Salted Hazelnut Brownie Loaf (Gluten-Free, Made with Oats)

This salted hazelnut brownie loaf is a dense, fudgy chocolate loaf made from blended rolled oats instead of wheat flour, sweetened with honey, dates, banana and apple, and topped with a cocoa ganache, roasted hazelnuts and flaky salt. The loaf itself has no butter, oil, eggs or dairy. With certified gluten-free oats it is gluten-free, and with maple syrup in place of honey it is fully vegan.

Makes: one standard loaf, about 10 slices. Time: 15 minutes to prepare, 35-45 minutes in the oven, plus cooling. Diet: gluten-free with certified oats, dairy-free, vegan with maple syrup. Equipment: a high-speed blender, a loaf tin, baking paper and a small saucepan.

Ingredients

Dry ingredients for the loaf

• 2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
• ¾ cup cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 2 tablespoons (1/8 cup) chopped semi-dried dates
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon fine salt (sea salt or Himalayan pink salt)

Wet ingredients for the loaf

• 1 flax egg: 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed stirred into 3 tablespoons water, left for 5 minutes
• 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
• 1/3 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
• ½ cup grated apple (about 70 g)
• 1 small ripe banana (about 1/3 cup mashed)
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons raw honey, or maple syrup for a vegan loaf
• 2 teaspoons liquid stevia (brands differ a lot in strength, see the swaps)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ganache and toppings

• 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons full-fat canned coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 6 tablespoons cocoa or raw cacao powder
• A big pinch of sea salt, plus flaky salt to finish
• 1/3 cup roasted hazelnuts, chopped
• 2 tablespoons nut butter of your choice (almond or hazelnut)

How to make it

1. Heat the oven and line the tin. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a loaf tin with baking paper, leaving some paper over the long sides so you can lift the loaf out later.
2. Make the oat flour. Put the rolled oats, cinnamon and salt in a high-speed blender and blend until the oats turn into a fine flour. Tip it into a large mixing bowl and stir in the cocoa, coconut flour, dates and baking powder.
3. Blend the wet ingredients. In the same blender, blend the flax egg, soy milk, coconut milk, banana, honey, stevia and vanilla on high until smooth. Blend the grated apple in with them, or fold it in by hand afterwards if you like some texture.
4. Mix and bake. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir until no dry pockets are left. The batter is thick. Spread it into the tin and smooth the top. Put it in the oven and turn the heat down to 180°C (350°F) straight away. Bake for 35 minutes, then push a skewer into the centre. Moist crumbs are fine; wet batter needs another 5-10 minutes.
5. Make the ganache while it bakes. Warm the honey, coconut milk and coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat until the oil melts and everything comes together. Whisk in 4 tablespoons of cocoa until there are no lumps, sifting it first if you want it silky. Add the last 2 tablespoons one at a time, whisking after each. Stir in the pinch of salt and set aside.
6. Cool, then top. Let the loaf cool in the tin until it is barely warm. Oat loaves are soft when hot and firm up as they cool. Pour the ganache over the top, scatter over the hazelnuts and a little flaky salt, and drop small spoonfuls of nut butter across the surface.

What the labels mean for this loaf

Recipes like this often carry more labels than the ingredient list supports, so here is what holds.

• Gluten-free: oats contain no gluten, but most oats are grown and milled next to wheat, barley and rye. Buy oats labelled gluten-free. A small number of people with coeliac disease also react to avenin, the protein in oats, so check with your doctor or dietitian if that applies to you.
• Vegan: only with maple syrup or another plant syrup. Honey comes from bees, and most vegans leave it out.
• Oil-free: the loaf is. The ganache has a tablespoon of coconut oil, which you can leave out for a thinner glaze.
• Refined-sugar free: the sweetness comes from honey, dates, banana and apple. Honey is still sugar, and liquid stevia is a processed extract, so think of this as a less sugary treat.
• Paleo: no. An earlier version of this post called it paleo-friendly, but oats are a grain, and paleo diets leave grains out.

Is a brownie loaf healthy?

This is where the sources pull apart. Cocoa is one of the richest food sources of flavanols, plant compounds studied for their effect on blood vessels, and it contains iron and magnesium. Some studies link cocoa flavanols to small drops in blood pressure. Those studies mostly use cocoa extracts in doses far above what a slice of cake gives you, and a good share of the research has been funded by chocolate makers. Claims that cacao treats depression, anxiety or stress go further than the evidence.

What you can say with confidence: compared with a standard brownie made from white flour, butter and sugar, this loaf has more fibre from the oats, flax and coconut flour, no butter, and less added sugar. It is still a sweet, calorie-dense dessert. The recipe's author, Maria Praeg, eats a slice for breakfast now and then, and with oats, banana and apple in the batter that is less strange than it sounds. Eat it because it tastes good.

Swaps and variations

• Stevia: start with half the amount if your brand is strong, or leave it out and add 2-3 more tablespoons of honey or maple syrup.
• No coconut flour: use 1/2 cup ground almonds. Coconut flour absorbs a lot of liquid, so almond meal needs more by volume.
• Egg instead of flax: one egg works if you are not keeping it vegan.
• Other nuts: walnuts or pecans work in place of hazelnuts. Roast them for 8-10 minutes at 180°C for more flavour.
• Raw cacao instead of cocoa: it works in the same amount, tastes a little more bitter and fruity, and costs more.

Storage

Keep it in a closed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Cold, it turns fudgier, and Maria prefers it that way. It also keeps at room temperature for a day or two in a cool kitchen. Sliced and wrapped, it freezes for up to 3 months; thaw the slices in the fridge.

For more from the same kitchen, bake the gluten-free almond and blueberry breakfast muffins, or cook the broccoli tofu soba bowl with peanut sauce and the thyme and caraway broccoli pasta bake for dinner. Many yogis choose plant-based baking as part of ahimsa, the principle of non-harm.

Put the loaf in the oven, roll out your mat for the Morning Flow class or a slower Hatha class, and it will have cooled enough for the ganache when you are done. New to yoga? The Yoga for Beginners program starts from the first class.

Frequently asked questions

Can you make brownies with oat flour?

Yes. Blended rolled oats make a soft flour that gives a dense, moist crumb. Without gluten the batter does not rise much, which suits a fudgy brownie. Blend the oats fine, since coarse bits make the loaf crumbly.

Is this brownie loaf vegan?

It is vegan when you use maple syrup instead of honey in both the loaf and the ganache. Everything else is plant-based: a flax egg replaces the egg, and soy and coconut milk replace dairy.

Is it gluten-free?

Yes, if you use oats labelled gluten-free. Regular oats are often contaminated with wheat during growing and milling. People with coeliac disease who also react to oat protein should skip it.

How do I know when the loaf is done?

Push a skewer into the centre after 35 minutes. Moist crumbs mean it is done; wet batter means it needs 5-10 more minutes. The top should feel set, and the loaf firms up further as it cools.

Why is my oat brownie loaf gummy?

Usually it was cut while warm or taken out too early. Oat and banana batters stay soft until they cool. Let it cool completely, chill it if you can, and check with a skewer next time before taking it out.

Can I use cacao instead of cocoa powder?

Yes, in the same amount. Raw cacao is less processed and tastes a little more bitter and fruity. Dutch-processed cocoa gives a darker, milder loaf, but it reacts differently with baking powder, so natural cocoa or cacao is the safer choice here.

How long does it keep?

Up to 5 days in a closed container in the fridge, where it turns fudgier. Wrapped slices freeze for up to 3 months.