Ever since I have been in primary and secondary education my mum has baked up healthy treats for my brother and I’s packed lunches. Whilst I have moved on from this chapter of my life my brother still has a few pages of it to go so we try and make sure there’s still nourishing baked goodies for him to take away to school.
Typically he is sent off with flapjacks or fruit and coconut muffins but he’s been begging my mum and I for brownies. I devised this to satisfy all guardians worry that they are sending their kids off to school wholesome, brain food that as well as pleasing every kid’s sweet tooth. My brother doesn’t eat a plant based diet but, before I had time to prewarn him when he arrived home from school that these brownies were vegan he had devoured two straight for the tin before they were even cool and was exclaiming how delicious and gooey they were!
These brownies are moist and chocolatey, marbled with chunks of natural peanut butter (I use either homemade or ‘Meridian’). Peanut butter and banana is a classic combination and work exceptionally in these brownies. The molten globules of pure peanut butter with no added palm oil or sugar offsets the rich chocolate whilst the bananas provide the essential gooiness that all brownies need as well as acting as a natural sweetener. The more ripe your bananas the sweeter the brownies will be however, if you have overripe bananas but aren’t ready to bake something store them in the freezer. When you’re ready to use them just take them out about an hour or so before, so they can thaw.
Simple, scrumptious and nutritious these brownies are almost as quick and easy to make as they are to devour!
(This recipe makes 12 brownies)
INGREDIENTS:
- 200g dark chocolate (chopped) (I used ombar chocolate)
- 175ml sunflower oil/melted coconut oil
- 15g chia seeds
- 100g unrefined palm sugar/coconut sugar
- heaped tbsp raw cacao powder
- 125g wholemeal plain flour
- pinch of ground sea salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- x2 large ripe bananas (mashed) (roughly 225g)
- 100g pure peanut butter
METHOD:
1. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees, place the chocolate and oil in a large heatproof bowl and place it in the warming oven stirring occasionally until the chocolate has melted. Meanwhile grease and line an 8inch square cake tin, then grind the chia seeds to a powder before mixing in a small bowl with 100ml of water then leaving it to thicken which should take around 10 minutes.
2. Once the chocolate has melted whisk in the sugar, cacao, flour salt and baking powder when everything is combined add the mashed banana whisking until incorporated. Then pour the gloopy mixture into the tin, shake the tin to level out the mixture. Finally, blob teaspoonfuls of peanut butter over the mixture and then wobble a knife or skewer through the peanut butter creating voluptuous swirl. Place in the oven for 40-45 minutes until it is a darker brown at the edges, slightly cracked and firm on top. A skewer should come out clean when inserted with the odd crumb but don’t worry, inside it will still be irresistibly soft and gooey.
3. Leave the brownies to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes before you slice them. Once completely cool, any left overs will last upto 5 days stored in a cool, dry place in an airtight container.
