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! These brownies plus my Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies are pretty much the only classic American dessert recipes you’ll ever need (:
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!
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!
Introducing
Big Vegan Flavor
Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.
The Absolute Best Vegan Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- 7 tablespoons (42g) Dutch process cocoa powder (see Note 2)
- 1/2 cup (120 mL) aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas, see Note 1)
- 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
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder (see Note 3)
- 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 (175°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 to 3 minutes until thickened, glossy, and wavy ribbons frequently appear in the bowl (see the YouTube video at 04:27 for the desired texture).
- 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 (see Note 4). Grab a heatproof bowl that can be nestled into a saucepan. Fill the saucepan up with a few inches of water—but 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.
- Melt the chocolate and butter. Add the chopped dark chocolate and cubed vegan butter to the bowl on top of the saucepan. Melt gradually, turning down the heat if the water starts to boil, whisking occasionally until smooth and the chocolate is completely melted. Once the chocolate is completely melted, turn off the heat but 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 with the spatula. Pour the batter into the lined baking 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 for 34 to 37 minutes (if your oven runs hot, start checking at ~30 minutes). Test for doneness: Insert a toothpick in the middle of the brownies—it should come out with some moist crumbs and/or a tiny bit of thick batter (the latter could be the melted chocolate chips). However, if the batter on the toothpick is liquidy or runny, the brownies need a few more minutes in the oven. TIP: 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.
- Transfer the brownies to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Then carefully lift out of the pan using the parchment paper handles onto the wire rack. Cool for a further 20 to 30 minutes before slicing. Slice the brownies and enjoy!NOTE: The brownies will set up even more as they rest longer. If you accidentally underbaked them, you can refrigerate them and they'll firm up.
Video
Notes
- I’ve made these with cans of unsalted chickpeas and salted chickpeas, and they both come out great.
- I included the measurements in grams for the Dutch process cocoa powder brand I used (Valhrona), but the exact weights may vary slightly across brands.
- If you don’t have espresso powder, you can substitute with instant coffee powder (use slightly more, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 tsp). I like using this espresso powder or this espresso powder (also available at Target, Whole Foods, and Walmart).
- Don’t want to assemble a doubler boiler? Melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave on high powder in 30-second intervals, stirring after each round to prevent burning.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this? Leave a rating below!
Totally ridiculous how good these are, never going to even try another recipe, these are perfect!
Awesome! Thank you for the awesome comment, Tessa!
This is amazing. So amazing that I am leaving my first ever recipe comment. Great recipe, especially the detailed instructions. Thank you.
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Hanner! You’re very welcome 🙂
I made these Brownies and they came out great. You couldn’t tell the difference to not-vegan brownies and everyone loved them. Although i made some other bakes, too, the brownies were gone first.
I highly recommend to substitute the chocolate chips with 100g of chopped walnuts.
Thanks for sharing, Aline! Happy to hear the brownies were well-loved!
Oh my gosh! The best brownies I’ve ever made, and that includes from before my vegan days. Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Sarah!
These brownies turned out just as described, chewy and with a shiny crinkly top! Defintely the best vegan brownies I’ve ever made.
Awesome, Cate. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Made this recipe with gluten free flour and it worked great! I’ve tried two other vegan brownie recipe and they both came out way too oily and mushy in the middle and very chewy on the sides. This recipe came out so much better! I added 1 tbs of cornstarch bc of the flour I was using and they have the perfect brownie texture that I was looking for.
Awesome, Brook. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
I am so excited to eat these! I just finished the beautiful batter. I tasted it and the flavor and texture is a good indication that the finished brownies will be amazing! You are a genius!😉. Thank you for sharing.
Awesome, Marlene. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
These brownies are AMAZING! My husband is allergic to eggs and I’ve made him vegan brownies in the past–which were tasteless and totally the wrong texture. These have a deep, rich, nuanced chocolate flavor (even using regular cocoa powder) and they are so rich and gooey. THE BEST!!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Laura!
These are absolutely the best vegan brownies in the universe. Seriously. That’s coming from someone who has tested 16 other recipes. If I had to use one word to describe them it would be orgasmic. Totally worth the effort.
Aw, thank you for the wonderful words Anya! We are so glad you think the recipe is awesome!
Is it okay to use salted aquafaba?
Hi V, yes that should be okay. You may want to cut down the amount of salt added to the recipe if so. Enjoy!
Amazing! The best brownies I’ve ever had. Can’t believe that I made them. Super accessible recipe. Question, can you do 1.5 ounces walnuts + 1.5 ounces chocolate chips? Do only walnuts and no chips? Does adding nuts change anything?
Hi Shaili, no you should be good to add nuts without having to change any of the steps in the recipe 🙂 So great you love the brownies! 🙂
True my 5+
Thanks, Eva!
It’s just as stated: absolutely The Best !
Endless thanks for detailed and thouroughly worked out recipe! My sincerest appreciation to the Author❤️
Thanks for your wonderful words, Eva 🙂
Looks so yummy! Please advise good brand for vegan butter
Thanks, Vandana! 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.
This look succulent, I will definitely test it. Quick question : by how much can I reduce the sugar without it impacting the texture of the brownies ?
Hi there Esther, we haven’t tested this ourselves, but we know some readers have used about half of the sugar and have reported good results.
These are the best vegan brownies, I’ve tried about 15 recipes and these are the best by far! I followed the recipe exactly and they came out perfect, chewy/fudgy and the best crinkle top as well! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Awesome, Lin. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
This recipe is the bomb. Seriously. Delightfully easy to make and love the shiny crackly top and fudgy, chewy texture. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Awesome, Bre. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
I have made these brownies three times over the past two months. Always great! Fudgy, rich and satisfying. I usually serve it with oatly vegan vanilla ice-cream and raspberries.
Thanks Nisha for your work and amazing recipes.
Best brownies I’ve ever had. Made them exactly as written, using Guittard brand Dutch cocoa powder, baking chocolate and semisweet chocolate chips. Next time I might reduce the sugar very slightly because they’re like 10% too sweet for me, but otherwise these were absolute perfection.
So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
absolutely the BEST brownies I’ve ever tasted or made, they were a dream! so rich and fudgy. I made them for christmas and everybody adored them, thank you for all your hard work and for sharing the recipe!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Luc!