This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
The richest, fudgiest vegan brownies ever. The BEST vegan brownies are decadent and moist with deep chocolate flavor and soul-satisfying chocolate fudginess.
Fudgy, Moist and Decadent: the BEST Vegan Brownies Have it All
Today’s recipe for the BEST vegan brownies are the only brownie recipe you’ll ever need. These brownies are decadent, fudgy and moist, with gooey chocolate chips and all the chocolate flavor you need to satisfy those sweet tooth cravings. The best part? They’re vegan and don’t at all taste like it. Ready to make the best vegan brownies? Let’s do it!
How to Make Vegan Brownies
But really, what’s the best and tastiest way to learn how to make vegan brownies? The easy way. My motto is to always keep things simple and easy, so that’s how we’re gonna make the best vegan brownies. Don’t worry, we won’t miss out on an indulgent fudgy factor or mouthwatering moistness. It’s all here folks!
Preheat, Line & Flax it Up
The two things I do before I start any recipe is preheat the oven and make my flax eggs. Head on over to your oven and preheat it to 325°F. Then, line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or greased foil. Lastly, mix up your flax eggs. This way, it’ll have set for when you’re ready to whisk it into the brownie batter. Set aside.
Hint 💡 Learn how to make flax eggs.
Whisk
Grab a medium bowl and add in the almond butter, brown sugar, maple syrup and coconut oil. You’ll want to whisk these ingredients together until you get a sticky mixture, like caramel.
Add
Begin adding cocoa powder in ¼ cup increments, giving your whisk the time to slowly incorporate the cocoa powder. Continue until it’s shiny and smooth. Add in the flax eggs, vanilla, and salt. Whisk a few times to combine.
Fold
Add the flour. Using a rubber spatula, stir and fold in the flour until no flour patches remain. The batter will be super thick, which is why we’re not using a whisk here. Fold in vegan chocolate chips.
Pour
Pour your vegan brownie batter into the prepped pan. Smooth brownie batter into an even layer.
Bake, Cool, Slice and Enjoy
Bake brownies for about 30 minutes. Cool, slice and enjoy the very best vegan brownies ever!
Ingredient Substitutions for the Best Vegan Brownies
Isn’t it the best when you have everything you need for a recipe on hand? And totally the worst when you don’t? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! Here are a list of the ingredients needed to make the best vegan brownies, along with the best ingredient substitutions.
- Almond Butter: feel free to substitute this ingredient with your favorite nut butter. I like using peanut butter or even cashew butter. I know some readers have used sunflower seed butter with success, too. 🙂 Just make sure to use an unsalted, natural nut or seed butter to keep the recipe as close to the original as possible. And, bear in mind that the flavor of the nut butter you use will come through in the brownies (except for almond butter, which is neutral).
- Dark Brown Sugar or Coconut Sugar: either sugar will work, but what if you don’t have either? You can try using organic cane sugar instead. But truly, one of these will work best.
- Pure Maple Syrup: some readers have tried using brown rice syrup with success. I haven’t tried it myself, so proceed with caution if you do. 😉
- Coconut Oil: melted vegan butter will probably work just fine. Some readers have also used avocado oil and canola oil. If you use either of those, or something else, let me know how it works out!
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: you can absolutely use raw cacao powder here. I’ve made this brownie recipe tons of times with raw cacao powder and it works just the same.
- Flax Eggs: easily sub the flax eggs in these vegan brownies with chia eggs or egg replacer.
- Almond Extract: I love the complex flavor that almond extract adds to the best vegan brownies, but you can use pure vanilla extract.
- Salt: if you don’t want salt at all, you can leave this one out. If you like it with a bit more salt, you can try ¼ teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon of salt. I fear that ½ teaspoon total will be too much. Or, you can sprinkle sea salt on top of the brownies before serving.
- White Whole Wheat Flour: feel free to use oat flour in place of this ingredient, as the texture will be pretty much the same. Here’s how to make oat flour.
Hot or Cold: How Shall I Enjoy My Vegan Brownies?
Hot (well, Warm)
A popular option—enjoying your brownie practically fresh from the oven. You can also warm up your brownies by popping them into the microwave for about 10-seconds. This warm vegan brownie will be soft, with gooey chocolate chips and rich texture.
Cold
My sister loves putting any and all desserts into the freezer. Reason being that colder treats can sometimes be yummier. If you want to place your brownies in the freezer, then you’ll be gently nibbling on a very firm brownie while the heat from you mouth melts the treat. If you want to put your brownies into the fridge, you’re looking at a firmer vegan brownie, with almost a cosmic brownie consistency–think firm and dense, but soft enough to sink your teeth into.
The Very Best Vegan Brownie Recipes
- Vegan Gluten Free Brownies (GF, Dairy Free)
- Paleo Vegan Brownies Recipe
- Vegan Banana Brownies Recipe
- No Bake Vegan Brownies
- Fudgy Vegan Brownies – 6 Ways
Tools You Need
How Do You Like ‘Em?
How’d you like the best vegan brownies ever? Just know, it means the world to me when you take the time to comment, rate the recipe and let me know what you think. Your positive feedback is what keeps me going (and helps me to get better). ‘Til our next vegan adventure…
Sending you all my love and maybe even a dove, xo Demeter ❤️
🍫 📸 🍫
📸 Did you make this vegan brownies recipe? Take a pic and share it on Instagram with the hashtag #beamingbaker & tag @beamingbaker. I’d love to see it! 📸
Best Vegan Brownies Recipe – Easy ‘n Moist!
Equipment
Ingredients
Best Vegan Brownies
- ¼ cup natural, unsalted creamy almond butter or other nut butter
- ½ cup organic dark brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
- 2 flax eggs, 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed + 6 tablespoons water whisked together, set for 15 mins
- 1 teaspoon pure almond extract or pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour or oat flour
Add-in
- ½ cup vegan chocolate chips
Click here for Gluten Free Vegan Brownies.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or greased foil. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together almond butter, brown sugar, maple syrup and melted coconut oil. Whisk until it resembles caramel.
- Add cocoa powder in ¼ cup increments, whisking until shiny and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add in flax eggs, extract, and salt. Stir just a few times to gently incorporate.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold in flour until you get the consistency of soft dough or very thick batter, and no flour patches remain.
- Fold in vegan chocolate chips. Pour batter into pan. Using a rubber spatula, smooth batter into an even layer.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes. Mine took 30 minutes. Cool for 1 hour, or until completely cool.* Slice into 9-16 brownies. Enjoy!
Delicious Vegan Brownie Recipes
- Paleo Vegan Brownies (Gluten Free) - brownies made with almond flour
Notes
© beamingbaker.com. All content and images are protected by copyright. Please do not use my images or recipe without my permission. Please do not republish this recipe, instead, include a link to this post for the recipe.
This post may contain affiliate links, which allow me to make a small commission for my referral, at no additional cost to you.
First things first, thank you for this recipe!
Im slowly going vegan and brownies are my favorite thing ever
Consistency and texture was PERFECT and this was my first attempt after years of not baking.
I only have one question.
I used unsweetened Cacao powder instead of unsweetened cocoa. They did come out more like dark chocolate which I love but my friends like the sweeter chocolate brownies. How can I sweeten them up and lessen the bitterness, like if I wanted them to be more like milk chocolate rather than dark chocolate. Would I add more maple syrup? More brown sugar? Or would using unsweetened cocoa instead of cacao powder do the trick?
Sorry for the confusing question ..
i have the same question!!!
I made these today for a friend who needed cheering up. I know she and her family love chocolate. Had to try one myself first to ‘test’ it as wasn’t sure re egg substitute (used ground chia seeds and was quite gluey) and cooking time – thought I over cooked them). Well they were just yummy! Very fudgy and intensely chocolatey. I only used 1/2 cup cocoa as mine is quite rich and some people commented it was too much.
Glad you enjoyed them, Suzanne! These are definitely super chocolatey and fudgy–I don’t play around with chocolate. Hehe. 😉
I did this recipe with unbleached all-purpose/AP flour, same amount as posted in this recipe, and it tasted superb, brownie results negligible from the other flours honestly. I was trying to figure out why, and I found this following article, which explains more in detail why so, in terms of the differences between all the flours: (scroll to bottom for the part about brownies) https://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2014/03/11/cookies-brownies-and-bars/
I made these last week for my book club. They were crazy good. Mixed with some caramel chunks, they have become a favorite in my home. Thanks for creating this!
So happy to hear you enjoyed these, PK. 🙂 Those caramel chunks must’ve made these beyond amazing!! Thanks for taking the time to let me know. 🙂
I made these today for a Superbowl treat… Chocolatey fudgy gooey deliciousness!! Thank you for this and I’m going to try some of your other recipes.
Hi AJ, your comment made me both smile and hungry! Haha. It was probably this: “Chocolatey fudgy gooey deliciousness” Lol. Thank you for letting me know how these turned out for you! Can’t wait to hear what you try next. 🙂
Oh yes, and for you Strange and High-ish Altitude bakers-
THIS right HERE- is THE recipe that you’ve been needing.
BRING THE BROWNIES BACK!! 😛
Hey fellow herbi-choco-fanatics!!
(I hope this isnt a repeat inquiry BUT) …. Brownies in Colorado have been known to be the death of many bakers… and I for one have stopped trying to make them all together. I dont know what it is about the specific combination in brownies- but they turn into….. a hard rock-like time-wasting disappointment.
SO….. i am trying this recipe just as it is…. i will let you know how it comes out, but I am already concerned because my batch started oozing extra bits of coconut oil into the edgy and pooled in its shimmering glimmer over the top before putting it in the oven with loads of vegan faith and wishful thinking….
Has anybody’s else’s batter looked anything like this going in??
“Of course, Cate, that’s EXACTLY what its supposed to look like, don’t worry!!” (would be the ideal response for this weary alternate- altitude plant-based baker…. :-X):-P
Hi Cate, how did the brownies turn out? 🙂
They actually tasted a little bitter… HOWEVER- i didnt realize i was out of maple syrup until the batch was already in the works…. so unfortunately, i used a mix of Light Agave, and Vegan Corn Syrup…. i also ran out of almond butter, and had to use 1/8 cup of Sun-Butter to even it out….
HOWEVER- sprinkling a little Himalayan sea salt over top, after they started to cool, TOTALLY completed the richness effect of it all.
and the entire pan has completed vanished except one. SO- ANOTHER ATTEMPT with ALL the correct ingredients is definitely not far away 🙂 This is a killer recipe, and i am positive that the taste differences are solely my own making…. Can’t wait for Ripe ol Batch #2!
Thanks!!
Oh, that sea salt on top sounds like just the perfect addition! 🙂 So happy that you enjoyed my recipe. I’m sure other readers in high altitudes will greatly appreciate your notes! Happy baking. xo
I found that using all natural almond butter, where the ONLY ingredient is almonds (no added oils, no extra salts or sugars, no extra processing), makes for a smooth batter than blends without any separation. Thanks for your feedback. I love using Sunbutter, too, but most brands and even those labels “natural” have added sugar and salt, which alter their ability to blend seamlessly with the batter.
Hi! These brownies look absolutely delicious!! I would love them with icecream on top!
What a yummy idea! Enjoy!
I made these brownies for the first time yesterday… while they are bursting with chocolate flavour, I found them quite dry, rather than moist. I followed the recipe as listed, let the brownies cool for an hour or so as the recipe suggests, then cut them into squares and covered them until ready to serve later in the day. Any ideas on why they may be dry?
Hi Judy, it could be a number of factors, so bear with me! 🙂 1) making substitutions can change the recipe, 2) was your almond butter well-mixed and very drippy/runny?, 3) when you scooped your cocoa powder and flour, did you spoon and level, being careful not to pack it in?, 4) did you fluff up your flour before scooping (just in case it settled and became finely packed over time), 5) oven temperature–has it been checked? Hope this helps!
Hi Demeter – thanks so much for the suggestions. I made a second batch of the brownies – this time using a new jar of almond butter, and made sure it was thoroughly mixed… that seems to be the answer as this batch came out super fudgy and incredibly delicious! YUM… I’ll definitely make these again and again and AGAIN.
Hi Judy, SO glad to hear it all worked out! Yes, that almond butter bit occurred to me just a little while ago. So glad I remembered to mention it! Thanks for reporting back the results. Happy baking! 🙂
These are GREAT! Thank you. I’ve tried making different kinds, but these are my favorite now!
What are the nutritional facts on these? Reason being is because I can’t stop eating them!!! Yum!
Hi Lindsay! It’s so wonderful to hear that you enjoyed my recipe! 🙂 Nutritional facts: I’m actually slowly, but surely, adding that across my site. Thanks for your patience. Happy Baking!