Vegan Brownies
Brownies are the great dessert fail-me-not. These melt-in-your-mouth fudgy and outrageously chocolaty Vegan Brownies are THE brownie of the moment. They’re made without butter or eggs and contain a number of healthy ingredients, but they taste so sublimely rich, even non-vegans will find themselves polishing every crumb from the plate!
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Pin It!Of all of the healthy desserts in my recipe index and cookbook, fudgy brownies are the sweet treat I bake most.
This healthy vegan brownie recipe was originally conceived as a mix between my favorite brownie recipe of all time (which is in my cookbook!), and my ever-reliable, always delectable One Bowl Brownies.
I decided to see if I could develop a one-bowl brownie recipe that was
- fudgy and rich but didn’t call for any dairy (i.e. no milk or butter) or eggs,
- healthy,
- don’t call for specialty ingredients (like the almond flour in Healthy Brownies)
- and quick and easy to whip up. (I love these Black Bean Brownies, for example, but they do take some extra effort.)
Ta-da!
These vegan brownies are THE ONE. They turned out to be the best fudgy vegan brownies ever.
5 Star Review
“Best brownie I’ve ever had. Love the consistency and the taste. I’m gonna do this again and again and again.”
— Serena —
Why This is the Best Vegan Brownie Recipe
If you need a little more convincing to fully embrace these vegan brownies, here are more reasons why I think they’re so great.
- Simple Ingredients. Out of milk or eggs? No problem!
- Melt-in-Your-Mouth Texture. These brownies have very little flour and lots of cocoa powder, meaning they’re intensely chocolaty and will melt right in your mouth. (To those of you more in the fudgy/chewy brownie camp, I’ve got you. I added a hefty helping of chocolate chips to this recipe, giving them more oomph.)
- Quick. If you’re in a hurry and need a brownie pronto (who doesn’t?), this recipe is up to the task.
- Made in ONE BOWL. Easy cleanup.
If you’ve only been making brownies from a mix until this point, I hope you’ll still give these homemade vegan brownies a try.
No store-bought box can compete with the brownies you bake from scratch.
Conclusion: you don’t need to search for a vegan brownies mix (or any other mix). Make this recipe instead!
How to Make Vegan Brownies
Whether or not you are vegan, you’ll love this recipe’s simple ingredient lineup and the splendidly chocolaty results!
I bet you have everything you need to make them on hand RIGHT NOW!
The Ingredients
- Cocoa Powder. The best and easiest way to achieve major chocolate flavor. Plus, cocoa powder has a long shelf life, so if you add some to your pantry, you can make these vegan brownies over and over.
- White Whole Wheat Flour. Whenever possible, I like to use whole wheat flour in baked goods. It brings added nutritional value like fiber and protein, which means I feel better about going back for brownie number two (and maybe three).
- Applesauce. Figuring out how we can make brownies without eggs was the trickiest part of this recipe. Unsweetened applesauce turned out to be my answer! Like eggs, applesauce adds moisture and binds the brownies. As a bonus, since applesauce is low/no-fat, it makes the brownies healthier.
Tip!
No applesauce? Check out Sweet Potato Brownies, which use mashed sweet potatoes for moisture.
- Canola Oil, Coconut Oil, or Melted Non-Dairy Butter. For simplicity, this recipe uses canola oil in place of the usual butter.
Substitution Tip
You can swap the canola oil for coconut oil or a non-dairy butter if you prefer.
- Baking Powder. While not an ingredient used in all brownie recipes, here it’s needed for lift, especially since this recipe is made without eggs.
- Brewed Coffee. Anytime you add coffee to a chocolate dessert, it intensifies the flavor of the chocolate (but it won’t make the brownies taste like coffee). For a less intense brownie, use water or your non-dairy milk of choice.
- Chocolate Chips. An undeniably delicious addition to these vegan brownies. They also help create a chewier texture. Use vegan chocolate chips to ensure these stay dairy free.
The Directions
- Line a square baking pan with parchment paper, and coat the paper with nonstick spray.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir until incorporated and smoothly combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips, then add the batter to the baking pan. Bake vegan brownies for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. Let cool in the pan for at least 1 hour (or pop them in the refrigerator for an even better brownie experience). Slice and ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze. Place brownies in an airtight freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Meal Prep Tip
To make sure you don’t need to sit around waiting for your coffee to cool before starting the brownies, make the brewed coffee 1 day ahead. Refrigerate it until you’re ready to start the recipe.
Leftover Ideas
Leftover brownies are a true treat. Gently heat one up in a bowl in the microwave, top it with a scoop of your favorite ice cream (for something vegan, check out Oat Milk Ice Cream), and enjoy pure bliss!
What to Serve with Vegan Brownies
Recommended Tools to Make This Recipe
- Parchment Paper. A layer of parchment paper makes it easy to remove the brownies from the pan.
- Baking Pan. This one (I own two of them!) makes perfect corners.
- Rubber Spatula. Great for scraping brownie batter into the baking pan.
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought!
Leave a rating below in the comments and let me know how you liked the recipe.
If you’ll excuse me, we have exactly one vegan brownie left in an undisclosed corner of the freezer, and I need to set it out for my after-dinner dessert…or (let’s be honest here), my afternoon snack!
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment to let me know how it turned out for you. Your comments and 5-star ratings are so important to my site, and they keep me going too.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’d like to make these brownies for a special occasion (or just want to make them extra decadent), you can top them with the scrumptious dairy-free fudge frosting in my Healthy Brownies recipe.
While still a dessert (so you can’t compare them to a salad), these brownies are healthy compared to most other recipes. This recipe uses lightened-up swaps (like applesauce and whole wheat flour) without sacrificing flavor.
No, I do not recommend swapping any grain-free flour for the regular flour, as the two react very differently in baking. If you’d like to make a dessert with almond flour, try my Almond Flour Cookies or Avocado Brownies. For a dessert with coconut flour, try my Coconut Flour Cookies. Or, try these Chickpea Blondies that use oats.
Vegan Brownies
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup white whole wheat flour whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/3 cup brewed, cooled coffee for the most chocolaty flavor; or swap almond milk or milk of choice
- 1/4 cup canola oil or melted, cooled coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips dairy free if needed
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper so that the paper overhangs 2 opposite sides like handles. Lightly coat the paper with non-stick spray. Set aside.
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In a large mixing bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
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Add the applesauce, coffee, canola oil, and vanilla. Whisk until smoothly combined.
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Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake the brownies for 15 minutes, until the edges are set, the center looks slightly underbaked, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out without any wet batter clinging to it (a few moist crumbs are fine). Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool for at least 1 hour (these actually taste even better refrigerated overnight if you can stand the suspense). Lift onto a cutting board using the parchment handles. Slice and serve.
Notes
- TO STORE: Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- TO FREEZE: Place brownies in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw in the refrigerator overnight.