Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Line an 8-by-8-inch pan with tin foil and give it a once-over with cooking spray (or otherwise grease the tin foil).
Mix the dairy-free chocolate chips and canola oil in the top of a double boiler, and melt over medium-low heat, stirring regularly. Once the chocolate has melted, remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder and one shot of brewed espresso or espresso powder. Put aside.
Whisk together the eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla in a large bowl. Once it's combined, whisk in the chocolate mixture. Once it's mixed, add the cup of flour, taking care to incorporate the flour without over-whisking the mixture.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 35 - 40 minutes. When a toothpick comes out mostly clean, your brownies are ready. Note that if your toothpick comes out completely clean, you've overbaked the treats.
Let the brownies cool for about an hour before removing them from the pan. Cut into squares, store in an airtight container, and consume within a day or two.
These brownies are fudgy. If you prefer a cake-like brownie, mix 1 teaspoon of baking powder into the cup of flour before adding it to the chocolate-eggs mixture.
If desired, you can substitute butter--vegan or regular--for the oil. The canola oil gives the brownies a cleaner taste than vegan butter; taste tests also showed dairy butter works well in this recipe.
While you can leave the espresso out, it adds richness and depth to the brownies. Feel free to stir nuts or chocolate chips into the batter before pouring it into the baking dish.
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