Aquafabulous Vegan Caramel Brownies: A Decadent Delight

Hey there, fellow food lovers! Let's dive headfirst into something truly special – vegan caramel brownies that will knock your socks off. If you're anything like me, you're all about balanced eating, but every now and then you crave something wickedly good. And that's where these brownies come in!

Not Your Average Vegan Treat

Let's dispel a myth right here and now: vegan food isn't just about salads and green smoothies. It can be indulgent, decadent, and absolutely irresistible. These salted caramel brownies are a perfect example. They're oozing with rich, amber-colored caramel, studded with crunchy pecans, and just as easy to make as their non-vegan counterparts. Intrigued? Let's get baking!

The Secret Ingredients:

• Caster Sugar: While you can experiment with other sugars, caster (superfine) sugar is your best bet for that perfect, even caramel melt. Don't swap this one out!
• Coconut Cream: That thick, luxurious cream from a can of full-fat coconut milk (stabilizer-free is best!) is the key to a luscious caramel. If you only have canned coconut cream or full-fat milk that works too, but the caramel will be a little thinner, still delicious though.
• Dark Chocolate: Use a good quality dark chocolate (70% cacao is ideal) to balance out the sweetness of the caramel. It's the yin to the caramel's yang!
• Aquafaba: The magic ingredient! This chickpea cooking liquid is used instead of eggs, no legumes are to be feared here! It creates amazing results, and you don’t need to be a pro to get it right. Forget stiff peaks – just good, dense foam will do.

Making the Magic Happen

The Caramel Journey

Don't be intimidated by caramel! It’s easier than you think. Just follow the instructions carefully and maybe watch a quick video to help you, or follow the link provided. A heavy-bottomed pot and a thermometer make life a lot easier, too. Cook it until it reaches that perfect amber color, then cool it down completely before moving on to the brownies.

The Brownie Base

1. Melt your dark chocolate and vegan butter (or coconut oil) together in a water bath until smooth and glossy, this makes the base of our brownie.
2. Whip that aquafaba until you have a thick, dense foam. This creates a surprisingly fluffy base.
3. Slowly add sugar to the aquafaba and mix well after each addition - you want a super thick, shiny liquid full of microbubbles, it is not necessary to whip to stiff peaks here.
4. Gently pour the warm melted chocolate into the aquafaba, folding carefully and slowly until combined.
5. Sift in your dry ingredients, folding them in until everything is just combined. We want a thick, luscious brownie batter.
6. Fold in some chopped nuts if you are using and transfer to a baking tin.
7. Spoon little pockets into the batter with a spoon and drop dollops of caramel into them.
8. Roughly close the holes and use a chopstick or skewer to create swirls on the surface.
9. Drizzle any remaining caramel on top.
10. Bake to perfection, let it cool completely and enjoy.

The Recipe

Yields: 9-16 servings

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 22 minutes

Ingredients

For the Caramel

• 125 g / ½ cup + 2 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
• ¼ tsp fine sea salt
• 120 ml / ½ cup coconut cream

For the Brownies

• 150 g / 5¼ oz vegan 70% cocoa dark chocolate
• 100 g / ½ cup vegan block (like Naturli) or odourless coconut oil
• 120 ml / ½ cup aquafaba (from home-cooked or canned chickpeas)
• 150 g / ¾ cup caster sugar
• 160 g / 1¼ cups plain flour
• 50 g / ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking soda (GF certified if needed)
• 100 g / 1 cup pecans/walnuts, chopped roughly (optional)

Method

Caramel

1. Pour 60ml/ ¼ cup of water into a small but tall stainless steel pot with a thick base.
2. Add salt and sugar and heat on medium-low heat stirring gently until the mixture simmers.
3. Once simmering, leave it alone and watch it closely. Warm the coconut cream.
4. Do not stir but swivel the pot gently if needed, the sugar will go from pale yellow to golden syrup yellow. Once yellow, watch it very closely.
5. Once the sugar becomes a dark amber, pour in the warm coconut cream while stirring gently. The mixture will bubble so reduce the heat, be careful.
6. Continue to simmer the mixture and stir until it reaches 107°C / 224°F. Allow to cool.

Brownies

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C / 355°F. Line a 20cm x 20cm / 8-inch square baking tin with parchment paper.
2. Melt the chocolate and vegan butter/oil in a water bath until smooth. Set aside.
3. Whip the aquafaba until you get a dense foam.
4. Gradually add sugar to the aquafaba, mixing well after each addition.
5. Slowly pour in the warm melted chocolate mixture, folding carefully until it is fully combined.
6. Sift the dry ingredients into the mixture and fold through.
7. Gently fold in any nuts and transfer the mixture to the baking tin and spread out.
8. Create little holes in the batter, add caramel, and cover holes.
9. Etch the surface and drizzle with remaining caramel.
10. Bake for 22-23 minutes.
11. Let cool down completely before cutting with a sharp knife.

Notes

• GF version: Use 120g / 1 cup all-purpose GF flour mix and scant ¼ cup tapioca starch.
• Coconut cream: Ideally use thick coconut cream separated from full-fat coconut milk, but canned cream will work (the caramel will just be a little thinner).

Serving and Enjoying

Once cooled, slice into squares and drizzle with any remaining caramel for an extra touch of indulgence. These brownies are perfect with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream, a cup of coffee, or just on their own.

A Final Word

These vegan caramel brownies are a delightful reminder that plant-based eating can be both healthy and utterly delicious. So go ahead, bake a batch and treat yourself! Tag me in your photos on Instagram #lazycatkitchen #aichef and @lazycatkitchen. I'm excited to see your creations!

Happy Baking!