is what gives this frosting the perfect creamy and spreadable texture.
• Pure Maple Syrup (optional): If your chocolate chips are unsweetened, you may want to add a teaspoon or two of maple syrup or any natural liquid sweetener to boost the sweetness of the frosting.

See the recipe card for quantities.

How To Make Them:

These vegan brownies are easy to make and only take a couple of simple steps.

• Start by putting the pitted dates, almonds, soy milk, apple cider vinegar, and ground flaxseed in the blender. Blend on high until the mixture is silky smooth and there are no chunks of dates or almonds. Preheat the oven to 350.

• Combine the oat flour, cacao powder, baking soda, and sea salt in a large mixing bowl and stir until well blended. Add the blender mixture and continue mixing until the batter achieves a smooth consistency.

• Transfer the mixture into a ready square baking pan with parchment paper or lightly greased with oil. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes.
• After the brownies have finished baking, take them off the heat and let them cool completely. These treats are most enjoyable when cold. I suggest covering them and refrigerating for approximately 2 hours to chill.

• Once the brownies have chilled completely, make the chocolate frosting.
• Melt the chocolate in a small bowl either in the microwave or with a double boiler. Add the cashew butter and maple syrup (if needed) and mix until smooth.
• Allow frosting to chill in the fridge for 5-10 minutes or until it resembles a ganache. Spread on top of the protein brownies. Cut into squares and enjoy!

Substitutions:

These vegan protein brownies are great because there's a variety of substitutions that can be made if needed.

• Peanut Butter - Cashew butter can be expensive. If you want a cheaper option, use peanut butter or almond butter instead. You can substitute them in a 1:1 ratio.
• Almond Milk: Use almond milk for a low-calorie version.
• Protein Powder - You can use plenty of vegan protein powders in this recipe.
• Almonds - If you don't have a powerful blender, you can use ½ cup of almond butter to replace the almonds.

Variations:

You can create plenty of fun variations to this vegan protein brownie recipe whenever you want to mix it up.

• Double Chocolate: You can add a handful of mini chocolate chips to the batter to create a gooey chocolate mixture.
• Chocolate Caramel: You can use PlantFusion's Chocolate Caramel Complete Meal Protein Powder and add dollops of my 2-Ingredient Vegan Caramel to the brownie batter in the baking dish for a rich and delicious chocolate caramel brownies.

Equipment:

Here's what I recommend using to make these homemade protein brownies.

• Blender: You will need a blender to make this recipe. I recommended a high-speed blender; however, any blender will work.
• Mixing Bowls: You will need a large mixing bowl to make the batter and a small microwave-safe bowl to melt the chocolate.
• Baking Dish: You will need a square brownie pan to make this recipe.
• Airtight Container: You will need an airtight container to store the leftover brownies (if there are any that is). 

Storage:

Storing these vegan protein brownies can be a bit tricky. Since the recipe uses real chocolate for the chocolate frosting, it hardens more than the rest of the brownie. Therefore, I do not recommend storing these brownies in the freezer.

Instead, I recommend using an airtight container in the fridge. The frosting will be firmer, but it will still be delicious. If stored properly, they will keep for a full week.

You can keep these vegan protein brownies at room temperature overnight in an airtight container. However, I do not recommend leaving them out longer than that.

Frequently Asked Questions:

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If you try this Gluten-Free Vegan Protein Brownie recipe, I'd really love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. I'd also really appreciate a recipe card rating! Thank you for supporting The All Natural Vegan!

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