Vegan brownies are brownies made with no animal by-products. A recipe for a true vegan brownie will not call for milk, eggs, or honey. Even the chocolate that is used in the recipe, which traditionally would contain milk, cannot have this animal by-product included in its list of ingredients. There are many recipes for vegan brownies, which differ greatly due to the ingredients chosen to be substituted for milk and eggs.
The biggest hurdle in creating vegan brownies is finding substitutes for the non-vegan ingredients in frequently found in recipes. A vegan brownie cannot contain any eggs or milk, which are commonly called for in these cake-like desserts. Eggs serve as a binder and a rising agent in brownies, so there needs to be a vegan substitute for this, such as arrow root or soy.
Dutch process cocoa can be used when making vegan brownies, as it contains no dairy products in it. It must be remembered that this type of cocoa does not contain sugar, so this must be figured into the recipe. A sweetener such as fruit juice or even pureed fruit can be used to provide the necessary sweetness. Most sugar is not a true vegan product, as an animal product called bone char is used during the refining process. Bone char renders most sugar useless for vegan recipes.
As for duplicating the deep chocolate taste of the traditional brownie, an ingredient that can be added to help create a moister and richer taste is beetroot. Adding grated beetroot will enhance the theobromine naturally found in cacao and the resulting chocolate made from it. This helps restore some of the qualities lost when substituting certain traditional ingredients for those that are vegan.
There are some who adhere to a vegan diet simply due to the fact that they choose to abstain from eating any animal by-products. There are also those who adhere to a vegan diet due to the fact that they have an allergy to dairy products. Whatever the reason chosen for adhering to a vegan diet, there are delicious and decadent ways to enjoy a brownie without compromising any vegan diet restrictions. With a bit of ingenuity, vegan brownies can be the ultimate chocolate indulgence.
