My version of the best vegan brownies is as follows: thick, dense, rich, fudgy, coincidentally vegan (i.e. no special vegan substitutions or unusual ingredients for the average baker) and easy to throw together on a weeknight.
These brownies deliver on all of the above, with the added bonus of being made entirely in 1 bowl. Actually, it’s not even a bowl. It’s a small pot, that you use to melt the chocolate on the stove with, and continue to just add all of the ingredients right there in the pot.
The batter can be made in as much time as it takes to preheat to oven (!!), and I really think they’d fool anyone skeptical of eating a brownie that’s vegan. There’s nothing weird or different about them at all. They’re a classic brownie, albeit one made with some higher quality ingredients than your standard boxed mix, but not one that’s trying to be healthier or made with alternative ingredients.
Let’s make them!
what’s in these brownies?
chocolate chips. I always keep these fair trade/organic dark chocolate chips in my pantry- they’re my go-to for all baking projects, including these brownies! The chocolate chips get melted and form the fudgy base of the brownies.
coconut oil. I use virgin coconut oil and never detect any coconut flavor whatsoever in these brownies, but if you’re super sensitive to the flavor of coconut, try using refined coconut oil to guarantee there’s zero coconut flavor.
coconut sugar. This less refined sugar from the coconut palm tree is one of my go-tos for baking. It has a slightly less sweet flavor compared to regular cane sugar, and a rich caramel flavor similar to brown sugar. If you don’t have it, organic brown or cane sugar would both work just fine here!
water. I first tested these with almond milk, but honestly don’t think there’s any difference when just using water. Water is essential as we’ll use it to dissolve the sugar, which helps give brownies their fudgy texture and shiny top!
vanilla extract + salt. to help balance and enhance the flavor of the brownies.
all-purpose or white whole wheat flour. I love baking with this local, freshly milled, stone ground organic all-purpose flour. It has the soft texture of all-purpose but with the fiber and nutrients of whole wheat, which is honestly just the best of both worlds. Regular all-purpose or white whole wheat would work well here, too! See recipe notes for some gluten-free options, if needed.
cocoa powder. for an added boost of rich, intense chocolate flavor, and a bit more structure in the brownies.
baking powder. just a little, to help them rise in the oven!
how to make the best vegan brownies
Here’s the very best part about this entire recipe: we don’t even dirty a mixing bowl to make the batter. Just a small pot is all you need.
First, the sugar and water get heated in the pot until the sugar dissolved. Then, off the heat, the coconut oil and chocolate chips are stirred in until melted.
All of the remaining ingredients (salt, vanilla, flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder) are dumped directly into the pot and stirred to combine.
The batter gets poured into a pan, sprinkled with an extra handful of chocolate chips, and baked for just 20 minutes to maintain the maximum level of fudgey-ness.
To get the cleanest cuts (aka not have them fall apart right away), you’ll need to let these brownies cool completely before serving. I sometimes pop them in the freezer to speed up the process if there’s room in there!
I also wouldn’t mind a warm, still-gooey brownie scooped from the pan in a messy heap if it got topped with a scoop of ice cream…just saying.
If you’re a brownie lover, these super simple fudgy vegan brownies are going to become one of your new favorites!! Pro tip: if this batch is bigger than your family needs, cube up a few of the leftover brownies and store in a container in the freezer. Then, just pull out for easy ice cream toppers whenever a craving hits!
If you make them, be sure to let me know how they turn out! Leave a comment below, or take a picture of the best fudgy vegan brownies and share it with me on Instagram so I can see!
The Best Fudgy Vegan Brownies (1-bowl!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut sugar or organic brown sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup virgin coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 cup all-purpose or white whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup additional chocolate chips, to sprinkle on top optional, but yum
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
- Place a small pot on the stove over medium-low heat. Add sugar and water to the pot, and stir until warmed and sugar is dissolved (about 5 minutes).
- Remove from heat and add chocolate chips and coconut oil, stirring until melted.
- Add all remaining brownie ingredients (vanilla, salt, flour, cocoa, baking powder) and stir to combine.
- Pour batter into prepared pan, scraping any excess from the pot, and spreading into a thin even layer. Top with additional chocolate chips, if desired.
- Bake for 20 minutes, at which point the brownies should still look very soft in the middle, and just set around the edges. Do not bake any longer, or the brownies will become cakey and dry once cooled as opposed to fudgy.
- Let cool completely in the pan before cutting and serving.