Easy dairy-free chocolate brownie strudel is a simple recipe that combines two absolute favorites into one incredible dessert, then covered in powdered sugar and drizzled with chocolate. Made without butter or milk.
Chocolate brownie strudel is a delicious, melt-in-your-mouth dessert.
The prep is simple with little effort, made from basic pantry ingredients, and it's budget-friendly. Just flaky pastry dough wrapped around a rich, fudgy chocolate brownie batter.
But it looks like it came from a bakery!
It's a terrific dessert for guests or to bring along to potlucks with friends. And since it's made without butter or milk (and uses dairy-free pastry dough), it's even great for people who are avoiding dairy.
Have it as is, serve it with a scoop of your favorite ice cream or have it alongside your morning coffee. It also makes a wonderful, comforting treat at the end of a long, busy day.
And if you want to make it dairy, just use pastry dough that isn't dairy-free.
This dessert can be made flat or more rounded. To make it rounder, the batter needs to be thicker, so add a bit more flour (a little at a time until reaching a thicker consistency).
When it comes out of the oven, just sprinkle with powdered sugar and drizzle with chocolate topping (shown in recipe).
Frequently Asked Questions for dairy-free brownie strudel
Can I make this strudel dairy?
Yes! If you prefer a traditional dairy version, you can easily use standard pastry dough or butter-based ingredients in place of the dairy-free alternatives.
How do I store leftover chocolate brownie strudel?
Store leftover strudel in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days to maintain the best texture.
Can I freeze the baked strudel?
Yes, you can freeze baked dairy-free chocolate strudel. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, then freeze for up to 2 to 3 months. Thaw completely at room temperature before reheating.
What kind of store-bought pastry dough is dairy-free?
Many common store-bought puff pastry brands use vegetable shortening or oil instead of butter, making them naturally dairy-free. Always check the ingredient label on the package to be certain.
How do I reheat the strudel to keep the pastry flaky?
To restore the crispy, flaky texture, reheat slices in a conventional oven or toaster oven at 350°F for about 5 to 7 minutes. Avoid using the microwave, as it can make the pastry soggy.
What baking equipment is good to have in my kitchen?
- a stand mixer, which I use mostly for dough and sometimes for whipping
- a hand mixer (for things that aren't dough, and I don't want to mix manually)
- a kitchen scale
- different sizes and shapes of baking pans, including loaf pans
- mixing bowls (or just large bowls-I have plastic, glass, and metal)
- cookie sheets
- pie dishes
- dry measuring cups
- liquid measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- whisks
- rubber spatulas (really good for when you don't want to leave anything in the bowl)
- rolling pins
- a baking mat for rolling out dough
- baking strips
- a good supply of baking (or parchment) paper (also round for layer cakes)
Which ingredients are good to have for spur-of-the-moment baking?
- flour
- white granulated sugar
- brown sugar (light/dark-I usually keep dark)
- confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)
- salt
- baking powder
- baking soda
- cocoa powder
- ground cinnamon
- ground nutmeg
- ground ginger
- ground cloves
- baking chocolate
- chocolate chips
- instant dry yeast
- vanilla and/or vanilla sugar
- cooking oil/cooking spray
- margarine or butter
- eggs
- honey
- instant coffee
- various extracts (real or imitation)
- a variety of fillings, frostings, and toppings:
- whipping cream
- packaged pie dough or ready-made pie crusts
- puff pastry dough
General Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about baking:
What is the difference between white granulated sugar and brown sugar?
The short answer is that while white granulated sugar is just pure sweetness, brown sugar is white sugar with molasses mixed into it.
Here is how that change affects your baking:
- White sugar is neutrally sweet. Brown sugar tastes like rich caramel or toffee.
- White sugar makes things crisp and light. Brown sugar traps moisture, making baked goods (like brownies) dense, soft, and extra chewy.
- Brown sugar is dark and wet; white sugar is dry and clear.
Tip: If a recipe calls for brown sugar and you're completely out, you can make your own by thoroughly mixing a tablespoon of molasses into a cup of regular white granulated sugar, and that will give you light-brown sugar. If you want dark brown sugar, you need to mix in more molasses.
What is the difference between baking soda and baking powder?
Baking soda and baking powder are both synthetic leavens that help baked goods rise, but there is a difference between them.
Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, which needs another ingredient that is acidic in order to be activated. When the baking soda touches the acid, it creates a carbon dioxide gas, which helps the baked good rise. Baking soda is between 3 and 4 times stronger than baking powder, and if too much baking soda is used, your baked good will end up with a metallic flavor.
Baking powder is baking soda that is already mixed with an acid and a stabilizer and will be activated by moisture and heat. Nowadays, baking powder is called double-acting because it activates twice-once when it gets wet (when you mix the ingredients together) and again when it heats in the oven.
Replacing one with the other can be tricky, and it's not recommended. However, if you have no choice, then do solid research for substituting one for the other for the baked good you are preparing so you don't ruin it.
What do eggs do in baking?
Eggs are made up of two parts: the whites and the yolks (the yellow).
Egg whites are made up of protein that sets when heated and helps baked goods hold their structure. The yolks are made up of fats and vitamins and help ingredients bond.
Eggs also help baked goods rise as well as keep them moist.
It is important to have the right amount of eggs when baking, because if there are too many eggs in a recipe, this can cause a rubbery, dense texture, and if there are too few eggs, this can cause a crumbly, dry texture.
The different parts of the egg will provide different textures to baked goods; using the entire egg in baking will provide moisture and help the baked good rise evenly, using extra yolks will create richer, denser textures, and extra whites will add fluffiness but may create a drier texture.
Why do recipes have salt in the ingredients of baked goods?
Even though salt tends to make foods, well, salty, it actually plays other roles in baking as well.
For example, the right amount of salt balances flavors in baked goods; it can bring out the sweetness of sugar and, at the same time, prevent them from tasting overly sweet. It also can help dull the bitterness of cocoa.
Salt prevents baked goods from tasting bland, while it balances the richness of the fats. It also helps develop flavor in yeast breads and works with proteins to strengthen gluten and make it more elastic.
Salt also slows down yeast fermentation because it prevents the yeast from eating up the sugars too quickly, which otherwise would cause the dough to rise too fast and then ultimately collapse, causing bread to come out flat instead of fluffy.
Salt helps baked goods stay a little fresher for a little longer and helps delay mold from growing on them.
What is the difference between real vanilla extract and imitation vanilla?
Real vanilla is made from soaking vanilla beans in alcohol, imitation vanilla is synthetic, and real vanilla costs quite a bit more than imitation. Whether or not there will be a taste difference in your baking depends on the baked good, so do some research before you decide.
I personally always use the imitation as long as I have a really good brand because it's not worth it to me to spend the extra money.
Should I sift flour before I use it?
Unless you are concerned about bugs or clumps from moisture, the need to sift depends on your recipe.
For example, you don't need to sift for dense baking like muffins or quick breads, where lumps won't ruin the texture. But you should sift for recipes that rely on air bubbles, such as sponge or angel cakes or soufflés. You also should sift your flour if you are making baked goods with a high fat content, such as brownies, because it is important that the fat be absorbed throughout all of the flour, and having flour clumps could prevent this.
Sifting the baking powder and/or baking soda together with the flour and salt before mixing in the other ingredients may be able to help prevent cakes from coming out lopsided, where one side may be somewhat higher than the other.
If you like this recipe...
Try
Easy Dairy-Free Chocolate Brownie Strudel Recipe
Delicious and easy brownie-filled pastry, made without dairy.
Ingredients
- 1 sheet dairy-free puff pastry dough (approximately 1 pound, rolled out to around ⅛" thick or so—mine comes out to approximately 16" x 10")
- ¼ cup powdered (confectioner's) sugar
Filling
- ¾ cup flour
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ - ½ cup oil *
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (imitation is fine)
Chocolate topping (if desired)
- 1 cup powdered (confectioner's) sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2-3 tablespoons water or non-dairy milk substitute, such as oat milk*
Instructions
The Pastry
- In a bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and salt.
- Add oil, eggs, and vanilla extract and mix well.
- Spread or roll out pastry dough.
- Place the filling along the middle of the length of the dough so it is approximately 2-3 inches wide, starting an inch or two from one of the shorter edges.
- There should be approximately 12" of filling with an inch or two on the other side as well (if your filling isn't thick enough, it will seep out the sides, so to prevent this the dough should extend beyond the filling). **
- Fold the long edges of the dough over the filling and overlap.
- Gently flip the dough over on to a lined or greased baking sheet.
- Place in a oven that has been preheated to 350°F and bake for 30 - 40 minutes until the dough has become a light golden brown.
- Remove from oven.
- Sprinkle powdered sugar over the top.
- Mix powdered sugar, cocoa.
- Add 2 tablespoons of liquid and mix well. Add up to one more tablespoon of liquid only if needed to be able to drizzle (if you add too much liquid, add a little more powdered sugar to compensate).
- Drizzle on top of strudel as desired.
The chocolate topping
Notes
* Add only ⅓ cup oil for a thicker filling.
** If a little bit of the filling seeps out the ends while baking, you can leave or cut off.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 513Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 164mgCarbohydrates: 106gFiber: 6gSugar: 71gProtein: 10g
