This really is the Best Ever Vegan Brownies Recipe! Fudgy, gooey, perfect squares of chocolate that cut easily and are easy to make. You’ll never buy a boxed brownie mix again!
In the last two days, I’ve made three batches of vegan brownies. That’s right, three. A few weeks ago, I tried some other recipes I was playing around with. All in an attempt to create the most perfect vegan brownies recipe in the world. It has been such a struggle you guys! (And yes I have a freezer FULL of brownies)
All of the recipes were edible (I mean, come on, it’s chocolate people!), but NOT the brownie perfection I was looking for. Either they were too fudgy, or too cake-like (my biggest peeve). Or one batch that cooked fine on the outside but wouldn’t fully cook near the middle.
I had to do some serious brownie research, read about ingredients, what makes a brownie cake-like, what makes them more fudgy, how to create the right balance for what I was looking for, and then think about the best vegan swaps for the result I wanted to achieve.
Finally, just a few days ago, I made one more batch of vegan brownies, after carefully creating the recipe on paper. I was SO excited as the batter tasted incredible, and after baking they looked good in the pan. Still having doubts, I let them cool a bit and then removed them from the pan and sliced them slowly.
When I looked inside and took the first bite, I knew, I had finally created the PERFECT Vegan Brownies Recipe! They are thick and hold together when you slice them. Fudgy, but not overly so, chewy, rich, ooey-gooey and full of chocolatey goodness. No one would guess they’re vegan!
What kind of chocolate chips should I use for vegan brownies recipe?
I used Trader Joe’s semi-sweet chocolate chips because they happen to be vegan and are quite inexpensive. It can be difficult to find chocolate chips that don’t contain dairy, so just check the ingredients list. Enjoy Life is a good brand and you can order them on Amazon. You can also use your favorite chocolate bar and chop it into pieces.
What kind of cocoa powder should I use?
I used Trader Joe’s unsweetened cocoa powder in this recipe, Hershey’s unsweetened is also a good option. I would not recommend you use a dutch cocoa powder, as you will get different results.
What is the best way to cut brownies?
If you are making vegan brownies for a party or to serve to others, it’s important to follow a couple of steps to get really nicely cut brownies. This is true whether they are vegan brownies or not!
It is helpful to line your pan with parchment paper that hangs out the sides for easy removal. After baking, let the brownies cool off for 15 minutes in the pan, then lift them out of the pan with the parchment paper and let cool 15-30 minutes more on a cooling rack. The longer you let them cool, the easier and cleaner cutting will be.
To cut, use a big, heavy knife. Run it under hot water for 30 seconds, dry it quickly and cut the brownies. Clean off the knife in between cuts, and you will have clean brownie squares.
If you like this vegan brownies recipe, you may also want to check out these “best” dessert recipes:
Perfect Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you make this recipe, let me know how it goes! Rate it, leave a comment and tag a photo @noracooksvegan on Instagram or find me on Facebook. Enjoy!
Best Ever Vegan Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons ground flax
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup vegan butter (earth balance brand), melted *see instructions
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup non-dairy chocolate chips OR roughly chopped chocolate pieces
Instructions
- Make the flax eggs by stirring the ground flax and water in a small bowl. Set aside to thicken. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 7 x 11 pan with parchment paper.
- Melt the vegan butter (earth balance brand preferred), and measure 1/2 cup. I do this by microwaving the vegan butter in a glass measuring cup, in 30 second intervals, until melted.
- In a large bowl, whisk the melted vegan butter and sugars together. Add the flax eggs and vanilla, whisk until evenly combined.
- Over the same large bowl, sift in the flour and cocoa powder. Add the salt and baking powder and stir with a large wooden spoon until just combined, do not over mix.Â
- Fold in half of the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top with a spoon or your hands. Sprinkle the rest of the chocolate chips on top of the batter.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes. The brownies may still be bubbling and not look done, but they will firm up a lot as they cool.
- Remove from the oven, allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then pull the brownies out, using the parchment paper and let cool for another 15-30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Video
Notes
- To sift, either use a sifter or a fine mesh strainer also works.
- Coconut oil does not work very well in place of the vegan butter; it makes them very oily so I don't recommend it. You could sub applesauce for the vegan butter if you are oil free.
- If you don't want the brownies as sweet, it is perfectly okay to reduce the sugar, even to 1 cup. They will still turn out well, just not as sweet.Â
- When you initially take the brownies out of the oven, they will appear underdone and soft, but give them time to cool. They are even better the next day; fudgy and rich. These are NOT cake-like brownies.Â
- You may also use dutch processed cocoa powder for slightly different results. They will be a little less fudgy, and darker in color.
Hello Nora, is there any room for espresso in the recipe let’s say into the water when making the flax egg?
I’ve never tried it but yes that would work! Sounds great.
This is it, folks! The search is over…..they are just as advertised.
I used coconut oil and they came out perfectly. (I think because coconut oil solidifies at cooler temperatures.) If you don’t want to buy pastry flour, you can substitute 2 T of regular flour for 2 T cornstarch. It worked for me. I forgot to stir in the nuts so I put them on top….still good. Really the best vegan brownie recipe out there. Thanks, Nora!
Thank you Sarah! So glad you love the brownies.
This recipe doesn’t seem to call for pastry flour…am I missing something?
I just use all purpose flour. 🙂
Seriously – the best vegan brownies. They are gooey on the inside and crispy on the outside. The batter was so good that I debated if I should even bake them or just mix scoops of the batter with ice cream
Really good. ! I tried with gluten free flour but they were delicious . Thank you for this recipe 🙂
I made them last weekend and oh my gosh they were so delicious, even my non-vegan friend couldn’t tell the difference! It simply is a perfect recipe!!
I made a rookie mistake by measuring my whole flax seeds before grinding them. The batter tasted pretty flaxy however, the brownies came out perfect! Great recipe!! On half the pan before baking, I sprinkled walnut pieces and they toasted on top perfectly. I never add my nuts to the batter as they steam, putting them on top just before baking, they come out nicely toasted and perfectly crunchy.
Uh oh! I’m so glad they turned out perfect anyhow. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing this great recipe Nora – so easy to follow even for a non baker like myself! I substituted the flax with chia seeds and added orange oil – turned out great?
These brownies came out terrific!!!! I added a pinch of cinnamon and cayenne pepper for a little Mexican twist, but they are amazing! I have to call people over to eat them so I don’t devour the entire pan!
Hi, Nora 🙂 These brownies are perfect. I have never been able to successfully make brownies from scratch, especially vegan ones, so I am so excited that this recipe worked out so well for me. I am a novice vegan home cook and I really enjoy all of your recipes because they are simple, wholesome, and explained easily enough for even me to succeed with. We really love your cauliflower wings around here too!
I’m so glad they worked out well for you, thank you so much! I appreciate your feedback!
It tastes delicious, but it is more like fudge than brownies. What might I have done wrong?
I wonder if you simply cut into the brownies right away before letting them cool? They are quite fudgy at first, then as they cool they get chewy and aren’t quite so dense or moist. I actually think they taste even better the next day. Did you make any substitutions at all, because that could also be the problem?
This recipe is brilliant! I made them for a charity coffee morning and for a dinner party and EVERYONE- vegan or non-vegan, said how amazing they tasted. Most people actually asked if they are a non- vegan recipe because they tasted better than most non- vegan brownies they had eaten. Result!
I absolutely love these brownies. Everytime I make them they’re gone within 48 hours. such an easy recipe to follow. I’ve made them twice now and I can’t wait to make them a third time!
Thank you! I’m so glad you are enjoying the brownies!
These brownies are so so delicious!
I didn’t add the extra cup of granulated sugar and subbed a mixture of soy milk & oil instead of the vegan butter. My batch only needed half the cooking time, unsure if this is because of my oven.
Thanks!
Seriously- THESE ARE THE BEST BROWNIES EVER! I made them for my sons school bake sale and I have never been more confident in my choice of dessert! No one would know they’re vegan but you better believe I’m telling EVE-RE-BODY!! I called them The Everyone Brownie because even people with allergies/sensitivities can enjoy the chocolate-y goodness! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!
Hi my batter turned out extremely thick and not flowing at all- what would have gone wrong?
I used all the measurements exactly
(Only difference was I used normal butter vs vegan and my cocoa was dark natural)
Using dark cocoa powder (alkalized) will change the structure of the brownies somewhat. It’s fine to use and I have in the past, but my brownies tend to be a little drier and the batter thicker. I don’t think using normal butter would make a difference. But the brownie batter is a bit thick anyhow, you wouldn’t want it to be like cake batter. I usually have to push it into the pans evenly before baking. Hope that helps! And I hope they tasted good.
Absolutely amazingly delicious!!!!! I’ve been vegan for quite awhile now and making a good vegan brownie has been on my to do list. Made it as is. No changes necessary for me. Brought it to work and coworkers loved them too. 🙂 Will be making again soon for sure. (Might be a permanent fixture in my freezer!) Thank you for sharing your great recipe!
I’m so happy you loved the brownies! Thank you for sharing. I have so many brownies in my freezer you have no idea lol.
Have you ever made this vegan (or any) brownie recipe using coconut cream? Sort of like when you buy organic coconut milk in the can, put it in the fridge, and the solid part, you scoop out and you that in lieu of the vegan butter and/or coconut oil. Makes for a creamier brownie… I feel like coconut milk/cream is the original “milk” product that bakes well when anything calls for dairy. That said, I’ve made your vegan treats and they all turn out perfectly and exactly as you describe. I love your attention to detail… the more the better, thank you!
Thanks Denise! I appreciate it. I have a few times tried coconut cream in brownies, in fact I have a recipe for Peppermint Black Bean Brownie Bites where I use coconut cream. I’ll have to try it in more recipes.
I love these brownies! They are so rich and delicious! I have made them many times. I made them for a bake sale, and they quickly sold out. I would love to make a bigger batch for future bake sales. Have you ever tried doubling the recipe? I know that can be tricky when you are using flax egg. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
These were GOBBLED UP at my family dinner party yesterday. No one could tell they were vegan. I had so much trouble in my past baking brownies that when I gave up meat and dairy I completely put off trying to make a vegan batch. Well my vegan life will be brownie-less no more 🙂
I’m so glad to hear that Hayley! Yay for a brownie filled life! 🙂
I have tried and failed at making vegan brownies so many times until I found this recipe. They were simple and turned out so Delicious. I highly recommend this recipe.
Hands down the best brownie recipe you will ever make. Do yourself a favor, and bake these asap!! I’ve made them multiple times and they always come out perfect. Everyone always asks for the recipe and are shocked when I say they’re vegan. They’re rich, fudgy, and addictive.
Since my brother found out he has celiac about a year ago and my sister-in-law has food allergies and sensitivities including tree nuts, dairy and eggs, it has become a challenge to make baked goods for them. After seeing all the good reviews with this recipe I figured I would give it a shot substituting with gluten free flour, specifically the Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 flour blend. I am sharing my results hoping others that have commented about making them gluten free see that it is possible with a couple adjustments.
My first attempt was not successful. The only thing I did differently was use the gluten free flour instead of regular flour. I baked them the 35-40 minutes but they didn’t seem to be ‘set’ in the middle and looked really greasy so I kept adding a few minutes until they looked less greasy…well the bottoms ended up being hard as a rock and the brownies very thin. The flavor was good, so I was I was willing to try the recipe again with a couple adjustments figuring the gluten free flour was the culprit causing the problems.
Second attempt turned out amazing and you can’t tell they are vegan or gluten free! So anyone wanting to make these gluten free, I would suggest trying these tweaks that I made. I used only 1/2 cup of butter instead of the 2/3 and I added 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder. I hope this helps other celiac and gluten sensitive people!
Do you think All Purpose Gluten-Free flour will work with your modifications?
Would these work in a 9×9 pan?
Yes, that would work fine, they will be a bit thicker though and you might need to bake them a little longer, maybe 10 minutes extra or so. Thanks!
Ok, I have spent the entire week baking through vegan brownie recipes with one disappointment after the next. Either too dry, too crumbly, to pasty and dense etc. These are the winner. So good- fudgy, moist, tender crumb. Everything you want a brownie to be. These are coming to a family party this week-a double batch LOL. So glad to have found your blog. 🙂
I’m so happy you found a winning vegan brownies recipe finally! Thank you!
Seriously unbelievably good. You HAVE to make these. And these are the easiest brownies to make. Good grief. I’m on my second one. Thanks for the great recipe
So happy you are enjoying the brownies! Thank you!