Fudgy Vegan Brownies
These are the BEST vegan brownies. They’re easy to make, perfectly fudgy with a rich chocolate flavor and a gorgeous shiny, crackly crust we all love! A totally crowd pleasing and homemade recipe.
10 tries later and we finally have it. The perfect fudgy vegan brownies, completely from scratch! Seriously, these are so good you will never go back to a boxed brownie mix again.
Plus, they’re made without black beans or avocado, just good old fashioned brownie ingredients that you can’t even tell are vegan!
As I’ve been testing this recipe, I’ve done a whole lot of research into what gives a brownie it’s characteristic shiny crust and fudgy center.
There are a lot of theories out there. Some say it’s the sugar, some say chocolate, some say eggs, but I’ve tried so many things and many of them just didn’t work.
Until I tried one unique method: melting the sugar into a bit of water before adding it to the batter. This essentially creates (sort of) an eggless meringue which rises to the top of the brownies as they bake and give a crackly, shiny crust.
It works like a charm to get beautifully fudgy brownies. If you love this recipe and need more of a chocolate fix, try my vegan chocolate cake or vegan chocolate cupcakes.
How to make vegan brownies
In a small bowl, whisk together the 2 tbsp ground flax plus 5 tbsp of water. Set aside to thicken. You can also use 1/4 cup of applesauce in place of the flax if you’re worried about any weird flavor.
I’ve tried both methods and love them equally! Plus, a flax eggs and applesauce are much easier than aquafaba, which we don’t need here.
In a medium pot on the stove, add the sugar and water and whisk together. Heat over medium/low heat. Stir occasionally, but after about 5-10 minutes, the sugar should completely dissolve. You can see the two images below for reference.
Be sure you don’t add any extra water. The water will look somewhat cloudy, but you shouldn’t notice any clumps of sugar. This is key for the shiny crust!
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together all dry ingredients. Once the sugar has completely dissolved, give it a final whisk, then pour it into the dry ingredients.
Add all remaining wet ingredients, including the flax egg, and mix together with a wooden spoon until a batter forms. Careful not to overmix.
Fold in the chocolate chips if using. They’re optional, but they do help the crust get shinier.
Sprinkle with additional chocolate chips if desired. Transfer to an 8×8 baking dish lined with parchment paper to ensure the brownies come out of the pan easily.
If you only have a 9×9, that will work, but I generally recommend an 8×8 for brownies for the best results.
Bake for 35-45 minutes. About 38 was perfect in my oven, but all ovens are different. You’ll know they’re done when a toothpick comes out clean, but bake for longer if you don’t like a fudgy inside and prefer them more cake-like.
Remove from the oven, let cool, then slice into 16 squares & enjoy!
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What kind of cocoa powder should I use?
I’m not loyal to any one brand, but often buy the Whole Foods 365 cocoa powder. Hershey’s and Ghirardelli are all great options.
You can use dutch process or natural cocoa for this recipe. I do not recommend the Trader Joe’s cocoa powder as I do not think it has a rich enough flavor.
Which chocolate chips are best?
I’ve recently been loving the brand Guittard because they are made in a gluten-free facility (I love the semi-sweet chips), but Enjoy Life, Lily’s and Trader Joe’s all have great ones as well.
The chocolate chips are really optional in these vegan brownies, but I will say that the crust does get quite a bit shinier when you include them! Even just a few sprinkled on top makes a difference.
How to keep brownies moist
Honestly, you don’t need to worry with these ones! The method of dissolving the sugar into the water adds a lot of moisture to the brownies and they really should stay moist for several days.
Plus, we have the flax “eggs” and oil which will naturally add moisture to the brownies.
These vegan brownies will keep for 3-5 days in a container at room temperature. I like to warm them up in the microwave for a few seconds so they get gooey and fudgy, then serve with vanilla ice cream!
Pro tip for mixing the batter
Avoid using a whisk to stir the batter. This will force too much air into the batter and can change the final texture. A wooden spoon or rubber spatula is best!
Ingredients and swaps
FLOUR. I of course use gluten free all purpose flour for this recipe, but regular all purpose flour will work just as well if you are not gluten free.
Whatever you use, be sure you spoon and level the flour into your dry measuring cups, don’t scoop from the bag!
SUGAR. You can use another sugar like coconut sugar to make these refined sugar free, but the crust will not get as shiny as what is pictured.
A liquid sweetener like maple syrup will not work here. For best results, I recommend a finely ground white sugar.
FLAX EGGS. You can use flax eggs or apple sauce here, but I prefer the texture of the flax eggs. A flax egg is simple a mixture of ground flax seeds and water.
You may also like…
- Vegan Caramel Sauce
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Blondies
- Vegan Funfetti Blondies
- Vegan S’mores Bars
- Chocolate Mug Cake
- Flourless Brownies
Leave a comment and rating below if you try this recipe and let us know how it turns out! Be sure to follow on instagram for more recipes.
Best Fudgy Vegan Brownies
by: claire cary
Ingredients
Wet:
- 1 ½ cups very finely ground granulated sugar the brand Domino is best
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seed OR 5 tbsp apple sauce
- 5 tablespoons water for the flax, separate from the sugar water
- ½ cup oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Dry:
- ¾ cup cocoa powder sifted if clumpy
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour I used gluten free, but regular works too
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the 2 tbsp ground flax with 5 tbsp water. Set aside to thicken. Skip this step if using the apple sauce.
- Some people notice a flavor when using the flax (I never have this issue) so if that worries you, stick to the applesauce. The texture will be slightly different, but still delicious.
- In a medium pot on the stove, add the sugar and water and whisk together. Heat over medium/low heat. Stir occasionally, but after about 5-10 minutes, the sugar should completely dissolve.
- Be sure you don’t add any extra water. The water will look somewhat cloudy, but you shouldn’t notice any clumps of sugar. This is key for the shiny crust!
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together all dry ingredients except for the chocolate chips if using (we’ll add these later).
- Some people notice a flavor when using the flax (I never have this issue) so if that worries you, stick to the applesauce. The texture will be slightly different, but still delicious.
- Once the sugar has completely dissolved, give it a final whisk, then pour it into the dry ingredients.
- Add all remaining wet ingredients, including the flax eggs once thickened or the applesauce and mix together with a wooden spoon r rubber spatula until a batter forms. Careful not to over mix, stir just until combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips if using. They’re optional, but they do help the top get shinier and add a richer chocolate flavor.
- Transfer to an 8×8 baking pan lined with parchment paper.
- Sprinkle with additional chocolate chips if desired.
- Bake for 35-42 minutes. about 38 was perfect in my oven, but check with a toothpick. Bake for longer if you don’t like a fudgy inside and shorter if you want them really fudgy.
- Remove from the oven, let cool completely, then slice around the edges of the pan and lift out the brownies using the parchment paper. Slice into 16 squares & enjoy! The longer you let cool, the easier/cleaner the cut will be.
Notes
Comments
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Best brownies ever! Absolutely no way anyone would know they’re vegan, gluten free. Daughter actually made me prove it. Two thumbs up.
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Thank you, Bobbie!
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This was my first time making this recipe and wow absolutely delicious even my Dad said this was the best homemade brownies I’ve ever made . Thank you for this recipe and I can’t wait to see more recipes you have !
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Thank you, Irma! So happy you enjoyed it.
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I made this recipe twice! Absolutely perfect! The first Time I made it it turned out perfectly chewy but the second time it was fudgy! What could I have done differently? I love the chewiness factor! I used 1 cup of coconut sugar and half cup of white sugar? Also while melting the sugar, it sort of caramelized a little even though I heated it on very low heat! Is that fine?
Can I add some walnuts to it or could it affect the texture?Thank you so much for your delicious creations!
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You definitely don’t want to caramelize the sugar, we’re not trying to melt it, just dissolve it in the sugar. That could definitely change the final texture. Did you make any other changes aside from the sugar? Sugar will definitely change the texture, especially if coconut sugar is used. Walnuts will be delicious, but because they’re oily, they can give a more oily feel to the brownies.
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Hello looking at making these beautiful and delish looking brownies soon. Wondering if you will share what brand of GF 1:1 Flour you use? I find they do not all work the same and am looking for a tried and true GF/Vegan Brownie recipe that I can keep going back to. I have tried so many and by your reviews this sounds like a great next one to try. Any info is greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Kelly-
I use the Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour in the blue bag!
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10/10 recommend this recipe! My friend is vegan and another friend is dairy free. These were amazing. I used the applesauce and finished the top with a little salt while they were still hot. Served with oat milk vanilla ice cream, so good!
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Brownies and vanilla ice cream are the best!
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Have never tried to make anything vegan before and I was pleasantly surprised! The instructions were easy to follow and the brownies were a little chewy, which I LOVED!
I am now a fan ❤️❤️
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So excited to hear that! Glad your first try was a success 🙂
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Don’t you need a leavening agent? I made your recipe, but it didn’t rise at all because there was no baking soda on the ingredient list and I didn’t realize it until too late.
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No leavening agent! These are supposed to be super fudgy so we don’t want them to rise much. If you prefer a more cakey texture, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder.
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This was my first time baking a vegan recipe and they turned out so good! I am thinking about making them for our daughter’s birthday party this weekend. Do you think it would work to make them in a muffin tin (with paper liners)? If so, how long would you bake? Thank you!
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I haven’t tried that, but should be ok! I’d start with about 20 minutes.
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These were simple and delicious! I didn’t melt down the sugar because I was being lazy so I just mixed it all up, added a TBS of instant coffee and threw it in the oven and they came out great! Thanks for sharing!
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Perfect! Really glad that worked with the sugar.
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Thank you for your hard work testing and perfecting this recipe. Your attention to detail and clear instructions made all the difference. Not only did your vegan brownies come out perfectly and were moist and delicious, they were much healthier than others I have tried, e.g., from recipes that called for a stick and a half of butter! All family members enjoyed consuming them, especially my child with multiple allergies.
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Best brownies I’ve ever made, seriously! My husband who is not vegan said 20/20 and he never says that about anything I make.
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These were amazing vegan brownies, definitely a keeper. Never heard of the dissolving sugar technique, didn’t have finely ground sugar on hand and used regular sugar and still turned out great! My non-vegan kids approved as well. Crackly on top, moist and dense. Very rich! Thank you for this recipe!
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Perfect, so glad they were a hit!
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The brownies turn out better if you don’t hear the sugar and water.
Having that hot water hit the other ingredients stuffs up the Alchemy.
First time actually following the recipe exactly, all previous times I didn’t heat sugar and water just all went in. Turns out much better just all ingredients wet & dry in together without heating components.-
I followed the directions as written and thought they turned out incredibly delicious. I’ll have to test them without the dissolved sugar step. Even though I waited a bit, the sugar water was still warm enough to completely melt the chocolate chips into the batter.
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Hey there!
These were the BEST homemade brownies i’ve ever made! My whole family loved them. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, Claire!!-
Thank you, Nicki! Makes me so happy to hear!
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Hey there!
These were the BEST homemade brownies i’ve ever made! My whole family loved them. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, Claire! -
Hi,
Loved the recipe! Made some amazing brownies with it!!! Just want to add that you suggested using domino sugar and wanted to say that brand of sugar is not vegan – they still use animal bone to process their sugar in a lot of facilities so don’t use it if you’re actually vegan!-
Thank you for pointing that out!
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I am making these due to a dairy allergy. I know this isn’t vegan (I’m sorry!) but do you think it would be okay to use one egg instead of flax or applesauce? Thanks!
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That should be fine, but I also have lots of other dairy free brownies on the blog that call for eggs!
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