Fudgy, marshmallow-y, and chocolaty–could there be a better dessert? These Allergy-friendly Mississippi Mud Brownies are three layers of pure bliss. Free of: wheat, gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanuts and tree nuts with a vegan option!
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My mom used to make these ALL the time growing up, and they were one of my favorite desserts. Chocolate and marshmallow are already a stand out combo–but add to that HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE FROSTING and it takes it to the highest level of dessert goodness.
If you haven’t already tried my original allergy-friendly brownies–I’ve never had someone try them and not love them. I constantly get emails of people saying that they not only inhaled them, but that they took them where there were people without food allergies and they loved them too! They’re so rich and fudgy. So, why ruin perfection? I pretty much stuck with the brownie recipe for the base, just taking out a little oil, to make sure they weren’t too oily to be able to add on the layers. Because of this, you’ll really have to stir since the dough isn’t very wet.
Now it comes to the tricky part: the marshmallows! These brownies can be top-8-free, or they can be gluten-free vegan…but unfortunately I do not know how to make them both. Regular marshmallows, like Kraft, have gelatin in them–thus making them non-vegan. If you’re new here–I bake gluten-free vegan because my son has wheat, dairy & egg allergies–but we can do meat and gelatin. Though we do love a good meatless recipe–which you’ll find lots of in my recipe index. Click here to see which marshmallows are dairy free and see an ingredient comparison chart of the top brands.
But, vegan marshmallows, like Dandies, have soy in them. I know–it’s quite the conundrum. As soon as I find someone that makes vegan/top 8 free/soy free marshmallows I will be sure to update the recipe. I’m sorry! I know it’s hard when options are limited, but I don’t feel like making homemade marshmallows when there’s already three steps to this recipe (although easy steps!). If you ever find one, be sure to direct message me and let me know!
Onto the cherry, er, uh…the frosting on top. This is my absolute favorite chocolate frosting. Notice I didn’t say my favorite dairy-free chocolate frosting. It’s my all-time favorite frosting–even if my family didn’t have food allergies! I love to make it and eat it sandwiched between graham crackers. I almost fight my kids to lick the bowl and almost always save some extra for myself. I honestly enjoy this better than regular chocolate buttercream. When I now have regular buttercream, made with real butter, the butter flavor is too overwhelming for me. This is the perfect texture and perfect chocolaty-ness.
You’ll want to give yourself a bit of time, as the brownies and marshmallows need to cool before you frost them to avoid the frosting melting everywhere. I sped this up by putting it in the fridge, once the glass was cool enough (don’t shatter it!). But remember–good things come to those who wait! And boy, oh boy, are these worth the wait!
If you’re a big brownie aficionado like I am, be sure to also check out my:
Because one can NEVER have too many brownie variations up their sleeves!
I hope that these gluten-free vegan Mississippi mud brownies help those of you who have food restrictions, like my two sons, enjoy a decadent, devilishly good dessert!
Be sure to watch the video attached to this page before starting, to see how to make the brownies, or visit (and subscribe!) to my YouTube channel to see it there (plus many more videos!) And, as always–sharing is caring! Be sure to tell anyone else with food allergies about my page. Thanks!
Allergy-friendly Mississippi Mud Brownies (Top 8 free!)
Fudgy, marshmallow-y, and chocolaty--could there be a better dessert? These Allergy-friendly Mississippi Mud Brownies are three layers of pure bliss. Free of: wheat, gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanuts and tree nuts with a vegan option!
Ingredients
- One recipe for Chocolate "Buttercream" Frosting
- One 10-oz bag of mini marshmallows (vegan if needed*)
- BROWNIE RECIPE:
- 1 and ½ cups gluten free flour
- 1 and ½ cups sugar
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 1 and ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp xanthan gum (omit if your gluten free flour has this in it)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
- 4 flax eggs (4 Tablespoons of ground flax mixed with 10 Tablespoons of warm water)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Grease a square 9x9 pan. (You could use a 9x13 if you prefer thinner brownies.) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, combine the flax eggs and warm water. Allow this to sit for a few minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, xanthan and salt. Whisk until the cocoa is broken up and incorporated completely.
- Pour in the wet ingredients: melted coconut oil, flax egg mixture and vanilla extract.
- Stir until everything is mixed well. The dough will be thick and doughy. Use greased, or wet hands, to press into the greased pan.
- Bake 20-23 minutes, until the edges and top are crisp. (Granted, I know many people have different degrees of done-ness they like of their brownies. As evidenced in my pictures, I prefer a little gooey.) Please note in my original recipe I say 15-20 minutes, but because of the added soft layers on top, I think these need to be cooked a bit longer for a more firmer base.
- While the brownies cook, make the chocolate frosting.
- After the brownies are done, immediately cover them in enough marshmallows so no brownie is showing. Turn the oven off, and place the brownies back in the oven and watch closely until the marshmallows are puffed and look gooey enough that they're a solid layer. Remove from the oven to cool completely.
- Once cooled, frost and then cut into squares. Or, refrigerate a bit longer to continue to help them set. Will keep 2-3 days if tightly covered.
Notes
See the post above for FAQs.
*Our allergies, while severe and that get re-tested frequently, are such that we can go strictly by what's on the label. I do not call companies to see what things are derived from, or call manufacturers to see about potential cross contact. If your allergies require you to do so, please do your own homework. I cannot assure you of any ingredient's safety, only you can do that. I simply share what works for our family
**If you are going to feed this to someone with food allergies, and you yourself do not have food allergies, I HIGHLY recommend having them check every single brand and ingredient you are using, to ensure they're OK with each part of the recipe. And, to make sure you've talked to them about how to avoid cross contamination in your kitchen.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 296Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 158mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 2gSugar: 24gProtein: 4g
BE SURE TO PIN THIS, SO YOU DON’T LOSE IT. BE SURE TO ALSO CHECK OUT MY OTHER ALLERGY-FRIENDLY PINTEREST BOARDS!
Looking for other allergy-friendly brownie recipes? Try these out:
Gluten-free Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies (AKA Brookies)
Brownie Sundae Cups (Gluten-free, Vegan, Top 8 Free)
Triple Layer SunButter Brownies (Gluten-free, Vegan, Top 8 Free)
Hi! I’m Megan, a mom to four kids, two with multiple food allergies & one with EOE. I’m a published cookbook author that constantly tweaks recipes to make them allergy friendly–it’s an addiction. I share every recipe & tip with the hope that they help you as you manage your food allergies & dietary restrictions. You can still be awesome, even with food allergies!
Related Recipes:
No Churn Vegan Chocolate-Banana Ice Cream
Allergy-friendly Cinnamon Chocolate Popcorn (Gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanut & tree nut free; top-8-free; vegan)
Chocolate Covered Cookie Dough Easter Eggs Made with Hope & Compassion
Gluten-free Vegan Lemon Cream Pie Bars
Gluten Free Eggnog Cupcakes with Eggnog Frosting
Gluten Free Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars
Sonya
It’s so hard yummy gluten free recipes that my whole family can enjoy, but I made these for my family yesterday morning and everyone loved them! My family had eaten all of them by the time I went for seconds, which never happens when I bake gluten free! These are definitely a new family favorite. Thank you!
Megan Lavin
Sonya–that is so nice of you to say! I’m so happy to hear your whole family could enjoy it together!
Melissa
I love everything I’ve just read. Thank you for showing me I’m not alone in ensuring the safety of both my children and others I’m cooking for. . I’ve read lots of recipes to do with allergy friendly cooking, and you’re the first person to talk about labels, ingredients, cross contamination, and INCLUDING THE PERSON YOU ARE COOKING FOR!!! this is awesome. Well done!!
Megan Lavin
That means a lot Melissa. You often write and wonder if everyone just skips to the recipe and it ever sees the light of day. I appreciate it. I hope you enjoyed the brownies.
Sonya
It’s so hard finding gluten free recipes that my whole family can enjoy, but I made these for my family yesterday morning and everyone loved them! My family had eaten all of them by the time I went for seconds, which never happens when I bake gluten free! I’m going to make them again today or tomorrow, and was wondering if I made a double batch if I could freeze some of the batter? These are definitely a new family favorite. Thank you!
Megan Lavin
That’s a huge compliment. Thanks Sonya! We have the same problem, so I’ve personally never had any leftovers to freeze. My best bet would be to bake the brownies, and then freeze them. Enjoy and take an extra bite for me!
Jo
Would these freeze ok? I was thinking of making them. Cutting into portion size wrapping and freeze them individually
Megan Lavin
I have never frozen them. We eat them too fast. I have my doubts about freezing the marshmallows, but couldn’t hurt to try. Please report back if you do!
Gina
I used regular sized marshmallows and it was too much marshmallow. Also, I used store brand since that’s what I had in the pantry and they didn’t melt properly. It was kind of a mess when it came time to serve them. We needed knives to get through the marshmallow mess. Next time, I would try either marshmallow cream or mini marshmallows. Honestly there was so much marshmallow going on, I couldn’t really say how good the brownies were or weren’t. The frosting was divine. Will try this again sometime though, since I’m having to learn to cook dairy free now, but will either scale back on the marshmallows or use a larger pan.
Megan Lavin
Hi Gina. I’m sorry it was too much marshmallow for you. Things like marshmallows and chocolate chips can always be measured with the heart and according to your taste. I’m sorry if you didn’t see that I used mini marshmallows in the video, I agree I prefer them. Hope you’ll try the again. Have a good weekend.
Heather D
Holy balls! This. Was. Good. Thank you for making so many wonderful recipes!
Megan Lavin
Haha, holy balls. That’s when you know it’s good. Thanks!
Ellie Bull
I loved this recipe! Thank you so much!! 🙂
Megan Lavin
I’m so happy to hear that. You’re so very welcome!
Claire-Astrid F
Soooo good!! My mother is Celiac and allergic to dairy and I made this for her birthday 🙂 She loved it!
Though, I had to add a lot of coconut oil and water to the batter to thicken it to the texture it looked in the video (before putting it in the oven), is that normal? Still tasted amazing, but I was just curious.
Thank you!
Megan Lavin
That’s interesting–did you use the exact flour blend it calls for? Other flours may be more absorbent. It is meant to be a very thick dough and takes me quite a bit of stirring to get it all worked in–the video just cuts through that part to make it not such a long video.
Emily
If using regular flour do you omit the Xanthan gum? Just a dairy allergy here so regular flour would be fine for us.
Megan Lavin
Yes, exactly. Enjoy!
Avery
I don’t have Xanthan gum… is there a substitute?
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If cooking gluten free, you need xanthan gum to help the gluten free flour rise, and bind. If you don’t have xanthan, I’ve heard guar gum can sometimes replace it.
Teresa
I just made these brownies…AGAIN…A MAZ ING!!!!
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Once you make them, it’s hard to STOP making them. So happy to hear you like them.
Yvette
If saved overnight, will the texture change? (Marshmallow and frosting get hard?) does it have to be stored in fridge or room temp?
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Store room temp, and make sure it’s covered airtight, otherwise the frosting will dry out. It’s always preferred to make the morning of.
Jess
If we don’t have an egg allergy can we use eggs in place of the flax seed? I just don’t have any on hand or I would.
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Of course!
Kelsey
How many eggs would you use in the recipe? 4? I have a new baby who has a dairy intolerance and I’m so excited to try these!
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Hi Kelsey! I’ve had to cut out dairy for a baby as well, so I totally get it. I’ve never tried it with eggs, since we have an egg allergy, but four would be my guess as well.
Kelsey
Thank you!!
Denise
Have you tried agar agar as a vegan alternative to gelatin? I haven’t tried it, but thought it might work for you after reading about your marshmallows in your Mississippi mud brownies.
Denise
I just read that you don’t want to make your own marshmallows, so disregard my above above ?