Favorite Vegan Brownies
These vegan brownies are indulgent, fudgy, chewy, and gooey in all the right places and studded with chocolate chunks. They are my favorite chocolate brownie recipe!
Good old-fashioned, moist, and fudgy brownies made from scratch have landed a spot in the ever-expanding collection of vegan dessert recipes!
Rich and decadent, without being overly sweet, these classic homemade vegan brownies are completely dairy-free, egg-free, healthy-ish, and downright delicious! Easy to make, you can whip up a batch in about 45 minutes.
They’re pretty much fail-proof too. I have made 4 batches of these vegan brownies over the last few days (with minor tweaks here and there), and the whole family loved them all!
Ingredient Notes
It only takes a few simple ingredients to make my favorite vegan brownies.
Here is everything you will need, plus ideas for substituting ingredients:
- Flour – I used white whole wheat flour here, but all-purpose, spelt or whole wheat pastry flour would also work. Make these vegan brownies gluten-free by using all-purpose GF flour.
- Cocoa Powder – Seek out cocoa powder with no additives. It should be 100% cocoa powder. Dutch or natural cocoa is fine, and raw cacao powder is great too! Dutched cocoa is treated with alkaline, giving it a deep dark chocolate color and milder taste. Both natural cocoa and raw cacao are free from any processing and lighter in color.
- Sugar – Use pure cane sugar, white or brown, or coconut sugar (I used the latter because it’s not as sweet as other sugars and has a caramely flavor). If you prefer sweeter brownies, use pure cane sugars.
- Baking Powder – If you don’t have baking powder on hand, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda will be fine.
- Non-Dairy Butter – I use Miyoko’s butter, it’s my favorite. I’ve used light-flavored olive oil (as shown above), but any neutral oil will work. For oil-free vegan brownies, unsweetened applesauce is terrific (although they may be a little more cakey)!
- Flax Eggs – I love this handy bag of flax meal from Bob’s Red Mill (Target carries it a little cheaper, sorry Bob!). It’s nice having flax meal on hand for flax eggs whenever I need them.
- Vanilla – Finally, a dose of vanilla takes just about anything chocolatey over the top!
And for extra brownie love, add chunks of dark chocolate before baking and coarse sea salt after. It makes for gooey chocolate studded vegan brownie with just the right touch of salt to complement the subtle sweetness. Complete perfection!
How To Make Vegan Brownies
(Note – The full printable recipe is at the bottom of this post)
- Mix: Mix the wet ingredients until combined, add the dry ingredients, and mix again as shown above.
- Pour: Pour brownie batter into a prepared 8 x 8 baking dish. Top with optional chocolate chunks as shown below.
- Bake: Place in the center of the oven and bake for 25 – 30 minutes.
While waiting for the brownies to bake, enjoy scraping every bit of batter off the side of the bowl!
How To Tell When Brownies Are Done
Brownies, unlike cake, can be a little harder to tell when they are done. A good rule of thumb goes as follows. For cake-like brownies, bake until the edges start pulling away from the pan’s edges. For fudgy brownies, bake using the time range given in the recipe.
Tips For Success!
- Use quality ingredients! With only a handful of ingredients, sourcing the best will make for the ultimate vegan chocolate brownies.
- Let flax eggs set. Make sure your flax eggs have time to set, at least 10 minutes, before using.
- Give your brownies wings. It helps to line your pan with parchment paper. Leave an overhang on the sides to create handles. This way, when your brownies are done, you simply lift them by the overhang to pull out the brownies. I used these pre-cut sheets, cutting one in half and placing the halves crossed on each other. It fits perfectly in an 8 x 8.
- Ensure the oven is hot. Wait for the oven to be completely preheated before adding the brownies, placing them in the center of the oven for even baking. Baking time will vary from oven to oven, so use your best judgment.
How To Store
- Counter: Store leftover brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 – 4 days.
- Refrigerator: They will stay fresh longer if stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Freezer: These vegan brownies freeze beautifully for 2 – 3 months. The best way to freeze brownies is to let them cool completely, cut them into squares, and individually wrap them in Saran Wrap. Before serving, let them thaw in the refrigerator or counter for a few hours.
Serving Suggestions
These are a gooey, fudgy vegan brownie that’s a true crowd-pleaser. They are perfect for parties, potlucks, or just because you deserve to treat yourself to something wonderful!
Here are a few of my favorite ways to enjoy these brownies:
- Serve as is.
- Serve with a side of coconut whipped cream or non-dairy vanilla ice cream.
- They’re also great with a tall glass of ice-cold, non-dairy milk or a hot cup of coffee!
More Vegan Chocolate Recipes!
- Supreme Black Bean Brownies
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Chia Pudding
- Chocolate Cherry Smoothie
- See all vegan chocolate recipes on TSV!
If you try these easy vegan brownies, please let us know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
PrintFAVORITE VEGAN BROWNIES
This vegan brownie recipe is the only no-fail recipe you’ll ever need! Perfect gooey brownies, incredibly fudgy, super easy to make and downright indulgent!
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 25 min
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Serves 9, 1 brownie per serving 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: mix, bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (113g) non-dairy butter, applesauce or light flavored olive oil
- 1 1/4 cups (282g) sugar (organic pure cane or coconut)
- 3 flax eggs (see instructions)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (125g) flour (all-purpose, spelt, whole wheat, or gluten free all-purpose)
- 2/3 cup (65g) cocoa/cacao powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- generous pinch of salt
- 2 oz. dark chocolate bar, chopped
- coarse salt, for garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line and 8 x 8 baking dish with parchment paper, or lightly grease with oil. If using a 9 x 13 baking dish, see recipe instructions below.
Flax egg: In a small bowl, combine 3 heaped tablespoons flaxseed meal with 1/2 cup water or unsweetened non-dairy milk. Let rest for 10 minutes to thicken.
Mix: In a medium size mixing bowl, add the 1/2 cup butter/oil/applesauce and sugar, mix well. Add in the flax eggs and vanilla, mix again. Add in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt, mix well to combine. May take a minute or so to completely become mixed.
Pour: Pour brownie batter into the center of the prepared baking dish. Spread to the edges as needed. Optionally top with chopped chunks of dark chocolate or vegan chocolate chips.
Bake: Place in the center of the oven and bake for 25 – 30 minutes, as ovens may vary. Brownies are a bit harder to tell doneness compared to cake, so we recommend using a butter knife to check for doneness. Place in the center of the brownies, and once removed, it should come out without excess batter clinging to the knife.
Cool: Let cool in the baking dish. If you used parchment paper, after 5 – 10 minutes, lift the edges and move the brownies to a wire rack to cool.
Store: Keep loosely covered on the counter for up to 4 – 5 days. They keep longer in the refrigerator, up to 2 weeks.
Notes
My favorite butter is Miyoko’s Butter, it is a little more expensive, but it’s quality. I’ve also made these with light flavored olive oil (as shown here) and applesauce with great success! Note, using applesauce may make the brownies more cake-like.
I find that organic pure cane sugar is much sweeter than coconut sugar. If you’re looking for sweeter brownies, definitely stick with pure cane sugar.
If using applesauce, these are low-fat brownies.
Recipe for 13×9 baking dish:
- 3/4 cup (169g) non-dairy butter, applesauce, or light flavored olive oil
- 2 cups (396g) sugar (organic pure cane or coconut)
- 5 heaped tablespoons flaxseed meal + 3/4 cup water or non-dairy milk (for flax eggs)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (180g) flour (all-purpose, spelt, whole wheat, or gluten-free all-purpose)
- 1 cup (84g) cocoa/cacao powder
- 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
- generous pinch of salt
- 3 oz. dark chocolate bar, chopped
- coarse salt, for garnish
Bake for 40 – 45 minutes.
Making conversions? I recommend double-checking the King Arthur Ingredient Weight Chart for your specific ingredients.
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just wondering if i can sub almond butter for oil/butter? do you think it will work & will it change the texture? thanks!
That’s a great question! I’ve never tried and would think it would be too thick and different consistency. But then again, it just might work since almond butter is naturally made and runny. Honestly, I can’t say for sure, but if you’re up for a challenge give it a try. I would use a little more than what’s called for. Do let us know if you try, it would help others too!
Best brownies by far! These were a huge hit with my husband and community leasing office and paired very well with your Banana Coconut Ginger Ice Cream Recipe.
Simple recipe and turned out well. Usually whole wheat options turn out dense but it was perfect for this recipe. Thank you. Will make it again and will try with coconut oil.
These were delicious and decadent and are a great default brownie recipe.
So good! I’d definitely recommend 30-35 mins if baking in a clear glass dish (I did 27 and they were super fudgy, almost a touch underbaked, but totally delicious). I’ve tried at least 5 other brownie recipes and this is by far the best one I’ve tried!
These were amazing! I was out of sugar and used half maple syrup and half date sugar.
Hi, can I substitute the flax with chia in a 1:1 ratio?
Great question, Ananya! I haven’t trie it with chia seeds, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Give it a try, I’m sure it will be just as delicious! Do let us know how it goes!
Tastes great, but I had to add about 1/3 cup of almond milk to make it a pourable batter. It was more of a dough before that. Maybe it was because of that we had to bake it for much longer! Super yummy and fudgy in the end!
One piece of brownie is 27 grams in sugar? Is that a typo perhaps?
No, that is correct. To lower the sugar amount, I would suggest cutting smaller pieces or use less sugar. You can also try a sugar replacement such as monkfruit sugar which adds 0 calories, carbs and minimal sugar!
I have tried these several times now and they are a hit with my family.. My toddler and hubby loves them. I turned vegan a few months ago and was so glad to find this recipe. I find the texture even better when I use olive oil versus vegan butter. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!!!