These vegan brownies have a chewy-fudgy center, glossy-crackly top, and crispy edge making them the best vegan brownies. This recipe is fool-proof and uses common ingredients. No egg replacer and no vegan butter are needed.
More often than not, vegan brownie recipes are just too chocolatey or too sweet for me.
This recipe is neither!
It's perfectly rich and chocolatey without being too sweet.
And with simple ingredients going into these brownies, I always find an excuse to make them.
Ingredients you'll need
Gather these 9 pantry staples to easily make the best vegan brownies.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Coconut oil – Refined coconut oil is what I use because it has a neutral taste, but feel free to use unrefined. Or, substitute the coconut oil with any neutral oil of your choice –vegetable oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, etc.
- Cocoa Powder – I use and recommend unsweetened cocoa powder for these vegan brownies.
- Cane sugar – To replace the cane sugar, use any granulated sugar or turbinado sugar.
- Coconut sugar – As a substitute, you can use brown sugar lightly spooned into the measuring cup or more cane sugar.
- Milk – Any type of plain unsweetened non-dairy milk will do. I used almond milk but you can use soy milk, oat milk, cashew milk, etc.
- Salt – I use Himalayan pink salt, but the salt you have on hand is perfectly fine.
- Vanilla extract – Use pure vanilla extract, or omit it if you’re all out.
Step-by-Step Instructions
These brownies can be whipped up in 9 easy-to-follow steps.
Step 1: In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.
Step 2: Mix the ingredients together and set aside.
Step 3: In a larger bowl, mix together the sugars and oil until well combined.
Step 4: Pour in the non-dairy milk and vanilla extract and mix in.
Step 5: Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients.
Step 6: Fold everything together until a sticky, thicker batter forms.
Step 7: Transfer the batter to your baking pan. Use a knife or small spatula to evenly spread it out.
Step 8: Use the knife to swirl and whip up the top of the batter for a shiny, crackling top when baked.
Step 9: Bake in the oven at 350ºF for 20-25 minutes. (see the recipe card below for more detailed instructions)
Customize Your Vegan Brownies
- Mix in chocolate chips to enhance the brownie's chocolate flavor.
- Serve with ice cream for a party favorite.
- Add chopped walnuts to the batter for an "adult" brownie taste.
- Top them with a dusting of powdered sugar for the kids.
- Switch it up and swirl in peanut butter or any nut butter.
- For a pepperminty holiday twist, mix in crushed candy canes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Substitute the coconut oil for melted vegan butter. Applesauce can be used as well, but the texture will not be as gooey and chewy as brownies made with oil.
For these classic vegan brownies, use unsweetened premium baking cocoa powder. If you're looking for deeper, darker, richer chocolatey brownies use Dutch process cocoa powder. Both options will work well with this recipe. -I use premium baking cocoa powder.-
I used a 7x11-inch pan, but a 9x9-inch square pan is another option. Using a nonstick baking pan is best for evenly cooked brownies. Glass and ceramic pans will work, but you may need to reduce the cooking time.
The brownies are done when the edges have risen, the top is set, and a toothpick (or thin knife) inserted into the center comes out clean.
Baker’s Tips
- For a healthier brownie with added nutrients, mix in up to ¼ cup of almond flour with the dry ingredients.
- Finely ground sugar is the key to a glossy, crackly-topped brownie. To finely grind the sugars, blend them in a blender until they become a fine powdered consistency.
- For cake-like brownies that are still slightly chewy, lightly scoop the flour into the measuring cup. Use the back of a knife to gently tap the top of the measuring cup a few times to lightly pack the flour before leveling it.
Valentine's Day Ideas
Turn these vegan brownies into a Valentine's Day treat and bake them in a heart-shaped baking pan. Top the batter with fresh raspberries before baking. Then, dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Or, win over your Valentine with my vegan strawberry cheesecake. It's a dairy-free dessert that takes only 10 ingredients, including the crust.
We'd love to hear from you!
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Recipe
The Best Vegan Brownies
This vegan brownie recipe is fool-proof and uses everyday ingredients without lacking in the classic brownie taste and texture. Their chewy-fudgy middle, glossy-crackly top, and crispy edges make these the best vegan brownies.
Ingredients
dry ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
- ⅓ cup plus 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
wet ingredients
- 1 cup cane sugar (see notes)
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar (see notes)
- ⅓ cup refined coconut oil, melted
- ½ cup non-dairy milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Oil the sides of a 9x9-inch baking pan and line a sheet of parchment paper across the middle of the pan. (see images 7 and 8 in the above instructions).
- In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients --flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate, larger bowl, mix together the oil, coconut sugar, and cane sugar until combined.
- Pour in the non-dairy milk and vanilla extract. Mix them into the oil and sugars.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and fold everything together until well combined. The brownie batter will be thick and sticky.
- Scoop the batter into your prepared baking pan and evenly spread it out using a knife or small spatula.
- Swirl and whip the top of the brownie batter with the knife for a perfect brownie top.
- Bake at 350ºF for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. Allow the brownie to cool for 20-30 minutes before cutting.
To Store: Cover the brownie pan with foil or plastic wrap. Or, store the brownies in an airtight container. Vegan brownies keep well on the counter for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Powdering the sugars is the key to a glossy, crackly-topped brownie. To powder the sugars, blend the coconut and cane sugars in a Nutribullet or blender until they become a finely powdered consistency.
- Test the brownies at the 25-minute mark to see if they are done. If the toothpick comes out clean the brownies are done. If there is sticky batter on the toothpick, bake for another 2-5 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- To measure the flour, use the scoop and level method. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife. (For cake-like brownies, see the “baker’s tips" in the post.)
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 9 brownies Serving Size: 1 brownieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 244Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 112mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 1gSugar: 30gProtein: 2g
**Nutritional info is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients I used and for convenience and as a courtesy only.**
Vegan Favorite Sweets
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Blair
These were INCREDIBLE! I made several changes, based on my preferences and what I had. I'm not vegan (yet!), but I can't stand the taste of eggs. So I'm an eggless vegetarian, I guess? I have been trying to find a recipe that didn't include eggs or any weird ingredients that I didn't have. The changes I made: whole milk, butter instead of oil, 1/4 tsp sea salt instead of 1/3 tsp himalayan salt, light brown sugar instead of coconut sugar. I used a round 8x8 cake pan, with a round piece of parchment in the bottom after greasing the pan. It made 8 nicely sized slices in the shape of pie pieces.
These were so easy and seriously delicious! My kids, who eat everything on every kind of diet, said that these brownies were even better than the storebought mixes. Thank you so much for such a simple and awesome recipe!
Marlena Luna
Hi Blair! I'm thrilled the recipe was such a hit with your family and your substitutions worked perfectly. Thank you for sharing your awesome feedback!
Anna
Hi,
Do you recommend using a 9x9 pan? Did you use a 9x13 pan when taking the photos? And are the brownies rather fudgy or chewy? Thanks a lot!
Marlena Luna
Hi Anna, I used a 7x11-inch pan similar to this one here (affiliate link). But a 9x9 pan can be used instead. I don't recommend a 9x13 pan, it would be too big causing flat brownies. As for the texture, I consider these brownies chewy and slightly fudgy. Enjoy!