Salted Hazelnut Brownie Loaf
This loaf really is the bees-knees. It is super decadent and delicious. What’s more? Not only is it delicious and the ultimate scrumptious treat, but it is also super healthy. You can literally have a slice of heavenly chocolate goodness for breakfast if you please.
This loaf is:
- Dairy-free
- Gluten-free
- Refined-sugar free
- Oil-free
- Vegan
- Paleo-friendly
Besides this, it is also: moist, fudgy, dense, soft, soothing, rich, and dark. Believe it or not, the base of this loaf is actually made from oatmeal. Yes, oats. Whoever thought the humble oat grain could be made into something as luxurious as the chocolate dessert of your dreams?
Cacao is one of the most anti-oxidant rich foods in the world – not to mention the variety of other vitamins and minerals that it contains that are vital for optimal human functioning like iron, magnesium, and calcium. It has also been suggested to help with depression, stress, anxiety, and heart health. Do we need any more reason to indulge in some beautiful cacao goodness?
Ingredients:
Dry Ingredients for the Loaf
- 2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup of coconut flour
- 1/8th cup of chopped semi-dried dates
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of Himalayan sea salt
Wet Ingredients for the Loaf
- 1 flax egg (1 tbsp. ground flax + 3 tbsp. water)
- 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
- 1/3 cup canned full fat coconut milk
- ½ cup grated apple (or 70g)
- 1 small banana (or 1/3 cup mashed)
- 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons of raw honey
- 2 teaspoons of liquid stevia
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Ingredients for the Ganache + Toppings:
- 3 tablespoons of honey
- 3 tablespoons full-fat canned coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 6 tablespoons cocoa/cacao
- Big pinch of sea salt
- 1/3 cup of roasted hazelnuts, chopped
- 2 tablespoons nut butter of choice (I used almond butter)
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius or 400 Fahrenheit. Prepare a loaf tin with parchment paper. Set aside for now.
- In a high-speed blender, place the rolled oats, cinnamon, salt and blend until the oats are flour-like consistency. Then place into a big mixing bowl and add in the remaining dry ingredients.
- In the same blender (I used a Nutri-Bullet), put all of the wet ingredients for the loaf and blend on high. You can either add the grated apple as it is (grated), or you can add to the blender too. Blend on high until everything is smooth and silky.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well until combined. Now place this mixture into your lined loaf tin and place into the preheated oven. As you put the tin into the oven decrease the heat to 180 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 35 minutes.
- While the loaf cooks, prepare your ganache. Start by placing the honey, coconut milk, and coconut oil in a small saucepan and bring it to gentle heat – just enough to melt and emulsify it. Now, add in ¼ cup of cocoa and mix well to ensure there are no lumps and bumps (you can sieve the cocoa to make sure it’s extra silky). And then add the remaining two tablespoons of cocoa one at a time, mixing thoroughly as you go. Add in the pinch of salt and mix. Set aside.
- Once the loaf is out of the oven and semi-cooled (let it cool in the loaf pan), pour the ganache all over the top of the cake and then top it with chopped roasted hazelnuts and a small extra sprinkling of sea salt. If you’re feeling extra decadent, which I highly recommend, dollop some drops of roasted almond butter (or hazelnut) on top too. Tuck in and ENJOY.
NOTES:
- I store mine in the fridge because it takes on an even fudgier consistency when it’s cold. But you can also keep it out of the refrigerator: it’s just as delicious!
- I used cocoa powder because I had a high-quality cocoa powder on hand. However, you can likely substitute it for raw