These fudgy, chocolatey vegan rice cooker brownies are incredibly simple to make, and are insanely delicious! They're more dense than their oven-baked counterparts, and they go especially well with ice cream. Yum!
What do you do when you live in a little bamboo hut on a lake in Northern Thailand, with no means of cooking - other than a hotplate and a rice cooker - and you really fancy cake? Make rice cooker brownies, of course!
True confession time... I'd never even tasted a brownie until I moved to Thailand in 2012. I'm not kidding. I don't think I'd ever even seen them in a baker's shop.
However, when we were living in Chiang Mai, one of our go-to places for lunch, Salad Concept, used to make the most amazing vegan brownies. I fell in love. Unfortunately, as with all things Western in Thailand, the brownies were really expensive. In fact, they cost more than an entire meal from a street cart!
When we moved further north, to Mae Hee, in 2014, there was nowhere, not even in nearby stoner-haven, Pai, that sold brownies, so I had to make them myself. But I didn’t have an oven!
Back in Chiang Mai, one of my friends had told me that she’d made some really yummy brownies in her rice cooker, gave me some scant instructions, and I made brownies. Although they were totally yum, they did need a bit of improvement.
Fast forward a few months; cue mass-experimentation; eat loads of gooey, yummy failures; time-travel to a couple of years in the future... gorram shiny brownies.
Vegan Rice Cooker Brownies
Are...
- fudgy
- dense
- rich
- chocolatey
- satisfying
- really easy to make
Make your rice cooker happy, and don't just use it for boring old rice (OK, rice isn't boring!) - make all the brownies! Enjoy!
What's your favourite type of brownie?
Vegan Rice Cooker Brownies
Ingredients
- 150 g plain (all-purpose) flour
- 200 g sugar
- 45 g cocoa powder plus a little extra for dusting
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 120 ml coconut milk
- 60 ml water
- 60 ml coconut oil (or any neutral-tasting oil)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, and baking soda – make sure it’s all well-mixed, or you’ll get pockets of flour, which are not nice. Do this in a large bowl... and don’t do it in front of a fan. Don't ask me how I know.
- Mix the oil, vanilla, coconut milk, and water together, then add a little at a time (you may not need all of it), and mix thoroughly, making sure that all the dry ingredients are properly incorporated. You should end up with a glossy, gloopy substance that’s not dissimilar to Odo when he’s resting in his bucket aboard Deep Space 9.
- Tip Odo into the rice cooker bowl (no way to treat a Founder, I know…. but hey, brownies), flip the switch to cook, and go and do something to distract yourself for a while.
- Once the cooker switches over to keep warm let it rest for a couple of minutes, and then switch it back onto cook.
- Do this around seven more times, or until you can stab Odo, and the knife comes out clean. It should take around an hour and a half to two hours but it really depends on your rice cooker. Mine is just a very basic one, which simply has cook and keep warm functions.
- Remove the rice bowl from the cooker, let it stand for a little while to cool off, then release your now-cooked Founder from his bucket.
- Cut into squares (or whatever shape you like), and once cool, dredge with cocoa powder.
- At this point, you can either; a) share with, and impress, your loved ones, or b) do your best impression of Crabbe and Goyle, and scoff the lot. Cor!
Notes
- Peanut Butter: 130g (c.½ cup) crunchy peanut butter (preferably with no added sugar, salt, or oil). Reduce the amount of coconut oil by about a third. Add during step 2.
- Raisins: 150g (c.1 cup) of raisins added during Step 2, and mixed in well.
- Chilli: ½-1 teaspoon of dried chilli flakes added during Step 1. Unless you want Brownies of Mordor, do not add more. Trust me on this.
- 1 cup = US cup = 240 ml
- 1 tablespoon = US/UK = 15 ml
- 1 fl oz = US = 30 ml
Want more chocolatey yums? Check these out while you're here!
Yoyo
Hi, do you use coconut milk drink (like I'm a carton) or the heavier coconut milk found in a can?
Nico
Hi Yoyo... definitely canned! I never use coconut milk drinks - only coconut milk! xx
Anna
I've been looking for an awesome sweet treat to make and I think I finally found one that suits my rice cooker which also have simple cook and keep warm options 🙂 Is it ok if I used almond milk instead of coconut milk?
Nico
Hi Anna - yes, almond milk will work just as well. 🙂 xx
Honestmum
These look incredible, I can' t believe you made them in a rice cooker x
Nico
So lovely to see you here, Vicky - thanks for popping by!
They're pretty fab, aren't they? The look considerably more squidgy without the cocoa over the top (no less delicious though)! xx
Corina
These look amazing - just like traditional brownies! I have to say I am a total brownie addict and often buy them when I'm out. I can't resist the lovely gooey texture. I've actually got some vegan sweet potato brownies baking in the oven at home right now and I'm hoping they taste as good as the mixture tasted so I can share them on my blog soon! Thanks so much for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice! x
Nico
Ooh, sweet potato brownies.. yum! I look forward to the blog post, Corina! Funny you should say about being a total brownie addict! I need more brownies in my life! xx
Elinor Kugler
Wow Nico! Just for these, I'm about to head out and go buy myself a rice cooker! I would never have thought of that. They look too good to be true! You've got me seriously craving chocolate right now! 🙂
Nico
Needs must when you're desperate for brownies, Elinor! There are definite upsides to living in tiny apartments! LOL! xx
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
That's such a nifty idea! I do love my rice cooker (and brownies!)
Nico
Rice cookers are great, aren't they, Rebecca? One of my friends makes apple crumble (apple crisp) in hers. I haven't tried that one yet... but I shall! xx
Eb Gargano / easypeasyfoodie.com
How clever - I had no idea that you could make brownies (or anything other than rice) in a rice cooker. They've come out looking totally fab! Thanks for linking up to #CookBlogShare 🙂 Eb x
Nico
I didn't either, Eb, until I had no kitchen! In an effort to save some money, just before we moved up to Mae Hee, we spent a few months living in a studio apartment in Chiang Mai; not only did it not have a kitchen, we had to do the washing up in the shower! You learn to cook a lot of things in a rice cooker! Ha ha ha! xx
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
Ooh you're so clever! I've actually never had a rice cooker, I just use a normal saucepan, but I love your innovation with these 🙂
Nico
True confession... I'm rubbish at cooking rice in a pan. I need to up my game in that respect! Rice cookers are brilliant though, and you can cook enough for the entire day - so convenient. (See how I still think like a Thai when it comes to rice?!) xx
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
Hehe well I would never eat rice more than once in a day, so a pan is enough for me! 😉 I just cook it like I do pasta - cook it in plenty of water, then drain it. Easy!
Nico
I often eat rice several times a day, Becca - when I had my dental surgery last year, it was one of the few foods I could eat that didn't hurt my mouth! I also tend to make extra whenever I cook a batch of rice anyway, for making emergency fried rice! LOL! xx
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins
Mmmmm yum! I love this recipe but I love your stories too. Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
Nico
Awww, thank you, Kirsty - so kind of you to say so! xx