Day 23 of Vegan MoFo: Autumn Equinox Eats.
There is something special about a season changing; when the green leaves start to turn bright colours, ice cold glasses of fizzy kombucha turn into mugs of steamy tea, and we all get cozy in our thick knit sweaters. I hate to see Summer end but I love when Fall begins. The farmer’s market changes from berries, peaches, and corn to squash, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes. I no longer fear of turning on my oven and welcome roasted vegetables.
When I think of Autumn, I think of pumpkins. I don’t love roasted pumpkin so I usually stick to the canned version to make dessert or lattes. Raw canned pumpkin reminds me of baby food but when cooked in a recipe with lots of spices, it turns into a favourite. What else is my favourite? Chocolate.
Brownies may not seem like an Autumn Equinox recipe but when paired with pumpkin and warm spices, it gives me reason to celebrate shorter days and cooler weather. Mark, who claims not to love chocolate or pumpkin, loves these brownies. They are rich, fudge, and spiced with seasonal favourites. What isn’t to love about that?
What are your favourite Autumn eats?
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- 3 ounces vegan dark chocolate, chopped
- 5 tablespoons coconut oil + more for greasing the pan
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla
- 1½ tablespoons ground flax seed + 4 tablespoons warm water
- ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 cup organic cane sugar
- ¾ cup Bob Mill's 1:1 GF Flour Blend
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice blend
- 1 cup raw nuts (I used a mixture of pecan and almond), ground into a course nut flour
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8×8 inch pan with coconut oil. Create a sling using two pieces of parchment paper placed perpendicular to each other in the pan. Set aside.
- In a non-reactive bowl, add the chopped chocolate and set over a pot with a few inches of simmering water. Melt the chocolate until almost all the chocolate is completely melted. Add the coconut oil, cocoa, and vanilla. Stir until completely smooth and mixed. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, add the ground flax seed and water together in a large bowl, mix, and side aside until it becomes gel-like. Add the pumpkin puree to the flax mixture and stir.
- Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the bowl and stir until fully combined. Add the sugar and stir again.
- Add the flour, cornstarch or arrowroot, baking soda, salt and spices. Gently fold these ingredients into the chocolate mixture. Add the ground nuts and fold until completely combined.
- Transfer brownie batter to the prepared pan. Using your fingers, smooth out the batter until it is evenly distributed. Bake for 36-38 minutes.
- Allow the brownies to cool completely but taking them out of the pan and cutting. The batter is very soft when warm so this recipe needs some time to cool down.
- Serve with a Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte if you fancy!
Yes! These look incredible! I’ve been craving brownies like whoa, AND I have a personal goal to put pumpkin in as many things as possible this fall. This is exactly what I want to be eating right now
You and me both! Pumpkin everything!!!
Yum!
These look good! Is pumpkin puree literally just that, pureed cooked pumpkin? I can’t get canned pumpkin here.
Thanks! Yes, it is just pureed cooked pumpkin with no additional sugar or spices.