Rich and fudgy, these oatmeal brownies are mouthwatering good! A healthy sweet treat that is naturally gluten-free and vegan. These oat flour brownies are easy and quick to make too!
These brownies taste pretty darn close to the real thing but are made with oats instead of regular wheat flour! Hence, they are rich in fiber and nutrients and are naturally gluten-free. Ultra fudgy and decadent, no one will know they are secretly healthy!
If you are looking for a healthy brownie that is higher in protein, I recommend checking out my vegan protein brownies!
💚Why you will love this recipe
- Fudgy, chocolatey, and irresistibly yum
- Healthier version of brownies that are vegan, gluten-free, and lower in sugar
- A fuss-free recipe that is one bowl and easy to fix
- Stores well and are freezable
🍫What you will need
📃Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Oats - Rolled oats or quick oats will both work in this recipe, and use certified gluten-free ones if needed. You can also use an equal amount by weight of oat flour in place.
- Cocoa powder - If possible, use higher quality ones like Ghirardelli cocoa or Cacao Barry Extra Brute. It does make a huge difference!
- Sugar - Although I am using coconut sugar here, feel free to substitute it with regular white sugar or brown sugar.
- Applesauce - I highly recommend using unsweetened ones. You can even make your applesauce at home! Check out this post on how to make applesauce by The Stay At Home Chef.
- Cashew butter - Can be substituted with other nuts or seed butter like peanut butter, almond butter, tahini, or sunflower seed butter.
🔪How to make
In a high-speed blender or food processor, blend oats until they turn into flour.
Transfer it to a mixing bowl, and add the rest of the dry ingredients. Stir to mix.
Next, add all wet ingredients into the mixing bowl. Using a spatula or spoon, stir until everything is well incorporated.
Transfer batter into a lined square baking pan. Optionally, top with a handful of chocolate chips.
Bake at 180C/350F for 22-25 minutes or until the brownies appear to be set.
Let it cool down completely, before slicing and serving. Enjoy your oatmeal brownies!
✔Helpful tips
- Weigh out ingredients with a scale to yield the best result. You can easily change the unit by clicking on the ‘metric’ button above the ingredient list. I am using this inexpensive Ozeri scale and highly recommend it!
- Avoid overbaking these oat flour brownies, as they tend to dry out easily. Do not wait until the toothpick is completely clean when inserted down the middle before removing it from the oven. Chances are you had already overbaked them!
- Remove oatmeal brownies from the baking tray and transfer them to a cooling rack 10-15 minutes after baking to prevent soggy bottoms.
- Let brownies cool completely before slicing into they tend to crumble easily when warm.
- To produce a clean cut, it is recommended that you use a sharp non-serrated knife or plastic knife to slice your brownies.
🥜Fun add-ins
- Nuts - Chop up pecans, walnuts, or almonds and throw them into the batter for extra crunch and flavor!
- Chocolate chips or chunks
- Candy bars or marshmallows - Chop up your favorite vegan candy bar and add them to the batter! Marshmallows work great too in these oatmeal brownies.
- Pretzels - If you like that sweet and savory combo, I highly recommend adding some crushed pretzels!
❄Storing suggestions
Fridge - These oatmeal brownies can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Alternatively, you could wrap them in saran wraps and keep them in zip-top bags.
Freezer - To freeze, simply place them in a sealed container, layering on a piece of parchment paper between each layer. They will stay well in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheating - For frozen oat flour brownies, let them thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for a couple of hours. If you like your brownies to be warm, heat them in the microwave for 10-second bursts, or the oven for 5-8 minutes at 180C/350F.
❔Commonly asked questions
These oatmeal brownies are naturally gluten-free as they are made with oat flour instead of regular wheat flour. If you have gluten sensitivity, I recommend getting certified gluten-free oats, as cross-contamination might occur during processing.
It is highly recommended that you slice the brownies after they have cooled down completely, as warm brownies are fragile and will crumble easily. Use a sharp, non-serrated knife or plastic knife to slice your brownies for a cleaner cut.
If your brownies turned out to be dry, it might be that you had overbaked them. Do not wait until the toothpick comes out completely clean before removing it from the oven, as they will continue to cook out of the oven.
When brownies appear to be set with a few moist crumbs attached to the toothpick when being inserted down the middle, it is done cooking.
🍨More healthy vegan desserts
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📖 Recipe
Healthy Oatmeal Brownies
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 1 ½ cups oats quick or rolled (use gluten-free if needed)
- ¾ cup coconut sugar or another granulated sweetener of choice
- ¾ cup cocoa powder *
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee
Wet ingredients
- ¾ cup applesauce **
- ½ cup milk plant-based or regular
- ¼ cup cashew butter or another nut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line a 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a high-speed blender or food processor, place in oats and blend until a flour-like consistency forms.
- Transfer oat flour to a large mixing bowl along with all the dry ingredients. Mix well.
- Next, add in all wet ingredients until everything is well incorporated.
- Carefully pour brownie batter into the lined baking pan. Optionally, top with a handful of chocolate chips.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the brownie appears to be set. You can also insert a toothpick down the middle to check for doneness. The toothpick should be fairly clean with some crumbs attached to it.
- After 10-15 minutes, remove brownies from the baking pan and transfer it to a cooling rack to cool down further. Once it is cooled down completely, slice them with a sharp non-serrated knife or plastic knife, and your oatmeal brownies are ready to be served!
Notes
- Weigh out ingredients with a scale to yield the best result. You can easily change the unit by clicking on the ‘metric’ button above the ingredient list. I am using this inexpensive Ozeri scale and highly recommend it!
- Avoid overbaking these oat flour brownies, as they tend to dry out easily. Do not wait until the toothpick is completely clean when inserted down the middle before removing it from the oven. Chances are you had already overbaked them!
- Remove oat flour brownies from the baking tray and transfer them to a cooling rack 10-15 minutes after baking to prevent soggy bottoms.
- Let brownies cool completely before slicing into they tend to crumble easily when warm.
- To produce a clean cut, it is recommended that you use a sharp non-serrated knife or plastic knife to slice your brownies.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
Amelia
Do you think substituting the nut butter for more applesauce in order to decrease fat would work?
Meesha
I have yet to try that, but I think it will work! The brownies might turn out a bit dry due to the lack of fat.