Vegan Chocolate Brownie Cake

The classic comfort dessert — chocolate brownies — is made with a minimum or fat and sugar in this vegan rendition. As brownies go, these are more cake-like than chewy. This is super easy, so don't wait for a special occasion to make this! Photos by Evan Atlas.

Makes 9 or 12 pieces

• 1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour or gluten-free flour mix
• ½ cup natural granulated sugar (you can also use
  coconut sugar or date sugar)
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup applesauce or vanilla coconut yogurt
• 2 tablespoons safflower oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup plain rice milk or other unsweetened or vanilla nondairy milk
• ½ cup vegan chocolate chips
• ¼ to ⅓ cup finely chopped walnuts, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the first 5 (dry) ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir together.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the applesauce or yogurt, oil, vanilla and rice milk. If needed, add just a little more to blend the wet and dry ingredients, but this should be a slightly stiff batter, Stir just until completely mixed, then stir in the chocolate chips and optional walnuts (reserve a few of the walnuts to scatter over the top, if you'd like).

Pour into a lightly oiled 9- by 9-inch pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sides of the cake begin to pull away from the pan, and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean (with the exception of the melted chocolate chips). Allow to cool in the pan until just warm, then cut into squares to serve.

• Sweet tooth still craving? Here are more Vegan Baking and Sweets.
• Enjoy more of VegKitchen’s Vegan Chocolate Desserts.
• Explore more of VegKitchen’s Easy Vegan Cakes and Pies.