Vegan Rocky Road Brownies

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 ºF with a rack placed in the center. Spray a 9 inch square baking dish with oil. Cut a piece of parchment to fit the bottom with a couple extra inches to climb up the sides. Place parchment over greased dish with the overhang for easy brownie removal after baking.

Step 2

In a large mixing bowl sift together the flour, dutch process cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Step 3

In a small pot combine the milk, yogurt and sugar. Heat over low heat, stirring regularly, until hot but not bubbling (~120 ºF, you don't need to check the temperature with a thermometer, it should be hot but not simmering). Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is a bit glossy. Turn off the heat and add the chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the oil and the vanilla extract and stir to combine. If mixing in chocolate chips for rocky road brownies, set aside and allow the mixture to cool for 15-20 minutes so they won't melt, otherwise, skip ahead.

Step 4

Once the melted chocolate mixture is has cooled to lukewarm, add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined and no dry spots are left. If making rocky road brownies, add most of the chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, and vegan marshmallows, reserving a little of each to sprinkle on top. Gently fold them into the batter.

Step 5

Spread the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top with the back of the spoon. Sprinkle on the reserved nuts, chocolate chips and a marshmallow or two (placing to fill in any marshmallow gaps). Gently press these into the top of the batter.

Step 6

Bake the brownies for 30-35 minutes, or until a tester comes out with some moist crumbs but no wet batter. Some melted chocolate may come out on the tester. Poke in a few places to be sure. If baking plain brownies without the add-ins bake for 5 less minutes, or 25-30 minutes.

Step 7

Remove the finished brownies from the oven and allow to cool. They're delicious warm, but will be easier to cut if you allow them to cool fully and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. Brownies can always be reheated for a few seconds (15-30s, depending on microwave strength) to warm. Enjoy!