Fudgy Vegan Chocolate Brownies

These vegan chocolate brownies are made without eggs, butter or dairy, using a flax egg, applesauce and a triple hit of cocoa, melted chocolate and chocolate chips. The result is a crackly top, chewy edges and a fudgy centre. They take about 45 minutes start to finish and make 16 brownies from a single 8-inch tray.

Zoom in a pile of tasty homemade vegan chocolate brownies served on a beautiful serving plate.

Brownies from a box mix, usually with Ghirardelli chocolate, were a fixture in our house growing up, and my mother made the best ones going. Two brownies were served on a pile of two beige plates and another two on a creased grey tablecloth with a jar of chocolate chips spread across the table, and there was always leftover batter in the bowl that my siblings and I made short work of.

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I went vegan in my second year of college, and it took plenty of trial and error, working around the missing eggs, butter and oil, before I landed on the version below.

Vegan Chocolate Brownies

Why Do These Brownies Taste So Chocolatey?

These brownies feature a robust 3X amount of chocolate in three forms:

-Cocoa powder

-Melted chocolate chips

-Whole chocolate chips are added last to the mix, just before they hit the oven.

The more chocolate goodness these contain, the better for me. I have found the perfect sweet spot.

What Texture Do These Brownies Have?

There are some other perks that I absolutely dig about these sweet babies, besides being super delicious and vegan.

1. Their upper top has a crunchy and crackly crust that is nearly a must for all brownies. Soft and chewy tops that resemble a cake are not my cup of tea and you won’t find anything of this type here.
2. The second thing that I love about these are the edges, which I know it sounds weird but they are something I always look forward to trying because they are delish and crunchy (they are more exposed to oven’s heat compared to the middle parts).
3. Last but not least, the fudgy and rich centre of heaven. I’m also a centre fan and so it’s hard for me to resist these, I want a full pan for myself. It’s so worth sparing a second to give these a shout-out as the centres are rich, fudgy, chewy and I can’t resist because they are perfect.

I’ve made these many times, and they are the best vegan brownies I make. You will not notice the butter and eggs are missing.

What Replaces the Eggs and Butter?

A flax egg (ground flax seed mixed with water) stands in for the egg, and applesauce and vegan butter or margarine take the place of dairy butter. Together with the oil-free batter method, that keeps the whole recipe dairy and egg-free while still giving a rich, fudgy result.

The Best Vegan Brownies Ever

Preparation time: 15 min, Cooking Time: 30 min. Total cooking time: 45 minutes, Servings: 16 brownies

DESCRIPTION:

These are the top vegan brownies here, a 3X dose of chocolate that will surely satisfy all your longings for chocolate. A crunchy crust and a liquid fudge-like centre packed with chopped walnuts and chocolate chips.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup whole wheat flour (for pastry)
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp flax seed, ground
• ⅔ cup chocolate chips plus an extra ½ cup, split
• ¼ cup + 3 tbsp water, separated
• 7 tbsp cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp applesauce
• 3 tbsp vegan butter or margarine
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¾ tsp salt
• 3 tbsp applesauce
• 1 ½ cup coconut or vegan sugar (in granules)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat your oven at 350F/175C and line an 8X8” baking tray with parchment paper. Keep aside.
2. In a medium bowl mix in all the flour types, baking soda, and salt. In another smaller bowl, mix the flaxseeds and the water to make an egg-like mixture and deserve.
3. Mix the ⅔ cup chocolate chips, cocoa, margarine, apple sauce and ¼ cup water in a big microwavable bowl. Don’t worry about mixing them heavily, just toss them together.
4. Microwave in 30-sec increments until the chocolate is nearly melted, whisking well between each part. The total time should take up to 2 minutes. Once the chocolate is melted, you may notice some small bits of unmelted chocolate here and there but this is fine. Mix in the sure and whisk well. Finally, add the flax mixture and the vanilla extract and whisk well until there are no lumps left.
5. Incorporate the flour mixture to the chocolate mix and stir using a large spoon. The mixture may be quite dense and thick at this point. Add in the chocolate chips and walnuts (optionally) and place the mixture into your lined baking pan. Even out the surface with a large spoon or spatula and press to cover all corners.
6. Bake in the oven for 28-20 minutes or until you insert a stick in the centre and it comes out clean. Allow cooling on a wire rack for min. 15 minutes before serving. Avoid serving and eating them all at once.

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