Oat brownies, breakfast brownies, whatever you want to call them, these are a good start to the day! In this case at least – these brownies are vegan, gluten-free, made with oat flour and sunflower seeds, and sugar-free, using dates as sweetener. With the oats, seeds, and coconut, it’s pretty much granola and that’s definitely morning appropriate.
BUT there’s chocolate in there (also healthy), and so much more fun than normal breakfast foods, obviously. These aren’t classic crinkle-top brownies, but they’re very good healthy ones, and something you really can feel good about having first thing in the morning.
I have tried these out without adding actual chocolate, just using the cocoa powder, and they’re still good. If you’re a bit of a breakfast purist and don’t think you should have chocolate in the morning (but you should) then you can leave it out, the brownies are still tasty on their own.
Want more chocolate for breakfast? Try my chocolate coconut overnight oats, chocolate beet muffins (my favourite), and spelt banana bread with chocolate chunks.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Oats: rolled oats are easiest, but quick-cook can also be used. Don’t use steel-cut oats.
- Chocolate: chips can be subbed for chopped chocolate, they’re just really expensive in Europe so I never buy them.
- Cocoa: I usually use regular cocoa powder because it’s what I have, and darker cocoa powder will make deeper flavoured and coloured brownies.
Recipe Notes
You can make these without a food processor – just use purchased oat flour and substitute almond meal for the sunflower seeds. You may need to increase the liquid a little bit as store-bought flour/meal are usually more finely ground, and I recommend weighing the ingredients if making this substitution.
If your dates are on the dry side, soak them in hot water for half an hour before blending. If they’re too dry the mixture won’t hold together properly, so this is an important step.
How to Store
Storage: these will keep, in a sealed container, for a couple of days at room temperature. Due to the high fruit content I recommend refrigerating them to store.
Freezing: freeze brownies in an airtight container for up to three months.
Newsletter
Expert Tips
- Don’t worry about over-mixing: there’s no fear of over-mixing here since it’s gluten-free, so stir away.
- Cool fully: make sure the brownies are completely cooled before slicing, or they may crumble when cut.
More Brownie Recipes
Double Chocolate Olive Oil Brownies
Strawberry Brownies
Almond Flour Brownies
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Oat Breakfast Brownies
Ingredients
- 100 grams rolled oats
- 75 grams raw sunflower seeds
- 45 grams unsweetened shredded coconut
- 40 grams cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 50 grams dark chocolate chopped
- 125 grams soft dates packed if using cups
- 80 grams coconut oil room temperature
- 180 ml non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a 20cm (8-inch) square baking tin with parchment paper.
- Add the oats and seeds to the base of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Blend on high speed until a coarse flour forms, then place the flour into a large bowl. Add the coconut, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Stir to mix, then stir in the chocolate.100 grams rolled oats, 75 grams raw sunflower seeds, 45 grams unsweetened shredded coconut, 40 grams cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 50 grams dark chocolate
- Place the dates and coconut oil into the food processor and blend until a smooth paste forms, a minute or two. Add the milk and pulse until combined (slowly or the milk will splash everywhere), then use a wooden spoon to stir the date mixture into the dry ingredients until no streaks of flour remain.125 grams soft dates, 80 grams coconut oil, 180 ml non-dairy milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Turn the batter out into the prepared baking tin and use wet hands to press it down into an even layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until they pass the toothpick test. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan before carefully removing and cooling fully on a wire rack.
- To serve like the photos, cut into 16 pieces and top with melted chocolate, coconut yogurt, berries, and coconut.
* For American cup measurements, please click the pink link text above the ingredient list that says ‘American’.
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
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