Decadent Mocha Brownies Recipe- Vegan, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free Alternatives

I know that many of my readers started reading my blog back when my blog wasn't particularly "diet specific", before I went gluten free, dairy free, egg free, and refined sugar free.
They were here when my blog was just about saving a buck, any way possible, and they probably have been a little disappointed that my recipes often contain more expensive or specialty ingredients, making it unsuitable for those on a stricter budget, even if my recipes tend to be on the cheaper end for being special diet friendly...
But I cook what I can eat, for the most part, which is why often my recipes aren't so cheap, because I either can't or don't want to eat the cheapo stuff because of health concerns.

But I really do like sharing recipes that can be suitable for all my readers, which is why I love sharing recipes like this- recipes that are suitable for vegans and not, for gluten free readers and for wheat eaters, for refined sugar eaters and for those who avoid refined sugars. Because then everyone wins.

This recipe is versatile. Its the yummiest brownie recipe that I've made in a long time. And I discovered it because I wanted to make a coconut sugar based brownie, so I googled "brown sugar vegan brownie recipe" to try to find a recipe with which I could work, and make adjustments until it suited my needs. I came across this recipe, cheapified it, made it gluten free, replaced the refined sugar with a healthier alternative (and yes, I consider brown sugar a refined sugar, even if it does have molasses added back in to it), and came up with this perfectly decadent brownie. But one caveat- if you're looking for a fudgy brownie, this isn't it- its more cakey, but that doesn't detract from its perfection.

P.S. You'd never know these brownies are vegan or gluten free or refined sugar free, they're that perfect!

Decadent Mocha Brownies Recipe- Vegan, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free Alternatives

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, or 1 3/4 cups all purpose gluten free flour mix (I use this homemade mix).
1/2 cup cocoa powder or carob powder
1 1/2 cups coconut sugar, sucanat, brown sugar, or white sugar (I used coconut sugar)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsweetened black coffee (I used instant, but brewed is fine)
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup oil (sunflower, melted coconut or palm oil, or whatever other mildly flavored oil that you have)

Instructions:
1. Mix all the dry ingredients together, making sure its evenly mixed.

2. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing thoroughly to ensure no clumps. It should be thick.

3. Pour the batter into a 9x9 inch pan, smoothing out the batter so it's level, and spread evenly, with no sections with more batter than another.

4. Place in an oven preheated to 350 degrees, and cook until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, approximately 30-45 minutes, depending on your own.

5. Enjoy! Serve either hot or cold.



Does this look like a recipe you'd try? Which version do you think you'd try? Are you a fan of mocha or chocolate? Do you prefer cakey or or fudgy brownies?