Our vegan brownies have an irresistible glossy and crinkly skin on their upper crust. They are chocolaty with a rich fudgy interior that is beautifully dense and chewy yet light and melty.
We bake them in a squared 8-inch pan and cut 9 squares out of it, but you can easily double this recipe and make a double batch.
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These vegan brownies are incredible!
They have a thin, crinkly upper crust that breaks off as you bite into it, and it’s slightly crisp yet melts as it touches your tongue.
The interior should be a combination of fudgy, melty, and chocolatey, with a relatively dense and chewy texture, but not excessively so.
If you agree, you will love this triple-chocolate vegan brownie recipe. These are the best brownies we’ve ever had, and no one will be able to tell they are vegan.
Ingredients
Dark chocolate
For the best brownies, you’ll need some good quality dark chocolate bars; we recommend 55% to 75% cocoa content.
Dark chocolate is generally vegan; however, read the ingredient list if you want to be sure.
Cocoa powder
We use unsweetened dutch processed cocoa powder because it adds a richer flavor and a more intense dark color than natural cocoa powder.
Dark chocolate chips
As for the chocolate bar, use dark chocolate chips with 55% to 75% cocoa content and without dairy.
Vegan butter
Vegan butter or dairy-free butter is our fat of choice. There are many brands on the market, and we recommend picking one that comes in a stick form and has a firm consistency.
We like Violife, Earth Balance, Om Sweet Home, Miyoko’s, Fora, and Melt Organic.
We can’t recommend using coconut oil as we haven’t tested it.
Sugar
We use white granulated sugar; you can also use brown cane sugar.
We have not tried other sugars, such as coconut sugar or palm sugar, so we don’t know if they produce the same quality vegan brownies.
Flour
All-purpose flour is perfect for this recipe.
Substitute a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour to make gluten-free brownies. They’ll be a little more crumbly, though.
Aquafaba
Aquafaba is simply the water from a can of chickpeas. We use it as an egg replacement as it has similar properties and doesn’t have a taste. Aquafaba does the following:
- It incorporates tiny air bubbles, making the brownies taller without using baking powder.
- It makes the brownies melt as you bite into them, thanks to the bond it creates with the sugar.
- It creates that beautiful heavenly glossy, and crinkly top.
We’ve tested several recipes, and aquafaba is superior to all other egg replacements, including flax eggs.
Vanilla extract
We like to add a hint of vanilla to the vegan brownies.
Salt
Salt enhances the chocolate flavor.
Note: since we are using dutch processed cocoa powder, there’s no need to add espresso powder to this recipe.
Instructions
Melt the chocolate
Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C. Butter an 8-Inch squared cake pan and line it with parchment paper. The parchment should hang over the edges for easy removal.
Coarsely chop the chocolate bar with a knife.
Add hot, almost boiling water to a pot and put a heat-resistant bowl over it. The bottom of the bowl should touch the hot water. Add in the chopped chocolate and vegan butter.
Tip: Do this off the heat; it’s easier. You can warm the water with an electric kettle and add it to the pot. We don’t recommend melting the chocolate in the microwave or directly on the stovetop. It can easily get ruined.
Stir it with a spatula until completely melted. It should take about 2 minutes. Set aside.
Make brownie batter
To a large mixing bowl, add the water from a can of chickpeas (aquafaba) and the sugar.
Beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer with a whisk attachment for 3 to 5 minutes or until the liquid turns white, foamy, and with high viscosity.
Tip: this step is essential. The high viscosity with sugar well dissolved produces the crinkliest and glossiest top and the meltiest brownies we’ve tested.
Pour in the melted chocolate and butter mixture, salt, and vanilla extract, and whisk with your hand mixer for 30 seconds or until fully incorporated.
Sift in the flour and the cocoa powder. Whisk the dry ingredients for a few seconds until the brownie batter is combined. Scrape down the edges of the bowl with a spatula and fold it in.
Transfer the brownie batter to your prepared cake pan. Level it off, then sprinkle it with dark chocolate chips.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, then let it cool down for at least 30 minutes in the pan.
Pull the parchment paper to take brownie out of the pan, let cool down well before cutting it into squares.
Serve vegan brownies as they are, with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Tip
Beat aquafaba with sugar
Getting a white foamy and sticky/viscous liquid is key to making excellent brownies with a crinkly shiny top and a fudgy yet light and melty core.
Set a timer and beat aquafaba and sugar with a hand mixer for at least 3 minutes, best if 5 minutes.
Questions
Yes, you can substitute oil for butter but reduce the quantities slightly. For example, take our butter amount and multiply it by 0.75; that’s how much oil you need.
Use a neutral-flavored oil such as vegetable oil, canola oil, or sunflower oil.
You could do vegan brownies with olive oil, but you’ll taste the oil flavor.
That’s down to preference; however, we think brownies are best when made with vegan or dairy-free butter because you get the best of both worlds.
Vegan butter is made with a mix of saturated fats (generally coconut oil or palm oil) and unsaturated fats (oils like sunflower, canola, or flax seeds oils). This unique combination created the perfect texture for brownies. It’s like using butter and oil and the same time.
Make Ahead & Storage
Make ahead: vegan brownies are excellent to make ahead because they keep well for several days at room temperature or in the fridge and months in the freezer.
Room temperature: keep brownies wrapped in plastic or an airtight container in a dark corner of your kitchen for 3 days.
Refrigerator: to extend their shelf-life, store them wrapped in plastic or an airtight container in the fridge. They keep for 5 to 6 days.
Freezer: let brownies cool down completely, then wrap them in plastic wrap individually if you want to store single portions, then put them in a freezer-friendly container, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw: defrost at room temperature for an hour more as needed. To speed things up, do so in the microwave, at low temperature, in 15-second increments.
More Chocolate Dessert Recipes
Calling all chocolate lovers, if you like baking with chocolate and cacao powder, get more sweet inspiration from these sweet recipes:
- Easy chocolate cake with ganache and a single-layer cake.
- Chocolate cake donuts with glaze, they whip up in just 5 minutes.
- Vegan chocolate pound cake: takes just 5 minutes to prepare!
- Chocolate brownie cake with 5 ingredients and no eggs.
- 10-minute chocolate custard with just 5 ingredients and dark chocolate pieces.
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Easy Chocolate Cake
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Chocolate Brownie Cake
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Vegan Chocolate Pound Cake
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Chocolate Custard
More Vegan Dessert Recipes
If you’re curious about egg-free desserts, check out these vegan dessert recipes with easy-to-find ingredients:
- Vegan lemon bars with an easy vegan lemon curd and a thin shortbread crust.
- Easy vegan lemon cake: perfectly light, airy, and tangy with a lemon cream cheese frosting.
- 8-ingredient apple cake with sweet and tender apple pieces in a perfectly fluffy cake.
- Vegan carrot cake: a single-layer easy carrot cake with a moist and light crumb.
- Easy vanilla cake with vegan frosting, a single-layer and easy version of vanilla cake (coming soon).
- Lemon blueberry cake: prepared in 5 minutes and baked in 30 minutes!
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Vegan Apple Cake
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For many more easy dessert ideas, check out our desserts category page.
Vegan Brownies
Equipment
- Hand mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachment
- 8-Inch square pan
Ingredients
- 7 ounces dark chocolate bar 55% to 75% cocoa content recommended
- 4 ounces (½ cup) vegan butter
- ½ cup aquafaba the water from a can of chickpeas
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder best if dutch processed
- 3 tablespoons dark chocolate chips
Instructions
MELT CHOCOLATE
- Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C. Butter an 8-Inch square pan and line it with parchment paper. Parchment should hang over the edges for east removal.
- Coarsely chop the dark chocolate bar.
- Add hot, almost boiling water to a pot and put a heat-resistant bowl over it. The bottom of the bowl should touch the hot water. Add in chopped chocolate and vegan butter.
- Stir with a spatula until melted.
MAKE BROWNIE BATTER
- To a large bowl, add sugar and aquafaba.
- Beat with hand mixer for 3 to 5 minutes, until liquid is white, thick, and foamy.
- Pour melted chocolate into white liquid, add salt and vanilla extract and whisk until combined (15 seconds)
- Sift in flour and cocoa powder. Whisk gently, pulsing on and off with hand mixer, until combined. Scrape down edges of bowl.
BAKE VEGAN BROWNIES
- Transfer brownie batter into prepared pan. Level it off and sprinkle with dark chocolate chips.
- Bake at 350°C or 180°C for 30 minutes, then let cool down 30 minutes in the pan. Take out of the pan pulling parchment paper. Cool down well on wire rack before cutting into squares.
- Serve on their own, with dairy-free vanilla ice cream, or vegan whipped cream.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you like these vegan brownies, you might also enjoy the following.
I used 100 ml of canola oil and it turned out perfect! I’d use half of the sugar tho (I prefer less sweet desserts). Loved the recipe.
Enjoy your presentations, Thankyou! Do you think this would work with gluten free flour? Not a nut flour as Anaphylactic allergy in our house. Would an egg replacer work instead of aquafaba? We’ve had to do a low FODMAP diet & aquafaba is the part of the tin of beans that can cause stomach discomfort/excess gas for some people. Thanks, Donna
Hi Donna,
We have not tested this brownie recipe with gluten-free flour or an egg replacer. Both ingredients would require extensive testing, we intend to start gluten-free baking later this year.
I wish you and your family a great rest of your week.
Kindest,
Louise
Hi Louise, the cake worked so well I’m making another one this week! I probably over mixed it a bit as it turned out dense. It didn’t stop any kids nor parents from eating ALL of it.
All of it..🤤
Thank you for advice. I have a feeling this recipe is here to stay.
All the best
Kate
Hi Kate,
Oh, that is so amazing to hear!! I’m so happy everyone loved it, there is no compliment greater than an empty plate (or baking tray) 😉
Have a fantastic weekend when you get there.
Kindest,
Louise
Can I use white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour?
Hi Amber, thanks for your comment! We haven’t tried with whole wheat flour but it should be possible. Do let us know how they turn out. Have a great Wednesday! Kindest, Louise
Why are there no measurements on the ingredients? I tried to create this by guessing, turned out OK. But I was thinking it might’ve turned out better if I had exact measurements. I noticed on the caloric intake, there are sugars and carbs, etc., but in order to be accurate with that there would have to be an exact amount of ingredients.
Hi Dean,
Thanks so much for your message.
We always include measurements in our recipes – if you scroll to the end of the page or click “jump to recipe”, you will see the recipe box with measured ingredients, instructions, and step-by-step pictures.
The recipe is always at the end of the page. This is an industry-wide practice, so you will see this on other blogs too.
But if you want to learn more about the recipe (like variations, ingredients substitutions, tips) and how to make the best version of it, please read the text in the body of the article. Nico always tries to share his knowledge with you and includes the most important information to make the recipe successful.
I hope this helps! Have a wonderful week ahead.
Kindest, Louise
Hello,
I’m new here and love what I see. I’m tasked with baking a large cake and chose this recipe. Need to scale up to fill a 14×17 inch cake pan. I’m thinking all ingredients x4? Any chance you could advise on the temperature and time I should use for such a big cake?
Hi Kate,
Yes, that should work since there is no baking powder in this recipe. We haven’t tried scaling the brownies to such an extent, but I’d say it will work.
As for the oven temperature, stick to the recipe guideline and set a timer for 30 mins, then check for doneness every 10 minutes thereafter. We wanna avoid a burned top, so make sure to keep an eye on your oven.
Let me know how it turns out, and happy baking.
Kindest,
Louise
Hello,
We love this recipe for brownies. It is the best vegan recipe I tried so far. Lots of chocolate flavor!
There was one thing that went wrong: it was collapsed in the middle. What did I do wrong?
Greetings from Holland
Hi Lonneke,
thanks so much for your comment. There are several reasons why they might cave in the middle. The most common are:
– you might to have to cook the brownies a little longer, just 5 more minutes would make a big difference. Different ovens can have slightly different cooking times 🙂
– make sure your oven is not too hot. That could make them look cooked outside and on the edges but undercooked inside.
– you might have beaten the batter for too long. Incorporating too much air can make the brownies collapse.
– Also, just to make sure, try to use the same-size baking pan that I recommend in the recipe.
I hope this helps!
Thanks again.
Nico