The Best Vegan Oat Flour Brownies (Oil-free, Gluten-free)

Indulge in a delicious and guilt-free treat with these vegan oat flour brownies. Oil-free, gluten-free, and made with all plant-based ingredients, these brownies are rich, fudgy, and sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Why You Will Love These Brownies

Should I try to convince you that you need to make a batch of fudgy chocolate brownies?

I could, but sometimes photos are more persuasive than any sentences I can string together. Take a gander, above, and below: these beauties are every bit as delicious as they look.

Once you read the list of benefits that follow, I am even more convinced that YOU will be convinced :).

Recipe Benefits

• Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
• Gluten-free
• Nut-free (i.e., no walnuts, pecans, cashews, seeds, tahini, seed butter, cashew butter, almond butter, or peanut butter)
• Seed-free
• Oil-free (i.e., no coconut oil, butter, margarine or vegetable oil)
• Ready in under 30 minutes
• Made in one bowl

Ingredients for the Vegan Brownie Recipe

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.

• Oat flour (certified gluten-free oat flour, or grind your own)
• Cooked or canned white beans (I use butter beans; cannellini or Great Northern will also work)
• Coconut sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Cold strong-brewed coffee (see notes for options)
• Pumpkin puree (canned, unsweetened)
• Unsweetened cocoa powder (or raw cacao powder)
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips (or other dark chocolate chips; dairy free, as needed)

Benefits of Oat Flour

Oat flour is an easy-to-use gluten-free flour. You can use store-bought oat flour, or make your own (in seconds) using the rolled oats in your pantry by grinding the oats to a fine powder in your blender (e.g., a regular blender, smoothie-size blender, or high speed blender.

Note: food processor do not grind oats into a fine flour (only a rough meal). This recipe needs to be made with very finely ground oats with a floury consistency.

Tip: make sure the package indicates that the oat flour, or rolled oats (if you are grinding your own flour) is certified gluten-free. Oats do not contain gluten, but they can have traces of gluten from being grown near gluten-containing grains.

Oat flour is simply ground oats, hence it has all of the same benefits as rolled oats, steel cut oats, and whole oat groats. Notably, it is:

• Gluten-free
• Lectin-free
• One of the only grain flours/grains that is alkalizing to the body
• An excellent source of B vitamins
• A good source of protein (16 grams per cup)
• Excellent source of soluble fiber
• Easy to digest in general
• Low in cost compared to other gluten-free flours (such as almond flour or quinoa flour)

Check out more of my millet recipes here.

Step by Step Directions

Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.

• Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line the bottom of an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper. If you do not need the brownies to be completely oil-free, lightly spray or grease/oil the sides of the pan.
• In a food processor or blender, process the beans, pumpkin, coffee, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla until completely smooth and silky in appearance, stopping several times to scrape down the sides of the processor bowl or blender (see photo above).
• Add the dry ingredients (oat flour,  baking powder, and optional salt) to the wet ingredients in the processor or blender. Pulse several times until blended.
• Spread the brownie batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Sprinkle with the chocolate chips (I like to push some into the batter and leave the remaining chips right on top).
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until just barely set near the center. 
• Remove from oven and cool completely on a cooling rack. Cut or slice into squares.

Taste & Texture of these Vegan Gluten Free Brownies

These oat flour gluten-free brownies have a a rich and decadent chocolate flavor. They are definitely fudgy brownies, not cakey brownies.

With a heap of healthy ingredients (beans, pumpkin and oats), you can definitely enjoy one of the brownies as a healthy snack or dessert. But you can also go all out and serve in a small dish with a scoop of your favorite dairy-free ice cream or sorbet.

Tips for Success and Variations

• Avoid Dark Metal Baking Pans: Dark baking pans are not good for baking brownies. They can overly darken or burn the bottoms of cookies. For best results, use ceramic, glass, or light colored metal baking pans for even baking.
• Check Brownies at the Minimum Baking Time: Begin checking the brownies for doneness at the earliest suggested baking time. The brownies are done when the center is just barely set. The brownies will firm up more as they cool.
• Flavor Variations: The brownies can be varied in multiple ways. Swap out the coffee for full-fat coconut milk for extra richness and a subtle coconut flavor. or add a 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon for Mexican brownies. Add some other mix-ins (e.g., chopped nuts or seeds) in addition to the chocolate chips, or change the extract from vanilla to almond or rum.
• Keep the Chocolate Chips: The chocolate chips add extra sweetness that is important for balancing out the strong flavor of the brownies. I do not recommend omitting them.

FAQ

• What is the best way to store the Vegan Oat Flour Brownies? Store the cooled leftovers in an airtight container at cool room temperature for 2 days, the refrigerator for 1 week, or the freezer for up to 6 months. 
• Is there an alternative to using oat flour? I have not tested the recipe with other flours besides oat flour. The recipe might work with an equal weight of other flours (e.g., all-pupose gluten-free flour), but I cannot predict the results.
• What type of cocoa powder should I use? You can use any variety of unsweetened cocoa powder you have on hand, or prefer. This includes common “baking” cocoa, dutch-processed cocoa, and raw cacao. The latter two options will produce brownies with a much stronger, bittersweet chocolate flavor.
• What can I use in place of coconut sugar An equal amount of another granular sweetener, such as brown sugar or cane sugar, can be used in place of the coconut sugar. An equal amount of liquid sweetener (e.g., maple syrup or agave nectar) can be used with the addition of an extra tablespoon of oat flour.
• What can I use in place of the coffee? You can swap the coffee for an equal amount of non-dairy milk (e.g., almond milk, oat milk, hemp milk, cashew milk), or water.
• Can I use instant espresso powder or coffee powder in place of brewed coffee? Yes! Mix 2/3 cup water with 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder or 2 teaspoons instant coffee powder.
• What can I use in place of baking soda? You can use 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder if you do not have baking soda. If you cannot consume baking soda, leave it out. The brownies will be more dense, but still delicious.
• Can I substitute another ingredient for pumpkin? Most likely, yes. I have only tested the recipe with pumpkin but substituting an equal amount of pureed raw zucchini, mashed very ripe bananas, or thick applesauce should work.

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