Because it’s the start of December and officially festive season, I thought I’d pop a little treat up! This recipe was inspired by a trip into Costa coffee with my parents while we were going around Manchester Christmas Markets. At the counter of sweet treats I spotted a very indulgent brownie with crumbled ginger sponge on top and a caramel sauce…So this is my healthy take on it – completely gluten, dairy and refined sugar free AND it’s vegan friendly. Did I also mention it tastes incredible?!
Ingredients:
For the gingersnaps –
- 1 cup ground almonds or almond flour (I used Sukrin)
- 1 cup oats, whizzed up in a blender to form a flour (I used Mornflake)
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil (I used Lucy Bee)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (I used Meridian)
- 2 tablespoons almond milk (I used Plenish)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the brownies –
- 1 cup oats, whizzed up in blender to form a flour
- ½ cup almond flour or ground almonds
- 2 tablespoons flaxseeds (I used Linwoods)
- 4 tablespoons cacao powder (I used Bioglan)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar (I used The Coconut Company)
- ½ cup unsweetened apple puree or cooked apples
- 3 tablespoons tahini (I used Meridian)
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons almond milk
- 1 teaspoon apple cider or white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
For the caramel sauce –
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened chestnut puree/spread (I used St Dalfour)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
To decorate: melted dark (vegan) chocolate, cacao nibs, freeze-dried raspberries
Get baking!
- First make the gingersnaps: Mix together the ground almonds/almond flour, oat flour, ginger and baking powder in a bowl. Gently melt the coconut oil and maple syrup/date nectar, then remove from the heat and stir into the dry ingredients along with the almond milk and vanilla. Mix well to form a soft dough. Roll into a large ball, wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.
- Now make the brownie mixture: Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C and lightly grease both a deep square baking tin and a large baking sheet.
Mix together the oat flour, cacao powder, flaxseeds, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, coconut sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. Place the cooked/pureed apples in a blender along with the tahini, maple syrup, almond milk, vanilla and vinegar then whizz up until completely smooth (I use my Ninja Kitchen Nutri Ninja).
Pour this along with the melted coconut oil into the dry ingredients and fold in to combine – you want quite a thick chocolate batter. - Time to bake both the brownies and the gingersnaps: Spoon the brownie mixture into the prepared tin, smooth out and bake for a total of about 30 minutes, until risen slightly and firmed up (it will still be a little soft) – leave to cool then cut into 9-12.
For the biscuits, remove the dough from the fridge, roll out onto a dusted surface and stamp out circles or shapes to use the mixture up. Place on your prepared baking sheet and bake for about 12-15 minutes, until just starting to go golden and firm. Leave to cool completely. - While your brownies and biscuits are cooling, make caramel: Simply whisk all of the ingredients together and keep in a jar or tub in the fridge for at least 30 minutes – this will firm up slightly.
- When you’re ready to serve, cut the biscuits into pieces. Spread a layer of the caramel on top of each brownie to cover, arrange a biscuit on top, drizzle each with a little melted chocolate then scatter over cacao nibs and freeze-dried raspberries. Now enjoy!
Keep remaining brownies (unfrosted) in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Keep the caramel in the fridge for up to 1 week. Store the biscuits in an airtight container for up to 2 days.