These rich and chocolaty vegan brownies are easy to make and perfect for satisfying your chocolate cravings!
Sometimes you just need a brownie! And while there are lots of ways to dress up a brownie (like with pumpkin or mint and almond butter), more often than not I find myself craving a simple, classic, chocolaty brownie.
When I was growing up we always had a box of brownie mix in the pantry to satisfy such cravings. Unfortunately, those mixes weren't vegan, and while I'm sure there are vegan brownie mixes out there, my neighborhood supermarket doesn't have them.
Tip: Even brownie mixes that may appear vegan by the ingredients lists might not be. Watch out for the sugar! In the United States most granulated sugar (unless it's organic) is processed using animal bones.
Fudgy Brownies vs. Cakey Brownies
Ever notice how boxed brownie mixes have directions for regular (i.e. fudgy) brownies as well as cake-like brownies? I never knew which one to pick. These vegan brownies are somewhere in between — you get the best of both worlds!
While they're intense and rich and chocolaty, they're not overly dense (as I find many fudgy brownies to be), and they're not so light as to be considered cake-like.
Do you prefer brownies that are definitively fudgy or cake-like? My suggestion would be to adjust the amount of baking power. Use a bit extra baking powder to get cake-like brownies, or leave it out completely for fudgier brownies.
How to Make Vegan Brownies
Melt your chocolate chips before getting started. I find the easiest way to do this is to microwave them in a bowl in 30 second increments, stirring a bit between each zap.
1. Grab an electric mixer. The first thing we're going to do is beat the sugars together with the vegan butter and vanilla. Do this for a full two minutes. This is going to introduce some air into the batter, so our brownies have a nice crumb to them. It also helps to achieve those beautiful shiny tops!
2. Next you'll stir in those melted chocolate chips. Mix them in completely, and then add some non-dairy milk (make sure it's at room temperature).
3. Once the mixture is relatively uniform you can add your dry ingredients. Start with the flour and sprinkle everything else on top: cocoa powder, cinnamon (totally optional but wonderful), salt, and a bit of baking powder.
4. Stir everything just until mixed. The batter will be very thick at this stage — almost like cookie dough.
5. Optional step: stir in some nuts. Walnuts and pecans are great in these brownies.
6. Transfer the mixture to a parchment paper-linked baking dish and bake the brownies until they just start to pull away from the edges of the pan.
A toothpick inserted into the center should come out almost (but not totally) clean. The brownies probably won't look done in the middle at this point. But don't worry! They'll continue to set after you take them out of the oven.
Let the brownies cool before slicing.
Vegan Brownie FAQ & Tips
- Remember to take your vegan butter out of the fridge a few hours in advance, so it has time to soften up. You can microwave it on defrost for a few seconds at a time if you forget, but this method isn't preferable, as the butter won't heat up evenly.
- Be careful not to overcook the brownies! This is really easy to do. Take them out of the oven as soon as they pull away from the pan, even if it's just a tiny bit.
- Can these brownies be made gluten-free? I'm honestly not sure! I haven't tested the recipe with gluten-free flours.
- Store any leftover brownies in a sealed plastic container or bag for up to 4 days at room temperature or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Alternative stir-in ideas: I'm a big fan of nuts in my brownies, but feel free to replace them with something else. Try some vegan chocolate chips or marshmallows, or swirl a few spoonfuls of peanut butter into the batter.
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The Best Vegan Brownies
These rich and chocolaty vegan brownies are easy to make and perfect for satisfying your chocolate cravings!
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup vegan butter, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup organic granulated sugar
- ½ cup organic brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6 ounces vegan chocolate chips, melted
- ½ cup unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk, at room temperature
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F.
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Oil a 9 x 9 inch baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
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Place the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla into a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to whip the ingredients together for 2 full minutes.
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Stir in the melted chocolate chips by hand, followed by the milk.
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Add the flour to the bowl, then sprinkle the cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon (if using) and salt on top of the flour. Stir everything together just until fully mixed. The batter will be very thick — almost like cookie dough.
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Fold in the nuts, if using.
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Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking pan.
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Place the pan into the oven and bake just until edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.
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Remove the pan from the oven and transfer it to a cooling rack. The brownies will continue to set as they cool.
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Slice into 9 squares and serve.
I made these about 30 seconds after opening the email. They are very good! Very rich! Excellent brownie taste. I added pecans. My batter didn’t end up as thick as pictured. Maybe too much liquid? Vegan butter get too warm/too liquid? Next time I’ll go for a more fudgy texture.it appears to be a pretty forgiving recipe.
I'm impressed. It was quite delicious! The first part (vegan butter, sugar and melted chips)makes a great ganache for a vegan cake. This recipe is a keeper!