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.
Ijust made these, letting them cool now. I did it in two smaller containers and only for 30 minutes, we’ll see how they turn out but look and smell amazing. And the batter tasted great! Thanks for the great recipe!
You’re welcome! Hope they’re great!
Seriously the best vegan brownies I’ve ever made. As well as the best I’ve ever tasted. Totally completely ridiculously amazing. I’m currently making my second batch. I’m sure about this whole shelter in place is over, I’ll ask be auditioning for My 600lbs Life because I don’t think I can stop eating/making these.
Glad you like them!
Best comment I’ve read this morning. I needed a laugh. So true lol
I only have whole flax seeds, if I ground them myself in a coffee grinder do you think that would work?
Yes that works!
If I were to replace the butter with apple sauce then how much should I use? same as butter quantity used in this recipe?
I would replace it with the same quantity. Thanks!
these are unreal. super chocolatey and chewy! and such an easy recipe with pantry staple ingredients. my new go to brownies!
I’m so glad to hear that!
Is ground flax and ground flax seed the same thing?
Yes it is. It’s also sometimes called “flax meal”.
These were the first vegan brownies I have ever made, and I will admit I was very skeptical at first. (It was my first ‘flax egg’…) ALAS. These did not turn out ‘good, considering they’re vegan,’ these turned out like ‘the best brownies I have ever had,’ according to both me and my boyfriend. Perfectly crispy along the outer edges and perfectly gooey on the inside. I will be making these for family events, dinners, work potlucks, and everything else… forever… Bravo Nora!
Thanks so much! I’m so glad they came out great!
It was so good! Being 1 day vegan, I didn’t think it would taste so good , I can’t tell the difference .
I used 1/2 cup brown shower and 1/2 of granulated sugar.
I’m so glad it came out great for you!
These taste amazing and are lovely and gooey but i cannot get them to rise very well. They are very flat! I have followed the recipe to the letter… any suggestions would be gratefully received.
Hmmm I wonder why yours are turning out flat. They are quite dense brownies, definitely not cake like at all, so if that’s what you are looking for you might be disappointed. They don’t rise much at all actually. You could try adding an extra 1/4 cup of flour, that will make them a bit more cake like.
OH MY GOSH! Made them last night for friends [who are NOT VEGAN] for a movie night gathering and they were gone before I opened the lid to the pan.
Best fudgy, thick, gooey, perfectly dense brownie EVER. Perfect top crust. I’ve made a dozen recipes before finding this one yesterday afternoon and this one is BY FAR THE BEST. THANK YOU SO MUCH NORA COOKS! I’ve been longing for a vegan brownie for a very long time and this is the one that hits the spot. I followed the recipe to the exact measurements and instructions and they turned out just as I had hoped and like your photo. My non vegan friends couldn’t tell it was vegan and asked for more. I will be going back to baking these over the weekend.
BTW I used a 9×9 brownie pan and it baked perfectly. I baked for the full 40 min.
That’s so great to hear! Thanks so much for the comment!
How long can you store these after baking?
They stay good at room temperature for 3-4 days, in the fridge for probably a week, or they can be frozen. 🙂
They look amazing! Is there any way to reduce the sugar content in them whilst maintaining the texture and taste? I really want them to stay fudgy!
I’m not sure, you could probably reduce the sugar by 1/2 cup, or possibly even cut it in half but I haven’t tried it. Thank you!
Ok thank you Nora!
This is the EXACT brownie my girlfriend craves–the gentle crackly, crust combined with the ooey, gooey centre. This is definitely making it into hard copy in my recipe binder, which is reserved for only the best.
Working with what I had on hand I had to substitute some things. Ground chia seeds replaced flax(used more water to compensate for the way chia sets up more firmly). I believe the chia made it hard to incorporate the ingredients, so I was mixing FOREVER and it had a really sticky end texture prior to baking. Only had dutch cocoa but it didn’t disappoint. Used cake flour, which I think also contributed to my challenges incorporating. I used becel vegan margarine and found it just fine. Lastly, I had to use a small round baking pan that was small than the 7×11 dimensions, so I baked for the full 40 minutes to compensate.
Thanks for a great recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the brownies, even with the minor changes! Thank you!
Have made them twice and everyone loves them. I found batter to be dry. I added a couple of tablespoons olive oil and 1 tbl almond milk to get batter thick, but not dry. I lined a Pyrex glass pan with parchment paper and each time they came out perfect!!
Question. Mine was so thick I could not stir it. Well, barely. Did the flax sit too long?
I guess it’s possible if you left the flax and water for a really long time. The batter is pretty thick, but you should be able to stir it. I wonder if you used coconut oil that wasn’t completely melted or something?
Hi- I usually use Bob’s Red mill egg replacer- so about how many eggs is your recipe replacing with the flax seed /water mixture? Bob’s is 1TB egg replacer w/ 2TB water = 1 egg. Thank you!
I’m not sure how it will change the recipe as I’ve never tried using another egg replacer, but you would need 4 egg replacements. I hope it works out well, thanks!
I made these the other day, and the only thing I did differently was I added 1 tbsp of cashew milk to the batter because it was so thick. They came out perfectly! Seriously THE BEST BROWNIES I’ve ever had. They were so moist and chewy, I couldn’t get enough of them. This was also my first time making brownies from scratch instead of using a box. I will forever use this recipe. Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad they came out great for you!
Looks so delicious! Could I sub the all purpose flour with a gluten free blend?
Yes, that should work quite well. I know others have subbed gluten free flour here, but I haven’t tested it yet.
hi!!!!
I made this recipe and it turned out pretty good i was really surprised since i’ve never made anything vegan before and it was super thick as i was mixing it so i was kind of worried, i also swapped the flour to gf and took them to a party and they were absolutely devoured. <3
I was just wondering for the flaxseed egg, I looked online and it said that flaxseed egg is normally 1 tbsp flax meal + 3 tbsp water, which would make for 4 tbsp 3/4cup of water. Is there a reason you used less water? I want to get a better understanding of how to use the flaxseed egg in future recipes!!
Normally I consider a flax egg to be 1 tablespoon ground flax to 2.5 tablespoons water. My amounts here are very similar to that. I did many rounds of recipe testing here, and this is what I found works here. There is a lot that goes into my recipe testing, especially with baking recipes! 🙂 I’m so glad they were devoured and enjoyed!
Can I use olive oil instead of vegan butter?
You probably could, though I haven’t tried it and they may have an olive oil aftertaste.
Super chocolatey and delicious! I cooked for 35 minutes and mine were gooey and delicious. I’m planning to bake for longer next time to get the perfect square cut as they weren’t as set as the ones in the picture!
So glad they were delicious!
Do you think vegetable shortening would work in place of vegan butter? My small town grocery store didn’t have any in stock!
I’ve never tried it, but I bet it would work!
Hi Nora, I forgot to ask about using a glass Pyrex for baking the brownies. The only thing I have close enough to that size is an 8×11 Pyrex which I can block off an inch with using foil. I just wanted to make sure they would bake the same. Thank you!
I don’t know that I’ve ever made these in a glass pan, I don’t usually have good luck baking brownies in glass. Recently I made the brownies in a 9 by 13 inch metal pan and that worked great. The brownies were thinner, but really good. So you could try that if you have one. If not, you don’t need to block off and inch with foil, I would just use your 8 by 11. You will only run into trouble going with a much smaller pan (such as a square 8 by 8) because the brownies won’t cook all the way through. Hope that helps!
Hi Nora, I was wondering if using chia seeds would yield the same result as the flax. I only have chia on hand but if you think it will change it, I will try to go and get some flax! Thank you!
I’ve never tried using chia seeds, but maybe if they are ground up. I would not use them whole or there will be a ton of whole seeds in your brownies!
I’m not a vegan but I’m allergic to eggs. Would regular butter work with this recipe? I don’t have vegan butter atm!
Yes, you can pretty much always count on regular butter working just like vegan butter in my vegan recipes. Thanks!