Vegan Brownies

You know what hits the spot absolutely every single time? Brownies. They are the great dessert fail-me-not. These super fudgy, melt-in-your-mouth, and outrageously chocolaty Vegan Brownies are THE brownie of the moment. They’re made without butter or eggs and contain a number of healthy ingredients, but they taste so sublimely rich, even non-vegans will find themselves polishing every crumb from the plate!

Of all of the healthy desserts in my recipe index (not to mention my cookbook collection and the internet at large), brownies are the sweet treat I bake most.

My style of craving dessert is such that, when I want a brownie, I wanted it 10 minutes ago. The fact that a pan of brownies can be in my oven 15 minutes from any given moment is certainly a heavy contributor towards their “most baked” ranking.

Of course, the whole messy/gooey/chocolaty thing brownies have going for them certainly adds to their appeal!

This healthy vegan brownie recipe was originally concepted as a mix between my favorite brownie recipe of all time (which debuts in my upcoming cookbook!), and my ever-reliable, always delectable One-Bowl Brownies.

I decided to see if I could develop a one-bowl brownie recipe that was still fudgy and rich likes these two favorites but that didn’t call for any dairy (i.e. milk or butter) or eggs.

I also wanted the recipe to be healthy, and it needed to be quick and easy to whip up. (I love these Sweet Potato Brownies, for example, but they do take some extra effort.)

Ta-da! These vegan brownies are THE ONE. They turned out to be some of the most scrumptious and easiest brownies I’ve ever baked.

In the event that you find yourself out of milk or eggs, if you are in a hurry and need a brownie pronto (who doesn’t?), and of course if you happen to be vegan, now you have a stellar brownie recipe to match.

(To those of you needing a gluten free brownie or who don’t have any all-purpose flour on hand, check out my Paleo Brownies which are grain free, as well as these Avocado Brownies, which are made with almond flour.)

Homemade Vegan Brownies – Better Than the Box

These brownies have very little flour and lots of cocoa powder, meaning they’re intensely chocolaty and will melt right in your mouth. If you are a fan of boxed brownies, which also use cocoa, you’ll adore this about them.

To those of you more in the fudgy/chewy brownie camp, I’ve got you. I added a hefty helping of chocolate chips to this recipe, giving them more oomph.

If you’ve only been making brownies from a mix until this point, I hope you’ll still give these homemade vegan brownies a try. They take very little time to stir together, only use one bowl (even some mixes need more!), and—this is coming from someone who fully admits to loving herself a boxed brownie—no store-bought box can compete with the brownies you bake from scratch.

Conclusion: you don’t need to search for a vegan brownies mix (or any other mix). Make this recipe instead!

How to Make The Best Vegan Brownies

Whether or not you are vegan, you’ll love this recipe’s simple ingredient lineup and the splendidly chocolaty results!

The Ingredients

• Cocoa Powder. The best and easiest way to achieve major chocolate flavor. Plus, cocoa powder has a long shelf life, so if you add some to your pantry, you can make these vegan brownies over and over again.
• White Whole Wheat Flour. Whenever possible, I like to use whole wheat flour in baked goods. It brings added nutritional value like fiber and protein, which means I feel better about going back for brownie number two (and maybe three).
• Applesauce. Figuring out what to substitute for eggs in brownies was the trickiest part of this recipe. Unsweetened applesauce turned out to be my answer! Like eggs, applesauce adds moisture and binds the brownies. As a bonus, since applesauce is low/no-fat, it also made the brownies healthier.
• Canola Oil, Coconut Oil, or Melted Non-Dairy Butter. For simplicity, I developed this recipe with canola oil in place of the usual butter, though to be 100% honest, the lack of butter flavor was the one (tiny) thing I missed about this vegan recipe compared to my usual brownie recipes. To remedy this, you could try the recipe with a melted non-dairy butter. If you don’t need the recipe to be vegan, use melted unsalted butter. OR maybe you won’t even notice (Ben certainly did not). They’re still pretty darn fabulous, even without the butter.
• Baking Powder. While not an ingredient used in all brownie recipes, here it’s needed for lift, especially since this recipe is made without eggs.
• Brewed Coffee. Anytime you add coffee to a chocolate dessert, it intensifies the flavor of the chocolate (but it won’t make the brownies taste like coffee). For a less intense brownie, use water or your non-dairy milk of choice.
• Chocolate Chips. An undeniably delicious addition to these vegan brownies. They also help create a more chewy texture.

The Directions

1. Line a square baking pan with parchment paper, and coat the paper with nonstick spray.
   
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
   
3. Add the wet ingredients and chocolate chips to the dry ingredients. Stir until incorporated and smoothly combined.
   
4. Stir in the chocolate chips, then add the batter to the baking pan. Bake the vegan brownies for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. Let cool in the pan for at least 1 hour (or pop them in the refrigerator for an even better brownie experience). Slice and ENJOY!

Storage Tips

• To Store. Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• To Freeze. Place brownies in an airtight freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

More Healthy Vegan Desserts

Recommended Tools to Make This Recipe

• Parchment Paper. A layer of parchment paper makes it easy to remove the brownies from the pan.
• Baking Pan. This one (I own two of them!) makes perfect corners.
• Rubber Spatula. Great for scraping brownie batter into the baking pan.

If you’ll excuse me, we have exactly one vegan brownie left in an undisclosed corner of the freezer, and I need to set it out for my after-dinner dessert…or (let’s be honest here), my afternoon snack!

If you try this recipe, please leave a comment to let me know how it turned out for you. Your comments and 5-star ratings are so important to my site, and they keep me going too.♥