Brownies that are vegan, gluten-free and so yummy no one will ever guess they are healthy. I’ve been making these brownies on a weekly basis for the past few months. I usually get bored making the same recipe again and again, but whenever I make them they finish so quickly, I haven’t had the chance to get bored! Recently I’ve been making a large batch of chia eggs for all my baking needs during the week.

Here’s how you use chia eggs as an egg replacer in your baking:

• 5 tablespoons (55g) chia seeds, preferably white if you have them
• 200ml water

Place the chia seeds in a blender and blitz until it turns into a powder. Add the water and blend until you get a thick paste. Transfer to a jar, seal and store in the fridge for up to a week. Use 1 1/2 tablespoons to replace 1 egg. In the recipe below I used enough to replace 3 eggs. So if you like you can use eggs in the recipe. If you don’t have chia seeds, you can use flax seeds instead. I’ve been loving tahini so much lately. It’s such a versatile ingredient to use in both sweet and savory dishes. There was a time when tahini was only there for making hummus or dipping some dates into. Not anymore! And that rose tahini caramel really takes those brownies over the top. Here’s how to make it, but if you want something fast just use the recipe detailed below.

To make the rose tahini caramel…

• 80g pitted dates, chopped
• 1/4 cup dairy-free milk
• 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon date molasses
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon rose water (optional)

Place all the ingredients, except for the rose water, in a small saucepan and heat on low for about 7 mins, until the dates have completely broken down, stirring frequently. Transfer to the small blender or food processor, add the rose water if using, and blend until smooth. If it’s too thick add a tablespoon of two of warm water to reach the desired consistency. Drizzle on the brownies, or use as a frosting for cakes and cupcakes. Also great as a dip for apples! Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week.

For the flour, I decided to go with chickpea flour for a change. It’s even better if you can toast it to add more flavor. I didn’t have any chickpea flour at home, so I roasted some dry chickpeas in the oven for about 10 minutes, and then after they cooled down and ground them into a flour. Almond flour or oat flour will probably work just as well, and both would taste better with being toasted in a dry frying pan until slightly golden. I added the arrowroot starch just to lighten up the brownies. Cornstarch is a good alternative, but can also be left out if you don’t have it available.

Okay, time to make some healthy brownies! Let me know if you try them.