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These vegan brownies are so rich and fudgy, it might blow your mind. After making them from scratch, you'll never look at store-bought brownie mix again! Quick, easy, and a family favorite.
If you're looking for the best recipe for vegan brownies, or just brownies made with no eggs or dairy, you're in the right spot.
Homemade brownies eluded me for so long - I found that with so many recipes, I could feel the sugar granules between my teeth when I took a bite. I need my brownies to be smooth!
Also...why do cakey brownies exist? Just make a cake. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it. Team Fudgy Brownies, UNITE!
Not only are these brownies super moist and gooey, they are also double chocolate. Cocoa powder + chocolate chips. Necessary!
You might be surprised to learn that you do NOT need eggs to make a good brownie. In fact, I even tested these with a "flax egg" and found the recipe didn't even need that. (Actually, I forgot the egg replacement...and was pleasantly surprised by the results.)
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🍫 Ingredients
Remember: You can find the full, detailed, printable recipe in the recipe card below!
- hot melted vegan butter: Earth Balance is my favorite.
- sugar
- non-dairy milk: I like oat milk or soy milk.
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- cocoa powder: use natural cocoa powder, not dutch process.
- baking powder: not baking soda!
- salt
- chocolate chips: there are a few vegan chocolate chip brands out there - including Enjoy Life and Simple Truth Allergy-Friendly chocolate chips! I use semi-sweet.
🥣 How to Make
Brownies are a super easy dessert to make. You'll need a couple of bowls, some measuring cups and spoons, an 8x8 baking pan, parchment paper, and vegan butter or oil to grease the pan.
After preheating the oven, prep the baking pan. Cut two sheets of parchment paper to fit the width of the pan, but leave the edges long so you have "handles" to pull the brownies out when they've finished baking.
To make sure the parchment paper doesn't slip around while you're adding in the brownie batter, grease the inside of the bare pan, then press in the first sheet of parchment paper. Grease the bottom again before laying the other sheet of parchment paper criss-cross. For the grand finale, grease the top sheet of parchment paper but focus on the corners of the pan still showing. I like to use a stick of butter and just rub it around like a glue stick.
Alright, now that your pan is prepped, set it aside and get started on the batter!
Whisk together hot vegan butter and sugar. This will help break the sugar down so it fully melts when baking. Mix in the remaining wet ingredients - non-dairy milk and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. This step is super important because we want to make sure everything gets mixed evenly.
Now you can mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. The batter will be very dense. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Press the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake away!
👩🏻🍳 Top Tips
How Can I Tell When These Brownies are Done?
Use the toothpick method. Stick a toothpick in the center of the brownie pan. If the toothpick comes out relatively clean, they're done. Gooey batter or melted chocolate chip will likely stick to the toothpick, but we don't want it to be raw batter.
If you get to the 32-minute mark and the toothpick is still not coming out clean, it is probably just the fudgy batter. Be careful not to overcook, or you'll have crumbly brownies that are dry as a rock! Undercooked brownies are better than overdone.
Let the brownies cool for about 30 minutes, then remove them from the pan using the parchment paper handles. Set on a wire rack to fully cool.
How to Cut Fudgy Brownies Without Making a Mess
- Firstly, make sure the brownies are no longer are warm! Otherwise, they will smush all over when you cut into them.
- Set the cooled brownies on a cutting board and grab a long, sharp knife. Run the knife under hot water, then make the first cut.
- After each cut, clean off the knife and run under hot water again.
- Cut into thirds horizontally and vertically.
And bam. Chocolate craving cured.
Are you an edges fan, or do you prefer the center slice? I have to admit - I snag the middle piece right away! It's my favorite.
⏲️ Storage & Freezing
Place any of your leftover vegan brownies in an airtight container and keep them right on the counter at room temperature for up to 5 days.
You can keep them in the fridge, but they'll get rock solid. Microwave them for 10-20 seconds to get that gooey texture back.
Did you make a HUGE batch and know you won't eat them within 5 days? Go ahead and freeze them! These vegan brownies will freeze in an airtight container for about 3 months. Let them thaw on the counter or stick them in the microwave.
(I don't even want to admit how many brownies are in my freezer after testing this recipe 6 times.)
Did you enjoy this recipe? Please leave a comment and a ⭐ star review below!
Recipe
Best Vegan Brownies
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegan butter melted, hot
- 1½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup non-dairy milk
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- First, line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper. Refer to the photos above or the notes below for the best way to do this. Then rub some softened butter on top of the parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the hot melted butter and sugar. Then, whisk in the milk and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix the dry ingredients into the bowl with the butter and sugar mixture until well combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter evenly into the baking pan.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges look hardened/have pulled away from the edges of the pan and the top looks set (no longer looks like raw batter.) Be careful not to over bake. Because these are fudgy in texture, a fork/knife may not come out clean when done. Once the brownies have cooled to room temperature, they will set up.
- Let cool for about 30 minutes in the pan. Then grab the parchment paper handles and pull the brownies out. Set on a wire rack to finish cooling completely before cutting.
- For clean-cut brownies, run a clean knife under hot water in between each slice.
- Store leftover brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Video
Notes
- To line the baking pan, cut two sheets of parchment to fit the width of the baking pan with some paper left hanging over the edges for "handles". Rub a little vegan butter or oil on the bare baking pan, then press one sheet of parchment paper into the pan. The butter/oil helps the paper stick. Rub more butter on the paper, then lay the second sheet down the opposite way. One last time, grease the paper but make sure to also get the sides. Now, you'll be able to easily remove the brownies from the pan when they're done baking!
- This recipe calls for baking powder - not baking soda.
Nutrition
More Vegan Chocolate Desserts to Try:
Louise Beardsworth says
I was in search of the perfect vegan brownie (I’ve made a LOT of brownies - but never vegan) and these taste insanely good, but mine came out a little flat like O could see they’d puffed up when I took them out the oven, but then totally sank when they came out. I used all the ingredients as directed, the right size pan and baked long enough….in face I tried 2 batches and still the same? Any ideas please as I’d love these to work 🙂
Anella says
U.K. review - I’ve been baking for years and these are by far the best brownies I have made and trust me I have tried a LOT! The best thing is, they are true brownies with the crusty tops and edges and the chewy middle. Some people have said about measure being different etc, erm have never experienced this. I have cups and spoons from Amazon and have never had any trouble. Here in Wales, U.K, the butter I use is Flora plant butter (the spreadable one in the tub) and I just microwaved it before adding the sugar. Also to the people having problems, be sure to use baking POWDER and not baking soda, or bicarb of soda, stick to the measurements. My advice is also to just leave them in the tin as long as possible before turning them out.. then I cut them up and froze some (wrapping in foil) then just take them out the freezer half an hour or so before you want to eat them (this also works for taking them in for colleagues etc)! Thank you for a great recipe. Diolch!
Marianne says
These are insanely delicious!!! Crisp top and gooey center, did not taste vegan at all!!!
Dom says
Your brownie recipe was a huge hit at my job. People did not think it was vegan, they thought it was a box brownies. First time baking ☺️. Thank you so much for this recipe
Baking lover says
This is so good. I made a mistake with the flour and I changed the amount of sugar but it still turned out awesome
Hannah says
This recipe did not work for me. My fork was far from clean, the brownie was liquidy and bubbling at 30 minutes as the recipe recommends baking it for. I continued to bake it, checking at 10 minutes intervals and after 1 hour I gave up on getting a baked looking brownie. Of course cooking it that long it was hard on the edges. I double checked the recipe that I hadn't missed anything, like flour, but I'd followed it as described. The fudgey middle is good, although overall I think it's too sweet. I do live at altitude, but that's never effected my baking more than 10 minutes or so of extra time needed. I don't know what's went wrong, or if I should have accepted I wasn't getting a clean fork much earlier. Anyway, I will not attempt again.
Johanna says
Mine did the same 🙁
Christy says
I thought the very same thing until I let them sit overnight and boy did they harden up on the outside and stay nice and gooey on the inside! These brownies are absolutely delicious! My grands love them!. Our family are vegan/vegetarian and they are perfect for our lifestyle. Next time I'm throwing nuts in the mix!
Karissa says
Wonderful! I'm glad you all loved them!
Lisa says
Can I use vanilla almond milk? I always have that on hand but don't know if it will throw the recipe off.
Megan says
Hi, can I replace the butter with oil? Don’t use butter for anything and don’t bake often so don’t want to buy it and have it go to waste
Katherine says
These are good if you like cakey brownies. I prefer a denser brownie that crisps up around the edges. Solid recipe, though, and they'll be fine for my event.
T says
Made these for a work potluck and they were a hit ! I added chopped walnut bits in one of the batches and it added a very pleasing crunch. I'm not a vegan myself but this will be my go to brownie recipe regardless, they're that good ! Thanks for the recipe
Charlie says
I made these as a weekend treat for myself and my housemate and they went down a storm! So fudgey with a tiny hard layer on top. Will definitely make these again!
Lindsey says
LOVE THIS RECIPE!! Made these today for mother's day and these really are the best! I overcooked them on accident but it was an amazing mistake! My entire family is obsessed with them and will probably eat them all by lunch tomorrow haha. I made all 5 of them say "Thank you Karissa!"
Willemijn says
Made these super often already, my go to recipe! Sooo good 🙂 Love how it does not need any special ingredients and are very appreciated by my omni friends and colleagues as well. Thanks!
Debbie says
Best brownies ever!!!!! soooo easy to make. 🙂
Kat says
This recipe looks brilliant but it would be wonderful to have the weights of the ingredients rather than cup measurements, we don't tend to use cups in the UK. I struggle with stuffing a cup with butter without making a mess.
Dom says
What I did when making these was just eye it into a bowl and melt and pour to measure, with it somehow having ended up perfectly measured!
Kylie says
Hi Kat
If you save this recipe in the Whisk app it will give you the option of metric conversion etc. X
Lauren says
I'm American but live abroad. You shouldn't use cups outside the US because they vary in sizes . US, NZ, AUS & UK cups sizes are all different.
Just Google 1/2 cup butter is how many grams and you will easily get your measurements. I used to google it all. But now I just know.
Harmony says
I've tried a few other vegan brownie recipes and this is definitely the best. What's amazing is that this is the simplest recipe I've come across! I made it exactly as written and baked for 25min. It's very rich. Fudgey but not gooey. It cuts easily and holds together well. This is officially my go-to brownie recipe. Btw, the tricks for getting the slices out are totally unnecessary - I just used spray on oil and a regular butter knife! 🙂
Jean M. Foltz says
Have made multiple times now. Replace half the sugar with coconut sugar. Kids LOVE. I LOVE. Rich and yummmmm. Oh and super easy.
Celia says
Delicious brownies! I swapped the choc chips for 100g fresh grated coconut and all my friends loved them. Thankyou 🙂
Lauren says
I have been vegan for 5 years and searched for a great brownie recipe. This, by far is my favorite brownie recipe and it is so easy! Sometimes I will substitute a portion of the sugar for brown sugar and a portion of the butter for avocado oil, depending on what I have on hand but it's always worked out well! My favorite thing about this recipe is that it is a true brownie and not a cake. The crust on top, with crisp edges and chewy center make this a perfect brownie!
Jess says
This recipe is the only reason I have a folder in my phone screenshots called 'irreplacable recipes'. Best brownies I, or anyone I give them to, has ever tried. Couldn't go back to store bought if I wanted to.
Anony Moose says
i think i actually like them better after they're in the fridge for a while. rock solid and good
Billie Yates says
Do you know if I can make this with gluten free flour?
Carolina says
I am wondering the same since I need a vegan and gluten free recipe. I wonder if Bob's red mill 1 for 1 gluten free flour will work.
Joe says
Made these and the are INCREDIBLE!!
John says
Flavour is lovely however I didn't get the famous brownie skin on top. Is it supposed to have one?
Sandra says
These are amazing! I cooked in muffin tins and got 20 brownies.