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
-
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
Yes, I feel you. Sometimes a girls just NEEDS a brownie. This looks like the perfect recipe for those days. 30 minutes start to finish? My kind of baking!
These brownies are “The Truth” bless yall good folk.
will be trying these :) b/c sometimes it is just what a girl needs…
I constantly need chocolate too, and a brownie is definitely the way to go! These look great!
Around here chocolate is served with breakfast, after lunch and surely after dinner. Everyday. We have one too many chocoholics around here!!
These are gorgeous and perfect!
I love so many things about these! Especially the simple ingredient list and that the recipe makes a reasonable amount no love chocolate too but have a problem with portion control :) We have vegan friends who just moved to our neighborhood so I’m on the lookout for more of these kinds of recipes for entertaining.
Perfect! I’ve been looking for a simple vegan brownie recipe that tastes like classic brownies!
These look amazing. Do you think WW pastry flour could be substituted? I don’t keep all purpose on hand…
yes!
I tried them with ww and they are fantastic!
Thanks lovely ladies!
I just made these last night with WW Pastery flour and they came out delish. Thanks for a Great recipe
I love vegan brownies. They get that quintessential brownie chew, it’s unbeatable. And these look gorgeous.
We’re best friends. And we haven’t even met. xoxo.
INDEED!
Can you please pass that stack of brownies there?!
Muffin tins are a perfect idea! They would be super adorable in mini-muffin tins, too. :)
What is the difference between regular and dutch process cocoa? I haven’t been able to find the latter anywhere!
Whole foods! And some stop and shops carry it
I used regular cacao powder and they turned out great
Hi there, this recipe looks amazing!
quick question: I know that its meant to be a vegan recipe and all, but would it be alright if I just used normal eggs rather than the flax-seed eggs in this recipe? would this alter the outcome of the brownies?
I think it would be fine, Alethea! Just sub eggs and let me know how it goes!
I subbed 1 egg for one of the flax eggs today and it worked well. :) Great recipe! Thanks so much!
I still haven’t made vegan brownies since I became vegan. I better get on it! These looks amazing! Thanks for sharing :) Cheers!
Katie, while you’re at it, try my black bean brownie bites! They’re still my fave :)
These turned out like cupcakes, not brownies. They were good still but they were very cakey and not chewy or dense like most brownies are.
I agree, very cake like. I also thought to chalky. I didn’t like them.
I made these twice. First time I made them, I followed the recipe to a T. Waaay to dry. I think the cook time was too long. Second time I added some almond milk and reduced the bake time. Better, but I agree still “chalky”. Needed some almond milk to wash it down. I am going to try one last time with a liquid sweetener like maple syrup. The recipe, as-is, isn’t very good IMO. Needs more moisture for sure.
i subbed splenda for sugar, otherwise followed this recipe to the letter and it came out terrible. i actually threw them away because they were so bitter and crumbly.
when do you put the flax eggs in? i made them and they were resting while i followed the recipe then i was about to put in the flour and noticed the flax eggs sitting on the counter. maybe if i added them earlier or something, idk. once the batter was done it was crumbly and not liquid in any way
i’ve made brownies with similar recipes and never had an issue, not sure where i went wrong, but this one went very wrong for me :(
Kelley, sorry you had an issue with this recipe. I just rechecked the recipe and saw that the flax egg instructions were unclear so I amended that. I would guess the Splenda did affect the texture here, as it seems much more absorbent than regular sugar and likely made them too dry. Hope that’s of some help and again, sorry for any inconvenience!
Hi Dana, do you have a suggestion for a sugar substitute? I struggle with candida and love love love brownies. Would cutting out the sugar altogether change the texture of these? I guess trying may be the best answer. I certainly don’t mind sugarless, it’s the chocolate I want, not the sugar!
You could try and sub coconut sugar or agave, but I haven’t tried it myself. It’s worth experimenting with though!
Can I make these in a 9×12 baking pan?
Oh. My. GAWD.
So I stumbled upon this recipe looking for egg-free brownies. I have an egg allergy but I NEED me some brownies. I tried it one time with the flax seeds but it just wasn’t working for me – maybe I just need to grind them next time. Anyway, I’m not vegan so I just did 1/2 kefir and 1/2 greek yogurt to replace the flax eggs on the second try.
Best. Brownies. Ever. Cannot. Stop. Eating. Them.
Megan, so glad you liked these! For the flax eggs next time, yeah just make sure you grind your flax seeds or buy flax seed meal or you won’t get that “eggy” texture.
These sound perfect; my boyfriend’s dad is allergic to eggs and the last time I tried making egg-free brownies (I used egg replacer mix) the constancy was flat, hard and chewy. Never heard of flax seed eggs
These turned out delicious!!! I am in awe of how good they were! Thank you for the recipe! My fiancé and I just transitioned from vegetarianism to veganism this week and after a tough day today we really needed to treat ourselves. The only adjustment I made was I cooked them in a mini muffin tin and reduced my cook time down to 16 minutes.
Just took a batch out of the oven that I made a few substitutes in (used real eggs, WW pastry flour, and coconut sugar) and they turned out fairly well. They were a little dry, which I think was due to a combo of being cooked for too long and too much flour, so next time I will stick to 22 mins in the oven and use just shy of 3/4 of the flour and I think they will be perfect!
I just had one of these with my son, wow! They are so good, thanks for such a simple and delicious recipe, these will be the ones from now on.
The only modification was an extra flax egg (I thought I could bake 1 1/2 recipe but then found out I didn’t had enough cocoa), and half normal butter (I can’t find non-dairy where I live) half coconut oil.
This is my first time from your recipes, with this outcome I’m sure I’ll try a lot more.
Blessings : )
WOW……. I’m in awe that these turned out. My sister n her boyfriend are newly vegans. i love baking, but now they cant eat the bake goods i make. So i always go on the internet to look up vegan recipes and none of the recipes ever turn out and that always upsets me. My sisters boyfriend is in love with my brownies i make but it contain eggs and he cant eat them anymore. I have promised him i would find a vegan brownie recipe and i have!!!!!!! This is a great vegan Brownie Recipe and i cant wait to surprise them tonight with them after dinner. Thank You
Michelle, thanks so much for sharing! I hope your sister and boyfriend enjoy these as much as you have. They were seriously addictive when I made them so I’m glad you have someone to share with! Happy baking :D
This looks awesome. This may be a silly question, but how does using natural cane sugar affect the flavor?
Cheers! :)
It’s just the sugar I prefer to use, but really you could use any. Good question!
Cool! Thanks.
Making this was fantastically simple; I love that the gratification was as instant as my craving. The simplicity was a huge plus, and I love working with flax seed in place of eggs because the consistency is so familiar that it brings me back to cooking brownies out of the box with my mom. However, the consistency of the overall batter never reached the viscosity of that in the picture; it stayed grainy and a little too much like paste throughout mixing and putting into the tray, and subsequently baked that way. These were a little too bitter for my taste even after adding agave nectar into the mix, and were a bit dry. Less greasy than the other brownie mixes I have tried, and luckily this recipe doesn’t contain any weird ingredients such as vinegar like the other recipes I’ve found, but the simplicity of the recipe is evident in the outcome for me this time – bland and nothing too special.
Others seemed to have a lot of success with this though, so maybe I’ll try again in the future and go through the steps extra carefully.
I added a little almond milk to make the batter look more like the picture (:
Soo good! I doubled the recipe and added some sugar, but soo good and nobody could tell the difference
Hi! I found this recipe from a google search… YUM. Absolutely delish! Except I used Rice flour and added some linseeds whole … Next time I’d love to add our family-grown almonds!
Thanks for sharing Tori! Glad you found and you like this recipe – you can’t go wrong with brownies ;D
I made one batch straight up and they turned out really well, with the exception of one of my cupcake pans is old and didn’t grease up so well so half the recipe crumbled away as it stuck so I HAD to eat it all with a fork instead. So now I am using my son’s “perfect brownie pan” (the as seen on TV pan.) Curious though, have you ever added Chili Powder to your brownie recipe. I considered trying it, but then again I didn’t want to mess up the recipe again. Thanks for sharing this though.
I just made these in a mini muffin tin. It took about 10 min to bake. They are amazing! Perfect texture and taste. I made them for my brother-in-law, who is vegan, but I’d make them again for anyone!
I’m 16 Uk and iv been vegetarian my whole life and have found the transition from Veggie to vegan pretty okay – except the chocolate. Iv just made these and they turned out perfect first time round, there absolutely brill and I’m no longer craving processed chocolate! I’m thinking of trying them with a twist of orange zest next time
Made these delicious brownies the old fashion way, a square pan. Substituted the vegan butter with coconut oil and mixed in half whole grain flour. They are sooo yummy!! Thank you for this great recipe!! Oh, I did add some dryed coconut to the mix as well :)
PS Is there a website where I can calculate the nutritional information for the changes I made?
Yes, actually. I recommend caloriecount where you can calculate your nutritional information as needed.
These look great! I am making them today for my daughter who is allergic to eggs. Can I sub in 1 stick of regular butter for the vegan butter? Wasn’t sure if the amount is the same and if it would change the outcome. Thanks!!
Can these be baked in either a regular 8×8 or 9×16 pan? I don’t have a muffin tin…
Thanks!
I hope so I need to bake them in an 8×8
I made this with virgin coconut oil and white whole wheat flour. Great texture and taste. The coconut oil didn’t work well since it’s too cold here for that. Definitely give white WW flour a try. I’ve made many other recipes with it with great results.
Oh, you made this vegan very happy! I only had brown sugar and tub Becel Vegan margarine on hand so I had to use both of those but the recipe still turned out pretty well. :)
Hi
I got all my ingredients gathered to make tomorrow
I don’t have Dutch processed cocoa, can I use regular cocoa? I did Internet research and it says ok
Any advice?
Yes, you can use regular cocoa, it just won’t give you as an intense or deep of flavor.
These came out terrible! I followed the recipe perfectly but they were just bubbling up as if there was far too much earth balance butter, they looked greasy. After 27 mins, it wasn’t even beginning to form into anything resembling a brownie. Threw it all out.
I had this same issue! I’m sure it was user error, but I’d love to know how to approach these better for next time.
for anyone wondering, you can bake these in an 8×8 pan as well. Mine took right at 30 minutes. I also subbed applesauce for the vegan butter, with great results.
Thanks for sharing, Mandy!
Thank you. I was looking for this exact info on subbing the vegan butter for applesauce. Off to bake them now!
I would pull these at 22 minutes max (or even earlier); they were quite dense at 22 minutes; great flavor though – next time Ill pull them at 20 minutes
Thanks for the tip, Mark!
This was my first attempt at vegan brownies and I loved them! I followed the directions exactly and they turned out perfect. I might use a little less flour next time, or not bake them as long. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing, Lisa! Glad you liked them! Brownies are always a good idea :D
I LOVE these brownies!!!!! They are AMAZING!!!!! I substituted coconut oil for the vegan butter.
They were easy enough that my seven year old sister could help quite a bit!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!
DROOL! I think I’ll make these riiiiiiiight now. And, how brilliant! Individualized in a muffin tin!! Is it bad that I want to double the recipe to do one in the muffin tin and another in a reg pan? One can never have too many brownies, right? (Especially when one’s husband scarfs down baked goods before they even have a chance to cool down! haha)
Correct. One can never have too many brownies. Let me know how it goes!
Thanks for this simple recipe! The batter tasted delicious as did the brownie. I made it in a bread loaf pan. Though crumbly, it still maintained its taste integrity. I made it with coconut oil and whole wheat pastry flour (as that’s what I had on hand). Next time I’ll add some nuts and maybe coconut flakes to this mix.
So glad you enjoyed these, Linda! Thanks for sharing your experience!
Made them without flax and replaced 1/3 of cocoa with carob powder. Turned out incredibly delicious.
I licked the batter and I didn’t feel bad for doing so :)
Made these with gluten free flour and in an 8×8 pan and they came out amazing! So wonderful to have a go to simple brownie receipe that I can pull together quickly!
Great to hear it!
Yes yes yes yes.
We are on our fourth batch of these as we speak. Two of my children have multiple anaphylactic food allergies, including (but not limited to) egg and dairy and nuts and black bean. I have triedSO MANY brownie recipes, this one finally hits the spot. I use vegan becel and it worked great.
Glad to hear it, Chrissy! Thanks for sharing.
Could I use Sugar in the Raw Turbinado or Raw Coconut Sugar? If if use sugar in the Raw would I need to grind it down first? I want to make these for the 4th of July.
They really look like some of the best brownies I have ever seen and will definitely be giving them a go. Might try them with almond meal as the flour but that is only because it is my favourite.
These did come out delicious (made a simple vegan custard to go with them and ate them hot, yum!).
However I followed the very closely and found that when I added the flour it was so dry I couldn’t even mix in the flour properly. So I grabbed rice milk and added until I had a batter that was more familiar for brownies (from my pre-vegan days). I estimate about 1/2-3/4 cup of rice milk was needed.
Expected some others in the comments to have this issue but no one seemed to! I was probably about 10g under on the butter (around 100g instead of 113g, not Earth Balance, another vegan marg that I found here in Budapest) and used a little less sugar. So apart from the 6 tablespoons of water where else does the moisture come from usually?
I’ll be making these again for sure. Had a friend complaining about not being able to be vegan recently because of deserts and this will shut their trap ;).
I had the same problem.. just made some now for galentine’s day.. but what I did was add in some leftover coffee from this morning.. batch is still in oven so not sure how it’ll turn out but the batter tasted pretty good!
To Dana, I absolutely love your blog! Huge fan!
Oh my, really? Your friend is sadly mistaken. I eat way more desserts now that I’m vegan than I ever did omni. Not sure what the correlation is but yeah, she’s off base! I’m preheating my oven now as I type getting ready to make these bad boys…
I had the same issue. My batter looked more like dough – too dry. I added water.
Baking is often a losing battle for me, but I was wanting a sweet treat this afternoon and these brownies came out perfectly! I swapped in stevia for some of the sugar (since sugar makes me hyper/edgy). Love these! Will totally make again. Thank you! :-)
So glad you enjoyed them, Sara! Thanks for sharing!!
How much stevia did you use?? And did you add anything else to them?
Great recipe! I’m an avid baker and after searching for hours for my original brownie recipe, to no relief, I needed something quick and easy to whip together for my family. I added a 1/4 cup chocolate “milk” to the recipe for more moisture and a little extra chocolate kick. Turned out great! Thanks for sharing :) great recipe for when you need to get something together quickly
great idea on the chocolate milk! glad you enjoyed these, Heather!
I just made these brownies and followed every single direction to a tee and they did infact take 30 minutes in total to make. Unfortunately they just tasked like butter and a bit of cocoa, they were also cakey. Ill definitely be looking out for a better brownie recipe: I will not be using this one again.
Just made these for the first time and used dark cocoa powder. Batter was very thick and they just did not taste good. I have been vegan for over a year, so am done with the refined chocolate taste. Wondering if the dark cocoa powder was just too much for the recipe? Will try again…
Teresa, I’d say that’s probably what happened. Dark chocolate cocoa powder can yield a much more bitter taste. The batter should be thick, but if you feel it looks too thick to pour with some ease, thin it out with a little almond milk. And next time I’d use regular cocoa powder. Hope that helps!
I just made these. They were a hit with my mum and friend – both are connoisseurs of good baking and find many of my vegan attempts not close enough to the real thing.
I used black cocoa powder (ultra dutched) in 50:50 combination with regular Malaysian (local) cocoa. Malaysian cocoa is naturally darker and lower in fat than cocoa from the West. I measured carefully and sparingly and yet my batter turned out way to dry. I thinned it down with water but although I used 1/2 cup water it still looked looked thicker than Dana’s batter photo. I think it could be that my cocoa combination is more dry and absorbs more moisture?
My muffin tin size is small. I baked for 18 minutes. I should have baked even less – maybe 15. I would have liked a more wet interior. It still tasted great.
Pinned the recipe to make again.
Just made these and they turned out pretty well! I loved how easy they were- I whipped them up in just 10 minutes and after baking for 20, they were ready to eat in 30 minutes flat! I did them in mini muffin tins and reduced cook time to 15 minutes. They did fall apart a little (I made no substitutions) but all around this is a great vegan recipe!
YUMMY. I’m not vegan, but I dabble in vegan baking because sometimes the result is a wee bit healthier/I often don’t have eggs/I have vegan friends etc. I made these yesterday with 2/3 sugar, 1/3 Splenda, which made the tops look a bit different, but the taste was deeeelish! I added some fleur du sel on top before putting them in the oven, which made them taste even better. Great, simple recipe.
Yay! So glad these turned out so well for you, Jen.
Looks Yummmmmm – ? I’m out of flax can I sub with vegan egg-replacement?
I haven’t tried it myself but yes it should work!
Hi Dana,
I’m not sure if you’ve tried but I made the recipe with ground chia seeds instead of flax and it turned out well.
Hope this helps! :)
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?
I haven’t tried it this way but give it a go! So happy you found us. Let me know how they turn out with honey if you give them a try!
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’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!
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.
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!
These were fantastic. I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out amazing. Served warm with some organic ice cream :)
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!
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
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!
Fabulous! And thanks for the flax egg recipe too. Added a hint of cayenne and sprinkled coarse salt on top for my teenage daughter!
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.
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 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.
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 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! 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!
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!
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 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.
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 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
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!
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!!!
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.
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. :)
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!
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)
I – LOVE- THEM!
Uhmm, can I use corn oil or any oil instead of diary-free butter? The recepie looks great! Thanks in advance :)
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?
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!
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!
Wow, those brownies look great! Do you think the flour could be replaced with ground hazelnuts or spelt or almond 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!
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’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…
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
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!
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!
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!
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.
Anyone try subbing any amount of butter with apple sauce and less sugar?
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!
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!
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 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!
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.
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.
They are AMAZING. 8 was simply not enough. They were gone in a minute, my whole family LOVED them!!!
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 :-)
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!
Aw sad. Mine were dry & crumbly. I mean, I ate a few because, like, I needed chocolate, but not great.
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.
can you use oil instead of butter and apple sauce instead of eggs ?
Not sure!
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.
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 ?
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
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!
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.
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.
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
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!
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!
Hi my brownies doesn’t look like the picture, they are kind of weird but they taste delicious.
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!
Added in a tbsp of ground ginger, some seseme seeds and dark chocolate chips. Unbelievable!! Thanks for this:)
What kind of camera do you use? The quality of your shots are always so perfect!
Find that info here!
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?
Can you sub the butter with coconut or olive oil?
I think other people have tried that with success. Check the comments!
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.
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.
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. 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 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)
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!
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
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?
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.
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 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!
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.
would it be possible to sub any kind of oil for earth balance? Unfortunately its not available in my country..
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.
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!
Can i substitute earth balance? Where I live (Nicaragua) I cannot find vegan butter… maybe coconut butter? :(
Coconut oil would be best!
Is theanything that I can substitute for eggs. I don’t even eat the egg substitute….
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!
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.
Love this!! can you swap sea salt for normal salt because there seems to be none in the kitchen? Thanks!
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!
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?
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.
Have you ever used chia egg in these brownies? I think I’m going to try it!
This looks so good!! Only can i use regular cocoa powder instead of dutch process? TIA
Yep!
can i sub non-dairy butter with coconut oil? and flax eggs with banana?
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.
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?
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!
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.
These brownies turned out great!! I added some unsweetened apple sauce as the batter became dry when I added the flour.
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!
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.
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?
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!
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 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.
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!
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 the brownies. Wow. So good and easy to make. They turned out perfect. Thank you so much!
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?
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.
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.
I subbed 2 nanners instead of flax seeds we will see how this goes.
They came out great!
This recipe was AMAZING! So yummy and quick! Will definitely be adding this to my recipe book. Thanks!
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?
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!
I make these often! I always end up with 12 brownies though. Not complaining!! They are absolutely delicious.
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 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!
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.
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.
hey, Can i use unsweetened cocoa powder instead of dutch cocoa powder??
That should work!
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!
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!
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
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?
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
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…
These were awesome!! I’ve made them over a dozen times now and they’re just perfect!
What about using dates/bananas as a sweetener, about to try it. What do you think?
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.
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! :)
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!
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!
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 :)
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)?
Could I sub coconut oil instead of Earth Balance vegan butter? If so, how much?
My batter was very very thick and not runny at all! Not sure what I did wrong :(
Followed recipe exactly but they were too dry. Edible but dry.
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
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?
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!
Is it possible to use coconut sugar instead of granulated?
It’s worth a shot!
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!
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!
Ummm these are AMAZING. So decadent, so few ingredients. Love!
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!
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!
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. :)
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!
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!
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.
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!
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!
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.
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!
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
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.
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.
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?
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! :)
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!!
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!
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!