Vegan Peanut Butter Brownies - with a secret ingredient!
My delicious, healthy vegan peanut butter brownies are gluten-free, oil and fat-free, low-GI, protein-rich, and full of flavonoids, which are believed to help keep hunger at bay. Plus, y'know... they're brownies!
Line a 15cm x 15cm baking dish with baking parchment or silicone paper.
Put everything - except 2 tablespoon peanut butter and the chocolate - into a food processor, and whizz together on high speed for 3-5 minutes, scraping the sides down as necessary, until you have a very smooth batter.
Transfer the batter into the oven dish, spreading out evenly, then swirl in the remaining peanut butter and the chocolate pieces.
Bake in the centre of the oven for 35 minutes; the brownies will still be a bit gooey but that's fine, they're supposed to be like that. The top should look cracked and dry, and should feel slightly firm when lightly pressed.
Set aside to cool for 15 minutes, and then score into 16 pieces.
Leave to cool completely before eating - they'll firm up as they cool. If you're really impatient, you could put them in the 'fridge to cool off!
Assuming they are around that long, these brownies will keep for a week if stored in an airtight container.
Notes
If you use ready-made peanut butter (you'll need 150g), you'll have to re-jig the nutritional data because I've calculated for peanut flour, made up with water. Likewise, if you choose to make up the peanut flour with oil, you'll have to do a bit of maths.I've found that the best agave nectars are the ones which are heated to lower than 47°C. Dark agave nectar is filtered less than its light (or mild) counterpart, and has a taste similar to that of maple syrup. If you are low- or slow-carbing, it's a great choice, since it has a lower glycaemic index than cane or beet sugar. Plus of course, unlike most traditionally-refined sugars, which are filtered using charred animal bones, agave nectar is completely vegan.