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
Hi! I love this recipe. I randomly bought a silicone brownie bite pan. Assuming I keep the same recipe, how do you recommend adjusting the cooking temp/time?
Thanks.
Hi Amisha, depending on how large the brownie bites are, you may need to cut down the cooking time drastically. We suggest checking at 10 minutes because that likely will be enough or close to enough time for them to cook!
Can I use applesauce instead of aquafaba?
What dark chocolate did you use?
From Nisha: “Hi there Lisa, it really depends (sometimes, I pick what’s on sale!). For chocolate chips, you can try the Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips by Gerbs, Guittard dark chocolate baking chips or wafers, or the Whole Foods 365 dark chocolate chunks. For bars, I like Theo and Endangered Species for taste and price point.”
Quick question, what temperature and how long would you bake these at if you only have a 9 x 9 tray?
Hi there Elizabeth, Just increase the oven temp to 375 degrees F and decrease the bake time to 26-28 minutes. Enjoy!
I made these brownies last night for my boyfriends family (two of them are vegan) and they were a huge HIT! They couldn’t believed the brownies were vegan. So delicious, moist, and they really do taste like a classic brownie. Will make again for sure!
Awesome, Tanya. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Truly the BEST brownie I’ve ever eaten! I totally recommend it to brownie enthusiasts looking for the right recipe (especially if you are searching for that harmony between taste and texture). This recipe finally demystified how to achieve a crust that is delicate but crunchy and a fudgy interior packed full of flavor. I loved the caramelly taste and all the complexity this recipe gives to this treat.
I used a bigger baking pan so I had to bake it for a shorter time but it worked out perfectly. Then after slicing the brownies I packed the ones that weren’t devoured immediately in plastic wrapping and put them in a tin box to avoid them getting too dry. They kept well for 3 days but we ate them all before assessing how they would taste later on :)
The only thing I did differently in terms of ingredients is put pecan nuts which was a resounding success at home. I added some in the batter and a handful on top of the brownie.
For next time I would try the recipe with a bit less sugar (it was not overly sweet but we are not used to eating much sugar and I think it will still be very good) and I think I will have myself the perfect to-go brownie deliciousness recipe forever! I can’t wait to make these for non-vegan folks – there’s nothing more convincing to omnivores than mouth-watering plant-based food.
Thank you for the wonderful in-depth review, Nadine! We’re so happy you enjoy the brownies :)
These brownies are sooo good! I have made them twice now, and both times they turned out perfectly fudgy. No other brownie recipe has worked out for me, so I was very excited when this recipe worked. Thanks!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Rachael!
I made these at the weekend and not only were they the best vegan brownie’s I’ve had, they were the best brownies. Loved how dark they are, everyone had seconds (though they are very rich). Next time I would take the risk of less sugar, but that’s just because I like the slight bitterness of the dark chocolate. Really a triumph! Also, you know how you’re not meant to make a new recipe for the first time when you’re having people over? I break that rule with Nisha’s recipes all the time, because they’re so reliably great.
That’s so great to hear, Melinda! :) 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!
I’ve used this recipe a number of times and my family love them. Thank you.
Awesome, Mark. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
The taste for these brownies were great. But I found the brownie was already too painfully sweet even though I had cut down my sugar to 170gm. Couldn’t imagine it with the full amount. Mine baked up with no problems at the temperature and time suggested — in fact would’ve probably stopped at 34min for a more gooey center. Also added about 4 tsp of tahini on top and swirled it around.
Sorry to hear the brownies were sweet for you, Fei. Glad you liked them otherwise!
I was really excited to try this recipe and finally make a good vegan brownie, as I’ve been struggling with oily/split batter in the past. I multiplied all the measuments x2,5 (except the salt) for a bigger pan and weighed out all the ingredients. The baking process went really well, the batter finally didn’t split for once (!) and the shiny crackly top was on point, even though my batter seemed quite a lot thicker than in the video.
Unfortunately after cooling and slicing it turned out that the brownies were once again really oily and there was a lot of grease at the bottom of the pan. I used Lindt 70% dark chocolate and Naturli Vegan Block as butter and melted them over a double boiler, not sure what I could have done wrong…
Any advice? I’m slowly becoming desperate :(
After all it still tasted good, but I’m sure this recipe could turn out much better.
Greetings from Germany
Hi there Johannes, we are so sorry to hear you had that issue! Could it potentially be due to the quality of the butter or chocolate and/or the age? Did you make sure to weigh the butter exactly? We want to help, sorry for getting back to you so late!
Seems like I’ve also been late with my answer, sorry for that, sort of gave up hope, but I appreciate your reply!
Naturli butter is one of the best vegan butter alternatives available in Germany (imo), made from shea/coconut oil/rapeseed oil, so I doubt that’s the problem. Lindt chocolate also isn’t cheap at all, but I still think the problem could be the cocoa butter separating during the baking process, as the grease solidified into white bits after some time in the freezer…I haven’t tried any brownie recipe since, but I’m still not sure how to solve the problem. I’ve had trouble with split chocolate/batter in the past, maybe try a different pan or oven? With other recipes the chocolate already split during the melting process, but with your recipe everything seemed fine until baking.
Hi Johannes, as a fellow German I can see you picked up top notch ingredients. I’ve made this recipe 3 times with varying results but always irresistibly tasty. I had the best results with meggle’s vegan butter. I haven’t tried it with Naturli because it’s not easy to get by where I am. However I looked at Naturli’s ingredients and was wondering if the water in this butter may have reacted with the chocolate. It’s possible to ruin melted chocolate when it gets mixed with even a small amount of water. Also I don’t know how the almond butter in Naturli would react. I managed to create a batch of greasy brownies following this recipe too and I believe it happened because I left the chocolate and butter heat up on the double boiler for too long. Just want to say, don’t give up. This recipe is amazing but it will always create the chewy type of brownies that I personally love but not everyone does.
Thanks so much for your comment, I’ll try Meggle next time then! I was quite frustrated and also didn’t have the time, but now I’m hooked again ^^ What brand of chocolate do you recommend? I’ve had mixed results both with cheap and “expensive” (like Lindt) chocolate so I’m not really sure if it’s worth the extra money…
I juste done it and damn. This was good and really decadent !
I didn t had chocolat chips, I had no more chocolate in my house ahaha ! Thanks for this recipe and your energy !
Awesome, Romane. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
I have to confess, I HATE chocolate… But my partner asked me if I could cook her some Brownies. I tried your recipe and OMG, it really is “The Absolute Best Vegan Brownies”. Your recipe is very well explained. (Your blog and your Youtube channel help me learn English). And the result was visually perfect. My girlfriend LOVED it. And even if I don’t like chocolate at all, I wanted to taste it and I must admit that it’s really good. Thank you again!
Thank you so much for the wonderful review, Célia! :) So good to hear the brownies were a hit!
This is SUCH a great recipe! I just about fell on the floor when I tried the batter. UNIMAGINABLY good!! But I think something went wrong, because it came out weird. I had it in the oven for almost 40 minutes at 350, until the toothpicks came out mostly clean. I let it cool for half an hour, then tried to cut it. The edges are a bit overcooked, but the inside is still batter. It also seems like it has too much fat, even though I used the amount of vegan butter listed in the recipe. There are little holes in the top, and there’s fat collected in there. There’s grease coming off of it when I cut into it. It tastes delicious, and I’m eating it kinda like a bread pudding, but I would love to figure out why it’s coming out this way! Do you have any suggestions? I live at 5,000 feet above sea level, if that helps. I know it can mess with recipes sometimes, but I’m never sure how to adjust it. Thank you so much!!!
So happy to hear you’re a fan of the brownies, Sarah! That’s an interesting problem you have there, from some online sleuthing we think it could potentially be due to the quality of the butter and chocolate used? Good quality/not old might make a difference! Also, make sure to use the right quantity of butter as stated in the recipe. Sorry for the late response, we hope you’ve figured it out by now!
I made these today for the first time and they turned out fantastic. The chewy texture was spot-on, and they were wonderfully decadent and chocolatey.
The only slight issue I ran into was that it took about 10 minutes longer than the recommended baking time for the brownies to set and a toothpick to come out without liquid batter. Probably just a sign that I need to buy an oven thermometer to avoid running into future baking problems, and the brownies still turned out perfectly in the end. 10/10 recipe!
So happy you loved the brownies, Alec! And we hope you have better luck with the brownies next time!
Hello! May I substitute vegan butter for coconut oil?
I made these and they were absolutely amazing! It’s the best vegan brownie recipe I’ve ever tried, they turned out super rich and decadent and the texture was even better the next day. I used less sugar (200g instead of 290g) because I like my brownies a little less sweet and the recipe still worked perfectly. I’m already planning on making them again :)
Awesome, Lilia. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
It did not bake, even after an hour in the oven. The top was nice and crunchy and already chewy, but everything was liquid underneath. I don’t know what happened, I followed the recipe exactly. It tasted soo good though. Any ideas on what I can do with the leftovers? I don’t want to throw it away but I don’t know if eating it with a spoon is such a good idea 😂
Hi Kornelia, sorry to hear that! Do you use an oven thermometer by any chance? It sounds like the oven may be running hotter than it says it is, thus burning the outside and not cooking the brownies all the way through. Also, you could definitely still eat this by the spoon since it’s vegan! You could also try scooping out some of the liquid middle, adding it to a mug and microwaving for a minute or so to make a mug cake! We hope you have better luck with the recipe next time around :)
I didn’t use an oven thermometer but I bake a lot and I know my oven well, I never had an issue. Welp, must’ve been a glitch in the matrix. I didn’t get an email that you’ve replied so I improvised – we put it in the fridge, it set a bit overnight and then we ate it 😂 I’ll definitely try it again, the taste is amazing!
Hi Kornelia, did you checkmark the box “Notify me of followup comments via e-mail?” Sorry to hear that! Maybe next time you can try covering the brownies with foil if they seem to have the same issue again? Wish you the best of luck!
I love the smell and licking th spoon but mine did not bake. The butter was also separated and in th bottom of the pan 🫤. Not sur what I did wrong.
Hi Teresa, it sounds like the chocolate may have been overheated which caused the chocolate to split. So the fat seeping out is actually cocoa butter rather than regular butter. Hopefully you have better luck next time!
Hello, Nisha,
I just made your Vegan brownie and I will never go back to even Ghiradelli!
I had never used aquafaba 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!
Awesome, Judy. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!