These vegan peanut butter brownies are a fudgy, indulgent dessert! Perfect to make on a hot day because an Instant Pot doesn’t heat up the kitchen like the oven does. This recipe solves the problem of those corner pieces that come out of the oven so crispy they have to be thrown away. And you know I have found a way to make them healthier – WAY lower in sugar and saturated fat than your typical brownies, but without sacrificing flavor. Plus they are vegan, of course! So let’s learn how to make these delectable wedges of chocolate goodness….
How to Make Vegan Peanut Butter Brownies in the Instant Pot
First, use a springform pan that is 7″ or will otherwise fit into your inner pot. I bought one made by Instant Pot because I wanted to make sure the pan and clasp fit well.
Mix the coffee powder with hot water. Then, you will mix your dry ingredients: the flours, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, peanut butter, maple syrup, and olive oil. Add in the coffee.
Combine these too just until mixed: don’t overbeat them. Then stir in the chocolate chips. Place the batter into the pan and smooth out the top with a spatula or the back of a spoon. As my pan is nonstick, I didn’t grease it first. Then I sprinkled on some peanuts for some crunch!
Next, wrap up your pan in aluminum foil so water doesn’t get into it. Place the trivet into the Instant Pot. Pour a cup of water into the bottom. Place your wrapped pan on top. Seal the lid and set it on high pressure for 30 minutes. it’s very easy – time to relax!
After 30 minutes, allow it to sit with natural pressure release. Then release the pressure if there is any, open the lid, and let it cool some before removing with potholders. I use a 6 quart Duo model, and have not tested this with any other sizes.
When the brownies are cool, open the sides of the pan. Slide them off with a spatula and slice them into eighths. I don’t think they need frosting, but you can make one with a little room temperature vegan butter, powdered sugar, plant-based milk, cocoa powder, and vanilla. I enjoyed it with sliced strawberries, and coconut whipped cream or Chocolate Mocha Nice Cream would go well too.
Ingredient Highlights
Peanut Butter and Peanuts – Peanuts, like other nuts, are a good source of monounsaturated fatty acids, so the peanut butter really takes the place well for butter that would be in a traditional recipe. Between the peanut butter, flour, and soy milk this recipe also provides 6 grams of protein serving!
I would also like to highlight in this recipe the magnesium found in both peanuts and chocolate. Magnesium is important for many enzyme systems, blood pressure control, muscle contraction, and more, according to this fact sheet from the National Institutes of Health. The amount of magnesium in cocoa powder, chocolate (especially dark chocolate), peanuts, and peanut butter are listed in this article from the Cleveland Clinics. Te Recommended Daily Allowance for adult men is 400 – 420 mg. and for women is 310 – 320 mg. If you eat a lot of processed foods, you may not be getting enough magnesium.
Chocolate Chips – dairy-free come in semi-sweet or dark, and regular size, chunks, or mini. If you can’t find them, chop of chunks of a dairy-free dark chocolate bar instead.
Plant-based milk – I tested these brownies with vanilla soy milk. Unflavored milk would decrease the added sugar and calories a little. You may then want to add a little pure vanilla extract, like 1/4 of a teaspoon. You can certainly try it with almond or another type of plant-based milk.
Maple syrup – There is just 1/4 cup of this in these vegan peanut butter brownies for sweetness. Regular brownie recipes may have a LOT of sugar (like a cup or a cup and a half!) so this is much lower. However, I know maple syrup can be costly. I tend to buy it at a discount grocery store so it’s not bad at all, but another option is using brown sugar. You can check on various apps to make sure your brand is vegan.
Storage
Store these vegan peanut butter brownies in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze them for a few months.
More Recipes You May Enjoy
- Rich and Fudgy Tahini Brownies (check the post for the vegan version)
- 5 Minute Double Chocolate Pumpkin Mug Cake
- Banana Bread with Dark Chocolate Chunks
- Chocolate Mocha Nice Cream
Vegan Peanut Butter Brownies for the Instant Pot
Equipment
- 6 quart electric pressure cooker
- 7" springform pan that fits inside the Instant Pot inner pot
- 2 bowls
- whisk
- Bowl scraper
- Large spoon spoon
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
- ½ cup white whole wheat flour
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cocoa
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup plant-based milk
- ⅓ cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- ¼ cup dairy-free chocolate chips
- 1 Tbsp. peanuts, unsalted
Instructions
- Heat the water to near boiling (about 30 seconds in a microwave-proof bowl). Add the coffee and stir until well mixed.
- Mix the flours, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Combine with a whisk.
- Mix the plant-based milk, peanut butter, maple syrup, and olive oil in a separate bowl with the whisk until well combined.
- Add the liquid mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Add in chocolate chips and stir.
- Transfer mixture to nonstick 7# springform pan. Wrap the pan well in aluminum foil. Place the trivet into the inner pot of the Instant Pot.
- Pour a cup of water into the bottom. Place your wrapped pan on top. Seal the lid and set on high pressure for 30 minutes. Turn off the keep warm button. After 30 minutes, allow to sit with natural pressure release for 15 minutes. Then release the pressure if there is any, open the lid, and let it sit a bit to cool before removing with potholders.
- When cooled, open the sides of the pan and remove. Transfer from the bottom of the pan with a spatula and place onto a cutting board, Slice brownie into wedges and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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Have you made these vegan peanut butter brownies? Please share the recipe with a friend and let me know how you liked them in the comments:
For those of us without a pressure cooker, will the recipe work in the oven?
Hi Naomi, That is a good question. I have not tried it. But if I do, I will add to the post and let you know 🙂
Oh super yum! Peanuts and brownies seems like the perfect combination to me!
I love the fact that these are healthier brownies but still deliciously fudgy! I have a similar multicooker and would love to try something like this in them – I haven’t used it for ages!
What a clever idea to use your instant pot rather than the oven. I can’t face baking when it’s hot. But I do love a brownie and a peanut butter one is just irresistible.
Thank you, Choclette. I don’t know if they are popular where you are. It can be a real time-saver for some foods too.