Flourless Paleo Tahini Brownies

Gluten-free, Grain-free, Dairy-free, Refined Sugar-free 

I have no shame in my game: I am a sucker for a brownie. I am borderline obsessed with them. 

When I was younger, one of my favorite treats was that boxed brownie mix, the super fudge one. That super fudge one came with this packet of fudge sauce (probably loaded with weird chemicals) that my sister and I would fight over. No, we did not put it in the brownies, we just ate it. 

I think that we only wanted to make the brownies so that we could lick the bowl afterwards (as you do). 

Now, at the wise old age of 32, I don’t use box mixes anymore, but I still have that same childish glee when making brownies. But that childlike glee is paired with an examining eye. I will always be striving to make the perfect brownies. I am not talking about brownies made with all the usual suspects: butter, sugar, flour. I am talking about brownies that are made without those things, but looking for the same taste and texture. 

There are few special ingredients in these brownies that give you that seriously fudgy interior, but a crispy exterior. 

The Darker the Chocolate the Better

When it comes to brownies, I take my ingredients pretty seriously, The better chocolate you use, the better the flavor of the brownie. I only use chocolate that has at least 70% cocoa solids. To give you an idea, semisweet chocolate chips have roughly 30 to 50% cocoa solids, along with cocoa butter, sugars and, sometimes, stabilizers. I make sure that I use a chocolate that does not contain any stabilizers like soy lecithin or additional oils. 

I love Taza because all the ingredients are organic and there are no stabilizers. But there are plenty of options out there just look at the ingredients and check the percentage of cocoa solids. 

Hello Coconut Oil

In my usual brownie recipe, it is all butter and I love butter, But making these dairy-free, I did not reach for my usual vegan butter. While vegan butter would work great in these brownies, I like to use virgin coconut oil because it imparts flavor as well as the fat. One of my little secret ingredients for brownies and chocolate cake is coconut extract. You don’t use enough to taste the coconut, but just enough to help the chocolate flavor pop. By using virgin coconut oil, you still get the coconut flavor and that little flavor pop. 

If you don’t have virgin coconut oil or would prefer to use something else, you can use vegan or dairy butter. If you do use a butter, use 4oz (1 stick). You can also use 1/3 cup of olive or avocado oil. 

Gimme Some Sugar 

Most importantly, do no use regular cane sugar. You won’t get that seriously fudgy brownie, You need brown sugar. I used coconut sugar because you get the flavor of brown sugar, but in a lower glycemic package. 

You can use a blend of coconut sugar and maple syrup (1/2 cup coconut sugar and 1/4 cup maple syrup), but you may have a runnier batter and need to bake them a little longer. 

Let’s Talk Tahini

I love tahini. I love that it provides a bit of a savory flavor against the sweet chocolate brownie. Adding a little bit of tahini to the batter gives some more fat, richness and nuttiness that take these over the top. And then there is the swirl. The swirl is easy to do, even if the tahini gets thick after mixing in the date syrup. 

I like to use a runnier tahini (like Soom foods or Whole Foods 365 Tahini) and store it in the fridge after I stir it (means less stirring each time I use it). 

If you don’t have tahini or don’t like it, then go for almond butter or sunflower butter. Whatever you like. 

Enough talk, let’s get to the brownies! 

Recipe

4oz dark chocolate (I used Taza Chocolate Wicked Dark Chocolate bars)

3 oz (about 1/3 cup) virgin coconut oil 

2 oz (about 1/4 cup) tahini 

3/4 cup coconut sugar 

2 large eggs, 

2 tsps warm water 

1/2 cup cocoa powder 

1 tsp flaky sea salt 

1/3 cup dark chocolate chunks (i used another chopped chocolate bar)

Optional Tahini Swirl

1/4 cup tahini

1-2 tsp date or maple syrup 

Preheat the oven to 350F and grease and line an 8inch baking dish. 

In a large heatproof bowl, combine the chocolate and the coconut oil. Melt together in a microwave or on a double boiler. Stir once the coconut oil is melted. It might take longer for the chocolate to melt. 

Once the chocolate and coconut oil are melted, add the tahini and whisk to combine. Add the water and whisk again until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking vigorously after each. 

Sift in the cocoa powder (don’t skip the sifting; clumps are cocoa powder are no fun) and mix in with a spatula. Add the chocolate chunks. 

Scoop batter into prepared dish and spread into corners. If you are doing the tahini swirl, combine the tahini and syrup in a small bowl. It will be a thick mixture, but no worries. 

Dollop the tahini across the top of the brownie batter. Using a butter knife swirl it into the brownie batter. Give the baking dish a few taps on the counter to get things to settle and remove any air bubbles. 

Bake for 22 to 24 minutes (don’t over bake). Let cool completely before slicing. 

These are delicious on their own, but if you want to go big, add some of your favorite dairy-free ice cream. 

Store at room temperature in an airtight container for a week or freeze for up to 1 month.