Healthy Fudge Brownies (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Vegan)

A friend of mine is on "The Virgin Diet” (gluten free, soy free, dairy free, egg free, no sugar) and recently was telling me how she was dreaming of just eating a brownie. I got to thinking that I’m sure a great fudgy brownie could be made with a couple substitutions. I’ve been trying to lose baby weight (cough my baby is 7 months old) still, so I thought it’d be great to find a dessert recipe that was somewhat healthy for me. These were delicious and RICH. Even me a lover of chocolate could only eat half of one in a sitting because they are so rich. But they were the perfect way to satisfy a craving for chocolate in a healthy way. My friend loved them too! (Even though they do have maple syrup and agave which I don't know if those are technically okay on the diet, but it was a tiny splurge ;)
I started off with a recipe from Grain Free Foodie, found here. I altered it slightly to make it dairy and egg free, and have noted my alterations below. Then I added my favorite healthy chocolate frosting made with coconut oil. I love frosted brownies. My husband loves them unfrosted. We have been known to frost half the pan and divide the treats.
Brownie Ingredients:

• 2/3 c. honey or agave nectar
• 1/2 c. melted coconut oil
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1 c. applesauce
• 1 c. brown rice flour or almond flour
• 1/2 c. cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk honey, melted coconut oil, vanilla and applesauce until smooth. Add flour, cocoa, baking soda and optional salt. Stir to blend. Pour into greased 8x8x2 inch pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until center no longer jiggles and top feels cakey. Cool on a wire rack at least until sides pull away from the edge of the pan before cutting. (Cutting with a plastic knife keeps it from getting crumb-y.)

Raw Chocolate Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 c. coconut oil, melted
• 1/3 c. cocoa
• 2/3 c. agave nectar

Whisk cocoa with melted coconut oil until smooth, slowly add agave whipping with whisk. Let sit at room temperature or in fridge to set for 10-15 minutes before frosting, to bring the coconut oil back to a thicker state. Frost brownies when they’re cool.