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Grab a vegan breakfast brownie for a nourishing breakfast on the go! Easy to make with oats and carrots, these fudgy brownies are oil-free, gluten-free, and have 5 grams each of protein and fiber.
Begin Your Healthy Day with a Brownie
Your mornings are about to be amazing.
From this day forth, you can begin the day feeling virtuous, satisfied, and amped up on superfoods.
You’ll do it by eating one of thee great big breakfast brownies.
Recipe Benefits
- Vegan (dairy-free, egg-free)
- Gluten-free
- Oil-free
- 5 grams protein per brownie
- 5 grams fiber per brownie
- Flourless
- Very fast & easy (make the batter in a blender in seconds)
- No bananas
- Rich in healthy fats (from the nuts and/or seeds)
- Rich in antioxidants (from the cocoa powder)
- Inexpensive to make
Ingredients
The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post. Toggle between US Customary (volume) and Metric (weights) for preferred measurement option.
Moist, fudge-y, and freckled with chocolate chips, these breakfast treats are made with frugal, nutritious, familiar ingredients you probably have already. Here are the key players:
- rolled oats (any variety of rolled oats, such old-fashioned rolled oats or quick oats)
- carrots
- nuts, seeds or a combination (see notes; you can use nut butter, too!))
- nondairy milk (such as oat milk, soy milk, almond milk, or cashew milk)
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- coconut sugar (or the sweetener you prefer)
- vanilla extract
- salt & baking soda (the salt is always optional and/or adjustable)
- optional (but recommended): miniature chocolate chips (a small amount)
Carrots are the sneaky ingredient in these healthy breakfast brownies. They add moisture (think fudge-y texture), but also natural sweetness, so that the added sugar is limited to 1/3 cup (divided between 9 servings). There is something about getting vegetables first thing in the morning, too, that leads to standing taller and shining brighter!
The seeds (or nuts) provide structure to the brownies (akin to eggs in traditional recipes), as well as protein, healthy oils, and flavor (moreover, it’s only 2 ounces, about 1/3 cup).
Step by Step Instructions
Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.
- Preheat the Oven & Prepare Pan: Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line an 8-inch baking pan with nonstick foil or parchment paper. If you are ok with eating oil, you can, alternatively, spray with cooking spray.
- Blend the Wet Ingredients: In a blender, process the non-dairy milk and carrots until completely blended. Add the seeds or nuts to the blender. Blend until very smooth/creamy (no chunky bits).
- Add Dry Ingredients: Add the oatmeal, and blend until smooth (stop to scrape down sides of container, as needed). Blend, blend, blend until super smooth (use on/off pulses as needed, it will be thick).
- Spread Batter in Pan: Spread the brownie batter (it will be very thick) into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, if using.
- Bake the Brownies: Bake the breakfast brownies in the preheated oven for 18 to 21 minutes or until the surface appears dry and a toothpick inserted near the center of the pan of brownies comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached.
- Cool the Brownies: Place the pan on a cooling rack and cool the brownies completely (in the pan). Use the foil or parchment liner to remove the brownies from the pan and cut into 9 squares.
Add these to your collection of portable breakfast options, but if you have the time, sit down and savor every morsel. Because every morsel is noteworthy.
Don’t forget to share. Spread the love with brownies ♥.
Happy baking!
Storage
Store the brownies in an airtight container at cool room temperature for 2 days, the refrigerator for 1 week or the freezer for 6 months.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Sweetener Options: An equal amount of brown sugar, natural cane sugar, maple syrup, date sugar, agave nectar, brown rice syrup, date syrup, or honey (if you do not need these to be vegan) can be used in place of the coconut sugar.
- Nut and Seed Options: Use nuts, seeds or a combination of both. For example, walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, pepitas (green pumpkin seeds), sunflower seed kernels, or hemp hearts.
- Nut Butter / Seed Butter Option: You can swap the nuts / seeds with your favorite nut butter or seed butter. For example, peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter, tahini or pumpkin seed butter. Use the same weight of nut/seed butter (4 ounces/ 114 grams), which is 1/2 cup.
- Oat Flour Option: You can swap the rolled oats for an equal weight (133 grams) of oat flour. If using cups, 133 grams of oat flour equals about 1 cup oat flour plus 1 tablespoon.
FAQ
- How Should I Measure the Seeds / Nuts Without a Scale: If you do not have a kitchen scale, 4 ounces of finely chopped nuts, or whole pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) or sunflower seed kernels measures almost exactly 2/3 cup.
- Can I Use Roasted Seeds or Nuts in the Recipe? Yes! Roasted (or toasted) seeds or nuts boosts the flavor of the brownies to another level of deliciousness.
More Vegan & Gluten-Free Brownies
- Tiger Nut Flour Brownies {grain-free}
- Oil-Free Vegan Almond Flour Brownies
- 3-Ingredient Banana Fudge Brownies {grain-free, oil-free}
- Grain-Free Zucchini Brownies
- 5 Ingredient Banana Brownies {grain-free, oil-free}
- Black Bean Brownies
- Clean & Lean 70 Calorie Brownies
Breakfast Brownies
Equipment
- 1 8-inch (20 cm) square baking pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup nondairy milk, (e.g., oat milk, almond milk, soy milk, cashew milk)
- 6 ounces peeled carrots, cut into large chunks, (about 2 large)
- 4 oz nuts or seeds , (see notes below for options)
- 1 1/3 cups rolled oats, (certified GF, as needed)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar , (see notes below for options)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Optional: 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips, (strongly recommended!)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line an 8-inch (20 cm) baking pan with nonstick foil or parchment paper. If you are ok with eating oil, you can, alternatively, spray with cooking spray.
- In a blender, process the milk and carrots until completely blended. Add the seeds or nuts; blend until very smooth/creamy (no chunky bits).
- Add the oats, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, vanilla extract, baking soda and salt to the blender. Blend until smooth (stop to scrape down sides of container, as needed). Blend, blend, blend until super smooth (use on/off pulses as needed, it will be thick).
- Spread the batter (it will be very thick) into prepared pan, smoothing top. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, if using.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 21 minutes until surface appears dry and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached.
- Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Remove brownies from pan and cut into 9 squares.
Hi Camilla, do we cook the carrots before blending? At the initial blending, of carrots and plant based milk, is the results a liquid? Thanks
Hi Deborah,
No, the carrots are raw, they cook as the batter cooks. Yes, the carrots and milk are a liquid-y mixture after blending.
Hi Camilla,
Can I use coconut oil or olive oil or rice oil instead of nuts or seeds? A book called Fit for Life states that we should only eat raw nuts and seeds, so is there anything I can use instead of the nuts and seeds in this recipe?
Hi Nicole,
I am guessing that would work (perhaps 2 tablespoons oil) plus about 1/3 to 1/2 cup extra oats (the nuts are adding fiber / volume, so you will need to make up for that).
Thank you
Welcome! 😉
These were amazing! Almost like fudge. No oil yet so moist. Oatmeal and carrots? How clever! And so simple. Another excellent and creative recipe.
Thanks so much, Marc! These are a favorite of mine, too.
Wow! I thought these might be ok, which is fine for breakfast, but they are really great! Only thing is I found them too thick to blend in my little blender, so I added some extra plantmilk. Yum!
Hi Camilla, do you think flaxseeds (ground) could be used in place of seeds here? I understand they have that gelatenous quality, do you think that would ruin the texture? I love your recipes. Thank you!
Mary, that sounds like a great idea, definitely worth trying!
These turned out soooo yummy!! Thanks!
Whoohoo, so glad to hear, and thanks for letting me know, Nicole!
I just bought your Power Hungry bar book. I made 2 recipes so far. I want let you know that they are amazing! I’m loving this book. I look forward to making more of the recipes. I have a question though. If I want to reduce the sweetness, how can I do that (since the syrups or honey are the “glue”)?
Hi there, Rachel, thanks for stopping by AND for buying my power hungry book! I completely understand re: the sugar. I have since figured out a few ways to make elements “glue” while reducing sugar. It will depend on the recipe, but here goes: one of the stickiest options is ground oats. So if the recipe calls for oats, finely grind part of the oats and add a touch more liquid. I have also come to love psyllium husk ; it is inexpensive and has super-power gluing powers. A little bit goes a long way; try reducing the added sweetener and replacing it with an equal amount of liquid PLUS about a teaspoon f psyllium husk. Flaxseed meal and ground chia work well, too, but I have had more success with the former than the latter. Also, simply processing ingredients finer and adding a touch more liquid in place of the sweetener can help hold everything together, despite less sugar. Hope some of these ideas help!