Cocoa-Cake Brownie Bites with Creamy Chocolate-Peanut Butter Frosting
Author: 
Yield: 30 brownies
 
Ingredients
BROWNIES
  • 1¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons flaxseeds
  • ⅔ cup packed dark brown sugar
  • ¾ cup sweetened nondairy milk
  • ½ cup vegan margarine, melted
  • ½ cup chopped pecans
FROSTING
  • ½ cup vegan chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon peanut butter
  • 3 tablespoons sweetened nondairy milk
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9-inch square baking pan with vegan margarine. Line the pan with unbleached parchment paper, leaving 2-inch wings on two sides of the pan.
  2. Put the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and stir with a dry whisk until combined. Put the flaxseeds in a high-speed blender and process into fine flour. Add the ground flaxseeds to the flour/cocoa mixture and stir with the whisk until combined. Add the sugar and whisk until almost no lumps remain. Add the nondairy milk and melted margarine, and stir, just until moistened and no bits of dry flour remain. Fold in the pecans.
  3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out clean. Put the pan on a wire rack and let cool about 20 minutes before frosting.
  4. Meanwhile, to make the frosting, put the chocolate chips, peanut butter, nondairy milk, and maple syrup, in a double boiler. Cook, over low heat, until the chocolate chips melt, stirring occasionally, to thoroughly combine the frosting. Let cool 3 to 5 minutes.
  5. Spread the frosting over the brownies. Put the brownies in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the frosting to begin to set before slicing. Return to the cutting board and, using the paper “wings,” gently lift the brownies out of the pan and place them on a cutting board. Cut into 30 “bites” or 15 larger brownies. Refrigerate about 30 minutes, until frosting is firm, before serving. Covered, and stored in the refrigerator, the brownie bites will keep for about 3 days.
Recipe by Chic Vegan at https://www.chicvegan.com/interview-series-jazzy-vegetarians-laura-theodore-plus-vegan-brownie-bites/