Ultra Small Batch Olive Oil Brownies with Tahini

I finally did it. I purchased a 50lb bag of all purpose flour and I’ve never felt in more control of my life. Just kiddingggggg… I did in fact make that purchase but life still feels all sorts of crazy. My flour reserves are dwindling quickly, which is not awesome for cookbook testing. I’m not sure where exactly I’m going to store this giant bag of flour in our already packed to gills apartment, but we’ll figure something out!

For a 2 week span I was incredibly low on eggs and butter. Both are essential components to cookbook testing. So I was trying to develop recipes for the blog omitting those and also in small batches. Sitting at home all day everyday in soft pants with a platter of brownies AND buns sounded like a dangerous combination. However, I ended up making the most delicious small batch brownies, that just so happen to be vegan (!!!), and I made them 5 times… So maybe I should have just made the full batch of brownies? Whatever… we’re here now.

Behold, Ultra Small Batch Olive Oil Brownies with Tahini! It’s a long name for a super small recipe. This recipe only makes 4 brownies! 4! Which is the perfect size if you are quarantining alone or with your partner or roommate. As I mentioned earlier, they are actually vegan. I’m by no means a vegan, but these brownies are dense, chocolatey, and chewy without the addition of eggs and butter. I love them so much! I used La Tourangelle Extra Virgin Olive Oil as the fat in these brownies, which give them a lovely flavor and extra moist texture. There is also a mix of white sugar and brown sugar to sweeten things up, plus the brown sugar acts as a binder to hold it all together since we don’t have eggs in the mix.

The brownies are baked in cupcake/small muffin tins because I’m not so secretly an “edge piece brownie person”. Plus they keep their shape better in a tin once they have cooled down a bit (#noeggproblems). I swirled in a bit of tahini into each of the brownies because chocolate and tahini is an incredible flavor combo, but you can by all means use any loose nut butter you have like almond, peanut or cashew (fancy!). Or omit the nut butter completely if you’re not feeling it or allergic.

Ugh, I wish I had another batch of these now. I think I have at least 1/4 cup of cocoa powder left in my cabinet to make one more batch! If you can get your hands on any La Tourangelle Nut Oils, use those instead of olive oil for an extra rich and nutty flavor boost! Incredible!

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Ultra Small Batch Olive Oil Brownies With Tahini

Makes 4 brownies

⅓ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup La Tourangelle Olive Oil
¼ cup sugar
1 tbsp brown sugar 
½ tsp vanilla
3 tbsp hot coffee or hot water
2 tsp tahini or other loose nut butter
Flakey salt - optional topping
Non-stick spray

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, olive oil, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and hot coffee or water in a small mixing bowl. Mix with a rubber spatula until smooth. The batter will be thick.

3. Spray 4 molds of a cupcake tin with non-stick spray. Divide the batter between the 4 molds. Top each brownie with ½ tsp of tahini. Swirl with a toothpick.

4. Bake the brownies for 20-22minutes. Remove the brownies from the oven and top with a sprinkle of flakey salt. Allow the brownies to cool for at least 20 minutes before removing from the mold. Since there is no egg in the recipe, they are a little crumbly when fresh out of the oven. Allowing them to cool helps the brownies stick together. Enjoy!

Thanks, La Tourangelle Artisan Oils, for sponsoring this post!