Rich, fudgy Instant Pot brownies are ice cream's best friend. You'll never be able to tell that they're gluten-free and totally vegan!
This recipe for Instant Pot Brownies comes from Vegan Richa's brand new Instant Pot cookbook! Richa is one of my video clients, and I am thrilled that she said I could share this recipe with you!
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Recipe tips
Almond flour is the secret to these delicious vegan brownies, but do see below for a nut-free variation, if needed.
You'd think that this coarser flour would give these brownies a grainy texture, but cooking softens it up leaving nothing but fudgy goodness behind.
This recipe is incredibly easy to make in one bowl. You mix up the wet ingredients first. Then, add in the dry.
Once you have a smooth batter, stir in some nut butter. Richa recommends almond or cashew, but I have also made this with peanut butter, and it's delicious!
At this point, you'll have a very thick batter, and you will add in just a tablespoon of hot water. Stir that in, and the batter is ready to cook!
Steaming brownies in your Instant Pot
Here's where the real magic comes in. Transfer the batter to a greased ceramic or glass dish and cover it with parchment paper or foil. You can also use stainless steel, but be sure to line a steel pan with parchment paper.
Then, add water to your Instant Pot, place the dish of brownies on a trivet, and lower it into the pot.
Cover the pot, set it to Venting, then use the Steam function to cook for 30 minutes.
Depending on what model of Instant Pot you have, it may or may not start counting down in the Venting position. So be sure to set a kitchen timer for 30 minutes, just in case.
Even in the Venting position, your Instant Pot may have come to pressure a bit. Release any steam, then open the pot and let the brownies cool in there for two minutes.
Let them cool for another 15 minutes, then serve!
Nut-free variations
You can make this a nut-free recipe!
In place of the almond flour, use oat flour instead. And instead of nut butter, use sunflower seed butter.
Storage directions
You can store the brownies in the same pan you used to cook them, just cover them up with foil or parchment. They will keep for up to a week in the fridge.
Fudgy Instant Pot Brownies
Ingredients
- safflower or sunflower oil
- 1 ½ tablespoon flax meal
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut sugar, light brown sugar, or cane sugar
- ⅓ cup almond flour - use oat flour for nut-free
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch or potato starch - optional, but keeps the brownies from getting crumbly
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons almond, cashew, or peanut butter - use sunflower butter for nut-free
- 1 tablespoon hot water
- ⅓ cup chopped vegan chocolate or chocolate chips
- whipped coconut cream or vegan ice cream for serving
Instructions
- Pour 2 ½ cups of water into the Instant Pot. Oil a 61/2- to 7-inch-diameter glass, ceramic, or stoneware pan or line it with parchment. If using a stainless-steel pan, do not omit the parchment. I prefer a glass pan here.
- In a large bowl, mix the flax meal with the water and set aside for 5 minutes. Add the maple syrup, vanilla, and coconut sugar to the bowl and mix well to incorporate the sugar. Add the almond flour, cocoa powder, tapioca starch if using, baking soda, and salt and stir until well combined. Add the almond butter and stir until well combined. Stir in the tablespoon of hot water.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and even out with a spatula. Top with the chocolate. Cover with foil or parchment and place on a trivet, then lower the trivet into the Instant Pot.
- Lock the lid into place and put the vent to the Venting position. Press the Steam setting and high pressure and steam for 30 minutes (28 minutes for a steel pan). Since the vent won’t be closed, the timer on the Instant Pot won’t count down, so you’ll need to use an external timer to time it (start it when you press the Steam setting). Once the time is up, press Cancel. Wait for 2 minutes for the pressure indicator to fall down. There should be no pressure remaining.
- Carefully open the lid and let the pan cool for another 2 minutes in the pot. Then, using silicone mini mitts, carefully remove the trivet along with the pan from the Instant Pot. Remove the foil or parchment and let cool for about 15 minutes. The brownies will have a fudgy, pudding-like consistency. If you’d like them to be more set, refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving. The brownies can be stored for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
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