Eggless Oat Flour Brownies
- 15 min prep
- 100 min
- Bake
- Serves 9
- 305 kcal
- 4 g protein
Dense, fudgy chocolate brownies made with oat flour and curd instead of maida and eggs. One bowl, no mixer, and a shiny top that slices clean once chilled.
Ingredients
- 100 g dark chocolate, chopped
- ½ cup (110 g) butter or ½ cup (110 ml) neutral oil
- ¾ cup (150 g) sugar (brown, white or a mix)
- ½ cup (120 g) thick curd, at room temperature
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (100 g) oat flour
- ⅓ cup (30 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup (45 g) chocolate chips or chopped walnuts
Method
- 1Heat the oven to 175°C. Line an 8 inch (20 cm) square tin with baking paper with an overhang. In an OTG, bake on the lower-middle rack with both rods on.
- 2Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, or in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring until smooth.
- 3Whisk the sugar into the warm chocolate for a full minute; this dissolves some of the sugar and helps form the shiny top. Let it cool for 5 minutes, then whisk in the curd, milk and vanilla until glossy.
- 4Sift the oat flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt over the bowl and fold with a spatula until no dry streaks remain. Fold in the chocolate chips. The batter will be thick.
- 5Spread into the tin and smooth the top. Bake for 22 to 26 minutes, until the edges are set and slightly pulling away, the top looks dry, and a toothpick in the centre comes out with moist crumbs but no wet batter.
- 6Cool in the tin for at least 1 hour, then lift out and cut into 9 squares with a knife wiped clean between cuts. For the neatest squares, chill for 30 minutes first.
Notes from the Department
- Take them out a minute early rather than late. Overbaked oat flour brownies turn cakey and dry.
- Weigh the oat flour if you can; packed scoops make heavy, dull brownies.
- For a stronger chocolate flavour, dissolve ½ tsp instant coffee in the milk.
Nutrition per serving
- Energy
- 305 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbohydrate
- 35 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 3.5 g
- Sugars
- 23 g
Why this works
Brownies need very little structure; their charm is that they barely hold together. That makes them ideal for oat flour, which has no gluten. Melted chocolate and butter carry the fudginess, curd adds moisture and a little protein to stand in for eggs, and a small amount of baking powder and soda keeps the squares from being heavy. Whisking the sugar into warm chocolate gives the top a shine; without eggs it will not always crackle like a classic brownie, and that is fine.
Oat flour at home
Grind rolled or quick oats in a dry mixer jar until fine, then sift. One cup of rolled oats gives a little under a cup of flour. For a strictly gluten-free tray, use oats labelled certified gluten-free and check the chocolate label, as a few brands add barley malt.
Swaps
Oil in place of butter gives a slightly fudgier, more even square. For a vegan version, use oil, thick coconut yoghurt instead of curd, plant milk and dairy-free chocolate. You can use jaggery powder, but the brownies will be less shiny and more cake-like. Walnuts, roasted peanuts or a swirl of peanut butter on top all work.
Serving
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, or cold from the fridge, when they are at their densest. The Ministry suggests one square; it accepts that this is advisory.
Storage
Keep covered at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5. They freeze well for a month; thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Questions people ask
- Can you make brownies with oat flour instead of maida?
- Yes. Brownies need little gluten, so oat flour swaps in well at the same weight. Expect a slightly softer, more delicate square that is easier to cut once chilled.
- What replaces eggs in eggless brownies?
- Here it is thick curd plus a little milk, which adds moisture and helps bind. A small amount of baking powder and soda gives the lift eggs would have provided.
- Why are my eggless brownies gooey in the middle?
- A slightly moist centre is normal and firms up as they cool. If the batter is still wet on a toothpick after 26 minutes, give them 3 to 4 more minutes and let them cool fully before judging.
Inspired by The Conscious Plant Kitchen. Method, notes and photograph by the Ministry of Oats.
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