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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.
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.
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 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.
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 vegan desserts to try
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
I do not see almond extract in the body of the recipe, but it mentions to add it along with the vanilla in the instructions?
Best vegan brownies ever.
Hi there! I would like to use silken tofu instead of flax egg, do you have an amount suggestion how much to use for this recipe? Thx! Lovely greetings from Germany!
Hi There! Haven’t tried so you’ll need to experiment and see!
Love this! Best brownies ever!
Hi! The instructions reference vanilla extract and almond extract in Step 4, but I don’t see almond extract in the ingredients. Does the recipe call for both, and if so, how much almond extract? Thank you!
Hi! Sorry it is either/or. 🙂
Unbelievably scrumptious! Made these for dinner guests tonight, one vegan / one not, both said it was absolutely the best dessert they have ever had. Served them with a dollop of raspberry jelly and coconut whipped cream. Simply delicious!
These brownies are REALLY fudgy and delicious, but…. way too salty. It’s actually overpowering. I’ll definitely make these again but use only a quarter and sprinkle some extra on top, if needed. Easier to add salt on top at the end than to take it away!!
This may be a stupid question but do you melt the butter or is it softened?
Softened is fine 🙂
Hello can I used coconut oil instead of vegan butter?
I haven’t tried, but I don’t see why not 🙂
Hello, was wondering if i tripled this recipe for an 18 by 12 rectangular pan, how long do i bake it for?
Thanks
hi can i substitute the chocolate chips with dark chocolate?
Yes absolutely 🙂
Should the butter be melted/softened?
Softened is fine
I am planning on making these tomorrow so was checking the ingredients to make sure I have what I need. I’m wondering what the note on the coconut sugar is? I see it says see note but I don’t see any info on sugar in the notes section
Hi! It is white or brown sugar also works.
Thank you for your reply! Sorry I repeated my message! You can deleted the last one! I’ll try to just soften the butter next time and not melt it. Amazing recipe! Best
-I hope this works as a reply only. 😋
I am pleased with the results! The recipe is a good vegan brownie. It’s not cake like, but what a true brownie should be like. I even sort of got that crackle top. I did cut the sugar by 1/4 cup. Also I did half reg sugar and half coconut. I used very good quality melting chocolate, cocoa powder and eb for the fat, no coffee and I used AP flour, results were amazing. I’ve been trying to get a good vegan brownie and these are it! My cutting skills is a joke though 🙈. Oh was I suppose to melt the butter? I couldn’t find that anywhere or maybe I missed it. I did end up melting the butter. Best vegan brownie recipe! I will memorize this recipe for future brownies (for when I allow myself to have a small sweet treat). These are no way near healthy, let’s get that straight! But totally worth it. I ended up sending these out with my spouse, for the RN’s at his work.
-sorry if this is a repeat, I tried to review yesterday, but i don’t think it worked. Best
I am pleased with your recipe. I made successful vegan brownies today yay! I did cut the sugar by 1/4c and I used ap flour. But these came out so lovely! Probably the best vegan brownie recipe I’ve tried so far. I haven’t had great luck with v brownies. I’ve made more cake brownies in the past. But these are more like true fudgy brownies! I didn’t use coffee as I’m trying to avoid it, but it was still rather amazing. I even got that traditional yummy brownie top that I don’t normally get with other vegan recipes. Just one question, I can’t find it on the recipe, maybe because my eyes were tired, but are we suppose to melt the v butter? Thanks!
You don’t need to melt it completely- softened works well too.