Red Velvet Brownies w/ Cream Cheese Frosting

Gluten + Dairy Free Red Velvet Brownies w/ Cream Cheese Frosting!!

Oh nothing screams the holidays like red velvet so here is a simple dessert that you can make and enjoy!

*an amazing way to cut down on plastic is to get your ingredients in bulk! we got our flour, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar from the bulk section at our local grocery store - check out your bulk section to see what ingredients you can get plastic free!*

Ingredients:
• ½ cup of butter
• 1 cup of sugar - we used ½ cup coconut sugar + ½ cup organic turbinado sugar
• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk - can use egg substitute if vegan
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup of gf flour
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• ½ lemon juice
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• red food coloring - we found natural red velvet coloring powder but any food dye works
Cream Cheese Frosting -
• 1 ½ cups soaked cashews
• 1 ½ cups maple syrup
• salt
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• equal parts cream cheese + powdered sugar

How to Make:
Step 1: preheat your oven to 350. Then, melt your butter and whisk together with sugar
Step 2: Add in eggs, vanilla, and food coloring and whisk
Step 3: Mix in flour and cocoa powder
Step 4: mix in lemon juice and coconut oil. Then, add to a pan and bake for 25 minutes or until completely done. Then let cool.
Step 5: Soak cashews until swollen. Then in a blender, combine cashews, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, water, lemon juice, and coconut oil
Step 6: In a bowl, mix cream cheese, powder sugar, and a splash of vanilla
Step 7: Combine cream cheese mixture and cashew mixture and put in the fridge to cool.
Step 8: Add cream cheese frosting on top of the cooled red velvet brownies and enjoy!