Recipe: Cocoa-Cake Brownie Bites with Creamy Chocolate-Peanut Butter Frosting

This recipe was originally published on jazzyvegetarian.com.

Cocoa-Cake Brownie Bites with Creamy Chocolate-Peanut Butter Frosting

Makes 26 to 30 brownie bites

Ingredients

BROWNIES

• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry or whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons flaxseeds
• 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup sweetened nondairy milk, plus more on side
• 1/2 cup melted vegan margarine
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

FROSTING

• 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (55%)
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon peanut butter (you may use sunflower butter or sesame tahini, if desired)
• 3 tablespoons sweetened nondairy milk
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Thoroughly coat a 9-inch square baking pan with vegan margarine or vegan butter. Line the pan with unbleached parchment paper, leaving 2-inch wings on two sides of the pan.

Put the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and stir with a dry whisk until combined. Put the flaxseeds in a high performance blending appliance and process into fine flour. Add the ground flaxseeds to the flour/cocoa mixture and stir with the whisk until combined. Add the sugar and whisk until almost no lumps remain. Add the nondairy milk and melted margarine, and stir, just until moistened and no bits of dry flour remain. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons more of the nondairy milk, if the mixture seems dry. Fold in the pecans.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out clean. Put the brownies on a wire rack. Let cool for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the frosting, put the chocolate chips, peanut butter, nondairy milk, and maple syrup, into a double boiler. Cook, over low heat, until the chocolate chips melt, stirring occasionally, to thoroughly combine the frosting. Let cool 3 to 5 minutes.

Spread the frosting over brownies in the pan. Put the brownies in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the frosting to begin to set.

Holding on to the paper “wings,” transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut the brownies into 26 to 30 small rectangles, using a sharp serrated knife.

Transfer the brownies to the refrigerator, and let chill for at least 10 minutes more before serving. Covered, and stored in the refrigerator, the brownie bites will keep for about 3 days.