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My vegan brownies are truly the best. They are fudgy and gooey in the middle with crackly tops. They are easy to make and use simple ingredients!
These brownies are proof that vegan desserts can taste like the real thing.
After months of recipe testing, I’ve developed what has been awarded as the best vegan brownies you’ll ever eat. They have crackly tops, gooey centers, crisp and ever-so-slightly cakey edges, and pools of melty chocolate throughout. Trust me, this vegan brownie recipe is such a keeper that even non-vegans are obsessed.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Perfect texture. Gooey, chewy, and loaded with tons of chocolate chips.
- One bowl. Everything is made in one bowl, so clean-up is a breeze.
- No strange ingredients. No milk or milk substitutes are needed, including soy or almond milk. Also, no black beans, chickpeas, or sneaky ingredients that should NOT belong in desserts.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“These are SO good and so fudgy. Honestly, the crinkly tops make them taste like a classic Boxed mix brownie.” – Lynn
Key Ingredients
- Flax Eggs. My preferred egg sub for these brownies. Usually, one tablespoon of ground flaxseed with three tablespoons of water to form one ‘egg’, but I swap the water for black coffee for a more intense chocolate flavor.
- Black Coffee. Brewed and cooled. Instant coffee also works.
- Chocolate Chips. Skip the expensive store-bought kind and make your own vegan chocolate chips.
- Coconut Sugar. To sweeten the brownies and give them gorgeous crackly tops! White or brown sugar also works.
- Vegan Butter. Be sure to use good-quality vegan butter, preferably from a stick, as it contains less added water, which yields a better brownie texture. I adore the Miyokos brand, which seriously could have me fooled for the real thing. You can also use vegan margarine.
- Vanilla Extract, A must for any good brownie recipe!
- All-Purpose Flour. Sifted to ensure there are no clumps.
- Cocoa Powder. Use unsweetened and natural cocoa powder. Dutch-processed cocoa will also work, but sometimes, it can affect whether the tops become crackly.
- Baking Powder. Leavening agent to help the brownies rise.
- Salt. Just a pinch to bring out the natural sweetness.
How to make vegan brownies
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Step 1- Combine the ground flaxseed with the brewed coffee. Let it sit for 10 minutes for a gel to form.
Step 2- Whisk the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add the vanilla extract, melted chocolate, and prepared flax eggs and whisk until combined and glossy.
Step 3- Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until just combined.
Step 4- Bake the brownies for 27-30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out mostly clean.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Do not over-mix the batter. Many people fear brownies may turn out crumbly, and the number one reason is overmixing the batter. You want the ingredients to be ‘just’ combined- enough that no extra flour or sugar remains.
- Avoid over-baking the brownies as they continue to cook as they cool in the pan.
- For ultra gooey brownies, remove them around the 27-minute mark. If you’d prefer more chewy vegan brownies, keep them closer to 30 minutes.
- For easy removal, hang an inch of extra parchment paper over the sides. Once your brownies are ready to cut, remove them from the pan and slice.
Storage instructions
To Store: Store leftovers in the refrigerator to ensure they remain fresh. They are super gooey and fudgy, so the chilled temperature will ensure they don’t spoil.
To Freeze: Wrap them in parchment paper individually, and place them in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer. They will keep well frozen for up to 6 months.
More favorite vegan desserts
- Vegan cinnamon rolls
- Vegan chocolate cake
- Vegan chocolate chip cookies
- Vegan blondies
- Vegan cookie dough
- Or any of these vegan dessert recipes
If you tried this Vegan Brownies recipe or any other recipe on The Big Man’s World, please rate the recipe and let me know how it went in the comments below. It really helps others thinking of making the recipe.
Fudgy Vegan Brownies
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 6 tablespoon brewed coffee can use for water
- 2 cup vegan chocolate chips divided
- 1 cup coconut sugar * See notes
- 6 tablespoon vegan butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a square pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Prepare your flax egg by combining your ground flaxseed with your brewed (chilled) coffee. Let it sit for 10 minutes, to form a gel.
- In a microwave-safe bowl or stovetop, melt one cup of chocolate chips of choice. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add your vegan butter and coconut sugar, and whisk well. Add in your prepared flax eggs, melted chocolate, vanilla, and almond extract, and mix well, until glossy.
- Sift through your flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. Fold through the remaining chocolate chips.
- Transfer your brownie batter into the lined pan. Bake your brownies for 27-30 minutes.
- Remove brownies from the oven and let cool completely, before slicing into 12 pieces.
Notes
- Make it gluten-free. Swap out the flour for gluten-free all-purpose flour that has added xanthan gum.
- Cut the sugar. Use a sugar substitute, like a brown sugar substitute. You can use swap out the chocolate chips for sugar free chocolate chips.
- Add frosting. A simple dairy free frosting or, for a healthy twist, a healthy frosting.
- Use different egg substitutes. Flax eggs work best, but you can also try one of these egg substitutes for baking.
- Add mix-ins. Fold through some chopped walnuts, vegan white chocolate, or even candy bits.
Nutrition
Originally published February 2020, updated and republished June 2025
Fabulous 🤩 so yummy. Many thanks for sharing 🙏
I had to substitute applesauce as I didn’t have any butter, but these still came out deliciously fudgy! I reduced the sugar a bit as well so they aren’t overly sweet. I can’t wait to try this recipe again with real vegan butter!
Maybe a stupid question. But you mean normal vegan butter right? No almond butter
That is correct 🙂 Not a stupid question at all!
Made these for my brother-in-law who flew up to visit because he’s vegan. These are delicious, but a little bit crumbly. I will refrigerate them to try and harden them up a bit more and hope it helps. Thanks for the recipe!
This was an excellent recipe. Although I made several alterations because of dietary restrictions (vegan- no oil), the brownies came out as advertised: crisp on top, and gooey and moist in the center. I substituted 6 TBS unsweetened applesauce for the vegan butter, and I only had one-half cup coconut sugar so I used that with the addition of 3 TBS dark brown sugar. I also used white whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose, and added 1/4 cup walnut pieces. The brownies rose perfectly, baked through in the stated time, didn’t burn, and came out of the pan nicely. The flavor is very rich and decadent, so I may cut back on the additional chips in the batter next time. Overall, a great recipe which I will add to my collection of keepers.
These are the best brownie recipe! We can’t get enough. The cup of melted chocolate mixed into the batter is a game changer. Our new go-to recipe!
can you use almond meal instead of flaxseed
That won’t work
This a wonderful recipe. So chocolatey and they keep well in the freezer – had to freeze them to stop hubby eating them all in a day.
Now my go to brownie recipe – no wonder it won an award.
This was so delicious! I was working with cold plant-based butter and ended up partially melting it. I emphasize step 4 where it says to whisk well then mix well, but make sure there is not too much air in the batter. Love the crackly top and dense soft chew.
the best vegan brownies I’ve ever made!!
Is the batter supposed to be thick? Also is it okay if i add a very low amount of cocoa powder?
Yes it is 🙂
Can you use monkfruit sugar instead of coconut sugar?
You could, but it won’t have the crackly tops.
These brownies are indeed fudgy and rich! One question – why is almond extract mentioned in the instructions but not in the ingredient list?
Hi! Didn’t see how much almond extract to use so I used 1 tsp of vanilla & almond & it twas delish!
This brownie was so so delicious, I substituted the butter for coconut oil and I I didn’t have vanilla extract but I still give it a 10 out of 10. Best brownie I made thanks to this recipe.
These are great! I used gluten free flour and I added miniature vegan marshmallows and they were fab!