Vegan Lavender Brownies

It has been really hot here lately in Minnesota as we are at the peak of summer, and you would think that I would not want to heat up the oven to do any baking, but that is not the case!  I do love enjoying delicious baked treats year round after all!  While I was on my long run the other day, I was thinking that brownies sounded really good, so I had to make some later that day while I was in the comfort of air conditioning and had forgotten all about the heat outside. I have a bunch of lovely lavender from visiting the lavender farm earlier this summer, so I decided to make some Vegan Lavender Brownies!

One can not possibly be in a bad mood while baking brownies, the heavenly aroma alone makes me happy, plus enjoying the leftover batter in the bowl of course.  These are super simple to make and I had all of the ingredients on hand already which is always a win!  I used whole wheat pastry flour in these but if you prefer regular all purpose flour or even a gluten free baking flour (such as Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Baking Flour which I have tried and it worked well), feel free to use those instead.

I used coconut oil for the fat in these, because I had it on hand, but I have also made my brownies with melted vegan butter if you would prefer to use that, or if you don't want them to have a hint of coconut flavor.  These are incredibly rich and chocolaty thanks to the large amount of cocoa powder which happens to be the same amount as the flour.  I also thought they needed chocolate chips because who doesn't like extra chocolaty bits in their brownies?!  I added in just enough lavender to give a hint of the flavor but not overpower the brownies.

These smelled so heavenly while baking I could not wait to try them!  They turned out super delicious, so rich and fudgy with dark chocolate, just enough sweetness and a hint of floral lavender!  If you are in the mood for some brownie baking and are a fan of lavender, definitely give these Vegan Lavender Brownies a try!

Vegan Lavender Brownies

Makes 16

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp dried lavender flowers
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips or chunks

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and line a 9x9 inch square pan with parchment.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the flax seeds and water and set aside for a few minutes.
3. To a large bowl, add the oil, lavender and sugar, then the flax mixture and vanilla and whisk together until the sugar starts to melt into it.
4. Whisk in the salt and baking powder, then the flour and cacao powder until smooth.
5. Pour into the prepared pan, smoothing it to the sides and sprinkle with chocolate chips.
6. Place in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes until set.
7. Remove from the oven and let cool before cutting (if you want the brownies to come out nice, otherwise let cool 15 minutes and then enjoy some warm).

Brownies keep in the refrigerator for 1 week, or frozen up to 4 months.