By now you’ve probably guessed I’m a chocolate fiend. Something in my lady DNA craves it EVERY SINGLE DAY. Gotta have it. Sometimes that craving can be satisfied with a single square of dark chocolate, a bite of chocolate ice cream, or a healthified black bean brownie. BUT, some days I need a seriously decadent brownie to do the trick.
These are those brownies.
These brownies are seriously decadent and only take about 30 minutes from start to finish. The ingredients are basic, too:
dairy-free butter
sugar
flax eggs
cocoa powder
baking powder
vanilla
sea salt
flour
Thas it. Badda bing, badda boom. No black beans lurking here, promise (although it totally works, right!?)
The result is a brownie with that quintessential brownie crust on the top and sides and a soft and chocolatey chewy center.
I couldn’t stop at just one, I think I cleaned off half the batch in one day. Oops! But, I did manage to save the other half for a seriously decadent treat that I’ll share soon. Stay tuned!
Simple Vegan Brownies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup non-dairy butter (such as Earth Balance // 1 stick = 1/2 cup)
- 3/4 cup natural cane or granulated sugar
- 2 batches flax eggs (2 Tbsp (14 g) flaxseed meal + 5 Tbsp (75 ml) water as original recipe is written)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup dutch-process cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup Optional Add-Ins: walnuts, hazelnuts or chocolate chips
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and spray 7-8 standard-sized muffin tins with cooking spray (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Alternatively, fit each with a paper liner.
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Prepare flax eggs in a small bowl and let rest for 5 minutes.
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Place butter in a large mixing bowl and melt in the microwave. Then stir in the flax egg, sugar, vanilla, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. Whisk to combine. Lastly, add the flour, then fold in any mix-ins - chocolate chips or walnuts would be excellent here.
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Scoop batter evenly into 7-8 muffin tins (as original recipe is written) until 3/4 full and bake on the middle rack for 22-26 minutes, or until the brownies start to pull away from the sides and they spring back slightly to the touch. Be careful not to overcook or they will get crumbly. Remove from oven and let rest in the tin for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely on a plate or cooling rack.
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Store in an airtight container to keep fresh for a couple days. Freeze for long-term storage.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Nutrition Per Serving (1 of 8 brownies)
- Calories: 237
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated fat: 3.5g
- Sodium: 161mg
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2.5g
- Sugar: 18g
- Protein: 2.7g
Mine didn’t set up in the oven? What did I do wrong?
Hmm, strange! Did you let them cool? Did you make any changes?
There is something missing in this recipe…. like a liquid. It was so dry it just crumbled. I’ve been a vegan for years now and I know how to bake and theses were inedible. Did you leave something off the recipe?
Hi Chris, sorry to hear these didn’t work out for you. Any chance you left out an ingredient? The water from the flax egg and the non-dairy butter should make these perfectly moist.
I followed the recipe to a T and they were SO dry
Remade them adding more butter and a splash of oil and they were perfect
So good and super easy to make! I didn’t have any vanilla extract so I subbed with the same amount of maple syrup and it was delicious! Perfect Wednesday night pick me up :)
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Michelle. We are so glad you enjoyed these! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
These are mine and my husband’s favorite brownies to make. We always add in chocolate chips and bake them all together in one pan instead of individually. So yummy.
How long do you usually bake for?? Because I am also doing one Pyrex.
I made these with 6 tbsp of aquafaba from a can of low sodium chickpeas and they turned out great! The chocolate flavor is very rich and they aren’t too sweet either.
Oh great! Thanks for sharing!
Is this instead of flaxseed/the water or in addition please?
This will be my go-to recipe for brownies…. rich, decadent and a delight to share with family and friends! I used an 8X8 pan and they turned out PERFECTLY!
Unbelievable!! So fudgy! Made them and ate with non dairy ice cream.
Absolutely delicious and my non-vegan boyfriends favorite type of brownies and he’s a basically a brownie connoisseur.
Wow! These are amazing – so much flavour, nice brownie texture and soooo easy to make. I highly recommend these. I did the version with 1/4 cup of chocolate chips and 1/4 walnuts.
I love all your recipes – thank you so much for writing these easy to use and delicious recipes. We make the Banana Bread waffles almost every week!
Couple of swaps:
1. Coconut Oil (melted) instead of the vegan butter because it’s what I had. I loved the coconut flavour it added – worked really well.
2. I used the mini muffin tin instead of the full size and baked them for approx 8 mins.
Yay! Thanks for sharing!
These are the exact two swaps I was going to try today, thanks for the tips!
I made these today to satisfy a need for chocolate on a Monday night :). I used coconut oil, for lightness, and real eggs (I haven’t had luck making flaxseed eggs and I was not going to risk it!). They came out really good!!! Just what I needed.
Can I use coconut oil instead of vegan butter?
Yes! See comments above for tips.
I used 1/2 cup of oil (avocado) instead as well, and the brownies came out a bit oily. So on the second try I used 1/4 cup oil + 1/4 cup plant milk and it worked well!
Dana,
Thank you so much for all that you do. I have made many of your recipies and they all turn out wonderfully (this specific one I switched the Earth balance with coconut oil – solid).
Anyway. Wanted to share with you that this service made my transition to veganism much easier than I believe it would have been otherwise. I appreciate the passion that shines through every creation you have shared with us all.
Also, thank you so much for keeping this service free. It is so appreciated and does not go unnoticed! May your life be filled with an ever deepening awareness of the love that exists in every particle of creation (especially those particles existing in the edible creations you share with us!) Much love! 🙏💚🙏
Oh heck yes! I am a newbie vegan (9 days old) and was craving something Chocolate. I have never made brownies before, but I’ve eaten lots, and this one ranks with the best of them! I baked the recipe exactly as listed, baked for 24 min. Muffin tins = the smartest idea ever for portioned brownie bites.
This recipe was a home run and I’m pretty sure I’ll be making it weekly in the future!
Yay! We’re glad you enjoyed them, Carolin! You’ve come to the right place for delicious plant-based recipes ;)
I substituted 1/2 c flour for 2 scopes orgain chocolate protein powder and added a little almond milk to loosen the batter. Still great. I love all your recipes and have your book. Keep up the great work.
I’ve searched for years for a good vegan brownie recipe and finally found a truly legitimate, tastes like the ‘bad’ brownies recipe! These are delicious! I made the first batch with regular cocoa powder and added chocolate chips and walnuts. I used an 8×8 glass baking dish instead of of muffin tin and baked it 25 minutes. I think it could have used, maybe, 5 more minutes. I made another batch a couple of days later and used the super duper dark Hershey’s cocoa powder and chocolate chunks and walnuts in the 8×8 pan and cooked it 30 minutes and feel that it was slightly overcooked. Also, for both batches, I would add little more sugar — but that may be me. I like them just a tad sweeter. Having said that, these brownies are to die for. AMAZING. I’m very grateful to the recipe creator because life without brownies sucks and that was the life I was facing. I won’t compromise my vegan principles and this recipe allows me to stick to those while devouring delicious brownies. Win win!
These are awesome. I make them a lot.
My boyfriend makes icing for them sometimes. He’s made peanut butter icing and a caramel icing for them as well. It’s awesome. We use your recipes a lot. Thank you!
Just because of what I have on hand, I use regular cocoa and and brown sugar, plus I put the batter into a bread loaf pan. These are the BEST brownies I have ever had the pleasure of making, I could just eat the batter straight. So much so that I only cook it to the point of somewhere 1/3 close to being done. Thanks for this recipe!!
Oh, and instead of using flax eggs I used Bob’s Red Mill vegan egg replacer ^.^
I tried these brownies with coconut sugar and it was awesome. Everyone loved it. Thanks for the recipe.
Mmmm!!! Yes!! These were incredibly easy to make for that late-evening chocolate craving! I mixed in cacao nibs, chopped walnuts, coconut flakes, and swirled in a little bit of tahini on top of a few and wow…just perfect! Thank you for this quick, delicious and adaptable recipe! I will definitely make these again and already have shared the recipe :)
Incredibly easy and delicious. My boys asked me to use almond extract instead of vanilla, which was a fun change. As promised by the blog title, these are minimalist and require everyday ingredients. Ours came out perfectly baked with a soft, (prepare for the unfortunate word) moist center. Delish!
Made these brownies! They were great, but I did make a few changes. I added about a 1/2 cup of Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips melted (because I like chocolate) and used a vegan egg substitute that I found in Germany. This was my first time using a store bought vegan egg substitute, but it was a natural and organic product that uses Johannisbrotkernmehl (yes, this is one word in German), flax seeds, and sunflower seeds. Also added some chopped vegan chocolate into the batter. Turned out amazing!
Thanks for sharing your recipe changes, Jennifer!
I looooooove that your recipe section allows to to change the number of people the recipe is for!!!!
We are so glad to hear that!
These brownies are fabulous! I have never tied a recipe from you that I didn’t love. Thank you so much for all your vegan help. Sometimes I use coconut oil instead of vegan butter and they have a slightly different but wonderful taste. I have also used half the vegan butter and half applesauce for those watching fat content .
Delicious! Just got done making these. :)
My batter was a little too thick as some other commenters have mentioned, so I added about a 1/2 C of Almond Milk and a dab of oil. Also used chia eggs instead of flax eggs.
Cooked for just under the 22 minute mark and they came out superduper moist and chocolatey!
Loved them! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing your modifications, Fae!
Made these tonight and I had to stop myself for finishing them all! Followed the instructions and added chopped hazelnuts to the tops before baking. I used liners and divided the batter into 8 muffin tin cups. The best vegan brownies I’ve either made or purchased since going vegan a year ago. Thanks Dana for another winner!!
Woot woot! We are so glad to hear that, Charleen!
These brownies are so unbelievably moist! I added a broken up 1/2 of a vegan chocolate bar and some walnuts in the batter and then baked it in a 9×9 cake tin. Boy oh boy, the recipe came out tasting like lava cake!
Yay! We are so glad you loved these, Cassidy!
These are the BEST vegan brownies… actually wait THE BEST vegan dessert ever! I make it at least once a week and all my friends (vegan or not) LOVE them. Thanks for this recipe!
So kind!
Perfect recipe. I added coconut flakes every time I made these and sometimes added raw cacao nibs for an extra crunch. I have experimented with coconut oil and found it to yield moister brownies than making it with vegan butter. Next time, I am making this with the Miyoko’s vegan butter instead of earth balance, as some friends do not like coconut.
Yay! We’re glad to hear it, Christina!
These were by far the BEST brownies I’ve EVER had!! They were easy to make, very moist and absolutely delicious. Permanently apart of my recipe box now.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Shon!
These are super simple to make. I have made them three times in the last three weeks. Haha! I love the idea to put them in a muffin tin so they are a little crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. These will be my forever go to brownies. Thank you!!
Yay! Glad to hear it, Catherine!
I made these last night and they were perfect! I added crushed walnut and baked for 20 minutes. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Woot woot! Thanks for sharing, Sylvia!
Has anyone made these leaving out the dairy free butter? Or replacing it?
I wouldn’t recommend leaving it out entirely but you could try coconut oil in place of it!
Made these today in preparation for my son’s birthday. They are awesome! Sooooo tasty, chewy and chocolatey. I actually might finish this batch myself and make some more!!
Woot woot! Glad to hear it, Janice! :D
I made alot of modifications to this, and it turned out very well! Very moist, dense and just like healthy versions of the store bought kind. Below are my substitutions (all equal parts unless stated otherwise):
Apple sauce sub for vegan butter
Chia eggs sub for flax eggs
Raw cacao powder sub for cocoa powder
Organic spelt flour sub for all purpose flour
Stevia (only 1/2 cup) sub for sugar
I also added about 1/4 cup of coconut milk to wetten it up a bit, as it was a tad dry while I was mixing it.
Very happy with the outcome! Especially because I’ve had that apple sauce in my fridge forever and was dying to use it up. ?
We’re glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing you recipe changes with us, Kelly!
hi dana,
do you think this recipe would be ok if i use a chia egg in replace of a flax egg?
or would you recommend sticking to the flax egg?
i look forward to trying these!
Hi Molly! That should work!
HI! I am a college student and I keep trying to make vegan brownies but always fail. But these turned out amaaazing!! I used a vegan egg instead of a flax egg and put in a tablespoon of almond milk to my batter! They are perfect even my non vegan brother loved them ! Thank you :)
These are amazing! Some people are saying they didn’t turn out, but they certainly do for me. They are my (non-vegan) husband’s favorite.
The recipe is right on and very simple. Adding chocolate chips is what makes these gooey and delicious (I only add a few to each brownie or it’ll get too gooey!).
Of course you need to keep an eye on them in the oven if this is your first time making this (as with any baking) and if yours are turning out too dry or dense, it may be the way you’re measuring your ingredients.
Anyway, thank you for the recipe! I have tried a few vegan brownie recipes and this is the best!
Chocolate chips are a great addition! Glad you and your husband love them, Elaine!
Its difficult to find brownie recipes that have easy ingredients.
These brownies are delicious, its something between a chocolate cake and an Oreo.
Baked them many times now and they are always a success.
So happy with this recipe! Easy to make and they baked in about 23 min for me. I added about a tablespoons worth of extra water since it looked a little stiff and folded in vegan chocolate chunk chips. Soft and chewy. Good treat for Valentine’s Day!
These brownies are delicious and super easy! I have yet to meet a minimalist baker dessert recipe that I don’t LOVE. Thanks for sharing!
These are so good! I am doing the microbiome cleanse right now so I sub-ed coconut oil for the butter(equal to the recipe), Monkfruit sugar for the sugar (equal to the recipe) and coconut flour for the four (use a bit less about 1/4 of a cup). The second time I made them I added a bit of coconut milk and a small dollop of sugar-free coconut yogurt. Totally keto and super good, even my smoker, doesn’t believe in yoga boyfriend liked them!
I love your recipes, every time i want inspiration i look at your recipes and tailor them to fit my own liking. i love that they are all vegan and i hope to see more inspiration from you in the future. is there a specific brand of vegan marshmallows that would be good to use in these brownies?
Hi! We don’t recommend any particular brand, and any should work!
These brownies were amazing! Thank you for making the recipe so easy! I’m new at being vegan, and was facing my first dinner party. Dessert was terrifying, because most of my go-to recipes were heavy on eggs. I substituted the vegan butter for a half cup of blood orange olive oil. Served them with an orange based sauce. Delicious! My carnivorous guests and vegan skeptic husband loved them. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
I followed recipe exactly. Became like dough. Had to add 1/4 unsweetened almond milk. Then I was able to add 1/4 chops almonds and a 1/4 100% cacao chips.
Isn’t there something missing in this recipe? Why did mine turn into dough?
Delicious! I made these with maple syrup and they turned out perfectly. I was impressed with how fudgy these were. A new favorite!
These were outstanding. I got a chocolate yen, but it is freezing out and I used all our eggs for breakfast. Oddly enough, I had a bag of flax in the frig. I used my coffee mill to grind them (should have made them more powdery in retrospect and added a bit more water). I cooked the brownies in tins with liners for 13 minutes, let cool 5 minutes as directed, and BOOM. Amazing, chewy, dense in the middle, crisp around the top edges, chocolate heaven. The flax added a great nutty flavor and the chewyness. What a great idea! I added a bit more sugar, a little hemp oil and chunks of a bittersweet bar I had in my pantry and wanted to use up. I have never been on this blog before and I see this post is a few years old, but I was so impressed with this recipe I had to give a shout out to the Minimalist Baker for a spot on recipe. I screenshot it. Thanks for sharing it, we’ll be using it even when we do have eggs in the house.
These look amazing! Would they still work in a regular brownie baking dish??
Hi Marlie! We haven’t tried it in a dish, but if you do, let me know how it goes!
These are so good! I added some chopped walnuts and vegan chocolate chips and they were amazing!
Hello,
I’m looking for the original recipe or another brownie recipe which included almond butter/peanut butter. I made it last year but now I can’t find it. although this recipe seems similar, from reading the reviews I’m not confident this will be quite what I’m looking for. could you please assist me?
I’ve made these a few times and I’m certain I do something wrong each time – my batter never looks as nice and liquidy as yours does in the image above, instead it forms an oily doughy blob that I kind of mold into a pan. Doesn’t matter – they cook well enough and taste great. Today I was too lazy to microwave my butter (yeah, you read that right…. too lazy to microwave…) so I just used an apple sauce and vegetable oil mixture to make up the volume and my batter wasn’t an oily blob – still didn’t look as perfect as yours, but that’s okay. Here’s my kicker though – I wanted to add something in today, I usually don’t, so I didn’t have any of the typical add-ins – I went exploring and ended up adding some frozen raspberries and I’m in heaven. I’d forgotten how much I love raspberries and chocolate and your brownie recipe is the perfect fudgy compliment to those raspberries. Yuuummm! :-D
I think I am going to be risky and use this as inspiration to use my frozen blueberries that have been sitting in my freezer since summer. I hope they turn out as good as yours with the raspberries!
Using 1/2 sheet pan to make bulk for event. Can I simply multiply amounts
times 4 ?
Yes, that should work Linda!
Incredible. I’ve made between 10 and 15 of your Recipies by now and everything has been incredible. Even the dishes my non vegan parents have tried have received rave reviws. Thank you so much for sharing your culinary knowledge! <3 #ediblegifting
Tried the recipes and while the flavour was really good, the batter was just very thick and the brownies are very crumbly. I followed all the steps and ingredients, so I don’t know what happened.
I just made a double batch and they turned out lovely. My mix was quite thick and dry so I added a half cup of water- I had only regular cocoa, so this may have been the issue. Beautiful soft crumb and crisp outside. Lacks the strong hit I assume you get from Dutch – pressed cocoa but chocolatey enough to hit the spot. I will definitely chuck in some chocolate chips next time and might try replacing some of the sugar with muscavado sugar or adding some coffee. Thanks for the recipe!
I love the recipe…it was quick, easy and good. I really appreciate the share.
Wowza! I am new to vegan baking and these were freaking fantastic! My family cannot get enough of them! So much for my healthy vegan choices! Hahahaha but we all deserve a little treat every now and then. This one is a keeper! Thanks!
Simple recipe with fabulous results! I used coconut oil for the fat content, cut the sugar back to 1/2 cup, and used spelt flour…. with delicious outcome. Great aroma, texture and favour. Thank you for sharing!
I made these but subbed the sugar for coconut sugar and flax seed eggs for 2 small mashed bananas (I didn’t have flax seed) I also just baked it in a brownie tray. My daughters thought it was delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
My daughter (5) just said ‘They are soooooo good I want to keep it in my mouth forever’ haha I think this recipe is a keeper ☺️
Best.Brownies.Ever. My fiancé has been vegan for over 10 years and I finally jumped on board. I was craving brownies and didn’t feel like going out to gather ingredients that were hard to find and I stumbled upon this recipe. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about 7 ingredients are less thinking there wasn’t going to be much flavor in here. Man was I wrong… I’ve been craving Nutella and realized there was room to add nuts into the recipe and then I thought about adding more chocolate flavoring as some mixes add fudge to the recipe. I melted down 1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips I already had and added 1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts and these came out AMAZING! I was weary of cooking them for the full time as I like my brownies fudge and dense. I cooked them for 20 min and then toothpick checked then and added the 2 min and perfecto! These are delish. Def making a batch for my work and seeing what they think. Job well done! You’re killing it girl! Keep up the great work and let the recipes flow! ???????
Just made this! Perfect, taste just like butter/eggfull brownies. Super easy to make and super delicious. Thank you for an amazing recipe, Dana
Btw, I used Miyoko’s vegan butter
These were AMAZING!! Thank you so much!! Perfect for my chocolate cravings ??
I made these last night. Somewhere along the way I made a booboo (maybe the vegan margarine I used… maybe the fact that I don’t sift and measure, or maybe because my chia eggs were too thick) and they were quite dense and my batter seemed quite oily and didn’t look as lovely (and perfect) as yours did in the photo. They tasted great though and I added some chocolate mint frosting to them later. Taste is what it’s all about though, right?? :-)
I just made these and the batter looked nothing like in the picture – it wasn’t even really batter, more like thick paste that I had to take out of the bowl with my hand and press into the bottom of each muffin tin. It wasn’t liquid at all. I followed the recipe exactly – any ideas?
Hi Becky! I’m sorry to hear that! Did you change the recipe at all?
How would I change the baking time for a mini muffin pan?
Hi Jodi! I’d cut the baking time in half and start watching them at that point! If the brownies start to pull away from the sides and they spring back slightly to the touch, they’re ready!
Do you know if this would work if I subbed oil for the vegan butter? Would it alter the texture or the taste very much?
Whoops, just realized this has already been asked. Never mind!
I’m not a baker. I can’t be trusted with measurements. I’ve also had middling success with flax seed, so I used NeatEgg instead and baked these in mini cupcake tins for 12.5 mins. Awesome, awesome, awesome – just perfect, especially if you like crusty-edged brownies. Trust.
Do you think subsituting applesauce for the flax eggs will work?
I subbed coconut oil for the earth balance, and a quarter cup of applesauce for the flax eggs. These turned out moist and delicious!
I substituted kirkland coconut oil for the earth balance butter, and added the chopped walnut option. Enjoying with a coffee. Satisfied :)
Excellent recipe! Loved these easy vegan brownies. I subbed some applesauce for part of the butter and added a teaspoon of instant coffee granules to the wet ingredients. I baked them in a mini-muffin tin and got 24 cute little muffins in about 15 minutes baking time. Thanks so much!
Could I use vegetable oil in place of the vegan butter?
Hi Nina! While we haven’t tried it, someone else had success with it in another comment above! If you try it, report back on how it goes!
I tried making these with applesauce instead of vegan butter and egg replacer instead of the flax eggs. DO NOT TRY IT. The brownies turned out very dry and flavourless. Not the fault of the recipe, just don’t use these replacements!
Hi! I’m desperate to make these right now haha but only have 1/4 cup Earth Balance. Do you think it would our ok with the subbing the rest of the required butter for coconut oil?
Thanks
Hi Emilie! I think that will work, yes!
have you (or do you know anyone who has) tried making a gluten free version of these? My daughter wants brownies for her birthday, and one of her friends has several food allergies that we would like to accommodate. That means gluten free and probably a different egg substitute. Thanks
Hi Joy! Check the other comments as others have had success in making this recipe GF! Good luck! :D
So, I am incredibly late to the party but just tried these and they are beyond excellent! Made them for friends coming over tomorrow but fear I may have to make an extra batch… I modified the recipe slightly in that I added about 6tbsp coarsely ground coffee to the (vegan) butter to let it infuse, which I strained out after it was melted and instead of vanilla I added rum extract. The flavour is beyond intense and luscious.
Been cooking, or baking mostly, several things from your site for a while now. You’ve become an absolutely go-to for marvellous vegan baking. Thnx so much for your excellent recipes, great writing and stunning photography!
First time I baked a vegan brownie successfully after turning vegan for a year! This recipe was great, the flax seed was totally undetectable. However my first and second batch(more fudgey) turned out quite different because of the amount of water i used in the flax egg. I think the flax egg is the cause of a lot of batter texture issues i’ve read here. You can adjust the overall batter texture by adding soy milk or water. I baked it for 10 minutes because my oven is really weird and the heat goes out of control. But it turned out well! I added macadamia nuts and everyone loved them. Can’t even tell they are vegan!
LOVE these brownies. Very easy and I always have the ingredients on hand. I do, however, use dark chocolate cocoa instead. They are SO decadent!
I had heard good things about The Minimalist Baker from a friend a few months ago, so when I saw this recipe online while trying to fix a chocolate craving, I decided to start here. So glad I did! This site is definitely becoming my go-to for vegan baking.
Made this once, found myself looking up this recipe to make again! Definitely a keeper along with many others you publish, thank you!
These were delicious! I subbed almond flour to make it GF ( I used about 1 1/4 cup. I just kept adding until the batter looked right.), used vegan chocolate chips, and added 1/4 tsp. cinnamon powder. They tasted heavenly!! I will definitely make these again.
So… My boyfriend is gf and doesn’t eat cane/brown sugar so I made some replacements (gf flour blend and coconut sugar). I was not a fan. Not saying this isn’t a great recipe, just saying it doesn’t work well with substitutions. I’ll have to try it again with the original ingredients and see how it goes!
I absolutely love these brownies!! Can I make them in a regular brownie pan though instead of a muffin tin?
Hi! You sure can! They make take a little longer though! Other people left comments saying that they had success with an 8×8″ pan for 30 minutes. Good luck!
Hi!! I love your blog and the fact that you prove vegan food is AMAZING!!!!! Could I sub egg replacer instead of the flax eggs? Thanks!!
These were ahhhhmazing!! Was craving something chocolate-y, and these were beyond perfect. Baking them in the muffin tin was something I’d never done with brownies before. They came out crispy on the outside with chewy, decadence inside. Baked for 20 mins since my oven is fussy. Thank you for this recipe that is sure to become a staple! :)
OH MY GOODNESS! These are AMAZING! I can’t ever recall being impressed with a vegan brownie. This makes me rethink everything. I followed the recipe exactly except to add soy milk to the batter to make it more liquid-y (the consistency of cake batter), as it was a bit dry when mixed. I added vegan chocolate chips. They could be sold.
Is there any reason you chose to make them muffins vs. one big brownie?
I followed the directions to the letter; the batter was dry; added 2 tbs of oil and water to mix it more ; ended up with rocks. the batter from the beginning would not become wet. Again I measured everything and followed the recipe. had to throw the whole batch out.
Hello, I was wondering if I can make it as a sheet brownie (like a sheet cake) so that I can cut them in squares and use is as like a birthday cake type of thing?
Hi! That should work! Use this as a guide.
While I have little to know interest in eating vegan, I know your recipes are not going to disappoint. Whilst rocking my baby to sleep tonight I said to myself “I need to make brownies” and searched your website. I’ve already made your black bean brownies (Ah-mazing, obviously), my food processor is out of commission (hopefully everyone heard of the Cuisinart recall…) so I wanted a simpler option of yours. Thankfully you have plenty of brownie options! I made these in less than 30 minutes, in one bowl, substituting your non-butter with European butter, 1 real egg instead of 2 flax eggs and almond extract instead of vanilla. As expected, your recipe turned out as delicious and easy as I had hoped. YUM! These are hitting the spot tonight, I’ll definitely be making these again :) Thank you! – Charlie
No* not know. How embarrassing :P
this recipe turned out great! i loved it. my only issue was that the batter was a bit doughy, so i added a tiny bit of water and it was perfect. thanks!
Hi Dana, how are you?
May I sub the flour for oat flour or rice flour? And may I sub butter for canola oil or regular butter?
Thanks for sharing those recipes.
Warm greetings from Brazil.
I just made these tonight and added vegan white chocolate chips. Amazing! This will be my go to brownie recipe from now on. Thank you!
I’d like to make these in mini muffin pans for my son’s school Christmas party. Would the earth balance spread work in place of the sticks? I know they have more water content so do you think that would change the outcome? Thanks in advance!
That should work!
This looks amazingly! I was wondering: do you think I can manage to make it spreading the batter in just one layer in the pan (like regular square brownies) instead of using muffin tins?
Thank you!!
That should work! Use this as a guide.
Just made these. Love the flavor but they were on the “floury” side and not gooey. Any tips for the future?
Hmm, add lots of chocolate chips and slightly underbake!
Simple? What in heck is non dairy butter? What in heck are flax eggs? I was looking for a recipe to make for a vegan friend of mine, but finding these ingredients complicate things.
If you research into it, you’ll find that these ingredients are ridiculously simple! Non-dairy butter is pretty self-explanatory, it can usually be found a natural foods store and most grocery stores. Flax eggs are made of one tablespoon of flax meal mixed with three tablespoons water (let sit for atleast 5 minutes). Don’t let the unknown scare you!
Ive made this recipe before with great results, but this time they collapsed in the middle and I can’t seem to figure out why. I did add a little bit of peppermint extract and I doubled the recipe, but I can’t quite figure out where it went wrong. Any idea?
Hmm, not sure! Did you double the baking powder, too?
I figured it out. :) I tried to redo it again today, and while I was assembling my ingredients, I realized I used baking soda instead of baking powder. The containers from Trader Joes look similar and I wasn’t reading so closely.
Today they turned out perfectly! I regret that I only made a regular batch instead of a double. Thanks. :)
These were sooo yummy! This batch made 7 and I’m trying to restrain myself from eating them all at once. The only change I made was subbing coconut oil for butter. It gives it that yummy coconutty flavor. These were a little crisp on the edges and moist and chewy in the middle. Thanks for satisfying my chocolate craving!
Oh my! I bought your cookbook, and was looking for a recipe, but didn’t see a brownie recipe in it (the cookbook is awesome, by the way!). But, I have been craving a good brownie for about 2 weeks. This recipe is amazing! If you didn’t know, you would never guess there are no eggs or butter in it! I did use Nutive shortening (Red palm and coconut oil) as my butter substitute. It is also ingenious to use a cupcake pan so you get that crispy outside. I LOVE this recipe and will use it AND recommend it over and over!
Ummm these are AMAZING. So decadent, so few ingredients. Love!
Was have a major chocolate craving a few nights ago and all of these ingredients were around – THANKFULLY! I opted to make them in a mini muffin pan with walnuts. The batter is enough for roughly 18 mini brownies!
I’m partial to apple sauce as my egg substitute. Would you recommend 1/4 cup to replace the two flax eggs? I read somewhere it’s about that per large egg so not sure if it’s equal to that in flax egg. That is, 8; you think that can be done. Thanks!
I haven’t tested it that way, but yes that should work!
Is it possible to use coconut sugar instead of granulated?
It’s worth a shot!
I made the recipe with apple sauce instead of vegan butter (I avoid processed food), dash of coffee and gluten free flour and it turned out really well! 10 mins to prep, 25 mins to bake and the brownies went straight from the pan, to our plates!
Hello! My brownies turn out nice and soft. But after leaving them in an airtight container overnight it became hard as a brick. Any advice?
Oh no, it’s hard to stay why that happened! Perhaps you could warm them in a toaster oven before eating to soften them up? And maybe next time wrap them in plastic wrap in addition to storing them in an airtight container?
Okay, so I read pretty much every comment from 2013 and 2014 and was soooo stressed about making these because there were so many mixed reviews :( My sister is vegan and we have tries unsuccessfully to make good vegan brownies before this and I was getting desperate.
I made this recipe today and we both loved the brownies! However, I would like to include a few thoughts/notes for any future comment readers out there who stumble upon this recipe and get stressed about the mixed reviews as I did :) My comment is a little long but hopefully helpful.
1. The mixture will be thick: I have NO idea how your batter came out so thin as in the recipe pictures Dana because mine was really thick :/ The recipe pictures remind me of boxed brownies, which I love, no shame here, and so I was a little surprised/worried when mine came out thick like many commenters above say. HOWEVER, I have a non-vegan brownie recipe I adore and make to rave reviews from everyone and they come out thick like this recipe. Like you kind of have to smooth it into the dish thick. And they’re perfect, chewy, slightly crumbly, decadent brownies. So I would say don’t panic, don’t add soymilk or extra liquid. Just stick to the recipe and have faith.
2. The cocoa matters here: The only dutch processed cocoa powder at the supermarket I can find is Hershey’s Special Dark which is a very very dark, almost black like Oreo cookies powder and is pretty bitter. It’s very yummy and perfectly cocoa-y but it’s dark. So I think the next time I make these brownies, which I definitely will, I will make the trip to Sprouts and get a lighter colored dutch cocoa powder OR add a bit more sugar to sweeten them up.
3. Accurately measure out the butter: I didn’t have sticks but I would say use that if you can so you can make sure you measure 1/2 cup out correctly. I had to scoop mine into a measuring cup since there weren’t any metric measurements so I could weigh the butter and I took my time packing and smoothing the butter into my measuring cup until I felt like I had 1/2 cup in there. I think if you guesstimate and undershoot the amount of butter, it could make the brownies dry.
4. I only cooked mine for 20 minutes which resulted in a crisp exterior and fudgy, soft interior.
5. Carefully, take them out of the pan while still warm if not using paper liners: I didn’t use liners and out of fear, took one brownie out right after removing the pan from the oven to see if they were successful. I was careful and it popped right out. Satisfied, I let the others stay in the pan. Rookie mistake – the bottoms stuck to the cups and so the tops came out leaving their bottom halves in the pan. Still tasty, didn’t stop my sister and I from eating them out of the pan, but not really presentable.
I know this was long but I hope this helps reassure other bakers as they try this recipe because it’s actually really tasty, has a great texture, and just needs a little loving tenderness to come out right :)
Diamond
Followed recipe exactly but they were too dry. Edible but dry.
My batter was very very thick and not runny at all! Not sure what I did wrong :(
Could I sub coconut oil instead of Earth Balance vegan butter? If so, how much?
I made these tonight, but for some reason my batter was very thick and didn’t look anything like yours! I even added a bit of coconut milk to soften the batter, but that didn’t work. Does anyone have any suggestions? What makes the batter look like that when there is only 5 tbsp of water (from the flax egg)?
Hi Dana,
Thank you so much for posting recipes that are clear, easy to follow and actually work! I’m a hopeless baker but the 4 baking recipes I’ve tried from your website so far have all worked first time round!
I have made these last night and they are amazing! I’m enjoying one right now with a cup of coffee. I used walnuts and it’s gorgeous! Thanks again :)
We have made these a few times and they are perfect. We substitute the flax eggs for 2 bananas, half the flour we substitute with almond meal, and we only add half the recommended sugar (banana is sweet enough). We add buckini mix and they are superb. Thank you for the recipe!
Used coconut oil instead of butter. This combined with silicone baking cups…voila…no sticking. Always add a dash of strong coffee and if you are brave a pinch of cayenne to any chocolate receipe.
Delicious!
I’ve made this recipe soooo many times! The best way IMO is using coconut oil as the fat and using chia seeds for the “eggs”. I also add mini chocolate chips.. These modifications I swear are amazing… me and my fam also think they are best cold! :)
I made these with peanut butter chips and put them in mini muffin papers/cups, so they’re basically bite-sized. They were an enormous hit at my son’s all-vegan grad party.
What about using dates/bananas as a sweetener, about to try it. What do you think?
These were awesome!! I’ve made them over a dozen times now and they’re just perfect!
Yes, these definitely needed more liquid. But, don’t add more oil. I gently added soy milk a little at a time until I got the consistency it should have (i.e. cake batter). (You could use any kind of milk, even apple juice.) It did the trick! They turned out great! Moist and chocolatey! I also used coconut oil to sub for the earth balance. Overall great recipe and a keeper. Thank you…
Hi I was wondering if the batter is meant to be super dry? I substituted Earth Balance with Canola oil. I ended up adding about 1/3 to 1/2 cup more oil :/ to try and give it more moisture. I ran out of a milk to add. Ended up being too oily but overall, it didn’t stick together. Thanks in advance — I love your simple recipes!
Arthi
I doubled the recipe, but the brownies came out as the same amount like the original recipe. If I doubled the recipe shouldn’t I have double the brownies and not the same amount. What did I do wrong?
Okay, I’ve followed this blog for awhile now and even before I was a vegan because I was trying to make the switch and my boyfriend is also gluten free. You’re my favorite food blog and I’ve made dozens of your recipes, I think this is my favorite.
I subbed the vegan butter (my boyfriend hates it for some reason) for canola oil and added the smallest splash of soy milk to make it just a little thinner for the batter. And I always add espresso powder to brownies and chocolate chips. Best brownies, I had 2 in the span of 5 minutes, I have some regrets but the flavor was worth it. Thank you!
So kind! Thanks Sam! xoxo
These were absolutely perfect!!! I substituted vegetable oil for butter, and baked them in a brownie pan and frosted it with pillsbury chocolate fudge icing (which is vegan) They were amazing, been vegan for a year and this is the first brownie recipe i have found that is just as good as the brownies i used to make. These are extremely moist and very chocolatey. Only thing is that they almost tasted like dark chocolate so i might use a tad bit less chocolate next time. But overall these are the best brownies I’ve ever had. I shared these at a get together and they were a hit with everyone!
I just made these with regular eggs and Bob’s 1 to 1 gluten free flour and they turned out perfect! Super easy to make and delicious. I baked them for 22 minutes.
Yay! Thanks for sharing!
hey, Can i use unsweetened cocoa powder instead of dutch cocoa powder??
That should work!
Not a hit. Crumbly. Thumbs down from my 9 yr old son. He couldn’t give it away at school. Flavor was OK, but definitely too cake-y for my taste. Will not make again.
These are AMAZING. I’m not vegan so I use real butter and flax eggs because I hate the taste of eggs in my baked goods. I found that baking them for 17 min is perfect.
I am making these today for my first Vegan Mother’s Day! I have to say that I didn’t use the Dutch process cocoa. I found some, but it was $13.00 and I wasn’t sure I wanted to spend that much. I may try it the next time I make these though. They were delicious! I did take another reviewers advice and add in 3 tablespoons of almond milk (I used the sweetened vanilla). It made it more of the brownie mix I’m used to. Next time I’m gonna to follow instructions to a T. We added in vegan chocolate chips to the top also. These are great! And would probably also be wonderful with some coconut milk ice cream!
THIS is what I was looking for! I used coconut oil instead of vegan butter and it turned out great! Also, I put some almond milk (about 1/3 cup) to moisten (without it it was just a ball of thick dough). Thanks for the recipe! I love it!
I make these often! I always end up with 12 brownies though. Not complaining!! They are absolutely delicious.
Wow! These are delightful! I am a brownie nut and these were absolutely grand -dense, chocolatey, and moist-not cake like which some folks mentioned there’s were! I did make a couple adjustments after reading the comments.
I used the “Ener G” Egg replacement instead of flax egg in light of other people’s comments that the dough/batter was dry. I find Flax sometimes absorbs liquid. My batter was pretty much the same consistency as non-vegan brownie batter. I also made them in an 8×8 pan. Finally I did what I do for all my brownies (per Ina Garten’s Outrageous Brownie recipe) after allowing them to cool to room temp, I refrigerate them before cutting until they are cold (overnight works!). This leaves them really dense and fudgey and firmer then if not refrigerated. I did add walnuts and vegan chocolate chips. The only thing I forgot this time which I will do next time is add some espresso powder. Definitely a 5 starer!
in my country neither do we get earth balance non dairy butter nor any non dairy butter in stores.
could i use coconut oil instead? if so then how much?
This recipe was AMAZING! So yummy and quick! Will definitely be adding this to my recipe book. Thanks!
I subbed 2 nanners instead of flax seeds we will see how this goes.
They came out great!
My younger brother and sister loved these!(who are not vegan) and my friend loved these! and she didn’t know they were vegan! she complained about how small they were and wanted more! These were a hit.
Came out cakey instead of chewy, even though I pulled them out early. *sigh*
Ah well… the search continues.
If you’re wanting chewier brownies, simply add less flour and baking powder!
Okay, thanks for the tip! I’ll give it another try.
Thanks for the recipe! Tried this last night as a guide to use the ingredients I had at home.
Replaced butter with mashed banana & coconut oil
Sugar with jaggary
All purpose flour with quinoa flour
Batter needed a bit of moisture so I splashed in some maple syrup & water in (didn’t have non dairy milk).
Also made it in a tin and cut it into squares when done. Needed around 28 mins to be ready.
Love the texture, firm and soft enough, but taste was a bit bitter (maybe it was the quinoa flour). I’d make it again with a bit more jaggary and maybe non dairy milk.
Any tips for the bitterness?
Just made the brownies. Wow. So good and easy to make. They turned out perfect. Thank you so much!
The first time I made these I was short on cocoa powder, so I substituted with 1/2 cup of melted chocolate and 1/4 cocoa powder. They came out amazing! Super moist with a nearly molten center and a crunchy top. I took them to a potluck and everyone raved about them. Definitely putting these into heavy rotation!
Just made these, they are delicious! They have more of a cake like texture instead of brownies. I made a few changes. I doubled the recipe. I used chia eggs instead of flax, I used regular unsweeten cocoa powder, brown sugar, half the amount of oil, also I used olive oil since I didn’t have coconut oil at hand. I had to add 1/4 cup of water to the final mixture since it the batter was very stiff. Also I used your DIY flour mix, for a gluten free version. Baked for 22 minutes.
I will definetly make them again! My two sons and husband loved them, so glad I had decided to doubled the recipe!
I substituted carob powder for the cocoa and added vegan carob chips. I also added a splash of non-dairy milk based on reviewers comments. Turning this recipe into carob brownies was a success. The chips made them rich and decadent. Thank you for sharing this easy and yummy recipe.
OMG. These turned out heavenly. I did make some adjustments though.
First off I made only half the recipe. I subbed the butter with coconut oil. I used raw cocoa powder. I used Bob’s gluten free baking flour. And I used a 1/4c brown sugar, 1tb maple syrup, 1tb honey. I also only needed to bake for 10 minutes.
They came out exactly how I believe a brownie should be. The sweetness was like a dark chocolate bar. I don’t care for the sugary flavor of a lot of brownies. The texture was the perfect combination of cakey and chewy. I do not care for fudgey brownies, and these were far from it. Overall a very far cry from the cheap tasting, over sugared brownies you would find in a store.
I was so love with these brownies my eyes lit up the moment I bit into one. Thank you so much for the recipe! This will definitely be my go to from now on!
I just made these and they turned out great! I didn’t need to add any extra liquid, either.
I used Ener-G egg replacer instead of flax. I added 1/2 tsp instant coffee granules to enhance the chocolate flavor, and I stirred in 1/3 cup crushed Oreos. I also baked it in an 8×8 pan instead of muffin tins.
Someone else said that they found this recipe to yield a cakey brownie, but I thought this was pretty chewy and dense, just the way I like it! And not too sweet. Yay!
I will make these again. Thanks!
My batter came out no where near the look of yours. I followed the recipe exactly, but it came out dry and dense, what could I have done to make the batter wetter without ruining the recipe?
Really yummy even after I over cooked them. 14 minutes for minis is 3 minutes too many. Now, when will you have a real cookbook for us to buy? You are just so awesome.
I made these last weekend. They are delicious! If you didn’t know it (and I won’t tell) you would never guess these are made with black beans. I froze them and get one out each day. 30 seconds in the microwave turns them into warm gooey yummyness. One recommended I would make is to mix toppings in with the batter. I had trouble getting the nuts to stay put. Thanks for a great recipe!
These brownies turned out great!! I added some unsweetened apple sauce as the batter became dry when I added the flour.
These are delicious with a lovely crumb. They make 24 mini muffins too – bake for 15 minutes.
Unfortunately I got confused by all the 3/4 1/4 and accidentally put 3/4 teaspoon of salt. But I can tell these are wonderful with the right measurements and will definitely do it again. I used raw walnuts. The texture is just perfect.
I love everything about this recipe! Thank you!
It is so helpful that it only makes 6 perfectly sized brownies- yet easily doubles if I am making for more people.
I kept the recipe the same and used one earth balance stick of butter- only change was I used one normal egg instead of the two flax eggs. My brownies turned out PERFECTLY and exactly like your photo. I even added some chocolate chips on top for good measure. They were even better the next day on top of it all!!
I will say that they were a bit greasy at the bottom- probably from the earth balance but nothing too bad.
Making them again today! Thank you so much!
Hi! The recipe looks delicious, but mine seemed dry. Could it be because I didn’t mix the flax eggs, butter, and sugar before adding the flour?
These are pretty darn delish. Except they were a tad to buttery so I’ll probably adjust to only use half a stick of butter or something. Thank you for this though.
can i sub non-dairy butter with coconut oil? and flax eggs with banana?
This looks so good!! Only can i use regular cocoa powder instead of dutch process? TIA
Yep!
Have you ever used chia egg in these brownies? I think I’m going to try it!
I used ground chia seeds instead of flax seeds with about 6 tablespoons of water and a combination of coconut oil and rice bran oil instead of vegan margarine. I also split the batter into 6 muffins and cooked them a few minutes longer. Both my vegan child and non-vegan child declared them to be delicious. I used a combination of Trader Joe’s cocoa powder and Valrhona cocoa powder. I don’t think either are Dutch process.
I didn’t have Dutch-process cocoa and made this with regular unsweetened cocoa. The flavor didn’t work for me for two or three reasons: the switch in cocoa, the taste of the Earth Balance Omega-3 Non-GMO butter I used and, perhaps, the canola oil spray I used to prep the muffin tin. Use the Dutch process if you can. Since I have so much unsweetened cocoa to use up, I’m going to try the recipe with a little extra cocoa and sugar. I’ll substitute baking soda for the baking powder, which I’ve read is a better acidic balance with regular cocoa. I’ll use applesauce, coconut oil or mashed banana in place of the vegan butter. I’m a big fan of Earth Balance Olive Oil Spread, but the kind I used for this recipe left an unpleasant aftertaste. The texture of these brownies is PERFECT — great mouth feel and they don’t fall apart. And putting them in a muffin tin is genius. I’ll post again after I try the modifications.
Was it successful with applesauce?
Wow! These look AMAZING. Would it work to sub honey for the granulated sugar?
I’m not sure, but if you try it, let me know!
Love this!! can you swap sea salt for normal salt because there seems to be none in the kitchen? Thanks!
Tried these this morning and although I may have over baked them, the batter was quite crumbly. I used coconut butter and as soon as I mixed it with the flax eggs the batter got so thick! Any tips to help avoid this happening again? Can I add water or soya milk? Or maybe more coconut butter? First time baking vegan.
Thanks so much for the great recipe! My 15 month old son, who has several food allergies, was able to enjoy these brownies plus pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving because of your site!
Is theanything that I can substitute for eggs. I don’t even eat the egg substitute….
Can i substitute earth balance? Where I live (Nicaragua) I cannot find vegan butter… maybe coconut butter? :(
Coconut oil would be best!
Made these… Very easy and really good! I subbed peanuts which added a nice crunch. Just wondering if the recipe would also work if I baked it all in one dish to be able to cut it later… Or does it the recipe only work in these cupcake molds? My husband and I have differing views at present ;)
I haven’t tried it in a dish, but if you do, let me know how it goes!
These are okay, not delicious. The texture is good and chewy, but there isn’t much flavor even with Ghiradelli choc chips. It’s a good and easy to follow recipe, I’d just prefer to ingest that much sugar with a more flavorful dessert.
would it be possible to sub any kind of oil for earth balance? Unfortunately its not available in my country..
I tried this recipe with disappointing results — they were dry little cupcakes. I wondered as I was making it about the steps .. shouldn’t all the dry and wet be mixed separately? Anyway, thumbs down. I wouldn’t recommend trying this one out.
I followed this recipe three times EXACTLY as it appears on this site, yet on the first two tries they came out dry and crumbly. I even cooked them a few minutes under the said time. On the third time, I added 1/4 cup of water and a little bit more oil and it was better, but still didn’t look like a brownie should look like. It was more like a chocolate cupcake. What am I doing wrong?
Hmm, I’m not sure! People have had such great results with this I don’t know what could’ve gone wrong!
These are soo yummy! I added a Tbs cinnamon to the recipe, to give my brownies a Mexican chocolate flavor. I had a bit of trouble with them crumbling as I extracted them from my mini muffin tin, but this can be easily fixed by using muffin wrappers in my next go at it. Thanks for the recipe!!
I love Minimalist Baker’s recipes. Many are a family favorite I make at least once a week. This will not be an addition to my recipe box. I followed the recipe exactly, and the brownies were extremely dry. The batter was more like a dough, so I decided to decrease the baking time. They were still crumbly yet clung to the back of my throat.
Despite the texture, the flavor was very average.
Me too! I followed it exactly and it looks nothing like the picture. It’s more like a super dry chocolate cupcake.
Can’t wait to try this! As a new vegan, I’m so happy I can enjoy the same deserts as before. I was wondering if it mattered whether the cocoa powder was sweetened or unsweetened?
This has become my go-to brownie recipe. It’s bookmarked “best brownies ever,” and that’s my take on them. I always substitute the flour for something whole wheat- either a hard white wheat or a w.w. pastry flour, and I have always had a hard time stopping myself from eating the whole pan.
Ha! So glad you like them Dana! Great name btw ;D
These look so awesome!! I’ve been searching through your whole website the past few days for something healthy and yummy to make! when your recipes call for “cane sugar” etc., do you think swapping with stevia would work at all? Thanks so much!!
I haven’t tried using stevia in this recipe, but if you give it a try, let me know!
I tried this recipe with King Arthur Gluten Free all purpose baking flour & OOOOOMMMMGGG !! So WONDERFUL!! Thanks for Sharing :)
(Just as a note: Pillsbury GF flour did NOT work with this Recipe)
Hi. I made these and they were amazing. So much so that I’m going to make them again asap. Do you think I could substitute coconut oil for the vegan butter? I can get coconut oil for way cheaper (and I think it’s healthier). Thanks!
I do! Let me know how it goes! And check the comments – I think other people have tried that with success!
Thanks! Next time I will make it in a banana-bread-size pan. I think the size should be adequate.
I made these late last night, looking for a quick and easy chocolate fix–even my husband (who is by no means a vegan) said they were delicious and ate three! I followed the recipe exactly except I didn’t have any vanilla extract so used maple syrup instead, and added some homemade chocolate frosting after they cooled. I am glad to finally have a brownie recipe we can both enjoy! :)
Hi! My brownies are in the oven as I type this. Quick question- in the photos above it shows you holding out a 1/4 cup of cocoa powder but the recipe calls for 1/2. Was that just a typo? Who knows why I happened to notice :-)
Nope! Just for photos I used a smaller measurement.
These brownies are awesome and my children loved them, which is the true test for me. Thank you for sharing your recipes Dana! They’re always a hit.
Can you sub the butter with coconut or olive oil?
I think other people have tried that with success. Check the comments!
So I subbed 6 tbsp black bean af and poured the batter into my mini muffin tin and they were phenomenal! This was a really great recipe and so easy to make! All 6 of us in my family loved them and I’m taking them to a vegan potluck tomorrow! Thanks so much!
Did you adjust the temp or leveler at all for the mini size – or just a straight AF substitution?
What kind of camera do you use? The quality of your shots are always so perfect!
Find that info here!
Added in a tbsp of ground ginger, some seseme seeds and dark chocolate chips. Unbelievable!! Thanks for this:)
Question. Would it effect the recipe if I used coconut sugar? What about coconut flour? Thanks for being awesome!
Coconut sugar = almost positive yes. On the coconut flour, it’s way more absorbent than regular flour, so try cutting it back by half. Let me know if it works!
Hi my brownies doesn’t look like the picture, they are kind of weird but they taste delicious.
Awesome recipe!!
I substituted the flax eggs with a little bit over three fourths of a cup of coconut yogurt, substituted the vegan butter with coconut oil, used pink Himalayan salt instead of sea salt, added the recommended amount of nuts, and used half a teaspoon of water to add extra moisture. I spread the batter into an 8×8 brownie pan and baked at 350 degrees for about 18 minutes.
They came out dense and fudgy with crispy edges and tender tops (almost like the texture of a croissant). Delish!
I used bread flour, a mix of coconut sugar and organic brown sugar, added Enjoy Life chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips and about 2 Tbsp of maple syrup since the batter was a thick ball. I baked them in an 8×8 pan for 26 minutes. They were delicious out of the oven and I even spread Justin’s maple syrup almond butter on them. The next day they were really moist, soft and oh so fudgy! Good recipe to start from and add too! Thanks for posting Minimalist Baker!
I also used coconut oil instead of vegan butter!
Whoop! Glad you enjoyed these, Sarah! Thanks for sharing!
Just made these…DELICIOUS. Honestly, if you’re trying to decide between a few different recipes, pick this one. These brownies were amazing.
Thanks for sharing, Mia! xo
These look FABULOUS! Can’t wait to try them! Question: Would this recipe work with carob powder in place of cocoa powder? Thanks!
I haven’t tried it, but I would guess yes! Let me know if you try.
These look very good! I am going to make them for my family. I do have all other ingredients but no flaxseed…do I have to use it to get the same outcome.
I’m not a huge chocolate eater (I like savory things, usually) but when I have a craving for chocolate it is BAD.
I’ve actually tried this recipe (more than once, actually) and it’s amazing. Very dark and chocolatey, not too gooey, and if you bake them in muffin tins like the picture you get that slightly crispy outside and soft, moist inside.
I’m going to say these are the best vegan brownies I’ve ever baked but honestly, they’re the only ones I’ve ever baked. After I tried this recipe I didn’t have to search for another!
Thanks for sharing, Jay!
Hi,
Your recipe looks AMAZING, I want to try these muffins soooo bad.
I have two questions: Do you think I could substitue vegan butter with coconut oil? Do you think oat flour would work? I know this is not your original recipe but it’s all I have in my pantry :(
Thanks a lot for everything you share with us!!
Manon
These were the easiest and best brownies! I didn’t have flax seeds and used chia seeds instead (for the egg substitute). They rocked!!! Love all your recipes ♡
How much did you use of the chia seeads for the egg substitute ?
I finally made these today and they are wonderful! I tried to mostly follow the recipe, and I’ll admit that I was nervous because the batter was super thick before adding the flour, but somehow it stayed the same after I got the flour folded in. It was thick as could be so I used a cookie scoop to put it in the oiled muffin liners. I then pressed the brownie batter down just slightly (with damp hands) to even out the tops.
In *my* gas oven, using USA Pans muffin tins (thick metal), unbleached muffin liners, and two racks, the brownies were not ready after 22 minutes, but were perfect at the 26 minute mark. Anyone who is getting crumbly, hard brownies within the given time range might want to check their oven temperature calibration.
Next time I will try using freshly milled einkorn or soft white wheat flour :)
Changes:
***I doubled the recipe. 7 – 8 brownies with two teenaged boys in the house is a cruel joke.
***I used carob powder instead of cocoa. Sadly we have chocolate allergies in our home :(
***I used 1 t. vanilla extract and 1 t. homemade vanilla powder
***I used Sucanat (not sure if this is a change or what you mean by “natural cane sugar”)
***I mixed the Earth Balance, Sucanat, flax eggs, and vanilla together before adding in the carob powder. Once that was whisked in I added the baking powder, and then quickly the flour. I had to switch from a whisk to a silicone spatula for the flour.
***I topped each brownie with a generous sprinkling of carob chips. I didn’t want to add them to the batter this first time in case they made it too dense/moist.
can you use oil instead of butter and apple sauce instead of eggs ?
Not sure!
Hi!
I’m not vegan, but my girlfriend turned vegetarian and is becoming vegan day by day :D. But I try to tag along as much as I can, cause I like cooking vegan meals – it’s just so much more fun to prepare it! Also, I’m a chemist, so it’s like a little lab every time I help her cook.
I’ve NEVER baked anything! But today I decided to go for it and make these brownies all by myself. The toughest thing was to find the correct settings on the oven :D. And what do you know, I now have a plateful of brownies with chocolate chips…well…half a plate by now…
These are really delicious and so easy I wouldn’t believe it! Thanks for this great recipe!
Cheers,
Stanley
Great! Thanks for sharing!
But somehow, they weren’t as aesthetically pleasing as yours…the had more rough feeling to them, but the important thing is the taste I guess :D It was hard, but I managed to take a snap of the result before it, somehow mysteriously, disappeared… https://flic.kr/p/sKGZdg.
Aw sad. Mine were dry & crumbly. I mean, I ate a few because, like, I needed chocolate, but not great.
I make these all the time they are so yummy.
I’m not vegan but I do hate the taste of eggs in my baked goods so I just use a stick of organic butter instead of vegan butter.
Also I’ve found that checking them at 17/18 min is usually good, the first couple times I made them they over-cooked.
Overall one of the best brownies I’ve had!
Hey, I am wondering if I could replace the non dairy butter by something like almond butter?
Thanks
oishivegan.wordpress.com
I haven’t tried that, but let me know if you give it a try!!
Hey, Yes I will try and will let you know how it turns out :-)
They are AMAZING. 8 was simply not enough. They were gone in a minute, my whole family LOVED them!!!
Good flavor and easy to make, but they stuck to the muffin tin terribly so I could only remove them in pieces and were also very crumbly. I greased the tin well with shortening and waited until they were fully cooled. Next time, I’ll try paper liners. Being crumbly wasn’t such a problem, although I was hoping for fudgy rather than cakey brownies, but for how simple and easy this recipe is, they are still very good.
I made this in an 8×8 pan and baked for about 25 minutes. It came out wonderfully :) I also had to use about 2 tbsp of soy milk to moisten up the dough.
I really want to make this recipe, but i don’t have any flax seeds! Is there anything i can substitute, like chia seeds? If so, what quantities would you suggest? Thanksx
I would say use the same amount of chia seeds. Let me know how it goes!
Shortly after my father and sister went vegan we were visiting family and I wanted to make something yummy and vegan because it was thanksgiving or christmas or somebody’s birthday or something festive like that, but anyway I googled “Vegan Brownie Recipe” and Poof!! I find you!!! Long story short, the brownies were amazing and now I check your blog multiple times daily for new yummies to make even though I am not vegan (yes, I have tried….I Love dairy too much!!!)
I am so unsatisfied I’ve made these twice tonight and my batter is so thick compared to yours! And it doesn’t look as smooth either. My brownies also do not come out looking moist and fluffy like yours please help because I would really like to make these successfully and I would love to have vegan brownies that look like yours and taste good!
i had to make TWO batches of these brownies today! i wouldn’t change a thing and made this recipe absolutely to the T, with the exception of using Ecuadorian cocoa instead of Dutch process. Divine with a little icing sugar sprinkled on top. can imagine having these with the Coconut Bliss Sea Salt and chocolate Vegan icecream next time – mmmmmmmmmmmm!~ thanks for the simple delish recipe!
Anyone try subbing any amount of butter with apple sauce and less sugar?
So, I’ve made these brownies twice, and they taste delicious. The second time, I added orange zest to the batter…. pure heaven. I just have one problem- the brownies don’t sink in the centre like the ones in the picture. Instead they remain raised like a muffin. What am I doing wrong? The batter seemed dry compared to the picture, so I added 2 tablespoons of soya milk. That’s the only change I made.
I’m a vegetarian, but my boyfriend is vegan and we found that while dinner wasn’t a problem, dessert always seemed to be an issue. These brownies are a God send! We are both obsessed with them. Thank you so much for sharing!
My diet is mostly vegan but not quite there yet, I wanted to make these but don’t have flax so I used organic eggs, but followed everything else. these brownies turned out so delicious! The batter was just like a brownie batter. I added slivered almonds, and made an icing out of coconut oil, maple syrup and cocoa. Delicious!
These turned out great! I made one adjustment because I didn’t have baking powder; I used these substitution directions: “1/4 tsp baking soda + 1/4 cup molasses = 1 tsp double-acting baking powder (reduce liquid in recipe by 1/4 cup; adjust sweeteners)” Due to the substitution, I ended up using 1/2 cup sugar for the recipe, I didn’t reduce any liquid, however. Moist and delicious. Thank you!
These are delicious. They were bit more bitter then I like, so I will add a bit more sugar next time. Also, I added 2 tablespoons of soya milk to the batter, since it seemed a bit dry. They turned out great. This is my first time baking with flax seeds. Great recipe
I’m in the process of making these (still in the oven) and I made very minimal adjustments, to what could be disastrous ends.
I used coconut oil in place of margarine (as I do in a lot of recipes), and instead of sugar I used Hermestas granulated sweetener which is a 1 to 1 sugar replacement.
My mixture was extremely dry, like a cookie dough. I ended up having to add slightly over 1 cup of soy milk to make it even remotely the texture of a brownie mixture.
Other than the Hermestas perhaps being to blame, as I’ve never baked with it before, I can’t understand how the texture would be so different to yours, and presumably everyone else who’s tried the recipe.
Still waiting to see how they turn out…
I had some XOXO Baking Co all purpose flour mix to use up and I wanted to make a snack for my 4 year old and 2 year olds, so when I found this recipe and saw that I had everything that I needed, I gave it a try. I subbed coconut sugar for the sugar, coconut oil for the butter and when the batter was very dry at the end of mixing, I added 1/4 c coffee and 1/4 c home made almond milk. They definitely hit the spot for the chocolatey taste and fudgey texture!
Unfortunately, this flour seems to make everything gummy, so if it had been originally called for in the recipe, I give this 3 stars Since the weird texture was not your fault, I’m rating 5! I will definitely be trying these again in the future with a different gluten free flour.
I made these and they were SO good. I used 1/4 cup of butter and 1/4 cup of coconut oil and also added a teaspoon of cinnamon and they came out wonderfully. I love that the brownies come out being not too sweet and with a rich chocolate flavor. These are a keeper for sure, loved it!
Wow, those brownies look great! Do you think the flour could be replaced with ground hazelnuts or spelt or almond flour?
I just made these and they were incredible. I had only semi-sweet chips and canola oil on hand (instead of dairy-free butter and dutch-process cocoa), so after the necessary adjustments for fat/sugar/leaving content the recipe I ended up with hardly resembled this one, but was a hit! I accidentally overfilled the cups and the batter ran over a bit, creating concave brownie muffins with a crisp rim and a chewy center. Perfect for holding a scoop of vanilla ice cream. :) Thanks for our fave new brownie recipe.
Great, thanks for sharing, Renie!
I just made these for National Brownie Day today and they were so good!! Although I added a bit of coconut oil since I didn’t have enough butter, the texture and taste was there!
Whoop! Glad you enjoyed these, Meroline!
Hi!
I tried this recipe yesterday and the brownies turned out really hard and firm. I followed the recipe thoroughly and I don’t understand what I’ve done wrong. The batter tasted great, and when I removed them from the oven they were soft (I even ate one warm.. delicious!!). But after they cooled, they seemed stones.
Do you have any idea on what I must have done wrong for the brownies to turn out like they did?
Hmm, perhaps a little overcooked?
Uhmm, can I use corn oil or any oil instead of diary-free butter? The recepie looks great! Thanks in advance :)
I – LOVE- THEM!
I stumbled on this recipe by mistake and ….I just HAD to try it! They are in the oven just now, the smell is unbelievable…unfortunately the “shape” is a disaster!! your are so perfect! do you use any tools to make it look so perfect? I mean I scooped one spoon on each little paper cup but the batter was a bit sticky so I wet my hand to help it slid inside the cup…then I had some more batter and I added hence the shape got lost. … Just wandering if you guys use any tools to shape them, I read once u used for something (patties I think) the top of the peanut butter jar. to give them all the same size and thickness…was it you or someone else…I can’t remember….
Anyway fingers crossed for the end result! Will write once again! ;o)
Did anyone else find the batter to be exceptional dry? I added about 1\4 cup soy milk just to get the flour to mix in.
They are in the oven now but I did lick the batter bowl clean so I’m giving this recipe 5 stars:)
Yes, I found that the batter was very dry, so I also added about 1/2 cup of soy milk (I made 1.5x the recipe). They came out more like cupcakes than moist/dense brownies. They were still very tasty!
In the future, I would use less flour and bake for less time. It’s a good starting point recipe for vegan brownies that is easy to alter for whatever your needs are!
These are THE BEST vegan brownies. I don’t try any other recipe. I always bake mine in a square dish. After 30 mins I just guess the further baking time. They’re excellent as they are, with walnuts, or with chocolate chips. Today I doubled the recipe, and added walnuts to half, and chocolate chips to the other. I upsized the pan to cook them together, yet on either side. Delicious. :)
Dana, Thanks for the Vegan Brownie Recipe.
I tried it with whole wheat flour and it was a success @home.
Served it warm with a scoop of Vanilla Ice cream.
HI!!! I can’t even tell you how much I love these brownies!!!!!!!!! So amazing!! We just moved and I can;t find my muffin tin. DO you think they could be made in an 8×8? Or was there a reasoning behind the muffin tins? I don’t want to mess with a good thing!!! Thank you!!!
Love love love these! We’ve had a hard time finding a vegan brownie recipe that isn’t too flat or dry or perpetual batter so I’ve become skeptical, but these are perfect and so easy. I used canola oil in place of buttery spread and added nuts and chocolate chips, and put these in a 8×8 pan and cooked them for 27 mins and then let them sit to firm up a bit. Thanks for the recipe!
Lovely! Glad you enjoyed them Katie. Thanks for sharing!
I have tried your recipe, the brownies are deliciouse but they comes out pretty dry and not as shiny as your images. Even though I leave them less time in the oven. I tried them for like 7 times!!! ;)
How come???
thank you for your answer
This is pure perfection!! I tried it with regular cocoa, was amazing. I tried it with eggs for the family I’m nannying for; appparently, they were as delicious. I noticed they rose a bit more with the eggs. I will make them, over and over again! :)
I made these and love them. I made one big brownie (8X8), used two cornstarch eggs, and baked for about 21 minutes. Gooey right out of the oven and great the next day.
I made these and they were divine! I am gluten intolerant so I used Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour Mix and I melted 1/2 a cup of chocolate chips with the butter. They were perfectly fudgy and melted in my mouth. I put peanut butter frosting on it too. Heaven!!
Yay! Glad you enjoyed them, Hannah!
I just tried this and, much to my chagrin, they came out rather crumbly albeit gloriously savory (I’m salivating while I type this. My oh my) Perhaps it was the 1/4 C of whole wheat flour that I added subbing 1/4 of AP flour – which also reduced the batter a bit. I will definitely try this again with the original recipe – except for the vegan butter because it’s hard to find here so I’ll stick to my faithful coconut oil. Anywho, I also wanted to express my love for this blog. You guys don’t understand how much I love it in here and I usually spread the love around; I love all things minimal and you guys make it happen. Keep it up! :D
That might’ve done it! Flours impact the flavor a lot. Still glad you enjoyed it though! And thanks for sharing the minimalist foodie love! Cheers!
Hi! I’m dying for some brownies, but where I live is REALLY hard to find vegan butter and coconut oil. Do you think replacing the butter for peanut butter would work? If not, do you have any suggestions?
Thanks!
These are really good and turned out perfectly! I meant to use walnut chunks but it ended up more like walnut flour thanks to the spice grinder. I think I actually prefer the walnut like that because each bite has subtle walnut flavour.
Glad you enjoyed them, Nicole!!
Hi,
Can i use almond meal instead of flax seed meal?
Thanks
I haven’t tried that but if you do, let me know how it goes!
these just did not turn out! disappointed. it said flaxseed so i added water to flaxseed but none of the water absorbed into the flaxseed so then i ground it all up and it did thicken then. but my cupcake linings were soaked in butter and the batter looked cracked and not smooth as the pictures show. sigh. my attempt at a vegan recipe but i think i’ll go back to using good ol’ eggs!
Don’t give up, Angela! You’ve just learned how to make flaxseed eggs, so the world of vegan baking is now your playground. Flaxseed does have to be ground up first before you add water. I use hot water or microwave the water and flax meal for 30 seconds. I hear cold water and patience works too.
I think that my substitutions may have wrecked these- I added vegan chocolate chips, and used spelt flour- They came out so sooo mushy & falling apart, not sure if it was too much melty chocolate from the chips? I then kept recooking them thinking that if they cooked longer they’d firm up. Whoops.
I did, however, eat at least 1/4 of the batter, sooo delicious. I will try this again for sure :)
These brownies are spectacular! I make them for my non vegan people and they ask for the recipe!
Thank you Minimalistbaker
Yay! So glad everyone enjoyed these, Sarah.
Fabulous! And thanks for the flax egg recipe too. Added a hint of cayenne and sprinkled coarse salt on top for my teenage daughter!
Hi, when you say “prepare flax eggs” do you grind the flax seeds or just add them to water? Thank you!
I just mean combine the flax MEAL (already ground flaxseeds) with the water. Hope that helps!
After 3 years of being a vegan, I have finally found the perfect brownie recipe! Thanks soooo much for these! The only thing I did differently was use 1/2 tsp of almond extract instead of 1 tsp vanilla (I didn’t want to run to the store for vanilla!). These were super delish and the texture was spot on. With a handful of choc chips thrown in- fab. Even my anti-vegan family enjoyed them! (reluctantly)
Yay! Glad you enjoyed it! Great name, btw :D
These PERFECT – crispy outside, chewy inside – Brownies call for All-Purpose Flour, but I replaced it with a GF cup-for-cup flour blend (pamelas products artisan-flour blend). I also used ground chia seeds instead of the flax seeds and cocoa powder rather than the richer dutch process cocoa powder (for no reason except that’s what I had in my cupboard).
Great! Glad you enjoyed them!
These were fantastic. I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out amazing. Served warm with some organic ice cream :)
These were fantastic. I chopped up a bar of dark chocolate orange flavour and it was amazing!
Perfect brownie texture. Definitely will be making them again!
Loved them! I substituted Egg Replacer and coconut oil for the vegan butter. Yumm! If need to replace the sugar, I would suggest Stevia as it is natural though cannot advise how much.
I’m not vegan, so would normal eggs go with this?
I haven’t tried it myself but I would guess yes. Check previous comments as I’m pretty sure other people have tried it with success. Hope that helps, Georgina!
Thank you for this recipe!
Just whipped up a double recipe, and the taste and texture are amazing.
My 14-year old daughter came home from school asking if we could make some brownies so she could bribe her art teacher to let her stay in her current seat. Just before bed last night, I got an “Oh yeah, Mr. Neilsen is vegan.”. 0.o
Happily, I only had to pick up 2 ingredients, and the store I went to had both.
My daughter loves that she can eat the raw batter, since there are no eggs.
A big thanks also to previous posters who recommended cutting the cooking time to 16 minutes for the mini muffin tin.
I had to add about 1\4 cup of water extra to the mix, about a tablespoon at a time until the batter was the right consistency. I should have read through the comments a little further. The idea to add some chocolate “milk” is brilliant!
Once again, thank you for this quick, simple, vegan recipe. Saved my bacon!
I love your blog, just stumbled upon it. I’m not vegan, but I’m allergic to gluten, corn,soy,dairy, almonds and eggs so I have to eat paleo and vegan for recipes. Any chance I can sub granulated sugar for honey?