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
These are the most perfect brownies I’ve ever made, including some non-vegan versions I’ve made in my non-vegan days. Thank you Nisha, for your detailed notes; they are extremely helpful. I wish I could post a picture of the perfect, super crinkly and wonderfully shiny top. I followed the recipe precisely, and it turned out so well. I didn’t have unsalted chickpeas, so used the regular ones and omitted the salt mentioned in the recipe. Thank you again for constantly serving us with these incredible recipes.
Next time around, I would love to try this with oat flour, as I have a friend who’s allergic to gluten, coconut and rice. Do you think this would work at all?
Smrithi, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
Dying to try these also with a bit of tahini (say, 2-3 tbsp) – do you think it’s better to reduce some of the vegan butter/chocolate for that purpose, so it doesn’t come out too oily? Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Adi, we don’t think adding tahini would make the brownies turn out too oily, maybe just more rich! You can reduce the butter by a little if you’d like but we think the recipe would work with the addition of a small amount of tahini.
I’m trying to find out how much carbs there are in this recipe or per square ?
I did the recipe and you’re right ! The best brownies ever !
Hi there Alain, all the nutrition info for this recipe can be found at the bottom of the recipe card. The nutrition info is per serving, so multiply everything by 12 for the full batch.
Since your lemon lilac cake (up to now my favorite dessert in the world) this is the next discovery of true treasure! I wish I could upload photos because they look as luscious as they taste. Just as yours have the slightly crunchy, shiny top and moist insides, SO DO MINE! I have a kind of fear of baking (flour phobia?!?!) but your recipes come out as they should. THANK YOU and keep it up!
Yay, that’s lovely to hear Deborah! :) Thanks for trying the recipe!
I so want to try this recipe. I have failed to make decent brownies in the past and gave up! One quick question, I have a fan assisted oven so would it still be 176c or shall I turn it down? I don’t want to over bake the brownies.
I so wish someone from the support team would reply to my question. I use a convection oven (fan assisted oven) and want to check on the temp and cooking time I need to follow. I don’t want to burn or over cook the brownies. Thank you.
Hi there Gabby, we haven’t tried using a convection oven ourselves but we found this article online that may be of help to you!
Hi Gabby, we aren’t sure because we haven’t tried this ourselves. On this article online it says “Adjust the temperature by 25 degrees. Reduce the oven temperature of a standard recipe by 25 degrees if using a convection oven. If a recipe calls for baking at 350 degrees in a still oven, reduce the temperature to 325 if baking in a convection oven.” Hope that helped!
Since I didn’t have an 8×8 pan I increased the recipe by 50% to make a larger batch. They still turned out extremely well even though I personally prefer a slightly denser brownie! Super chocolatey and paired perfectly with some vegan vanilla ice cream.
Thanks for sharing, Kimberly!
I just tried it and it is so good! It’s so chocolaty, soft and decadent ;-)
Thank you Nisha for this great recipe!
Awesome, Manuela. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
have just tried this and they seem to have sunk in the middle – there is a ridge around the edge. any ideas?
Hi there Iona, it seems they may have been taken out of the oven too early. To avoid this in the future, if you notice them sinking, continue to cook them in the oven for at least a few more minutes.
Super yummy. Even my brother who is anti vegan and refuses to eat anything that’s vegan couldn’t keep his hands off of these. They were too yummy… I’m trying to save them for myself!
So glad to hear it, Natalya!
Hey! I made these a couple of days ago. This is probably the best vegan brownie recipe I’ve made. The crackly top and chewy texture are perfect. I’m trying to figure out what went wrong with my batch. They seem quite greasy. When I sliced into them after cooling and put one on my plate there was an oil slick on the plate under it and the mouthfeel was greasy too. Do you mind sharing what brand of vegan butter the recipe was developed with? I’m wondering if mine has a higher oil content or something. Or if you have any other ideas on what may have caused this please let me know. Under mixing? Let them cool for even longer? The brownies are almost perfect and I really want to fix the grease. Thanks so much.
Hi Shannon, there could be a few reasons this happened. If the mixture is overheated, this can cause the chocolate to split (the fat you see could be cocoa butter rather than regular butter). Another potential reason is the quality and/or age of the butter and chocolate you used.
And as for vegan butter, the most widely available vegan butter that works great in baking is Earth Balance buttery sticks (they also make a soy-free version). Country Crock Plant Butters also work great and are affordable. Miyoko’s vegan butter browns great and is so good spread on toast.
SO delicious – amazing they’re vegan! Baking is one trouble area for me since cutting out animal products. None of the egg substitutes I have tried have worked – until now! :) This is my second attempt at a Nisha baked good :) the first being the lilac lemon cake (also amazing!).
One quick note that on the first day I made these, they were weirdly greasy. Great taste but the texture wasn’t the most pleasant. The top was perfect but it was almost like they had separated into two phases underneath and the bottom was almost like rubbery and the middle really soft and oily. I had been careful to follow the recipe closely and so was bummed, thinking I probably need an oven thermometer. Anyway! The next day they were so perfect. 🤷♀️ Who knows but not complaining. Actually, making another batch now…
We’re happy the brownies turned out well on day two, despite the hiccup on day one! Thanks for leaving a comment, Elaine :)
Well, not sure what went wrong, but my brownies are waaaay too chocolatey. I went back to double check recipe. It says 7 tablespoons, not teaspoons, of chocolate. Is that maybe a misprint? Or did I go wrong with the expression? Not sure
Hi Melissa, this recipe is written to be quite chocolaty! The only thing we can recommend from here is that you maybe get a kitchen scale to measure out your ingredients? The 7 tablespoons of dutch process cocoa powder was not a misprint. We wish you luck!
I wish it had said ‘dissolvable’ espresso powder. I put espresso ground code in my mix.. Oops
Hi there!
I’ve just finished baking the brownie. Could you help me with the storage aspect?
Should I put it in a box and use its cover? Or just leave it in the open air?
Hi there Magdalena, there’s actually a whole section on storing these brownies in the blog post:
“To keep brownies as moist as possible, slice only the amount you’ll eat at the time of serving. Leave the rest of the brownies unsliced and store this block of brownies in an airtight container. This will minimize the brownies’ exposure to air, preserving moisture loss.
If you don’t have a container big enough to fit the unsliced brownies, slice and and store pieces in an airtight container.
Brownies, stored in airtight containers, will stay good at room temperature for 3-4 days, but you can keep them longer (for 8-10 days) in the fridge. When refrigerated, the fudginess of the brownies intensifies (not a bad thing).”
Enjoy!
I tried this recipe without the espresso powder and I used low sodium aquafaba as well, and it came out really good. This was my first time trying a vegan dessert, so thank you for the amazing recipe! Will use again!
Thanks for sharing, Selena! You’re so welcome for the recipe :)
Hi! Do you reckon I can use brewed espresso instead of the powder? Thank you!
Flavorwise, it would be totally fine, but since there’s no real source of liquid in this recipe, it might add too much liquid. If you want, I’d add just a shot. Enjoy!
They came out delicious but the tops of mine look more “pebbly” than shiny/crinkly. If I plate them upside down they look better. Thought about frosting them but they’re for a picnic tomorrow and it’s going to be a very warm day.
Any idea what I did wrong? The only thing did I did differently was use aquafava from low sodium chickpeas because I couldn’t find salt free. I omitted the added salt.
Hi Michele, we are sorry to hear that! How’s the texture on the inside? Could the brownies potentially be over or under-baked? Do you use an oven thermometer? Please let us know, we’d love to help troubleshoot! We also found a link to a helpful blog post regarding brownie-making mistakes here.
Inside texture and taste was perfect. The top didn’t seem smooth even when I was spreading in pan. Maybe I didn’t mix correctly.
However – everyone loved them. Not a single crumb left.
Very interesting, we wish you have better luck next time Michele! Relieved to learn everyone loved the brownies nonetheless :)
What brand/type of vegan butter should be used in this recipe? Earth balance? Salted/unsalted? I’ve been wanting to try a brownie recipe with butter instead of oil, but there’s so much variance in the options on the market.
Hi Kiarra, regular earth balance will do! We also really love Miyoko’s butter.
I love how you’ve left nothing to doubt and you’ve explained the whys as well as the hows.
We are so glad you appreciate the in-depth blog post, Susi!
I’ve made this several times, great succes each time!! I wonder if they would work with gluten free flour (the fine meal intended for cakes)?
Great, Maria! If you are not allergic to gluten, our advice is to use all-purpose flour for the best results. If you are allergic, we’re happy to report that at least a few readers have tried these with all-purpose gluten-free flour (such as Bob’s Red Mill) with good results.