The Humble Oatmeal can do So Much!

Awhile ago I talked about the amazing, gluten free oat flour pizza crust recipe I discovered on the YouTube channel Fit on Raw. I have made it multiple times, and I love how easy it is to make your own oat flour. So the other day I wondered how oat flour would work for brownies. Sure enough I found a recipe online, that was not vegan, but it was easy to veganize,  I subbed coconut oil for the butter, and I used flax eggs. I just googled oat flour brownies, and the first recipe that popped up was from a blog called The kitchen Paper if anyone is curious. The only other change I made was I blended one banana in the blender, and cut the coconut oil to a little less than half a cup. And I used a little less sugar. These turned out great! They are a little more dense than regular brownies, but they weren't as dense as I thought they would be. They are very rich and really fudgy, and they have that crisp top that other vegan brownie recipes I have tried don't. These were more of a traditional brownie that I remember from most recipes I have tried using regular flour. If you are gluten free for whatever reason, I cannot recommend oat flour enough. I think it would be great in muffins as well. I don't know how well it would work in cakes that need to be lighter, but for heavier, denser recipes it is so great! I've tried other gluten free desserts and it's definitely hit or miss, and oat flour is a hit. I'm not gluten free, but at the same time I do think oatmeal is more nutritious than plain flour, and in most cases also cheaper than whole wheat flour, so why not? Especially when the outcome is delicious. And likewise with the banana. You can't really taste the banana, and it cuts a lot of fat, while still retaining moisture. It's a win win all around.
I haven't had treats like brownies in awhile, and it felt nice to experiment with a recipe, and have a treat, and I put half the pan in the freezer for a rainy day, or I guess in my case possibly a snowy day.
Whether you're gluten free or not, these are delicious, rich brownies. And yes, they do make your day a little better!