This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
These vegan brownies are truly the best. Fudgy and gooey in the middle with the crackly tops, they are easy to make and use simple ingredients!
Love vegan desserts? Try vegan chocolate chip cookies, vegan blondies, and vegan cookie dough.
![vegan brownies.](https://thebigmansworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/vegan-brownies.jpeg)
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, 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 freeze.
- 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.
Ingredients needed
Unlike other vegan dessert recipes, these ones use simple pantry staple ingredients and nothing hard to find. Here is what you’ll need:
- Flax Eggs– The best egg substitute to use for these brownies.
- Black Coffee- My secret ingredient! Coffee brings out the chocolate flavor, with no taste of coffee at all.
- 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. Vegan butter from a stick contains less added water, which yields a better brownie texture. I adore Miyokos butter 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- Also known as plain flour, I used gluten-free all-purpose flour, to keep these brownies gluten-free, too.
- Cocoa Powder- Unsweetened and natural cocoa powder. Dutch processed cocoa will also work but sometimes can affect if 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
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep the flax egg. Start by preparing the flax egg by combining the ground flaxseed with the brewed coffee. Let it sit for 10 minutes for a gel to form.
Step 2- Make the batter. Next, melt the chocolate, either in the microwave or using a small saucepan over the stove. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and butter until smooth. Add the vanilla extract, melted chocolate, and prepared flax eggs and whisk well, until combined and glossy. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix until just combined. If you like, fold through more chocolate chips.
Step 3- Bake. Now, transfer the batter into a greased square pan. Bake the brownies for 27-30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out mostly clean. Remove the brownies from the oven and let them cool completely, before slicing and serving.
![vegan gluten free brownies.](https://thebigmansworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/vegan-gluten-free-brownies.jpeg)
Tips to make the best recipe
- Do not over-mix the batter. There’s often the fear that brownies may turn out crumbly, and the number one reason for that is mixing the batter a little too thoroughly. 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 are cooling in the pan.
- For ultra gooey brownies, remove them around the 30-minute mark. If you’d prefer more chewy vegan brownies, keep them closer to 35 minutes.
- For easy removal, keep an inch of extra parchment paper/baking paper hanging over the sides. Once your brownies are ready to cut, simply remove themfrom the pan and slice.
Dietary swaps and substitutions
These brownies are super forgiving, and can easily be adapted for various diets or ingredient swaps.
- 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 2 ingredient 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.
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.
![fudgy vegan brownies.](https://thebigmansworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/vegan-brownies-2.jpeg)
More vegan desserts to try
![vegan brownies recipe.](https://thebigmansworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/vegan-brownie-recipe-378x378.jpeg)
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 can use gluten-free 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
Nutrition
Originally published February 2020, updated March 2024
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!