Life is too short for sad, one-dimensional brownies. That’s why you need the absolute best vegan brownies in your life… brownies that are the perfect mix of fudgy and chewy, and with an irresistible crinkle top.
You’ll have a hard time believing these brownies are vegan. It’s because they don’t have the dry, crumbly texture and underwhelming flavor most vegan brownies end up with. Instead, these brownies are:
- Deeply chocolatey thanks to real dark chocolate and Dutch process cocoa powder.
- The perfect mix of chewy and fudgy and 100% decadent, like any amazing brownie.
- Shiny and crinkly on top (something you thought was only possible with non-vegan boxed brownies!).
I can’t wait for you to try them!
Table of Contents
1. Why this recipe works
2. Ingredient notes
3. Step-by-step instructions
4. Tips for making this recipe
5. Frequently Asked Questions
6. Recipe Card
Why this recipe works
A chocolate lover’s dream
You’ll find three layers of chocolate in these brownies: (1) Dutch process cocoa powder, (2) good dark chocolate, and (3) vegan chocolate chips. All three result in an intense chocolatey flavor that is unreal.
Special shout out to Dutch process cocoa powder. It’s alkalized, meaning the natural acidic flavor has been washed away. Its flavor is pure, rich, and deeply chocolatey.
An ultra-enticing and shiny crinkle top
Once you get a glimpse of crinkle top brownies, you know you can’t hold back. The texture is delightful: wispy, delicate, ridged, and flaky. When paired with a fudgy interior, the contrast is too good to describe in words.
Unfortunately, this is almost never found in vegan brownies.
Typically, the secret to the flaky crinkle top on brownies comes from eggs. But I discovered you can achieve the same results by whipping aquafaba and sugar together.
I tested this method 11(!) times and ended up with a crinkle top every time. Can other vegan brownie recipes say the same? I don’t think so!
PS: These brownies even work gluten-free! Head to the FAQ section for tips!
Because you said so!
I don’t call these the “best vegan brownies” lightly. It’s proven by the more than 390 five-star reviews!
Here’s what readers are saying:
Jennifer says, “They are THE BEST EVER BROWNIES I have had in my entire life, vegan or not!!”
Jackie says, “Hands down BEST brownies I have ever eaten. No joke. I followed the recipe to the T and it couldn’t have been more perfect. I can’t believe these are vegan.”
Tamara says, “I cannot believe how fudgy, chewy, and delicious they are. Like a million other commenters on here, I never thought I’d find good brownies again after going vegan. They’re amazing and totally live up to the hype.”
Ingredient notes
Aquafaba. The liquid from a can of chickpeas. After some trial and error, I discovered that you can get vegan brownies with a shiny, crinkle top by vigorously whipping aquafaba and sugar together for several minutes before adding it to your wet ingredients.
It’s an unconventional ingredient in a brownie recipe but it works amazingly well here. My fan favorite banana bread is another vegan baked good that uses aquafaba to great effect.
Substitute: We don’t recommend substituting this, as it’s a key ingredient in making these so special.
Cane sugar. I use a fair amount of cane sugar for the above reason and because it gives the brownies structure (often missing in crumbly vegan brownies).
If you’re worried about the brownies being too sweet, use a dark chocolate with a higher cocoa percentage. The natural bitter flavors will help balance the sweetness from the sugar.
Vegan butter. In our testing, vegan brownies made with just oil turned out oily and bland in flavor. Brownies benefit greatly from a rich, buttery taste, and vegan butter works great. We have had great results with Earth Balance buttery sticks.
Substitute: Some folks have asked if they can use margarine. We haven’t tested this, but keep in mind:
(1) If you’re strictly vegan, margarine in the U.S. often contains trace amounts of dairy.
(2) Vegan butter brands are usually formulated to mimic dairy in baking in a way that margarine isn’t. So if you have access to a product marketed as vegan butter, use that.
Dark chocolate. I like to buy a 65% to 75% dark chocolate bar and roughly chop it. The chocolate is melted with vegan butter to create a beautifully smooth chocolate sauce.
Tip: Don’t use semisweet chocolate, or the brownies will be too sweet.
Dutch process cocoa powder. You will get better results with Dutch processed cocoa powder vs. natural cocoa powder. The brownies have a purer, more intense chocolate flavor with a smoother taste.
Substitute: If you can’t find Dutch cocoa, natural cocoa powder still works. PS: For European folks, Dutch cocoa is just the standard cocoa available!
Espresso powder. Espresso + chocolate are a dream team. It deepens and intensifies the chocolate flavor without making the brownies taste like coffee.
Substitute: If you don’t have instant espresso powder, you can substitute with instant coffee powder (use slightly more, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 teaspoons).
Step-by-step instructions
Sift the dry ingredients. Sift the flour and cocoa powder together in a medium bowl to prevent lumps.
Mix the aquafaba and sugar. Add the aquafaba and sugar to a bowl. Use a handheld or standing mixer to beat the two together. You’ll know it’s done when the mixture looks thick, glossy, and has wavy ribbons.
Now you can fold the vanilla, salt, and espresso powder into the aquafaba mixture.
Melt the chocolate. Place a heatproof bowl on top of a saucepan filled with a few inches of water. Place the chopped chocolate and vegan butter in the bowl and heat the water until it’s at a rapid simmer. Stir until the chocolate has melted.
Or, melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave on high power in 30-second intervals, stirring after each round.
Fold the melted chocolate mixture into the aquafaba mixture until well combined.
Finish the batter. Gently stir the dry mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined and no dry flour remains. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Note: The batter will be quite thick, much more thick than a standard brownie batter.
Transfer the batter into your lined 8×8-inch (20×20 cm) baking pan and smooth out the surface with a spatula.
Bake. Bake the brownies for 34 to 37 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with some moist crumbs.
Tip: If it comes out with runny batter, the brownies aren’t done yet. If the toothpick comes out clean, the brownies have baked a bit too long. Tips on how to avoid this are in the FAQs section.
Let them cool before slicing (seriously though). Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes, or longer. Once they’re completely cool, slice and enjoy!
Tips for the best vegan brownies
Better quality chocolate = better tasting brownies.
Try to use the best quality chocolate you can find and afford: (1) for cocoa powder, Dutch process cocoa; (2) for the solid chocolate, use a chocolate you enjoy snacking on. 70% dark chocolate is a great place to start because it isn’t too bitter but will still produce decadent results.
Serious Eats has an entire list of amazing dark chocolate brands for you to peruse. Otherwise, stroll through the grocery store or artisan market to see what other options you can find (most good dark chocolate brands don’t contain milk, but always read the label!).Measure accurately.
I use a digital scale for all baking and highly recommend it for the most precise results (baking + precision are best friends).
Note: If you don’t have a digital scale, do not scoop the flour straight out of the bag or container. This always results in getting too much flour in your measuring cup, and too much flour = dry brownies.
Instead, use the spoon and level method. Spoon your flour out of the bag/jar into the measuring cup until almost full, then use a butter knife to level it off.
Overmixing = dry brownies.
Overmixing the dry and wet ingredients aerates the batter, resulting in dry or cakey brownies. Instead, fold everything together until they’re JUST combined and you no longer see dry streaks of flour.
Check your oven thermometer.
Home ovens can be all over the place when it comes to temperature, so if you have an oven thermometer, check that it’s accurate before baking.
Don’t slice the brownies too early.
They continue to cook after they come out of the oven, which is why it’s important to let them cool completely first. They’ll be a gooey mess if you slice into them too early.
Note: There are two ways to speed up the cooling process.
After resting in the pan for 20 minutes, (1) carefully transfer the pan to a large shallow pan filled with an inch or two of ice cold water; or (2) transfer the pan to the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best way to tell is to stick a toothpick in the center of the batch. If it comes out with some moist crumbs, the brownies are done. If the batter is liquidy or runny, they need ~5 more minutes.
Is the toothpick completely clean? Unfortunately, that means they’ve been baked too long and will likely taste dry. Brownies continue to bake as they cool, so to avoid this, err on the side of underbaking and check the brownies 5 minutes before you think they’ll be done.
Yes!
We tested these brownies with ¾ cup (82g) oat flour and ¾ cup (100g) all-purpose 1:1 gluten-free flour, and baked for 37 to 39 minutes with lovely results. The brownies have a bit less structure, but after they are refrigerated, the texture is great.
Many readers have also had success doing a straight 1:1 swap with King Arthur, Bob’s Red Mill, and Cup4Cup Ancient Grains gluten-free flour blends, but we haven’t tried this ourselves.
Baking the brownies with less sugar makes us nervous because they might lose their wonderful texture.
Instead, try adding chocolate with a higher percentage of cacao to help balance the sweetness.
Or, scale down by just 25% of the sugar. You can read more about reducing sugar in baking from Food52 experts here.
First, use a large knife (I use an 8-inch chef’s knife). Slice the brownies in one fell swoop instead of dragging the knife back and forth. The dragging method leads to more crumbs and uneven slices.
Also, you can try dipping your knife in hot water and drying it off with a kitchen towel before slicing. Repeat this process between every slice. I find that this method in conjunction with cooling the brownies on top of an ice cold sheet pan (see the Tips section) yields the cleanest slices.
First, try to slice only as many brownies as you need (or want). This is the best way to keep them as moist as possible. The leftover block of brownies can be stored in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days at room temperature of 8 to 10 days in the fridge.
If you don’t have a container big enough to fit the unsliced brownies, slice and and store the pieces in an airtight container.
Yes, they freeze very well. Keep the sliced brownies separated with pieces of parchment paper in an airtight container.
Freeze for up to 3 months. Let them defrost at room temperature when it’s time to eat.
More Classic Desserts Veganized
Watch! How to make the best vegan brownies!
How to make amazing vegan BROWNIES at home
If you love these best-ever Vegan Brownies as much as we do, please be sure to leave a rating and review below :) And as always, I love seeing your remakes on Instagram!
The Absolute Best Vegan Brownies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (120 mL) aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas, use unsalted chickpeas)*
- 1 ½ cups (290g) organic cane sugar or pure cane sugar
- 6 ounces (170g) 65-75% dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 8 tablespoons / 4 ounces (112g) vegan butter, cubed
- 1 ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- 7 tablespoons (42g) Dutch process cocoa powder**
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder***
- 3 ounces (85g) dark or bittersweet chocolate chips, or finely chopped dark chocolate
Instructions
- Line an 8×8-inch (20×20 cm) square metal baking pan with parchment paper and ensure there is some overhang on the sides (this will make it easy to lift the brownies out of the pan).****Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).
- Sift the flour and cocoa powder together in a medium bowl. Sifting ensures there are no flour or cocoa lumps in the batter.
- Add the aquafaba and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Use an electric handheld mixer or a stand mixer on high speed and beat the mixture for 2 ½ to 3 minutes until thickened, glossy, and wavy ribbons frequently appear in the bowl.
- Add in the vanilla, salt, and espresso powder, and fold with a silicone spatula until well combined (the espresso will continue dissolving into the mixture as it rests).
- Assemble a double boiler*****. Grab a heatproof bowl that can be nestled into a saucepan. Fill the saucepan up with a few inches of water – not so much that the bottom of the bowl would touch the water. Heat the water on the stove and keep at a rapid simmer.
- Add the chopped dark chocolate and cubed vegan butter to the bowl on top of the saucepan. Allow the chocolate mixture to melt, whisking occasionally until smooth and the chocolate is completely melted. Once the chocolate is completely melted, keep the bowl on the saucepan for an additional 30 to 60 seconds to further warm through.
- Pour the warm butter-chocolate mixture over the aquafaba-sugar mixture and fold together with the silicone spatula.
- Add the flour-cocoa mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined (stop mixing once the flour traces are gone). Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the lined pan and smooth out the surface with the spatula so the batter is in an even layer as possible (for even baking).
- Bake the brownies in the preheated oven for 34 to 37 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with some moist crumbs and/or a tiny bit of thick batter (the latter could be the melted chocolate chips). If the batter is liquidy or runny, though, the brownies need about 5 more minutes in the oven. To avoid overbaking and since every home oven varies, I err on the side of underbaking and check the brownies 5 minutes before I think they're going to be done. My oven usually takes between 34 and 37 minutes.
- Transfer the brownies to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Then carefully lift the brownies out of the pan using the parchment paper handles onto the wire rack. Allow to cool for a further 20 to 30 minutes before slicing. Slice the brownies and enjoy!
Notes
Hello, Nisha,
I just made your Vegan brownie and I will never go back to even Ghiradelli!
I had never used aquafava and am so impressed at it’s egg-like properties for baking. I didn’t have espresso powder so I put in 2 tablespoons of our strong morning coffee. Thanks for your inventiveness! Best to you!
hello… i don’t have vegan butter never buy it… what is the sub for this ?
Sooo good! The best brownies I’ve ever made:)
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Jkandola!
I have been vegan for almost thirty years and had given up on brownies. I thought a fudgy, chewy vegan brownie with a crinkly top was impossible, but these are amazing. Thank you so much for cracking the code and giving brownies back to vegans!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, SF! So happy to hear you’ve finally found a brownie recipe you love :)
I love these brownies, they are delicious! Eating them straight out of the fridge is amazing 😊Although, they seem a bit dry to me too (I baked them for 30 minutes), so next time I will not bake them for more than 25 minutes, I think. I also used a lot less sugar and that worked out great for me. Thank you so much, Nisha!
So glad you love the brownies, Marija! We hope they turn out perfectly moist next time!
I have been looking for a good vegan brownie recipe for a really long time – one that actually tastes like brownies, not like Chocolate cake – and this looked really promising!
However, I was quite disappointed when I tried them myself. I used the exact same ingredients, and measurd them carefully, but the Natter was quite firm, after baking the brownies the top wasn‘t as shiny and the brownies were crumbly.
The taste was good though, I will probably give them a second try.
Hi there Eva, so sorry the brownies didn’t turn out well for you! Over mixing the batter or cooking the brownies for too long could both lead to crumbly, dense brownies. We hope you get a better result next time you make them!
Oh my goshers! this is a GENIUS recipe!!!!! True to word, they are the ULTIMATE. Thank you rainbowplantlife for this awesome recipe!!!! Btw, your Dad is so awesome too! Loved watching the video prior to making the brownies. Xx
Aw, so happy to hear you loved the video and brownies! Cheers :)
Best brownies ever, vegan or otherwise. Easy to make & deliciously fudgy. These were a huge hit with my non-vegan work colleagues.
Emily, So glad to hear everyone loved this recipe!
I am an avid baker, and have had considerable success with veganizing most of my favorite treats in such a way that no one missed the eggs or dairy, but brownies were my sticking point. I have tested many brownie recipes over the years and found two or three that I really enjoyed and thought didn’t “taste vegan” in any way, but that my omnivorous spouse said were not quite the same as he remembered. As such, I am very skeptical of any new recipe I find that claims to be the best, but the superlative is well earned! This is the first and only recipe that they have consistently said is exactly right in terms of taste, texture, and appearance both times that I have made it. I just commented on another recipe of yours and have to say you have the most consistently delicious (but not difficult) recipes both savoury and sweet.
Thank you for the wonderful review, Brigid! :)
If you can only find low sodium or regular chickpeas (salt included) would you omit the salt from the recipe completely or just reduce it?
Hi Vicki, I would probably just reduce the amount of salt, I think you still want a little bit of salt to bring out the chocolate flavors.
Not sure what I did wrong, but they were crumbly and pretty dry. Also didn’t have the shiny top but flavor was good. The only thing I did differently was I used a little less sugar and used an 9×9 pan instead of 8×8. Since they were thinner I pulled them out 5 minutes earlier but still seemed overcooked.
My brownies turned out dry and crumbly, they really don’t stay together at all :(
Advice for where I may have gone wrong? I even weighed my ingredients :(.
Hi Hannah, could you have overmixed them or cooked them for too long? Sorry to hear that!
Absolutely amazing! No other words necessary :)
Awesome, Caitlin. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
I don’t have access to vegan butter, can I make it with coconut oil?
From Nisha: “I think so, but I might reduce it to 6 tablespoons because it might feel a bit oily and without the butter flavor. I would also suggest using refined coconut oil as unrefined coconut oil will make the brownies taste somewhat coconutty.”
Hi, made these brownies. They were amazing with that elusive (for eggless brownies) crinkle top and fudgy taste. Thanks for the receipe. Will try to experiment with some healthier flours like whole wheat,oats or millet flours now.
Hi Smitha, we’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!
Incredible! Have used this recipe 4 times now!
Thanks for sharing, Katie!
Made these for the only vegan coming to dinner. My husband and I tried them and couldn’t believe how delicious they were. Fabulous!
Awesome. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
I have one problem with these brownies. They are utterly and absolutely irresistible. Far and away THE BEST, vegan or not! Try sprinkling a few coffee beans on top before baking. They’ll become toasted and crispy, adding some additional umph. Thank you, Nisha Vora!
best brownie recipe I’ve ever made!! the vegan butter alternatives aren’t so good where I live so I used a mashed banana and about 2tbps of coconut oil and it worked perfectly. you can taste the banana a little but I guess you could swap it with apple puree too if you’re not a fan of that taste:) thank you for this decadent recipe! x
Awesome, Marie. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Oh my goodness! Step aside all other brownie recipes. You have met you match and lost! Positively delicious. Excellent instructions and easy to make.
Awesome, Bethann. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Absolute fudge bombs. I’ve made some vegan brownies in the past that turned out more cake-like, so the outcome of this recipe is a breath of fresh air. Great texture, and really delicious. Interested to try out different chocolate darkness to see how it changes the flavors. Definitely the best traditional chocolate brownies (vegan or otherwise) that I’ve made.
Awesome, John. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!