These are the ultimate treat for chocolate orange lovers. Vegan Orange Cream Brownies have a rich and fudgy brownie base, citrus orange cream filling topped with a thin layer of decadent chocolate ganache and chocolate orange segment. They’re easy to make, vegan, egg-free and dairy-free. You are going to LOVE these brownies!
Vegan Orange Cream Brownies
I am very excited to share this new recipe with you. My Vegan Strawberry Cream Brownies have become viral on social media, so thinking of new flavour ideas, I got the idea of creating a orange version. I think i was onto a winner with these! They are sweet, fruity, chocolaty and so creamy. These classic orange chocolate brownies are made completely from scratch, ‘no brownie mix in sight’. Baking brownies from scratch are so easy, you’ll never reach for a box mix ever again! In fact, the brownie layer is all mixed together in one bowl and doesn’t require many ingredients. Just simple ingredients like chocolate, sugar, flavour, aquafaba and cocoa.
You are going to absolutely devour this recipe, and whoever you share with (if you do want to share) will definitely be after a few more servings.. they’ re THAT GOOD!
Three layers of orange cream brownies
These thick, fudgy, and irresistibly delicious brownies will get your taste buds tingling. They combine the best flavours of chocolate and orange in one delicious bake. With 3 equally indulgent layers, they’re irresistible. Here’s each layer listed out:
- Brownie: This is a 9×9 inch pan of brownies. I recommend my homemade vegan brownies are they are so thick and chewy with the perfect crinkle top. The brownie contains melted chocolate and cocoa powder so you can just imagine how rich they are! The also contain aquafaba which replaces ‘egg white’ meaning the brownies are crisp with gorgeous crinkles on top.
- Orange cream: The star of the show is definitely the orante cream. This cream is a mixture of butter, icing sugar, whipping cream along with a dot of orange food gel and orange extract. I like to use Valencian orange flavouring / extract as opposed to ‘real’ oranges as its a condensed flavour which really shines alongside the chocolate.
- Chocolate ganache: This chocolate ganache topping is silky smooth and luscious. Made from just 2 ingredients, chocolate and cream, this thick chocolate layer firms up like a dream. It’s not sticky, but it’s soft enough for cutting through.
Orange Cream Brownie tips and tricks
- Make sure the brownie is cool before adding on the cream filling: The last thing you want is to have a hot brownie then add on the creamy filling as any heat will make the filling melt, which will result in extremely messy bars.
- Make sure the orange cream is firm before adding on the ganache: Like I mentioned with the brownie base, the cream filling will need to be completely cool before topping with ganache, as the heat from the ganache can easily melt the filling, so it’s best its chilled.. this will help prevent this. Once the ganache is on, chill immediately.
- Make sure to store these bars in the fridge: Place them in a sealed container in the fridge and store until you are ready to serve.
- Use orange extract / flavouring for ultimate flavour: As much as i love fresh orange juice, it simply doesn’t have a strong enough flavour to pair with the chocolate. This is where orange flavouring / extract comes in amazing. It has a concentrated flavour and really helps to elevate the overall ‘chocolate orange’ flavour of this recipe.
- Eat directly from the fridge: These bars hold their shape well, but if left out at room temperature for too long, the filling may begin to melt. I prefer to store in the fridge, and serve immediately so the filling is still set.
How to make Vegan Orange Cream Brownies
This recipe is very simple, you just need a few ‘easy to find’ ingredients, a few tools which you may already have to hand in your kitchen, and a thirst for something DELICIOUS! find the full written recipe in the recipe card at the bottom of the page, or hit the ‘Jump To Recipe’ button at the top of the page.
- Brownie base
Line a 9×9 inch loose base / square baking tin with grease proof paper. In a bowl, combine the flour and cocoa powder, whisk. In a separate bowl whip up the aquafaba along with the sugar until it holds a stiff peak. Melt the butter and chocolate, then pour into the aqufaba mixture. Sift in the dry ingredients.
- Bake
Pour the brownie batter into the lined tin, spreading it out right into the corners of the tin. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the edges of the brownie are crinkly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool fully.
- Prepare the orange cream filling
In a stand mixer, whip the butter and orange flavour until pale and fluffy. Add in the icing sugar, whipping cream and a small drop of orange food gel. Whip for at least 10 minutes, it should become airy and whipped. Spread the orange cream on-top of the cool brownie and spread out into a flat layer. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Make the ganache
Add the butter and chocolate into a saucepan, melt. Stir constantly until fully melted. Spread the ganache on top of the cream layer, working quick to spread it out. Place on some orange segment chocolates. chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or until set.
- Serve
Heat a large knife in some water, dry clean. Slice into squares, serve and enjoy!
Looking for more Chocolate & Orange recipes, check out these below:
- No-Bake Chocolate Orange Cheesecakes
- Vegan Orange Loaf Cake
- Easy Vegan Chocolate Cream Pie
- Vegan Orange Curd Cake
- The BEST Vegan Chocolate Ombré Mousse Cake
If you make, and love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below. Thank you & happy baking!
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Vegan Orange Cream Brownies
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 8–10 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Thick and fudgy brownies layered with citrus orange cream and easy chocolate ganache. The classic chocolate orange combination!
Ingredients
Ingredients for the brownie
- 60g of cocoa powder
- 180g of plain / all purpose flour
- 170g of dairy-free dark chocolate
- 110g of dairy-free butter (block)
- 120ml of aquafaba (chickpea brine)
- 280g of caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons of orange extract / flavouring
- 1 large orange (zest)
Ingredients for the orange cream
- 115g 0f dairy-free butter (block)
- 110ml of dairy-free whipping cream (I use The Coconut Collaborative Double Cream)
- 2 teaspoons of orange extract / orange flavouring
- 245g of icing sugar
- Orange food gel
Ingredients for the ganache
- 100g of dairy-free dark chocolate
- 60ml of dairy-free cream
Ingredients for toppings
- Vegan chocolate orange segments (the brand ‘Buttermilk’)
Instructions
Method (brownie)
- Line a 9×9 loose base / square baking tin with grease proof paper and pre-heat oven to 180°C fan. Set aside.
- Sift the cocoa powder and flour together in a medium bowl.
- Fill a small saucepan 1/4 full with water and place on the hob over medium heat. Add the dairy-free chocolate and butter into a heat proof bowl. Place the bowl over the pan, creating a bain-marie. Allow the chocolate and butter to melt together, stirring with a heat proof spatula. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes while you make prepare the aquafaba.
- Add the aquafaba and sugar into a medium sized mixing bowl and whip up on high speed for around 5 minutes until thick and glossy. I use a stand mixer with balloon whisk attachment. A electric hand whisk will work great too. The aquafaba mixture should be thick enough that when it drips into the bowl, the mixture should ribbon off the mixer.
- Pour the melted butter / chocolate over the aquafaba, and carefully fold together with a spatula along with the orange flavour and orange zest. Make sure to be very gentle with this step as you want to keep as much air in the mixture as possible.
- Once combined, sift in the flour and cocoa powder. Again, fold this in with a spatula until a rich and thick brownie batter forms.
- Pour the brownie batter into the lined tin and level off with an off set spatula
- Place the tin into the middle of the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Once baked, remove the tin from the oven and allow to cool fully on a wire rack. TIP: Keep the brownie in the tin while it’s cooling. This will help it keeps it’s shape and will also lock in some of the moisture, which will help with the chewy texture.
Method (orange cream)
- In a large mixing bowl, add in the dairy-free butter and whip until creamy. I use a stand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment, a hand mixer will work great too. Once pale and fluffy, add in the whipping cream, orange flavour, icing sugar and drop of orange food gel, whip on high speed for at least 10 minutes until it turns light and creamy. If it feels too soft, just add in more icing sugar until it’s thick and creamy.
- Spoon the orange cream over the cold brownie base, level out with a spoon or spatula. Place into the fridge for 30 minutes to set. You can also place in the freezer to speed up the process.
Method (ganache)
- Place the chocolate into a heat-proof bowl. Fill a small saucepan 1/4 with water and place over the hob on a low / medium heat. Place the bowl on-top to create a bain-marie. Melt the chocolate. Pour in the dairy-free cream and whip until smooth.
- Pour the ganache over the top of the brownie, use a spoon or off set spatula to spread it out. While the ganache is wet, place on the chocolate orange segments and a grating of fresh orange zest (optional).
- Place into the fridge for 10-15 minutes to set the ganache.
- Lift the brownies out of the tin using the overhangs of grease proof paper, and place on a board.
- Heat a sharp knife in some warm water then slice into bars.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
To store: Store in a sealed container in the fridge, allow to come to room temperature before enjoying. Best eaten within 3-5 days of making.
What dairy-free butter to use? My favourite vegan friendly butters are Naturli Vegan Block and Flora Plant Based Alternative. Both can be found in most large uk supermarkets.
What is aquafaba? Aquafaba is the water from a can/tin of chickpeas. The chickpea water or brine as it’s called, acts as an amazing egg substitute for cakes, cupcakes and delicious meringue buttercream. You can also get aquafaba in a carton for easy use.
What brand of food gel to use? My favourite food gel is Rainbow Dust Colours. They are suitable for vegans and are gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
- Category: Brownies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Orange and chocolate! Perfect combination.
Author
100%!! Thank you so much Ana xx
Author
Hello, Aw thank you! xx
I had all the ingredients and I just made them. WOW they are very tasty indeed!!!!! Thank you for the recipe.
Author
Thank you so much, really happy you enjoyed xx
I can’t believe how tasty they are. so fudgy and creamy and I love the chocolate orange combo!
I just made the brownie part and it looked very bubbly but the center looked cooked- I’m hoping when it cools it goes to a fudge texture.