Vegan & Gluten-free Brownies

Necessity (and curiosity) led to these brownies. I had leftover dates from my sticky toffee pudding experiments and wondered if they could create a fudgy base. I also wanted to make them gluten-free (using ground almonds and cornflour) and vegan (no dairy or eggs). Luckily, I had pecans on hand—my favourite nut—so I swapped them in for walnuts. Olive oil adds moisture and complements the chocolate, while a touch of coffee deepens the cocoa flavour. The result? Chewy edges, gloriously gooey centres, and a brownie that’s not too rich, nutty, or sweet—just extremely moorish.

Vegan & Gluten-free Brownies
Vegan & Gluten-free Brownies

Serves 18-24

Hands-on Time 15 minutes (plus steeping)

Baking Time 35 minutes

Print friendly version

Ingredients

  • 2 teabags

  • 250ml boiled water

  • 200g pitted dates

  • 200ml olive oil (plus extra for greasing)

  • 200g light brown sugar

  • 1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

  • 60g cocoa powder

  • 90g ground almonds

  • 10g cornflour

  • 1 tsp instant coffee powder (fine)

  • 1/2 tsp fine salt

  • 200g pecans

Equipment

  • Bowl

  • Baking pan, deep-sided (25cm x 20cm)

  • Baking parchment

  • Food processor

  • Spatula

  • Wire rack

Method

1. Prepare the tea and dates

  • Steep the teabags in boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove the teabags and add the dates. Let them soak for at least 1 hour.

2. Preheat the oven

  • Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C (fan)/325°F/Gas Mark 3.

  • Grease the baking pan with olive oil and line with parchment.

3. Make the brownie batter

  • Blend the soaked dates and 50ml of the tea in a food processor until smooth.

  • Add the light brown sugar, 200ml olive oil, and vanilla extract. Blend until combined.

  • Add the cocoa powder, ground almonds, cornflour, coffee powder, and salt. Blend again.

  • Pulse in 100g pecans until chunky pieces remain.

4. Assemble and bake

  • Transfer the batter to the lined pan and smooth the top.

  • Sprinkle the remaining pecans over the batter, pressing them down lightly.

  • Bake on the middle shelf for 35 minutes. If the pecans brown too quickly, cover with foil after 30 minutes.

5. Cool and serve

  • Let the brownies cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

  • Slice and enjoy!

Enjoy!

Vegan & Gluten-free Brownies
Vegan & Gluten-free Brownies