So this recipe contains xanthan gum. Is it vegan, is it not vegan? I looked it up on the web and the answer is yes and no. It depends on what the bacteria are fed on- whey or corn. If you're a vegan (I'm not; I just ran out of eggs) make sure you get xanthan gum that's not produced by milk by-product so you don't have to live with the guilt. Oh no, I ate plant bacteria poo that came from cow boob juice, whyyyyyyyyyyy?! I'm sure you're a terrible human being.

I came by this great grain-free food blog the other day, The Spunky Coconut. There are so many great recipes which are inspiring for my grain free weekdays. Eva's been asking me for sweets lately so I decided to try making one of the many delicious desserts using what I have available in my kitchen. Since I have no eggs I ended up going with the Egg-free, Grain-free Brownie. I had very little stevia and no honey so I ended up adapting the recipe to use maple syrup as the main sweetener.

They came out moist and gooey. Nearly free of refined sugar, all that chocolate goodness coats your taste buds without all that guilt coating your feelings.

• 1/8 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbs water
• 1 cup almond butter
• 3 tbs coconut flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 tbs stevia & sugar mix
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 325F
2. Beat together xanthan gum and water in a large bow. Add all that other stuff (except chocolate chips) and beat till smooth
3. Pour into a greased 9' cake pan. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the top of the brownie. 
4. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean

Notes: My brownie collapsed a bit, so my suggestion would be to not be super impatient and let it cool inside the oven with the door ajar. Still good though!

Yummy. Siah loved it. Eva loved it. I loved it. But when there's chocolate involved, what's not to like?
Ok, peeps. Siah would like me to note that what's featured in the pictures are milk chocolate chips. Therefore, the recipe as I made it is not vegan but it can easily be made vegan by using dark chocolate chips or leaving the chips out. I also linked the chocolate chips to a bag you can use (if you should be so concerned). My bad.