Vegan Fudge Brownies

These are hands down the moistest brownies that I have ever had! They are soo dense and chocolately - you would never believe me if I told you they were made with whole wheat and contained no butter or eggs. My little brother loved them and could not believe that they were vegan! But enough about the fact that these brownies are vegan.. the main reason you should make them is that they are ridiculously delicious!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder - Make sure your cocoa powder does not have traces of milk if you want these to be vegan

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

scant 1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup white sugar - I substituted with palm sugar for a healthier, lower-glycemic index brownie. You could also substitute with sucanat if desired.
1 and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/3 cup mini chocolate chips, carob chips, or chopped walnuts - For vegan brownies make sure the chocolate chips are dairy-free or substitute with carob chips and/or walnuts

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8" baking pan with tin foil so that it overlaps two ends of the pan. Lightly spray with a non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together to flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the applesauce, sugar, and vanilla extract.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until the batter is just combined. Fold in the chocolate/carob chips or walnuts. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and evenly spread it around the pan.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the sides begin to pull away from the edge of the pan and the middle is still slightly gooey. Don't worry if they aren't completely cooked all the way through, the brownies will firm up as they cool so don't overbake them! Cool the brownies on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before cutting and serving. Speed up cooling by placing them in the fridge. To cut, lift the brownies from the pan using the tin foil that overlapped the pan and place on a cutting board, then cut into 8 brownies.

These brownies are even better the day after you make them! Hopefully they last that long :)

*Recipe adapted from Peas and Thank You