This really is the Best Ever Vegan Brownies Recipe! Fudgy, gooey, perfect squares of chocolate that cut easily and are easy to make. You’ll never buy a boxed brownie mix again!
In the last two days, I’ve made three batches of vegan brownies. That’s right, three. A few weeks ago, I tried some other recipes I was playing around with. All in an attempt to create the most perfect vegan brownies recipe in the world. It has been such a struggle you guys! (And yes I have a freezer FULL of brownies)
All of the recipes were edible (I mean, come on, it’s chocolate people!), but NOT the brownie perfection I was looking for. Either they were too fudgy, or too cake-like (my biggest peeve). Or one batch that cooked fine on the outside but wouldn’t fully cook near the middle.
I had to do some serious brownie research, read about ingredients, what makes a brownie cake-like, what makes them more fudgy, how to create the right balance for what I was looking for, and then think about the best vegan swaps for the result I wanted to achieve.
Finally, just a few days ago, I made one more batch of vegan brownies, after carefully creating the recipe on paper. I was SO excited as the batter tasted incredible, and after baking they looked good in the pan. Still having doubts, I let them cool a bit and then removed them from the pan and sliced them slowly.
When I looked inside and took the first bite, I knew, I had finally created the PERFECT Vegan Brownies Recipe! They are thick and hold together when you slice them. Fudgy, but not overly so, chewy, rich, ooey-gooey and full of chocolatey goodness. No one would guess they’re vegan!
What kind of chocolate chips should I use for vegan brownies recipe?
I used Trader Joe’s semi-sweet chocolate chips because they happen to be vegan and are quite inexpensive. It can be difficult to find chocolate chips that don’t contain dairy, so just check the ingredients list. You can also use your favorite chocolate bar and chop it into pieces.
What kind of cocoa powder should I use?
I used Trader Joe’s unsweetened cocoa powder in this recipe, Hershey’s unsweetened is also a good option. I would not recommend you use a dutch cocoa powder, as you will get different results.
What is the best way to cut brownies?
If you are making vegan brownies for a party or to serve to others, it’s important to follow a couple of steps to get really nicely cut brownies. This is true whether they are vegan brownies or not!
It is helpful to line your pan with parchment paper that hangs out the sides for easy removal. After baking, let the brownies cool off for 15 minutes in the pan, then lift them out of the pan with the parchment paper and let cool 15-30 minutes more on a cooling rack. The longer you let them cool, the easier and cleaner cutting will be.
To cut, use a big, heavy knife. Run it under hot water for 30 seconds, dry it quickly and cut the brownies. Clean off the knife in between cuts, and you will have clean brownie squares.
If you like this vegan brownies recipe, you may also want to check out these “best” dessert recipes:
Perfect Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you make this recipe, let me know how it goes! Rate it, leave a comment and tag a photo @noracooksvegan on Instagram or find me on Facebook. Enjoy!
Best Ever Vegan Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons ground flax
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup vegan butter (earth balance brand), melted *see instructions
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup non-dairy chocolate chips OR roughly chopped chocolate pieces
Instructions
- Make the flax eggs by stirring the ground flax and water in a small bowl. Set aside to thicken. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 7 x 11 pan with parchment paper.
- Melt the vegan butter (earth balance brand preferred), and measure 1/2 cup. I do this by microwaving the vegan butter in a glass measuring cup, in 30 second intervals, until melted.
- In a large bowl, whisk the melted vegan butter and sugars together. Add the flax eggs and vanilla, whisk until evenly combined.
- Over the same large bowl, sift in the flour and cocoa powder. Add the salt and baking powder and stir with a large wooden spoon until just combined, do not over mix.
- Fold in half of the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top with a spoon or your hands. Sprinkle the rest of the chocolate chips on top of the batter.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes. The brownies may still be bubbling and not look done, but they will firm up a lot as they cool.
- Remove from the oven, allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then pull the brownies out, using the parchment paper and let cool for another 15-30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Video
Notes
- To sift, either use a sifter or a fine mesh strainer also works.
- Coconut oil does not work very well in place of the vegan butter; it makes them very oily so I don't recommend it. You could sub applesauce for the vegan butter if you are oil free.
- If you don't want the brownies as sweet, it is perfectly okay to reduce the sugar, even to 1 cup. They will still turn out well, just not as sweet.
- When you initially take the brownies out of the oven, they will appear underdone and soft, but give them time to cool. They are even better the next day; fudgy and rich. These are NOT cake-like brownies.
- You may also use dutch processed cocoa powder for slightly different results. They will be a little less fudgy, and darker in color.
This may sound stupid….but is the 1/2 cup butter…is it 1/2 cup before it’s melted or a 1/2 cup after it’s melted?
It’s not a stupid question. It should be 1/2 cup melted.
These sound delicious! Can’t wait to try them. I want to change the pan size to 8×8 since I don’t have a 7×11 one. What would the cook time be with this size? Thx
8 x 8 works well, the brownies will just be a bit taller and fudgier. You could also use a 9 x 13 for thinner brownies. You might want to add 5-10 extra minutes of bake time.
Hi Nora!
Your recipe looks absolutely delectable!
I’m thinking of making these in a mini muffin tin. If so, how should I adjust the baking time?
I’ve never tried it, but it sounds fun! I’d say they probably will only need 20 minutes or so to bake.
My friend made regular brownies and I now want to proof vegan ones are better 🙂 this recipe sounds perfect and I want to try it out this weekend. Only, I am not sure if I am able to buy flax seeds anywhere on such short notice, let alone ground ones. Is there anything you have tried as a substitute for flax seeds that worked out? I know chia seeds often replace flax seeds but I read that you can’t always use them interchangeably.
Ground chia seeds will work. Possibly even applesauce or non-dairy milk, for slightly different results. I would sub 1/2 cup of either applesauce or milk. Thanks!
Update:
I found flax seeds so was able to make the recipe as is. I used Becel vegan butter as I had that on hand and ended up adding some water to the recipe when combining everything to get to a similar consistency as what the video showed. I also adjusted the recipe a little bit to be able to fit a slightly bigger pan without making the brownies thinner. The batter still seemed to be a bit thick to pour into the tin but I made it work. I was worried this was due to the different butter and my adjustments and thought the project would fail. It ended up being in the oven for too long as well in my opinion as the sides were quite crispy but the middle seemed perfect so I Kept the sides to myself and fed the middle pieces to others. and.. everyone LOVED it. They couldn’t believe it was vegan. I am also normally not much of a sweets person and I just could not stop eating it. Definitely going to try to make the recipe again exactly like written above to see if it makes a difference. many have already requested me to make this again so it’s definitely a hit!! Thank you for being awesome and posting this!
Oh my goodnesses!! Nora they were perfect, Delicious VEGAN brownies!! I followed the recipe to a T and added chopped walnuts and served it with Oatly Vanilla ice cream! Yum! Thank you!
You’re welcome!
Hey Nora!
I made these brownies and my batter is very thick, there is no way I could pour this batter into the pan. Turned out amazing, by far the best brownies I have ever had but am I doing something wrong??
I’m not sure why your batter was so thick, but it’s fine if you have to scoop it in and press it down. I’m glad you liked the brownies so much though!
Delicious! I doubled the recipe and used applesauce and cut the sugar in half to make it “healthy” and was superb! Had a bunch of mint chocolate and used that for half of the chocolate chips which turned out great as well!
When you doubled the recipe, how long did you bake it for?
I loved this recipe. My cooking and baking skills are limited but I love to try new recipes. This one turned out great. I am really pleased. I have a question, can I use wholegrain flour in it? Thanks
I’m so glad you enjoyed the brownies! Sure, you could, whole wheat or grain flour will alter the flavor quite a bit, but it should work fine.
Thank you so much! These brownies are fabulous! I had just about given up on vegan baking until I tried these. So rich and fudgy, this is a perfect recipe. I’m sure they’ll be gone in no time. Faith in vegan baking restored.
I’ve made these twice this week and they disappear almost immediately. This is the first vegan brownie recipe I’ve tried that didn’t turn to goo in the oven or come out too cakey. Thank you!!!
You’re welcome!
Hello,
Thanks for the recipe! I do not eat sugar but only maple syrup and don’t use vegan butter. Has anyone tried that recipe with apple sauce and maple syrup by chance?
Hi Nora,
I’m glad I came across your recipe! I too have been testing brownie recipes, and usually have pretty good success taking any old standard recipe I find and changing out the non-vegan ingreds.. However, the last few batches I’ve made seem really oily, they don’t set, take an absurd amount of time to bake, etc.. Did you come across any of these problems? If so, could you offer some wisdom to my curious vegan baking soul?
Thanks & I’m excited to try your recipe next!
Rachel
Honestly, it takes so much trial and error with brownies! There is nothing in particular, and yes I have encountered all of these problems. 🙂 I hope you enjoy the recipe I came up with after many failed batches!
I made these and used chia seeds instead of ground flax to make the egg replacement. Mine did not have a good flavor and were not fudgy. I used half regular cocao and half Dutch processed as I ran out of regular. Is that why the taste was not very sweet? Does the regular cocoa make them fudgy?
I’ve never tested them with chia seeds, but I don’t personally like the taste at all. They probably don’t work exactly like ground flax and water, so I’m guessing that was your issue. Brownies can be very picky, so I suggest following the recipe exactly when possible for best results, as this recipe took many failed attempts to perfect! I use both regular cocoa and dutch with no issues. Thank you!
I used Buckwheat flour and apples sauce with 1 cup of coconut sugar. I also added in pistachio, and coconut sprinkles on the top with cashews. Turned out amazing! ?
Thank you Nora!
You’re welcome!
I only have teff flour and whole wheat flour, coconut sugar. Could make oat flour. I would also only want to use 1 cup of sugar. Your notes say that’s okay,but later you say maybe not. Do you have to add some other dry ingredient. Thank you!
I have only made it successfully as written, but other people have reported success with other types of flour and sugar. I can’t say for sure, but I do think it won’t ruin the recipe to use 1 cup of sugar. With any of those flours, they won’t taste the same as white flour, but might work okay. I haven’t used teff flour myself, but maybe a mix of whole wheat and oat flour would be best if that’s all you have.
These brownies are fantastic! Fudgy brownies are the best brownies. I could serve these to anyone and they would never know they were vegan, my favorite kind of recipes to have on hand when I need to bring a dish somewhere. Thanks for a great recipe!
You’re welcome! So glad you like them!
I have been allergic to eggs all my life, and have never found a truly good brownie recipe that worked well and tasted delicious. These change everything, and they’re so simple too! Thanks so much.
You’re so welcome! Thanks for the great comment!
Hi Nora. I love your recipes and love that you do the research for me. Question about vegan recipes in general: I use Earth Balance for everything. But I have tubs and sticks. I like to use the sticks whenever possible, but they are flavorless. I’m not sure when the butter flavor is important to the recipe, and when it’s just the vegan fat. Can you help? Thanks ?
Thank you so much! It’s funny, I feel like the sticks and the tub taste exactly the same, I wonder if they are different? I’ll have to taste test sometime. That said, I use them interchangeably. I like the sticks when baking simply because they make measuring easier. For the brownies, the tub or sticks work. I hope that helps!
I made these following the recipe but they came out very crunchy and dry on the top. What do you think I did wrong?
I’m not sure, I’ve never had them come out like that. They are quite fudgy and moist, not dry. Did you make any substitutions at all, or leave something out?
Hey, I wanted to make these brownies. So I was wondering if I could use oatmeal flour instead of all-purpose flour, and granulated sugar instead of brown sugar. Thank you very much and hope to hear from you soon.
I’ve never tried using oat flour, but I have doubts that it would work well. It’s possible though! Regular sugar is okay in place of brown though. Hope that helps!
These brownies are so delicious and very easy to make! Thank you for the recipe!
You’re welcome!
They came out divine. How do you suggest storing them for best keeping?
I’m so glad! I store them on the counter and they are good for a few days. You can refrigerate them for longer, or even freeze brownies if you have a lot leftover.
Just made these and sliced them – perfectly fudgey and delicious. I followed the recipe exactly and cooked for 40 minutes.
Glad they are delicious!
As promised, VERY fudgy brownies! Just what I was in the mood for. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I made it exactly as written, but only used 2 tsp. of vanilla and of the 1 cup cocoa powder I mixed in a couple TBSP of black cocoa powder. Delicious, will definitely make again.
So glad you liked it!
Is there a substitute that can be used for the applesauce?
There is no applesauce called for in this recipe?
Looks amazing! Wondering if I could substitute coconut oil for the vegan butter (1:1?) and eggs for the flax eggs (if so, how many eggs would I use)? Thanks!
Also, meant to ask if the sugar could be reduced (and if so, what to adjust accordingly)? 2 cups sounds like a lot (I’m used to more like 1 cup). Thanks again!
You could reduce the sugar, maybe to 1 cup but it might mess up the recipe. It makes pretty big brownies that are quite indulgent. 🙂
I’ve never tried it with eggs, so I’m not sure but maybe 4. Coconut oil is fine to use. Thanks!
It looks tasty and classic. I wanna try this. Thank you!