The Ultimate Vegan Carob-Cherry Brownie
That’s Better Than Chocolate
Are you looking for a delicious and healthy treat that is easy to make and vegan-friendly?
If so, you will love this carob-cherry brownie recipe that I have created for you. This brownie is moist, fudgy, and rich in chocolate flavor, but without any added sugar or dairy. It also has a hint of cherry that adds a fruity freshness to the decadent dessert.
Plus, it is made with wholesome ingredients like wholegrain spelt and teff flour, carob, cacao powder, aguafaba, banana, coconut oil, and erythritol or stevia.
The other day I had some cherries that needed to be used urgently, but I also wanted to bake something that with the kids we can enjoy during the week. I had some aquafaba (the leftover water from cooking chickpeas) and decided to give it a try with baking. The texture of the brownie turned out perfectly, it´s moist, but not too wet and does not dry out. The cherries give the cake a bit of a sour taste and crunchiness. Super delicious.
Carob is a natural sweetener that comes from the pods of the carob tree. It has a similar taste and texture to chocolate, but with less fat and caffeine, which makes it kid friendly. It also contains antioxidants, fiber, calcium, iron, and other minerals.
Aguafaba is the liquid from cooked chickpeas or other legumes. It can be used as a vegan egg substitute in baking, as it has similar properties to egg whites. It helps to bind the ingredients together and create a fluffy texture.
Erythritol or stevia are natural sweeteners that have zero calories and do not affect blood sugar levels. They are suitable for diabetics and people who want to reduce their sugar intake.
I used about 70 grams of erythritol and stevia mix, which doesn´t make the brownies super sweet. If you have a very sweet tooth you might need to adjust the added sweetener.
My recipe
Ingredients:
250 gr flour (I used wholegrain spelt and teff)
50 gr carob
30 gr cacao powder (no sugar added)
8 tbsp aguafaba
1 ripe banana
1 tsp baking soda
Juice of half a lemon
60-80 gr erythritol or stevia
80 ml coconut oil
250 ml water
Handful of cherries (it can be replaced with other fruits)
Preparation:
In a medium bowl smash the banana with a fork, add the aquafaba, the erythritol, lemon juice and mix them well.
In another bowl mix together the flour, carob, cacao powder and soda bicarbonate
Mix the dry and wet ingredients and start to add in the water. Depending on the flours you use you might need to adjust the amount of water. I used flours that absorb more water.
You can mix in the cherries, or you can put them on top of the dough once it is in the baking pan
I used a baking pan of 23 cm X 23 cm and as you can see the brownies are quite thick. If you prefer thinner slices use a longer and more rectangular baking pan. Bake it for about 20 minutes at 170 degrees. It´s ready when a fork or toothpick comes out without any dough after inserting it in the middle of the cake.
Enjoy your carob-cherry brownie with some vegan whipped cream or ice cream if you like. You can also store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month.
I hope you liked this recipe and found it easy to follow. If you try it out, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below. I would love to hear your feedback and suggestions.
With much love,
