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.
Havent made these yet, but using this as a reference to tweak some box brownies my dad bought.
Mykonos butter!!!! Is soooo delicious (VEGAN of course) …..this is really my only reason for commenting because if you havent tried this ..I just find it so much better than the butter brand u mentioned.
Hi Nora! This recipe looks great I can’t wait to try it! I just wonder how should I store them? Fridge or not? How long do they last?
Thank you again for sharing this recipe ?
You can stick them in the refrigerator if you want, they will last a bit longer that way (maybe 4-5 days). On the counter I would say they will last 2-3 days. I freeze them sometimes as well. Enjoy!
Awesome recipe Nora. I’ve made them twice now they are fantastic! Now I have a favorite go to recipe for chocolate cake(your Best Chocolate recipe) and now your amazing fudge brownies. Thank you so much for sharing. Happy Thanksgiving ?
You’re welcome! And Happy Thanksgiving! 🙂
These were delicious but definitely cakey. I followed the recipe exactly but had to microwave my brown sugar as it was quite hard – perhaps whisking it together with the vegan butter/granulated sugar introduced too much air. I am a pretty amateur baker so I would love to know what I did wrong, but I probably wouldn’t make them again unless I wanted chocolate cake
How strange that they came out cakey for you, these are the total opposite of cakey brownies. They should have turned out more fudge like and definitely not cake like. It’s kind of hard to know what went wrong with being there in the kitchen, but too much flour would make them more cake like, or too much cocoa powder. So if you make them again make sure to be very careful when measuring, don’t scoop up more than is called for. Perhaps microwaving the brown sugar did something to affect the texture, or maybe just the fact that your brown sugar was hard (maybe old and lacking moisture) affected the recipe. Hope that gives you some ideas for next time, thank you!
Absolutely out of this world brownies. Have made them 4 times now. Perfect chewy edges, and soft texture inside. The hardest part is waiting for them to cool! Thank you for this excellent vegan recipe. First time, used coconut oil, and the taste was wonderful. I bake them in my 9×9 pan, and cook them for about 5 min. longer, and they are delicious. Semi fudge-like!
You’re so welcome! I’m so glad you liked them!
it is the best recipe that i ever do
BEST BROWNIES EVER!!! I LEKE YHEM SO MUCH
Great recipe, many thanks Nora! I used pumpkin puree instead of vegan butter, worked great, moist and fudgy without being too oily. Plus I added some cinnamon and replaced half the choc chips with half almond nuts to make it a little more earthy. Delish. They were also still perfect on day 4, stored in sealed container outside the fridge. This is my new main go-to treat, will be making these almost weekly from now on 🙂
I’m so happy you loved the brownies so much Melissa, and I’m glad they worked with pumpkin puree, I will have to try that sometime soon!
BE STILL MY HEART. These are the best brownies I have ever made. So fudgy, chewy on the outside, filled with chocolate chips. Huge hit with non-vegans. I can’t thank you enough for your amazing recipes that don’t shy away from sugar. We need more vegan blogs like yours that have a good range of healthy to indulgent–there’s a place for both in veganism!
When I was little, my mom and I used to follow the recipe on the back of the Baker’s unsweetened chocolate bar to make really fudgy brownies from scratch (complete with an entire stick of butter and 3 eggs) and this recipe is the closest I’ve ever come to a vegan version of those brownies (and believe me I’ve been trying to find one for YEARS). I think I like this version even better! Probably because of all those chocolate chips….
I used an 8×8 pan and they came out great, so don’t hesitate if you don’t have a 7×11 pan! I baked for 35 minutes and then let them sit overnight to cool. And then immediately ate one for breakfast…whoops…
Thank you so much Kendall, your words are so encouraging! I’m so happy you enjoyed the brownies and that they remind you of your childhood. They are even better the next day, in my opinion!
Hi, you recommend
>vegan butter (earth balance brand)
I’ve never used such products, so surfed over to to their site for more info and there is no information what goes into their products. Nothing.
I find this very odd.
You can use any vegan butter you want, this is just the one I use most often. They have ingredient lists on the back of the product if that’s what you mean, I’m sure you can find a photo of this online somewhere. I believe they are GMO as well.
Hi! This recipe looks great! I was thinking about possibly baking it in a vegan pie shell to make a brownie pie! Would love your opinion on that! Thanks!
I’ve never tried it, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! For the entire recipe, you may want to split it between 2 pie pans. Thanks!
They very sooo good and easy to make, thank you!!
HELP ASAP AAAHHH CAN I USE NON-VEGAN BUTTER, AND IF I CAN WHAT ADJUSTMENTS DO YOU RECOMMEND?? THESE LOOK AMAZING I CAN’T WAIT TO MAKE THEM FOR MY FRIEND AFTERSCHOOL 🙂 she’s a chocoholic !!! thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
I’m sure they would work the same with real butter. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
BEST BROWNIES EVER!! I cut the sugar in half and they came out perfect! Thank you so much for this recipe.
You’re so welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Can I use gluten-free flour
I haven’t personally tried it, but others have said it works well with a gluten free flour mix.
What if I use coconut oil? Will I get oily brownies ?
I have tried them several times with coconut oil, and they do come out pretty oily. I would only use maybe 1/2 the amount (so 1/4 cup) if you must use coconut oil.
Good to know! Thank you
These were fantastic. Due to severe dietary restrictions I did substitute Oat flour for the flour, but everything else was the same and they were so fudgey and good. My son loved them. Thank You for this recipe.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you and your son loved them. 🙂
these turned out great!! I used 1/3 cup vegan butter because I was scared of them being oily like every other vegan brownie but they were great. I added slightly more baking powder as I was scared on making them thin and floppy but it would have been fine with the normal measurements. The mixture was a bit dry at the end so I had to add a couple splashes of almond milk.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the brownies! Thank you.
Wow I cannot believe how amazing these were!!!!! Best brownies ever and they are vegan – amazing I followed the recipe exactly and used dark brown sugar like you said just amazing. It seems at first like omg this will never work when trying to spread in the pan but then voila! Thank you so much!!!!!! I’ll be using his for my vegan friends and family when they visit!
I’m so glad you like them!
What can you use in place of flax seeds?
I have never tried it with anything else, but perhaps ground chia seeds in place of flax. Another egg replacer, such as Bob’s Red Mill, would probably work ok. Any change will likely affect the texture of the finished brownies though.
Will this work in a 9×9 instead of 11×7?
Yes, it will work but they will be much thicker. I prefer them in a larger pan (11 x 7 is perfect).
You gotta be kidding me! I’m just starting the vegan diet and using sugar and flour totally makes this unhealthy!!!
Hi Cheryl! I know that people think “vegan” and “whole foods plant based” is the same thing, but it’s actually not. Vegans don’t consume anything that comes from an animal. Sugar, flour, as well as fruits, vegetables, beans, tofu, fruit, etc. are all fine. For me, I eat 100% vegan, I prefer mostly whole foods, but I feel completely fine eating the occasional rich treat, and I daily eat some sort of dessert! If you don’t eat rich treats like these brownies, no worries! There are plenty of other recipes in the world, and many other vegan bloggers posting only “naturally sweetened” and “flourless” desserts that you may enjoy more.
Vegan does not equate healthy. Thank goodness! I need at least some bit of unhealthy in my life lol. And these are perfection.
Well Cheryl, I’ve been vegan 20 years and this is vegan and that’s all I care about. You can google flourless sugar free brownies if you want
I wanna try this but instead of all purpose can I use brown rice flour?
Sorry I don’t really think that would work well, but possibly. You would have much better results with a good gluten free flour mix.
These turned out awesome! Very chocolatey and moist!
I forgot the baking powder!!!
Oh no! Did they turn out okay still?
SOOO good!!!
Ok, this is seriously delicious!!!! Taste is 10/10. It didn’t get 5 stars because this contains way too much ground flax seed. I made the recipe exactly according to directions and it was SO dry I had to add cashew milk until it was somewhat easier to mix. Even then, I couldn’t get it to completely mix and it just lumped together on the whisk. I had to literally knead the dough with my hands to get all the dry ingredients combined, even with cashew milk added. So anyone reading this: I would recommend only using 2 tbsps of ground flax seed with 1/4 cup of water + 1 tbsp of plant milk at a time as needed.
I’m glad you enjoyed the brownies! If you use the 4 tablespoons of ground flax along with the 1/2 cup of water, the brownie batter will not be dry at all. I’m wondering if that’s why your batter was hard to work with, because you cut that in half. Even if you cut the flax in half, I would still recommend using the full 1/2 cup of water or you won’t have enough moisture. Also, a whisk is not the best choice here because brownie batter is always quite thick unlike cake batter, so it will just get stuck. A large spoon would work better. Thank you!
I don’t comment on blogs, but I felt the need to do it for these brownies.
They were AMAZING
And easy, which I love
They were super fudgy. I did use a smaller baking pan which probably made them extra fudgier. usually when a blog says it’s the best-whatever- it’s a lie. But these brownies are literally the best I’ve ever made. Better than store bought, or from a bakery.
I’m just amazed from the texture, and even the edges were perfect!
This is my go-to brownie recipe, my one and only recipe!
❤️ Can’t Wait to try these, thank you for your comment!
Could I use chia seeds instead of flax? Would they come out the same and do you know the ratio of water to chia for this exact recipe please?
Thank you
I think it will work, yes. You can use the same amounts as flax. Ground chia seeds will work better, or you will taste whole chia seeds in your brownies.