I always thought brownies needed eggs, until I tried these amazing vegan brownies. They’re completely egg-free, butter-free, and dairy-free, yet they taste deliciously fresh, incredibly rich, moist, and deliciously sweet. As an added bonus, they’re made purely with pantry ingredients, but they taste so much fresher than a box mix! 
These Amazing Vegan Brownies use Simple, Everyday Ingredients
I wasn’t a fan of vegan brownies until I made this recipe. These have an addictive deep chocolate flavor with the perfect balance of dessert-like sweetness. I originally shared this recipe back in 2008, but have since updated it, and also have answers to a few FAQs.
Which Type of Cocoa Powder Should I Use?
There are two basic types of cocoa powder: Natural / Unsweetened and Dutch Processed. I use natural unsweetened in this recipe, but Dutch processed will still work fine. The brownies will be sweeter and darker if you use Dutch processed.
What Oil Do You Recommend?
Use your favorite baking oil – almost any type will work great. I use extra-light olive oil (not extra-virgin), but regular olive oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, etc, will do the job. If using coconut oil, make sure your water is at room temperature. Also, if you like to refrigerate your brownies, they will set up more solidly if using coconut oil.
What is the Texture of these Vegan Brownies?
They’re lightly cakey, but very moist and rich, and take on a fudgy consistency when refrigerated. I typically prefer chewier brownies. In fact, I’m not a big fan of chocolate cake. But these really are amazing vegan brownies.
Can I Use Milk Alternative Instead of Water?
If you have milk alternative that needs to be used up, go ahead and use it in these vegan brownies. If not, save the expense and just use water. A milky beverage isn’t needed in this recipe.
Can I Reduce the Sugar?
Technically, you could cut the sugar a little, but this will affect not only the taste, but also the texture of these vegan brownies.
Where Can I Get Dairy-Free Chocolate Chips?
I like to use Enjoy Life chocolate chips, which are sold at many stores, and online. They’re also allergy-friendly. See our Dairy-Free Chocolate Chips Guide for more options.
Special Diet Notes: Vegan Brownies
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder (increase to ¾ cup for even more chocolaty)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup dairy-free chocolate chips (I use mini chips)
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF and grease and flour a 13x9-inch baking pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. Whisking in the center to create a well in the ingredients.
- Add the water, oil, and vanilla to the well in your dry ingredients, and whisk the wet ingredients while incorporating the dry ingredients, until smooth. Do not overmix.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Scrape the batter into your prepared pan.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center of the brownies comes out clean.
- Let the brownies cool before cutting.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of days, but I prefer to refrigerate or freeze them.
For More Dairy-Free Recipes, Get Go Dairy Free!
9 Comments
Wow, these are so good! They looked a little cakey at first, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but they are so moist and rich! Thanks for the recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Marie!
My mum has so many allergies that it’s hard to find a good dessert for her but these brownies are not only tasty but are a perfect way to show appreciation to your parents!
So happy to hear this Chloe!
i tried this recipe, best thing i have ever tasted!
i have a 22cm square baking pan will this be ok? x
I think that’s equivalent to an 8×8-inch baking pan, so you would want to cut the recipe in half.
I haven’t made these yet, but they sound so good! I will definitely be sharing these!
Thank you!