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Tofu Brownies

A chocolate brownie recipe using silken tofu, cocoa, and walnuts.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 10 ingredients
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Why it works: Cinnamon and vanilla match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,287 recipes. Both carry 4-methoxybenzaldehyde, which smells sweet, anise. The science ↓

Tofu Brownies

Oven450°F
Time20 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Grease bottom and sides of an 8‑inch square pan with vegetable shortening. Place wax paper on the greased pan bottom and grease the top of the paper.

  2. In a food processor, blend the dry ingredients. Empty the mixture into a small bowl and set aside.

Make the batter

  1. Do not clean the work bowl. Replace it and process the wet ingredients (except cocoa) until smooth and the sugar/Sucanat is dissolved. Add cocoa and process until smooth.

  2. Add the dry mixture all at once. Pulse to blend just until all dry ingredients are moistened. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and sprinkle with chopped nuts.

Bake and cool

  1. Bake for 20 minutes or until the brownies spring back when touched lightly in the center. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. Cool completely.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

993Calories
24 gProtein
31 gFat
155 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Chocolate1 oz (28g) semisweet155
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Apple Sauce1 medium (182g)95
Tofu100g firm76
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Walnut1 walnut half (4g)26
Vanilla1 tsp extract (4ml)12
Cinnamon1 tsp ground (2.6g)6

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Cinnamon + vanillatop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together5,287 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4-methoxybenzaldehyde (sweet, anise).

  2. Cinnamon + appletop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together5,598 recipes

    Shared aroma: methyl cinnamate (strawberry).

  3. Apple + vanillatop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,501 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

  4. Flour + tofutop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together350 recipes

    Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

  5. Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together35,032 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

Sugar and vanilla barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Cake flour or all-purpose flour
Provides the structure that holds the brownies together as they bake.
Baking soda
Reacts with the acidic ingredients to lift the batter and give a lighter crumb.
Extra-firm silken tofu
Supplies moisture and a dense, fudgy body in place of butter or eggs.
Apple sauce
Adds moisture and tenderness while replacing fat.
Sugar or sucanat
Sweetens the brownies and helps give a moist, glossy top.
Cocoa powder
Supplies the chocolate flavor and deep color.

The step that matters

Pulse the dry ingredients in just until moistened. Overmixing once flour is added develops gluten, which makes the brownies tough and dense rather than tender.

Swap the apple

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, cinnamon, tofu, sauce, sugar, vanilla, cocoa powder):

  1. Coconutfits better
  2. Raisinfits better
  3. Blueberryfits better
  4. Applethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against flour, cinnamon, tofu, sauce, sugar, vanilla, cocoa powder. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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