Nut Free Brownie Recipe

[Giantbear]

My dd is moving on to preschool and we want to bake a treat for her toddler room friends to say goodbye problem is, i need a good, easy recipe that is nut free. Any suggestions for a knock em dead brownie??

[TxCat]

Here is my favorite:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Best-Cocoa-Brownies-108346

Although Duncan Hines is pretty good too.

[BabbyO]

Here is the brownie recipe I lived on when dairy and soy free. It is awesome and DH made it as often as I did, so super easy. If you don't care about dairy/soy free, use regular chocolate chips.

Dairy Free / Soy Free Brownie Recipe

Ingredients:
1 c. "No Sugar Added" Applesauce
1/2 c. Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
3/4 c. All Purpose Flour
1/3 c. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (Hershey's works well)
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
Optional - 1/2 cup Semi-Sweet Vegan Chocolate Chips (I use 1/3 cup Enjoy Life Mini-Chocolate Chips)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly spray or oil an 8x8 pan.
3. In medium bowl, mix applesauce, sugar and vanilla.
4. In a large bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.
5. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add applesauce mixture. Mix until just combined.
6. Gently fold in chocolate chips (and nuts, if desired).
7. Spread in pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until center is is firm and not sticky.
8. Cool completely before slicing.

Doubles well -- bake in a 9x13 pan.

ETA: And since there are no raw eggs...I don't mind letting the kiddos lick the spatula...which they LOVE!

[MSWR0319]

Here is the brownie recipe I lived on when dairy and soy free. It is awesome and DH made it as often as I did, so super easy. If you don't care about dairy/soy free, use regular chocolate chips.

Dairy Free / Soy Free Brownie Recipe

Ingredients:
1 c. "No Sugar Added" Applesauce
1/2 c. Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
3/4 c. All Purpose Flour
1/3 c. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (Hershey's works well)
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
Optional - 1/2 cup Semi-Sweet Vegan Chocolate Chips (I use 1/3 cup Enjoy Life Mini-Chocolate Chips)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly spray or oil an 8x8 pan.
3. In medium bowl, mix applesauce, sugar and vanilla.
4. In a large bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.
5. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add applesauce mixture. Mix until just combined.
6. Gently fold in chocolate chips (and nuts, if desired).
7. Spread in pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until center is is firm and not sticky.
8. Cool completely before slicing.

Doubles well -- bake in a 9x13 pan.

ETA: And since there are no raw eggs...I don't mind letting the kiddos lick the spatula...which they LOVE!

I'd stick with the Enjoy Life Chocolate chips if possible. Maybe chocolate chips are "Processed in a nut facility" or "May contain nuts" which the allergic child may not be able to eat (this is assuming the allergic child will be eating them.) If the allergic child isn't eating them, regular chocolate chips are fine. My DS has a peanut allergy and we use Betty Crocker if you end up using a box mix for some reason. They have great labeling.

[AnnieW625]

The recipe from the Better Homes and Garden's big binder (http://www.amazon.com/Better-Homes-Gardens-Cook-Book/dp/0470560800/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361559496&sr=1-1&keywords=better+homes+and+gardens+cookbook) of recipes. I have never had a recipe fail from this book, it is great for basics. I usually never add any chocolate chips and everytime I do unless they come in the mix I end up regretting it, they just don't work right. The one in this book doesn't contain any milk or nuts IIRC.

Thanks for the vegan recipe BabbyO. Interesting though that the recipe calls for NSA applesauce, but then you add another 1/2 cup of sugar! ;)

For the box mix I like Betty Crocker, or Ghiradelli.

[newg]

Ghirarhelli Double Chocolate is nut free and dairy free......and it only takes one egg, so you can use an egg substitute (apple sauce works the best for me) and it still tastes awesome!
It is processed on equipment that make other products that may contain egggs, milk and tree nuts.

But, DD2 is allergic to all of that and I've never had a problem before. Its our "go-to" brownie box mix!

[BabbyO]

The recipe from the Better Homes and Garden's big binder (http://www.amazon.com/Better-Homes-Gardens-Cook-Book/dp/0470560800/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361559496&sr=1-1&keywords=better+homes+and+gardens+cookbook) of recipes. I have never had a recipe fail from this book, it is great for basics. I usually never add any chocolate chips and everytime I do unless they come in the mix I end up regretting it, they just don't work right. The one in this book doesn't contain any milk or nuts IIRC.

Thanks for the vegan recipe BabbyO. Interesting though that the recipe calls for NSA applesauce, but then you add another 1/2 cup of sugar! ;)

For the box mix I like Betty Crocker, or Ghiradelli.

I think that part is sorta funny, too...but we usually get the NSA applesauce so it is what is in our house anyway. I've experimented with reducing the sugar. I think I went to 1/4 in one batch and it was ok. Funny we used to make this recipe every week for almost 2 years...now I haven't made it in months.

With the vegan recipe...the choco chips really do make the brownie a bit better. They are ok without, but definitely a bit more delicious with. I Never use the 1/2 c of choco chips, though. I just do 1/3 c. (Enjoy life chips are expensive...and it is one fewer measuring cups to wash!) :D

[MamaMolly]

This one was a contest winner from Reader's Digest and it is sooooooo good!!

Brownie Ingredients
1 cup (that's 2 sticks) butter, soft
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder (like Hershey's baking chocolate powder)
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Frosting Ingredients
1 2/3 cups powdered sugar (also called 10X)
1/2 cup (that's one stick) butter, soft
1/3 cup cocoa powder (like Hershey's baking chocolate powder
1/3 cup evaporated milk

For In the Middle:
1/2 to 1 pound of mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a brownie pan (I've used all sorts of sizes, most often a 9x13 or 11x16) my hand written instruction to myself is to use my biggest Pyrex) Mix brownie ingredients and pour into a greased pan. Bake for 20-23 minutes. As soon as you pull them out of the oven and they are still hot, cover with the mini marshmallows and bake for another 3 minutes. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool.

While the brownies are cooling, mix the frosting ingredients. Cover the brownies with the frosting and enjoy.

And by enjoy I mean pig out. Under number of servings I crossed out the number and wrote in ONE. ;)

[charp2000]

Thanks for the recipe BabbyO. I made it tonight & really liked them. I'll be making these again!