The Best Fudgy Vegan Brownies

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These fudgy vegan brownies will hit the spot when you are craving something sweet. Whether you normally eat a plant-based vegan diet or not, these brownies are delicious! They're made with simple ingredients you already have on hand in your pantry and the result is the perfect fudgy texture with plenty of chocolate in every bite.

brownies stacked on table with chocolate bar in background

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Fudgy Vegan Brownies
What Can I Add to These Brownies?
Ingredients
Handy Kitchen Tools
How to Make Fudgy Vegan Brownies
Frequently Asked Questions
More Brownie Recipes
📖 Recipe

Fudgy Vegan Brownies

Many people think that eating a plant-based diet means you can't have yummy foods. This recipe is here to showcase just how easy it is to adjust simple recipes to make them vegan friendly. This rich and ultra-chocolatey brownie recipe is one of my favorite dairy-free and egg-free treats that just happens to be 100% vegan!

While we don't have a lot of vegan recipes here yet, we plan to add more. For now, enjoy these or this simple chocolate peanut butter ball recipe that is also naturally vegan!

brownies with fruit slices on top of wire rack on white paper

What Can I Add to These Brownies?

One of my favorite thing about brownies is that they are versatile with what can be added, topped, or mixed into the batter. When going with a vegan option, it may be even more important to mix or add in something for additional flavor.

This batch already has dark chocolate chips mixed into the batter, but below are some other ideas that can be added to the brownies for great texture and flavors.

Chopped walnuts, pecans, peanuts, or macadamia nuts.
Swirls of peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter throughout the batter.
Coconut flakes, dried cranberries, dried cherries, or dried blueberries.
Drizzle with vegan caramel sauce or swirls of vegan cream cheese before baking.

stack of brownies on top of parchment on wire basket

Ingredients

½ cup melted vegan butter
1½ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk (or preferred non-dairy milk)
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup cocoa powder
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup vegan chocolate chips (Enjoy Life brand is a personal favorite)

stack of brownies sliced on cutting board

Handy Kitchen Tools

brownies on wire rack topped with sliced strawberries and kiwi

How to Make Fudgy Vegan Brownies

Line your baking dish with parchment paper. I used an 8"x10" but any smaller pan will work for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C and set the pan aside.

Pour the melted, but still hot, butter into a large bowl, then whisk in the granulated sugar until it is mostly melted.

white bowl of sugar and butter with whisk

Add in the almond milk or your preferred non-dairy milk, and the vanilla extract and whisk until combined. Coconut milk is great for additional flavor in this recipe! Set the bowl aside.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

bowl of cocoa power held above bowl of flour

Now, combine the wet and dry ingredients until a thick batter has formed.

whisking dry ingredients into wet in large white bowl

Fold in the vegan chocolate chips and any other mix-ins you prefer. I recommend adding no more than a total of 1 ½ cups of additions including the chocolate chips.

hand pouring chocolate chips into white bowl of brownie batter on gray table

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.

teal spoon spreading brownie batter over parchment paper

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

square of brownies cut but not separated on top of parchment paper

Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing to serve.

hand holding brownie above wire rack of brownies

Frequently Asked Questions

What Makes a Brownie More Fudgy?

There are a few key components to creating fudgy brownies. It typically is a ratio of fats to dry ingredients. In this recipe, you'll be using vegan butter and almond milk without any eggs. The addition of melted butter here brings up the fat content and keeps them thick and fudgy rather than light and fluffy.

What Vegan Butter Should I Use?

There are a lot of options for vegan butter on the market and some people have a particular brand that they love. Earth Balance and Country Crock are two brands that I use when I am looking for something vegan that everyone can eat. They are readily available in most markets, including major chains like Walmart and Target.

Can I Use Carob Chips Instead?

Yes, you can carob chips instead. I would recommend using about ½ to ¾ cups of carob chips. The flavor is similar, but just a bit different, so a little less than you would normally use works perfectly. One reason to use carob chips is that they are chocolate-free, but in this case, most importantly, they are vegan.

This can be a good option for people who have allergies to chocolate or for those who want a vegan brownie that doesn’t have as rich a chocolate flavor. With their unique flavor, they add a new dimension to your classic fudgy brownie.

Are Dark Chocolate Chips Vegan?

Whether the dark chocolate chips are vegan is going to vary from brand to brand. This all depends upon the milk content as some percentages of dark chocolate have milk while others do not.

There are some that are vegan but some are not. You will want to make sure to check the ingredients before using the chips. Enjoy Life is a great brand that we often reach for since we know it is vegan. If using chocolate you have hand-cut into chunks, any good quality vegan chocolate works, but I recommend looking at options with 70% cacao or more as they tend to be vegan more often than not.

short stack of brownies on parchment paper on top of black wire basket by milk pitcher

More Brownie Recipes

While we only have a few vegan recipes on site, we do have multiple options for brownies. Below are a few more of my favorite recipes, that while not vegan, could potentially be adapted to suit a plant-based diet. Make sure that you bookmark these recipes, print them out, or pint them to a chocolate Pinterest board to make soon.

📖 Recipe

Yield: 8

The Best Fudgy Vegan Brownies

This recipe for fudgy vegan brownies is going to become a favorite on your menu! Delicious layers of chocolate flavor!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

½ cup melted vegan butter
1½ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup cocoa powder
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup vegan chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C and line a baking dish with parchment paper. Set this aside.
In a large bowl, pour the still hot, melted butter, then top with sugar. Whisk this vigorously to melt the sugar completely.
Now add in the almond milk and vanilla extract and whisk until combined. Set this aside.
Using a separate large bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
Next, add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture until well combined.
Fold in the dark chocolate chips.
Spread the mixture into the prepared baking pan.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.