Cherry and Coconut Vegan Brownies
Luminary originally started as a wholesale bakery, supplying cafes with cakes and cookies. If you know where to look, you’ll still find our bakes for sale in many cafes across London. These brownies are one of our stockists’ favourites – loved by vegans and non-vegans alike – and with good reason: they’re fudgy and rich, and bursting with juicy cherries and creamy coconut. You wouldn’t believe they don’t contain butter or eggs! They’re perfect with a cup of coffee or warm from the tray.
MAKES 12
4 tsp (10g) ground flax seeds
60ml hot water
300g plain flour
300g soft light brown sugar
60g cocoa powder
40g desiccated cocunut, plus extra to decorate
½ tsp salt
130g coconut oil
120g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
170ml coconut milk drink (we us Alpro, see tip)
200g frozen pitted cherries (fresh are even better, just a bit more expensive)
TIPS
When flax seeds (also known as brown linseeds) are ground up and mixed with water, they form a gelatinous consistency that’s perfect as an egg replacement and used here to bind the brownies together. You can find them pre-ground in most large supermarkets, usually in the health food section.
Any alternative milk will work in this recipe (almond, oat, soy…), but we love the added flavour that the coconut one brings.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas mark 4. Line a 20 × 25cm baking tin with baking paper.
In a small bowl, mix together the ground flax seeds and hot water and set aside for about 10 minutes to thicken.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa, desiccated coconut and salt until there are no lumps and it’s uniform in colour.
Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan over a low heat, then remove from the heat and tip in the chocolate. Stir the chocolate into the oil until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is silky and smooth. If it hasn’t all melted, return it to a gentle heat to warm through briefly.
Mix the lemon juice, vanilla extract, coconut milk drink and thickened flax-seed mixture into the chocolate-oil mixture.
Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, pour in the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
Spoon the batter into the lined tin and smooth out flat with a spatula.
Dot the top of the batter with the cherries, pressing them in slightly, and dust the top with a little extra desiccated coconut.
Bake for 20–25 minutes until set but still a little wobbly in the middle. Allow them to cool completely in the tin before cutting into 12 equal squares.
