Well, with the switchover to this new website name (Woohoo! It finally happened) last week flew by in what seemed like an instant. And I realized today that I only shared one recipe with you throughout all of it (Gasp! Only one dessert for a whole week -- unheard of! ;) ).
So starting to make it up to you now with the fudgiest chocolate beet brownies recipe ever -- gluten-free, vegan, refined sugar-free, and all.
Oh, are you worried about the beets in there? Don't be. Chocolate and beets are a beautiful thing. If you've never had a chocolate beet sweet treat, rest assured these won't taste anything like the vegetable -- promise! What you'll get is all the moisture, the wonderful health benefits of beets, and none of the eggs, dairy, gluten, or refined sugar all in one go in these super fudgy chocolate brownies.
P.S. Want to know more about the benefits of beets? (You know, in case you need more reasons to make these ;) ) -- check out what one of my new favorite bloggers, Trinity, has to share on the subject. We had a strange synchronicity happen the other day: I was eating these delicious chocolate beet brownies and she was writing about how healthy beets are. The arrangement works for me :) }.
Ok, now to the recipe:
Oil-Free Version of this Recipe:
Update: these brownies have been getting rave reviews (thank you! I'm so happy to hear people are enjoying these :) ). I noticed they are especially popular with those looking for fat-free brownies -- which is great because the brownie base here is completely oil-free -- but I do love the topping (which uses butter) and think it adds a lot. So I decided to add a fat-free vegan chocolate frosting alternative in case anyone is interested. See the notes in the recipe card below for the oil-free version. Though the original recipe is still my darling and I definitely recommend going with that :)
PrintFudgiest Chocolate Beet Brownies
Fudgey gluten-free vegan chocolate brownies -- made with beets -- make for a rich, secretly veggie, chocolate treat!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: an 8" x 12" tray
- Category: Brownies
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients
Fudgy Brownie Base:
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp of my gluten-free all purpose flour mix {combine: ½ cup brown rice flour, 6 tablespoon sweet sticky rice flour, ¼ cup tapioca flour, ¼tsp guar gum} {or for a store-bought mix, I recommend using Pamela's Artisan Flour Blend}
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup cooked beet puree*
- 1 cup maple syrup
- ½ cup beet water {leftover from cooking, or just use regular water or mylk}
- 1 tbsp vanilla
Chocolate Topping (don't skip this super important part of the brownies!)
See recipe notes below for an oil-free chocolate topping alternative**
- 1 cup non-dairy chopped chocolate chips
- ¼ cup non-dairy butter {note, if your butter is unsalted, add a generous dash in}
- ¼ cup beet water
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ tsp pure almond extract
- Some non-dairy powdered milk {I used powdered non-dairy coconut milk -- I use this in place of powdered sugar} or cocoa powder for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8" x 12" baking tray {or something of a similar size} and set aside.
- Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add in all remaining base ingredients and mix everything with a mixer to combine. Pour into prepared baking pan and level the top with a spatula to smooth out the batter.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven for approximately 25 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out dry. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare the chocolate topping by placing all ingredients in a glass heat-proof bowl. Warm the mixture on a double boiler and mix occasionally until everything is smooth and uniform. Once the brownie base has cooled a little, pour this mixture thinly and evenly over the brownies {use a spatula to spread it around evenly as needed}. Allow the brownies to chill a little by placing them in the fridge for at least 20 minutes {once the tray has cooled enough to go in the fridge}. {This will allow the topping to get absorbed into the brownies and add that delicious fudginess I've been talking about.}
- Dust with some cocoa powder or non-dairy powdered milk, cut into squares, and dive in! :)
Notes
*To make the beet puree, I simply boiled a few small beets in water until they were tender enough to pierce with a fork. I then strained them {reserving the water for use in the recipe} and pureed them using my magic bullet with the addition of approx. 2 tablespoon of the water to help things blend easier {don't add too much because you don't want the puree to be too wet, just enough to blend it}, though a food processor or blender would work equally well.
** Oil-Free Chocolate Frosting Alternative: Ingredients: 1 ½ ripe bananas, 9 soft medjool dates, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ¼ cup water, dash of sea salt, ¼ cup cacao powder, ½ cup sweet / sticky rice flour (also known as glutinous rice flour, mochiko/mochi flour). Directions: When ready to frost, place bananas, medjool dates, vanilla, water, and sea salt into a blender and blend into a smooth consistency, add cacao powder and sweet sticky rice flour and blend until mixture is uniform. Frost the cooled brownies and enjoy! Or chill if you want the frosting to firm up more.
Immy says
Hihi! Just wondering if there's a substitute for maple syrup - I can't have any sugar in them. Thanks!
Audrey says
Hi Immy, have you tried baking with something like Pyure's stevia-based liquid sweetener? I'd give something like that a go if all sugar was off the menu.
Immy says
I haven't actually tried that yet! Definitely will do. Thank you so much!
Virginia says
Made these this afternoon and they are so good. Deliciously squidgy and the topping isn’t overly sickly. Used spelt flour and I only used half the topping ingredients and that seemed plenty. I would say to anyone... make these as per recipe and you’re in for a treat. This recipe is a keeper for me. Thank you
Audrey says
Thanks so much for your lovey feedback, Virginia. I'm glad you enjoyed these!
Dot says
I really don't rate these brownies. I found them way too squidgy, and the flavours did not come together at all well. I did use some almond flour instead of your recipe so that might have been the problem but usually my brownies are a great texture and these are just smush. Not for me.
Audrey says
Hi Dot, thanks for the feedback. It's always good to hear what works and what doesn't. I think the squishiness in this case would have been due to the almond flour substitution, since it's not absorbent like the grain and starch-based mix I use for these.
Carolin says
I love love these brownies! They turned out so delicious and my kids enjoy them as much as I do. A perfect and healthy treat with the perfect amount of sweetness and fudgieness!! Yum!
I highly recommend these to try!!
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Audrey says
Hi Carolin, thanks so much for the lovely feedback. I'm so glad you enjoyed these :)
Julie says
Could you use sweet potatoes instead of beets?
Audrey says
Hi Julie, I haven't tried these with sp myself, but I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work. If you give it a try let me know how they turn out.
Dr. Cowan's Garden says
Oh wow, these look divine! I love the combination of chocolate and beets together. I love beets and I am always looking for yummy ways to get in healthy fats. Thanks for the recipe. I will try this soon.
Audrey says
You're welcome, enjoy them! :)
Sarah says
The texture was horrible, they weren’t fudgy, they tasted like rubber. Very disappointed
Audrey says
Hi Sarah. Sorry to hear they didn't work out for you. May I ask if you changed anything at all in the ingredients or process? Would love to figure out why yours came out rubbery as that definitely not the final result I get.
Lali says
I tried these brownies as muffins for Valentine's Day with the oilfree frosting and they were delicious! My boyfriend and I both loved them. Such a gorgeous consistency, doesn't even taste or feel like a glutenfree treat! I'm thrilled!
I prepared the frosting with oatflour instead of the glutinous rice flour and it turned out really well! Once it was spread it hardened a bit and I added a raspberry on top of each muffin. Delightful! Thank you for such a decadent and healthy dessert! xo
★★★★
Audrey says
That sounds amazing , Lali -- so glad you liked them and thank you for sharing what you did!
kimberly says
This looks faB!
Audrey says
Thank you :)
Marie-Anne says
Hi Audrey!
I made these for National Chocolate Week this week, and they were delicious. I tweaked the recipe a bit and changed the frosting to a coconut cream ganache. So good! The texture of the cake crumb is amazing, moist but crumbly at the same time. I made a little video of the recipe and included in my blog post with a link to you, I hope that's OK! https://beetrootcafe.co.uk/2016/10/11/its-national-chocolate-week-every-week/
Thank you for the inspirations x
★★★★★
Audrey says
Oooh, so happy you liked it, Marie-Anne. The coconut cream ganache is fantastic -- I do that sometimes as well in other recipes, so can only imagine how wonderful it'd be on these brownies. Thank you for sharing :)
Alisa says
Hey! Do you think these would be okay to freeze? Have been given an abundance of beetroot but I've just made muffins, so thought I'd just make these ready for when we next have people over.
Audrey says
Absolutely. I used to freeze them all the time. They thaw out very well.
Sue says
This was delicious!
Come check out our recipes... http://www.suesglutenfree.com.au
★★★★★
Audrey says
So glad you liked them, Sue! Thank you for sharing :)
Kara says
Oh my god, these are sooo good! I used coconut butter (not coconut oil) for the frosting and it turned out great! Thank you for this recipe. I have an abundance of beets from my farm share, allergies and celiac disease, and a picky 6 year old. These work for all of us!
Audrey says
Yay, so happy you all loved these brownies, Kara -- they're a favorite for us as well :) And I love the coconut butter for frosting too -- much smoother, and creamier. Thank you for sharing!
Lawrence says
Just made these and they look good...haven't tasted them yet. There was a lot more topping than I needed though. Also just a tip to get the most nutrition out of the beets it's best to steam rather than boil them :-)
★★★★
Audrey says
Good tip about steaming, Lawrence :) Enjoy them!
Zoe says
Is there a substitute for guar gum? Could I use xantham gum instead?
And has anyone tried the fat free frosting?
Audrey says
Hi Zoe, xantham gum would be totally fine. I've obviously tried the fat-free frosting & love it, but then again it's my recipe so I may be biased ;) Just kidding. Seriously I love the fat-free frosting a lot.I used it to frost this whole cake before, so you can see and get a sense of what it looks like. I hope you enjoy the brownies :)
Sharon says
What are the nutritional facts/ calories?
Audrey says
Hi Sharon, I don't keep track of nutritional stats for my recipes, but you can easily get them by entering the recipe through a recipe calculator like this one, including any potential substitutions you plan on making and the number of servings you want to get out of it.
Tina says
Audrey, I finally got to do the brownies and omg they are very very yummy. This will be great for parties in the near future. I stuffed the topping a little as it started to separate (it was one of those days!) but it all still worked. I used 70% dark chocolate and normal butter and I thought it was going to be too dark and bitter when I tasted the topping by itself prior to placing on the brownie but when I got it out of the fridge and we ate some, it was perfect. Thank you again you have made us very happy tonight :)
★★★★★
Audrey says
Aw, so glad to hear you liked it, Tina! Thank you as always for the feedback and for sharing how it went. Appreciate it <3
Nadine Cavenagh says
Could you use plain flour instead because I don't have that type of flour?
Audrey says
Hi Nadine -- I haven't tried it with regular plain flour, but the gluten-free flour mix I used here mimics regular flour quite closely and so I'm fairly certain that regular flour would work just as well. If you try it out, I'd love to hear you like it!
Beth says
I made these the other day and they turned out great! Thanks for sharing the recipe. They were super chocolatey! But didn't feel too heavy or sweet :)
★★★★★
Audrey says
That's wonderful -- thanks for sharing, Beth! So glad you liked it.
emily says
if i can't get all that flour what can i use?
Audrey says
Hi Emily, which ingredients are you missing? Just asking because I can see by your email that you're from Australia and a few readers pointed out to me that they had difficulties finding the ingredients over there. One thing we figured out is that apparently in Australia sweet sticky rice goes by the name "glutinous rice flour" {it goes by both names here}, and can be found fairly cheaply at Coles ( http://shop.coles.com.au/online/national/erawan-flour-rice-glutinous). Asian stores and health food shops might carry it too. I also came across this website that might be helpful in terms of sourcing gluten-free flours over there: http://www.glutenfreeshop.com.au/Erawan-Glutinous-Rice-Flour-500g-Green-P163.aspx
Not sure if that helps you? I'm just taking a wild guess the sweet sticky rice flour is the main problem, but it would be helpful to know what you're missing more specifically. Let me know if it's actually other ingredients you're struggling to find and I'd be happy to offer any substitution suggestions I can think of.
Laura@Baking in Pyjamas says
Love the new look to your blog Audrey, these brownies look so good! Thanks for linking up to Sweet and Savoury Sunday, stop by and link up again. Have a great day!!
Audrey says
Thank you, Laura! :)
vegetarianmamma (Cindy) says
Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays Party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! :) I can't wait to see what you share next time!
-Cindy
Audrey says
Thanks so much!
Linda says
This cake looks so lovely and delicious! Thanks for sharing it at Gluten-Free Wednesdays. I'll be highlighting it at this week's carnival.
Audrey says
Thank you so much, Linda. Hopping over to the party now -- can't wait to see all the highlights!
Danielle @ Poor and Gluten Free says
Lol, is it weird that I actually regularly HAVE beet puree in my fridge? I'm so making these, so thanks for sharing them on Waste Not Want Not Wednesday, I've pinned it :)
Audrey says
That is weird and totally awesome, Danielle! :) Well, in my opinion this is absolutely the best way to use them up ;). Happy baking!
Miz Helen says
Your brownies look so moist and delicious, we will love them. Hope you had a great Valentine weekend and thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
★★★★★
Audrey says
Thanks Miz Helen. Enjoy them!
Jillian Hudson says
This is a great recipe! I’d love it if you would share it on my new corn-free link party. http://www.creatingsilverlinings.com/corn-free-everyday-feb-15-2015/
Audrey says
Sure thing, Jillian :)
emmi says
I look forward to trying these! W what berry did you use for garnish?
Audrey says
That's red currant, Emmi. One of my favorite berries -- it's sweet and sour, and looks wonderful on everything :). Enjoy the brownies!
Jen says
These look amazing! I'm buying beets this weekend!
Audrey says
Thanks Jen -- enjoy them! :)
Cassidy @ Cassidy's Craveable Creations says
I've always been afraid of any dessert recipe that has beets, but you might have convinced me to give it a shot - this looks great, I love the topping! Thanks for linking it up to Gluten Free Wednesdays :)
-Cassidy
Audrey says
I love hearing that, Cassidy! Getting people to like their vegetables in desserts is always fun :). I'm sure you'll love these brownies!
Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog says
These brownies look amazingly fudgy! Love the new look of your blog too :)
★★★★★
Audrey says
Thank you Sharon! :) I'm happy about the new look too -- I grew out of the old one pretty quickly and just never felt like I had the time to make the switch until now, so glad that part is finally done. At least one of the things on my looong to-do list is crossed off now ;)
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Fudgy, chocolate, beets! 3 wonderful wonderful things! Goodness, I could eat the whole pan!
Audrey says
I had company to share these with, so eating the whole pan wasn't an option ;)
Raia says
Dang it! Just when I run out of cocoa powder... :p These are calling me!
Audrey says
Oh, darn! Well, I hope you get some soon, and I'm sure that in the meantime those cookies you made will do ;)
gretchen | kumquat says
chocolate indulgence and healthy!? this is magic... so love this recipe and the photography, too!
Audrey says
Thanks Gretchen! Magic indeed :)
Ali the Skinny GF Chef says
I love baking with vegetables and have used beets for cakes in the past too! What a beautiful recipe. I look forward to trying it soon. xo
Audrey says
Thanks so much, Ali! I've made quite a few things with beets recently and I think chocolate and beets are totally my favorite thing of the season :)
Amanda Paa says
i love the new name of your site! fits you well and all your lovely recipes. these brownies sound amazing.... i have a gluten-free chocolate beet cake on my blog and people are always shocked that beets give it the moistness and depth. i want to try these next!
Audrey says
Thanks, Amanda! I don't know if beet love is in the air this time of year or what, but seems like we're all compelled to use them in our chocolate treats :) -- I'm seeing so many great recipes everywhere! Your beet cake is really stunning. I actually made a chocolate beet cake as well that I'll be sharing on the blog soon. I hope you enjoy these brownies if you get a chance to try them out -- they're a real treat!
Alyssa @ Simply Quinoa says
I just made a version of healthy red velvet brownies and my secret ingredient was beets! Such a great idea - I'm loving your spin on them :)
Audrey says
Thanks Alyssa -- your red velvet recipe is really lovely too! Seems to be the season for chocolate beet desserts :)