I had never heard of Brookies until my kids spotted them in the fresh-baked section at our Wegmans grocery store. Turns out this delightful little dessert is a chocolate chip cookie (on the bottom) and brownie bar (on top). While I had to agree that this treat was to die for, at the same time my head ached as I envisioned all of the processed sugar and gluten that my kids were consuming.
Brookie Bars
How to Make Gluten-free Vegan Brookies
So my next challenge lay before me. . . creating a Brookie recipe that would eliminate the processed sugar and gluten, add in some plant-based protein, and most importantly rival the bakery Brookie in texture and flavor!
After several iterations (which made my kitchen look like a war zone), I achieved success! I used almond flour and gluten-free oat flour to eliminate the gluten while packing in some plant-based protein at the same time.
Neither parts of the recipe have any animal-based products so they are dairy-free (and vegan). Maple syrup, coconut nectar and coconut palm sugar replace the conventional sugar making them free of processed or refined sugar.
Because the recipe has two parts, it may appear complicated, but it is not. In 40 minutes (25 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of baking time) you will have a nice warm pan of delicious Brookies sitting before you!
Now on Nutritionicity, a nut-free version of the Brookie – Allergy Friendly Brookie including a printable recipe card! Or for something a little different, try my Vegan Brookie No-Bake Cheesecake recipe!
Ingredients - Brookies (part 1 Chocolate Chip Cookies)
| 1 cup | almond flour |
| 1 cup | gluten-free oat flour |
| 1/3 cup | mini vegan chocolate chips |
| 2 tablespoons | coconut palm sugar |
| 1/2 teaspoon | baking soda |
| 1/4 teaspoon | sea salt |
| 3 tablespoons | cashew or almond butter, melted (I use cashew) |
| 2 tablespoons | coconut oil (melted) |
| 2 tablespoons | coconut nectar, maple syrup, or brown rice syrup |
| 1 tablespoon | vanilla extract |
Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Base
(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium bowl combine all dry ingredients (almond flour, gf oat flour, mini vegan chocolate chips, coconut palm sugar, baking soda and sea salt). Mix well.
Brookie Chocolate Chip Dry Ingredients
(2) In a small bowl melt together nut butter and coconut oil. I did this for 45 seconds in the microwave on medium-low power. If you don’t have a microwave you can use a small sauce pan on the stove.
Brookie CC Melted Cashew Butter and Coconut Oil
(3) Add coconut nectar and vanilla to melted cashew butter and coconut oil.
Brookie CC Adding Coconut Nectar
(4) Mix together well. (It should look like caramel sauce)
Brookie CC Looks Like Caramel Sauce
(5) Mix wet ingredients into dry. If you are experiencing difficulty getting the ingredients to mix well use a slicing motion with your spoon and cut the ingredients together like you would if making a pie crust.
Brookies CC Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients
(6) The combined mix will be dry and crumbly like a graham cracker crust. It is ready to press into the pan if it holds together when you take a finger-full and press into a ball.
Brookie CC Combined Bottom Mixture
(7) Firmly press mixture into a greased 8×8″ pan (as you would a graham cracker crust).
Brookie Chocolate Chip Bottom In Pan
Ingredients - Brookies (part 2 Brownie)
| 1/3 cup | almond flour |
| 1/3 cup | gluten-free oat flour |
| 1/3 cup | unsweetened cocoa powder |
| 1/4 teaspoon | sea salt |
| 3 tablespoons | coconut oil |
| 1/4 cup | coconut nectar, maple syrup, or brown rice syrup |
| 3 tablespoons | plant-based milk (I use cashew) |
| 1 tablespoon | vanilla extract |
Easy Brownie Top
(1) In a medium bowl combine all dry ingredients (almond flour, gf oat flour, cocoa powder, and salt). Mix well.
Brookie Brownie Dry Ingredients
(2) Melt coconut oil and mix well with dry ingredients. This will form a loose chocolate paste.
(3) In a small bowl whisk together coconut nectar, nut milk and vanilla. Add to chocolate paste and mix well.
Brookie Brownie Mix Oil With Dry Ingredients
(4) Combine coconut nectar mixture with chocolate mixture and stir well.
Brookie Brownie Combine All
(5) Pour combined mixture onto chocolate chip cookie base and spread evenly.
Brookie Pour Brownie Onto Cookie Base
Brookie Read to Bake
(6) Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes. You can test doneness with a toothpick or by lightly touching the brownie surface. Let cool for approximately 30 minutes. The Brookies can then be cut.
Brookies Complete
Brookies Sliced
Brookies Served
Gluten-free and Vegan Brookies
I am so happy with the final product of my Brookie mission. These tasty bars are delicious, nutritious, and something you can feel good about treating yourself to.
The flavor is even better than those made in the store bakery (even my kids prefer these over the store bakery versions). Eliminating the refined ingredients gives them a flavor that tastes fresh and unprocessed. Enjoy!
These are AMAZING! Thanks SO much for this recipe !
Thank you so much Leah!! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!! 🙂
Can you make these without using any oil? We eat a whole food plant based no oil diet to reverse my husband’s Type 1 Diabetes.
HI Krista, I have not tried making these without the oil. I would suggest replacing the oil in the cookie base with equal parts of additional nut butter. For the brownie top I would suggest replacing the oil with applesauce. Please let me know how it goes. 🙂
Could you replace the oil with something like applesauce or just omit it all together?
HI Tara, I definitely would not omit the oil. I have not tried replacing the oil myself, but you could try: Replacing the oil in the cookie base with equal parts of additional nut butter. For the brownie top, I would suggest replacing the oil with applesauce. Please let me know how it goes. 🙂
These are delicious! I’ve made them several times with many substitutions like using Swerve and /or Yacon syrup instead of coconut palm sugar, and regular milk if I don’t happen to have a dairy substitute. (of course it’s not dairy free at that point) . The maple syrup is a must for me though. These are great for that hit of sweet and chocolate that I sometimes crave.
Hi Susan! I’m so happy to hear that you are loving the Brookies!! Thanks for sharing your substitution successes. I love the maple syrup in them as well–adds a little bit of that caramelesque flavor that offsets the cookie and brownie flavor just right! 🙂
I’ve never heard of oat flour, seems like a dumb question, but what is it?
Not a dumb question at all! Oat flour is ground up oats. You can purchase oat flour in many markets or you can make you own in a blender or food processor. 🙂
Hi, Can we use Dairy milk for this recipe?
I have not tried that, but I think it would be okay to substitute. The recipe will not be plant-based, but would still be gluten-free. I hope this helps. 🙂
I cannot have coconut. (makes it hard(er) to be a healthy vegan!) Is there a sub for the oil you would recommend?
Hi Rachel, I totally understand. I have not tried it but I think that walnut oil or grapeseed oil would work out fine in this recipe. I hope this helps! 🙂
Could you use just regular gluten free flour instead if the almond flour?
Hi Johanne, I think regular gluten free flour would be a fine substitution for the almond flour. Let me know how it goes! 🙂
These look insanely good, definitely a much try! Thank you for the recipe. 🙂
Hi Ashley, You’re welcome! Thank you!! 🙂
Just made these!!!!!!!!! They’re sooooooo delicious!!!!!!!! Mahalo!!!!!!! (: (: (: (: OMG I just took another bite. They’re so good. I didn’t believe you when you said that the flavor is better than the “real” kind, but they are!!!!!!!
Hi Amanda! That’s great to hear. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!! 🙂
I am new to the refined sugar free challenge in my life and I was curious if those chocolate chips were considered refined sugar free? I know they have evaporated cane juice, so wasn’t sure. I hope so because I got soooo excited when I found this recipe! I’m dying for a treat like this!
HI Kristin, I’m so glad you are excited about my Brookie recipe. As I’m sure you know there are currently many conflicting opinions about what constitutes a refined sugar. If evaporated cane juice is not in your comfort zone don’t lose hope! Lily’s is a brand of chips that is sweetened with stevia. If that does not meet your needs you can always buy a bar of chocolate that falls within your personal preference for sweetened or unsweetened chocolate and cut it into small chunks and replace the chips in this recipe with chunks! I hope this helps 🙂
Hey Jana, Thanks for the great recipe! My wife & I made them tonight. Excellent! Subbed almond butter for cashew, reduced agave to 2T + 10 drops Stevia in 1T water. Will be making these again! Thanks for posting!
Hi Carlton! Thanks so much for sharing your successful substitutions! 🙂 I’m so glad that you and your wife enjoyed them! 🙂
Can’t wait to try these, I have a coeliac vegan to cater for and it feels good to find something we’ll both enjoy. Thanks!
Hi Charlotte! I’m so glad you found something that meets the needs for you and your friend or loved one! If you are looking for other gluten-free and vegan deliciousness in the future all of my recipes are both. 🙂
I just made these delish little treats, so easy and so tasty! Wonderful recipe.
I used a blackbean brownie recipe for the top to add some extra plant protein – very very yummy!
Hi Kat, I’m so glad you enjoyed the Brookies! What a great idea to use a black bean brownie recipe for the top to add more plant protein! Thanks so much for sharing. -Jana
Can the Almond Flour be substituted. Husband is allergic
Yes! I had so many requests for a nut-free version that I created a whole new recipe for an Allergy Friendly Brookie. Here is the link https://www.nutritionicity.com/recipes/recipe-allergy-friendly-brookies-gluten-free-vegan-plant-based-nut-free-soy-free-refined-sugar-free/ I hope this helps!! 🙂
This looks so yummy and I’m going to try it, but I was surprised to see agave being used. Now there are reports that agave is worse for you than high fructose corn syrup. Is there any reason not to use maple syrup instead in this recipe? Thanks!
In case you’re interested, I found info on agave here..
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA401166/Whats-Wrong-with-Agave-Nectar.html
Hi Joanne, Thanks so much, I’m glad you like the Brookies! This recipe is over a year old and probably one of the last I used agave in for the very reasons you stated. Coincidentally, the Dr. Weil article you cite is one of the first that I read some time ago about the new research findings on agave. 🙂 I have used either maple syrup or coconut nectar in most of my recipes utilizing a liquid sweetener for a while now. While coconut nectar does contain some fructose, most research substantiates it as having much less than agave. One of my “to-do” items for the future is to identify my recipes that use agave and offer suggestions for replacements. In the brownie portion of the Brookie you could definitely substitute maple syrup from a baking perspective. If you prefer a more neutral flavor from your sweetener in the brownie (as the maple syrup does offer its own flavor), I would suggest using the coconut nectar. I have been very happy with the results I have received from it since eliminating agave. Thanks for sharing, enjoy the Brookies!!
I will try for sure! Thank you.
Sure! I hope you enjoy it!! 🙂
Looks amazing!! Definitely try soon! I don’t think anything is too much work for a brookie! Love the sound of the nut-free version too, thanks for that!
Thanks so much Deryn! I hope you enjoy them too!!
Hi There,
Would I be able to use raw cacao powder instead of cocoa powder?
Thanks
Sacha x
Hi! I haven’t tried this but they should be interchangeable in this recipe. More nutrients too! 🙂
Thank you!
Hi, this recipe looks so delicious, I was wondering if I could substitute the oat flour or double up on the almond flour, I follow a wheat/grain free lifestyle and I cannot have oat flour, I can have garbanzo, coconut flours or any low in net carbs. I appreciate your feedback, thank you:)
Hi Kathy, Thanks so much! I have not tried it myself, but I think you could probably replace the oat flour with additional almond flour. The texture will not be quite as refined/smooth without the oat flour. If you regularly use almond flour to bake with you probably know what I mean. It should taste great though! Hope this helps 🙂
Wow! These look incredible and I love all the ingredients!
Hi Faith, Thanks so much! They are definitely a favorite in our house 🙂
I’ve never left a comment before on a recipe, but these Brookies were so amazing and so healthy that I can’t help but comment! They tasted even better once they sat in the fridge over night. My husband and my 3 children also loved them! I did replace the cocoa powder with Vega’s Chocolate Protein, but other than that, I pretty much followed the recipe. Good job!
Hi Natasha, Thanks!! I’m honored that you picked me for your first comment 🙂 That’s a great idea substituting the Vega Chocolate Protein Powder for some extra protein. I’ll definitely have to try that. I am a big fan of Vega’s protein powder products! Glad to hear it was a hit with your whole family. Thanks again!
hi Jana…i made your allergy friendly version today…they turned out lovely but the cookie part was a bit dry and crumbly…do you think i can add an egg or maybe more butter to make it more like a cookie?
Hi Sonia! I’m so glad you liked the Allergy Friendly Brookies!! Just to clarify for anyone else reading this comment, the substitutions discussed are for the Allergy Friendly Brookie recipe https://www.nutritionicity.com/recipes/recipe-allergy-friendly-brookies-gluten-free-vegan-plant-based-nut-free-soy-free-refined-sugar-free/ and not the original Brookie recipe in this post. 🙂 One suggestion I have for the recipe as-is, would be to shorten the cooking time by a minute or so. Given that ovens can vary in the heat they produce for a set temperature, and that the cooking time is very short and sensitive on this dish, one minute less could help increase the moisture level in your crust or cookie layer. As far as your substitution suggestions–yes, I think they would work (of course the recipe would no longer be vegan/plant-based or egg allergy friendly). I have not tried it myself, but I think you could add in one egg and one additional tablespoon of butter (total 3 tblspns. butter) and reduce the flax seed meal to 1/4 cup. I hope this helps! 🙂
I love the low sugar content of these! They look amazing!
Thank you!!!
These look fabulous! I can’t believe I’ve never made brookies. Do you recommend buying almond flour or can I use homemade almond meal (slightly coarser than the flour)? I know some recipes do better with store bought flour v. homemade. Thanks!
Hi Robin, Thanks so much! I totally agree. There are some recipes that I prefer the courser almond meal/flour in as the “chew” it gives adds a nice dimension to the product. In this case though I would definitely recommend using a finer almond meal/flour. I hope you like them!!
These look so good. Where is the printer friendly version of this recipe?
Hi Molly! Thanks!! This original Brookie recipe was one of my first – prior to using a printable recipe card. However, I just did a new post on an Allergy Friendly, Nut-free version of the Brookie and it has a printable recipe card. While the recipe is different the end product looks and tastes just as delicious! Thanks- Jana
These look great! I am always on a quest to make yummy food that is more plant-based and refined sugar free. Since my son has a severe nut allergy, do you think it would work for me to substitute a different flour for the almond flour, and sunflower seed butter for the cashew butter? Do you have any recommendations? Thanks!
Hi Michelle, I’m so glad you want to try the Brookies! Since it is one of my most popular recipes I decided to take it back into development today and make a nut-free version. It turned out so well that I’m not sure which version I like better! : ) Both of my kids love it too. I may even make it another post to the website in the future: Brookies – The Nut-Free Version : ) Since I don’t want to keep you waiting I will try to summarize the changes here in my reply. In the “Cookie” part of the recipe eliminate the almond flour. Instead use 1 and 1/2 cups gf oat flour and 1/2 cup golden flax seed meal. Replace the cashew butter with an equal amount of vegan butter (you could also use sunflower seed butter but then you would need to reduce the baking soda by 1/3 and add a teaspoon of lemon juice to keep the cookie from turning green-this option I did not try myself). Increase the coconut oil to 1/4 cup. For the “Brownie” part eliminate the almond flour. Instead use 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon gf oat flour and 1 tablespoon golden flax seed meal. Replace the almond milk with flax milk and increase the coconut oil to 1/4 cup. Thanks for asking!! – Jana
Does cashew butter offer something that almond butter won’t? Just curious bc I’m going to make these and I have almond butter on hand but no cashew butter.
Thanks!
Hi Amy! I like to use cashew butter in this recipe because I feel like it brings a little caramelesque flavor to the table, but I definitely think you could substitute almond butter and still get a great taste!! Please let me know how it goes! –Jana
I made it with crunchy salted almond butter (the only thing I had on hand) and skipped the additional salt. I also had to sub light brown cane sugar for the palm sugar and sub honey for the agave. Turned out GREAT! Very sweet, rich and decadent, so that will keep me from devouring the entire tray in one sitting. Thank you!!
Hi Melissa! That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing your experience. I love the idea of using a crunchy nut butter to add that bit of texture! It’s so nice to hear stories about my recipes being flexible enough to allow people to substitute when desired. I actually just did a “reboot” of my Brookie recipe called the “Allergy Friendly Brookie”. I eliminated all of the nut-based ingredients and reworked the recipe to make it nut-free. Thanks- Jana
I can’t eat oats : /
Is there a sub for the oat flour?
These look awesome!
Hi, Holli! If gluten-free oat flour is not an option for your diet, I would recommend substituting white rice flour for the gf oat flour. I have not actually tried this substitution in this recipe, but am pretty confident that it would be a success!
I don’t eat oats either, I usually sub in rye flakes (in this case I stuck them in my food processor to make flour) in baking recipes. It works for my chocolate chip “oatmeal” cookies so I’m assuming it will work here.