Vegan Brownies

By Arman Liewpublished on Jun 03, 2025
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Reader Rating
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 12 brownies

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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!

vegan brownies.

I’ve tested countless vegan brownie recipes over the years, but none of them hit that perfect trifecta: crackly tops, fudgy centers, and rich chocolate flavor… until this one. After months of tweaking ratios and testing every dairy-free substitute under the sun (spoiler alert: only a handful actually work), I finally landed on a recipe that my readers (and my own taste testers) now call the best vegan brownies ever.

They’ve even won several awards in the vegan baking category- and honestly, most people I serve them to don’t believe me until I tell them (even my partner, who thinks anything with the word ‘vegan’ in it is inedible!). 

Table of Contents
  1. Key Ingredients
  2. How to make vegan brownies
  3. Arman’s recipe tips
  4. Storage instructions
  5. Fudgy Vegan Brownies (Recipe Card)
  6. More favorite vegan desserts 

Recipe highlights

  • 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.

What readers are saying

★★★★★ – “These are SO good and so fudgy. Honestly, the crinkly tops make them taste like a classic Boxed mix brownie.” – Lynn

Key Ingredients

Here are some important notes on the main ingredients for vegan brownies. The Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

  • Flax Eggs. My preferred egg sub for these brownies. Usually, one tablespoon of ground flaxseed is mixed 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. I tested the four most popular vegan butter substitutes on the market (Miyokos, Earth Balance, Violife, and Kite Hill) and Miyokos was the clear winner- seriously, my partner and I were fooled into thinking it wasn’t vegan. It was also the only vegan butter that gave the brownies the crackly tops. Saying that, the other three turned out nice and fudgy.
  • 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.  

How to make vegan brownies

ground flaxseed mixed with brewed coffee.

Step 1- Combine the ground flaxseed with the brewed coffee. Let it sit for 10 minutes for a gel to form.

melted vegan butter, flour, cocoa powder in a bowl.

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.

vegan brownie batter in a bowl.

Step 3- Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until just combined.

assembled vegan brownie batter in a baking dish.

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 pockets of flour remain.
  • Avoid over-baking the brownies as they continue to cook as they cool in the pan (called carryover cooking).
  • 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. 

fudgy vegan brownies.

✅ Nutrition reviewed

Nutrition information has been reviewed by registered dietitian Felicia Newell, MScAHN, RD, CPT.

vegan brownies recipe.

Fudgy Vegan Brownies

5 from 1929 votes
The BEST vegan fudgy brownies recipe that are made in one bowl- no oil, no milk, no dairy but ridiculously gooey! Crispy tops and fudgy in the middle. Watch the video below to see how I make this in my kitchen.
Servings: 12 brownies
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
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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 softened
  • 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 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

Serving: 1BrownieCalories: 195kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 3gFat: 11gSodium: 281mgPotassium: 63mgFiber: 3gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 267IUCalcium: 51mgIron: 2mgNET CARBS: 21g
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

More favorite vegan desserts 

Originally published February 2020, updated and republished June 2025

Arman Liew

I’m a three time cookbook author, culinary school graduate, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

5 from 1929 votes (1,805 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  2. 5 stars
    They’re delicious! I made these using the metric measurements and it was a lot easier than using measuring cups! My baking pan was 8×10 and I baked them for 30 minutes but I think that was a bit too long. I really like my brownies super fudgy, so next time I’ll try baking them for only 25 minutes. I also added some hazelnut praline to the batter and it was really yummy! Thank you for the recipe! And thank you for providing metric measurements as well!

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    These were delicious! I struggle with findings recipes that are both vegan and gluten free & this was a winner! Yum! Definitely fulfills my chocolate cravings! In the step by step it says to add almond and vanilla extract but there is no measurement provided for the almond extract..? How much do you recommend? Thanks so much for this!

    Reply

  6. I used 2 eggs instead of the flax
    Baked for 30 mins
    The brownies taste good but only the top was not crackly 😭

    Reply

  8. Made these last night. I don’t drink coffee and am very sensitive to caffeine, I was bouncing off the walls after trying those! Can’t taste the coffee itself, but if anyone is as sensitive as I am, be careful. Brownies themselves taste amazing though!

    Reply

  10. I am confused by your response of and 8 x 4 pan. That sounds like a bread pan. Yet, the pictures show a square pan, and the recipe instructions call for a square pan. Did you mean to say that you used an 8″ x 8″ pan?

    Reply

  11. Hi I am not sure of the flax seeds if my family would like..can I go fr some curd replacement…if yes then how much??

    Reply