These vegan gluten-free brownies are everything you could want from a brownie. Decadent and rich, with a gooey fudgy center and intense chocolate flavor. You would never guess that they're both vegan and gluten-free.
I've been testing these ones relentlessly lately to bring them to the next level, and the results are the most amazing vegan brownie recipe, they are truly one of the best brownie recipes I've tried!
What to expect from this recipe
- Fudgy, gooey, and delicious
- Gluten-free and made using ground almonds (or almond flour)
- Eggless and dairy-free
- Easy to make, with a simple recipe that anyone can make
- Guaranteed crowd-pleaser
Ingredients needed
Notes about the ingredients
- Dark chocolate: Make sure you use a good quality vegan dark chocolate, this is the main ingredient for your gluten-free brownies. And the flavor will shine through in these brownies. I recommend chocolate with at least 70% cocoa content.
- Vegan butter: These gluten-free brownies call for vegan block butter, not the spreadable kind. I usually grab flora plant butter as it's readily available in most supermarkets.
- Brown sugar: I use a 50:50 ratio of soft brown sugar and light muscovado sugar. The light muscovado sugar adds a deep caramel flavor and both sugars add moisture to the brownies. You can use one or the other depending on what you have to hand. You can also use coconut sugar, but I have found that doesn't make them quite as moist.
- Unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder: Not to be confused with raw cacao powder. Dutch-processed cocoa powder is alkalized, making it less acidic which helps get that intense chocolate flavor and dark color we’re going for in these fudgy brownies.
- Ground almonds: I've tried these brownies with a few different flours but I found ground almonds to yield the best results. You can also use almond flour, I usually find ground almonds to be much cheaper to buy though!
- Almond milk: You can any plant-based milk of choice for these vegan brownies, just make sure it's unsweetened. I love to use unsweetened vanilla almond milk.
- Milled flaxseeds: Ground flax seeds are mixed together with water to make flax eggs which act as an egg replacer for these brownies.
- Baking powder: Since this is an eggless brownie recipe, the baking powder acts as a leavening agent. The recipe doesn't call for much leavening, as these brownies are supposed to be fudgy and not cakey.
- Vanilla extract: This adds another layer of flavor to the brownies as well as enhances their sweetness.
- Sea salt: A pinch of salt helps to balance the sweetness, it also enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Vegan chocolate chips: These are completely optional, but recommended for an extra layer of chocolatey goodness. Feel free to go for unsweetened chocolate drops as these vegan brownies are already sweet enough as they are.
How to make gluten-free vegan brownies
(Full ingredient quantities and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post)
First, melt together the fats (the chocolate and vegan butter). It's best to do this using the double-boiler method, otherwise known as a "bain-marie". I always use this method for melting chocolate as it prevents the chocolate from burning.
Once the chocolate and butter have melted, whisk in the sugars and remaining wet ingredients (light muscovado sugar, light brown sugar, flax eggs, vanilla extract, and almond milk).
Next, add all of the dry ingredients to a separate large bowl (ground almonds, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt). Whisk them until evenly mixed before adding in the wet ingredients.
Now use a spatula to gently fold the ingredients together to form the brownie batter. Be careful not to overmix the batter.
Add the thick batter to a square pan lined with parchment paper, and top it with vegan chocolate drops if you're using them.
Bake the brownies for 30-35 minutes, until the edges appear baked and the top of the brownies starts to become crackly. You can also check they are done by inserting a skewer which should come out almost clean.
Expert tips
- Cool brownies before cutting them: Allow the brownies to come to room temperature before attempting to cut them to avoid crumbling. Chilling them for between an hour or up to a day works wonders as well as the vegan butter and chocolate will firm up when refrigerated, allowing you to cut perfect brownies.
- Use a hot sharp knife: To get nice clean cuts, make sure you use an ultra-sharp knife. Heat the knife by dunking the blade into boiled water and wipe clean with a cloth between each cut.
- Don't open the oven door during baking: Try not to be tempted to open the oven door for at least the first 25 minutes of baking. Opening the oven door will cause heat to escape and your brownies will likely sink in the middle.
How to serve fudgy brownies
These fudgy vegan gluten-free brownies taste AMAZING just as they are. But if you're serving them up as a dessert or fancy taking them to the next level I recommend adding a scoop of dairy-free ice cream and some vegan caramel sauce.
They're especially delicious paired with homemade rum raisin ice cream and salted caramel sauce. Or if you're a fan of pistachios why not try a scoop of creamy dairy-free pistachio ice cream.
Frequently asked questions
Usually, that's because an egg replacer wasn't used or the brownies were still warm when you tried to cut them.
Overmixing brownies will incorporate more air into the batter making them cakey rather than fudgy.
Yes, although I have not personally tried this some readers have subbed them out with great success!
No, this recipe calls for vegan butter as it behaves differently. Other oils won't set properly and could give you super oily brownies.
These brownies will store well for up to a week at room temperature in an airtight container. You can keep them in the fridge for a more set solid consistency.
More vegan brownies + bars
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Description
Ingredients
- 2 (2) flax eggs, (milled flaxseed with water) see notes
- 120 g (4.2 oz) vegan dark chocolate
- 100 g (3.5 oz) vegan block butter
- 75 g (⅓ cup) soft brown sugar, sub with extra light muscovado sugar
- 75 g (⅓ cup) light muscovado sugar, sub with extra soft brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- 70 ml (2.5 oz) unsweetened almond milk, or other plant-based milk
- 120 g (1 cup) ground almonds, or almond flour
- 60 g (⅔ cup) unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch processed
- 1 teaspoon (1 tsp) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (½ tsp) sea salt
- 70 g (2.5 oz) vegan chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (356°F). Line an 8x8" square pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Finely chop the chocolate and add it to a heat-resistant bowl along with the vegan butter. Place the bowl on top of a saucepan that is about ¼ ways filled with simmering water (bain-marie). Stir the chocolate and butter with a rubber spatula every so often to melt it evenly.
- Once melted, add the flax eggs, light brown sugar, light muscovado sugar, vanilla extract, and almond milk to the bowl with the melted chocolate and butter. Mix well to combine.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the ground almonds, cocoa powder, baking powder, and sea salt. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and use a spatula to fold everything together until you have a smooth batter. Be careful not to over-mix.
- Gently spread the brownie batter into the base of the tin. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top (if using).
- Bake for 30-35 minutes. To check they're ready, insert a toothpick or skewer, it should come out with a few crumbs on it but not have a tonne of batter.
- Allow the brownies to cool completely for 30 minutes to an hour before cutting them into servings.
Notes
- Flax eggs: To make 2 flax eggs simply mix 2 tablespoons milled flaxseed with 5 tablespoons water, stir and allow to sit for 5 minutes. This will act as a binding agent for the ingredients.
Nutrition
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