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. Enjoy Life is a good brand and you can order them on Amazon. 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.
I made these brownies twice. Both times the bottom and sides got a really odd almost leathery texture while the inside is very gooey almost like it’s not done but I put them in for the full time. The taste is good and the recipe is easy to follow, but do you have any recommendations for the odd texture?
What sort of pan are you baking them in? I have found that a metal pan is best for brownies. Also, I would check to make sure your oven doesn’t actually run hot. My oven actually runs 50 degrees hotter than it says (when we moved here I noticed everything started to burn easily and not bake right).
I ran into this as well and was surprised because Nora’s recipes have never failed me. Did you happen to use the site’s Metric conversion for the ingredients? I just double checked and I was only meant to add a cup of chocolate chips, but the Metric version calls for 208 g! which I thought was an obnoxious amount and seemed closer to 2 cups but wanted to trust the recipe.
fantastic!
My totally vegan daughter (and the rest of the family) loved them. All I did differently, I omitted the chips and was asked to put it walnuts next time.
Thank you!
Elena.
I’ve made these a few times subbing carob powder for the cocoa, and they always come out delicious! Thanks for the great recipe!
You are welcome, Emily! I’m glad you are loving the brownies! Thanks for your awesome review and feedback!
Hi, how much Just Eggs should I use if I’m not interested in making flax eggs? 1/2 cup (the water measurement in the recipe)?
Thanks!
6 tablespoons of liquid JUST Egg should be enough to replace the flax eggs.
I am going to double the recipe and bake in a 9 x 13 pan. How long would I need to bake them?
They should take around 45 minutes to 1 hour to bake but check them after 45 minutes just in case!
Do you refrigerate the leftovers or will they turn out dry and hard?
Hi Heather. I store them at room temperature for 3-4 days. They can get rather hard in the fridge, however, that works as well. They freeze very well, and will last about 3 months in the freezer. I just usually take a brownie out and warm it in the microwave or let it defrost for a half hour or so before eating. Hope this helps!
Ok I remade these with regular sugar instead of coconut sugar and that must have been the issue! These came out amazing!! They also didn’t bubble last time and this time they did. I’ve never seen coconut sugar substitution make such a difference but it did here!
I’m happy to hear it, thanks for letting me know!
I had high hopes but they had a really weird taste. I did sub coconut sugar for the white but usually don’t have issues doing that. The consistency was great but I can’t figure out what the heck the strange taste is from? Any thoughts?
Hi Cara, yes subbing coconut sugar for regular sugar would be the reason for the strange taste I believe. It might technically work, but the flavor will always be changed (and often the texture).
Thank you. I’m going to try again. My family thought that they were bitter. It seems like a lot of cocoa so maybe the coconut sugar didn’t add enough sweetness.
I’ve been a vegan cook for over 6 years and I’ve used this recipe twice. It’s perfect!
I used plant milk with vinegar to make butter milk the second time, and I would like to try chia egg next time.
Thanks for sharing the deliciousness.
This recipe in my opinion works amazing for an 8×8 pan. Just added an extra 5 mins and had the most ooey gooey thick brownies!! With the bigger pan I had crispy outsides and gooey middle.. I find the 8×8 was so much yummier. Thank you Nora your recipes are always my go to!
These were PERFECT! I think following the directions exactly are important here. Pan type, size, same ingredients, etc. I did exactly what you said and they were amazing!
Thanks for your fabulous review and feedback, Lindsy! Following the recipe and instructions is key! I’m thrilled you loved the brownies!
Great recipe! Brownies were fudgy, tasted incredible, and even better the second day!
I got started before realizing I didn’t have brown sugar (my mistake!), so I substituted 3/4 cup maple syrup for the brown sugar, which worked in a pinch. I also used an egg replacer instead of the flax because it was what I had on hand.
Will definitely be making this recipe next time without any substitutions, but if you also decide to make brownies in the middle of the night without brown sugar, maple syrup works, just keep an eye on the batter and make sure it’s not too runny. 🙂
Hi! It’s good to know that maple syrup worked for you! Thank you for your wonderful feedback and review!
Omg these turned out amazing!! I’m not very good at baking/cooking so I really appreciate easy to follow recipes. I followed the recipe exactly and the texture and taste were perfect. Thank you!
You are welcome, Shannon! How wonderful that the brownies turned out amazing for you! I love it! Thanks for sharing your terrific review and feedback!
Mine came out perfect. People kept asking me are these vegan? Finally a proper vegan brownie recipe. Thanks!
That’s amazing! I’m so glad they were a hit, Sandy 🙂
The outer edge was crispy hard and the rest was so soft, thin and gooey, I couldn’t cut them. I even put them in the fridge awhile. I read the entire post and comments and followed the recipe exactly with just a tiny bit in less sugar. A lot of wasted ingredients. I’ve been baking most of my life and vegan for almost ten years.
same. sooooo gooey
Thanks Nora. I never follow recipes exactly, but this works great as a base for improvising. I used 1 part sugar, 1 part coconut oil, 2 parts cocoa and 2 parts flour, replaced the chips with walnuts and skipped the baking powder. Came out great!
Hi! I only have a 9×13 pan. Will that work? How should I adjust the baking time?
Hi Jamie. You can use that size pan. In the 9×13 pan, the brownies will be thinner/flatter and will need to bake about 25-30 minutes. Enjoy!
I think I did something wrong! The bottom is super crunchy and the rest is very gooey. Is there a way to make the bottom less crispy? It was hard to bite into. The flavor was amazing and it was a huge hit so I want to troubleshoot and find where I goofed!
What kind of pan did you use? Make sure to use the correct size and a metal pan if possible. And cook the brownies in the center rack of the oven.
Can I use Bobs Red Mill Egg Replacer instead of ground flax? Or will I get different results?
Yes, that should work well. Happy baking!
Hi Nora. I use instead of flax eggs? Can I use seeds due to IBS issues what would you suggest?🤔 Possibly yogurt or black beans maybe? Thanks for your help😎
You can use a powdered egg replacer or JUST Egg instead. Another commenter used applesauce with good results, too.
I did not have success with this recipe. The recipe called for chocolate chips, so I used dark chocolate chips. It was really over-powering and the consistency of the cooked brownies was way too dense, moist, and heavy.
If the dark chocolate chips were more than 70% cocoa, then that’s likely why the flavor was over-powering. Did you make any other substitutions? The brownies are supposed to be chewy and fudgy, but not so much that they’re heavy or dense. If you try the recipe again, you could try adding a bit more liquid to thin out the batter so they’re more cake-like than fudgy. You could also replace the butter with applesauce for a lighter oil-free version. I hope this helps!
Hi! These brownies look delicious to make! I just have a question though. Is it ok to use a 8 x8 inch pan? If so, how long to bake the brownies for? If not, do you have a brownie recipe that uses a 8 x8 pan? Thank you for your time! 😊
Hi Estrella. Someone else asked this very same question! An 8×8 does work – the brownies will just be more fudgie, especially the middle ones. I’d keep the baking time the same, if anything add 5 minutes. Enjoy!
Sub for vegan butter
Hi! These brownies look really delicious to make! I just have a question though. I only have a 8 x8 inch pan. Is that pan size ok to use for this recipe? If so, how long to bake the brownies in for? If not, then do you recommend anither brownie recipe from your website? Thank you for your time and have a wonderful day! 😊
Hi Ella. They are delicious! An 8×8 does work – the brownies will just be more fudgie, especially the middle ones. I’d keep the baking time the same, if anything add 5 minutes. Enjoy!
hi!! do i need to make any adjustments if i don’t have chocolate chips? i have chocolate syrup? lol
No substitutes, you can just leave out the chocolate chips. I don’t think chocolate syrup will work well in the brownies.
I can’t wait to try these! I live at 6200 ft. above sea level. Can you recommend high altitude adjustments? Thank you.
Hi Vee. I don’t have much experience in high altitude baking, so I suggest following any general advice for high altitude baking. I can’t say for sure what would work best for this recipe, sorry! Enjoy the brownies!
Hi any thoughts about why they would be greasy and flat (aside from pan size)?
I’m not sure; did you use vegan butter and not coconut oil? Pan size does matter as well, but I’m assuming you used the right size.
Mine came out pretty flat and I’m not really sure why. I didn’t make any substitutions and used Earth Balance.
What size pan did you use? These are quite thick normally so it makes me wonder if you used a larger pan?
I reduced ingredients by 20% and used an 8×8 pan. I thought that should be correct because those are supposed to hold 8 cups and the 7×11 is 10 cups. They also came out pretty greasy. Thanks for helping me troubleshoot.