These are the perfect vegan brownies! They have no added oil and are wholegrain, making them a healthy treat for dessert or a snack. The brownies are sweet and fudgy and get chewier as they stand. And they are super chocolatey!
You might also like these recipes for vegan breakfast brownies and vegan low-carb brownies.
These are the most scrumptious and fudgy vegan brownies you'll ever make and eat, guaranteed, and they're both whole wheat and oil free.
I posted this vegan brownie recipe more than 10 years ago, and it soon became a family favorite as well as a favorite for several readers who wrote to say they had made it and loved it.
It still amazes me that healthy vegan brownies with no added oil can turn out so delicious, and these are not just delicious--they are mindblowingly so. You can put away your vegan butter and vegetable oil and coconut oil while making these. Although keep in mind that they are oil-free but not fat-free, because they do contain walnuts and flax eggs made with flaxmeal, but those are healthy fats.
There's also a good amount of healthfulness here from the whole wheat and natural sugars, making these brownies pretty outrageously good for you.
I have made a couple of tweaks to this vegan brownie recipe since I last posted it. I upped the amount of maple syrup from two tablespoons to four, because I now have a little one and his sweet tooth to please. Use less if you want to, and you'll still get a great-tasting brownie. You can also just use all maple syrup instead of the sugar.
Even with more maple syrup, these vegan chocolate brownies are not cloyingly sweet. If you want an additional hit of chocolate, stir ½ cup of bittersweet chocolate chips in the batter.
The brownies themselves are fudgy when you eat them rightaway, and get chewier as they stand. They make the perfect snack, so be sure to pack one -- or two -- in your child's lunchbox or your own. Then come back and tell me if these aren't the best vegan brownies you ever made and ate!
Why you'll love this recipe
- Oil-free, yet moist and tender.
- Delicious without being cloyingly sweet. This'll become one of your favorite vegan brownie recipes, if not THE favorite.
- Made with whole wheat.
- They're super chocolatey and you can make them even more so!
- Kids'll love them. You can even bake these homemade vegan brownies together for some family fun together.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup flour. I used whole wheat pastry flour in this recipe, which I love here. But you can substitute unbleached all purpose flour or use a mix of half all purpose and half whole wheat flour. (For brownies made with gluten free flour check out this vegan gluten free brownies recipe. It's absolutely yummy!)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder. Try and use Dutch process cocoa powder.
- 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules. This is optional, but coffee really enhances the chocolate flavor.
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons water
- ¾ cup sugar. Use any sugar, including turbinado sugar or cane sugar or brown sugar.
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp flaxmeal (whisked with 3 tablespoon water to make one flax egg)
- ½ cup walnuts (lightly toasted and coarsely chopped). Or, for even more chocolatey flavor, stir in half cup vegan chocolate chips. Or add an equal amount of peanut butter chips, which would be awesome!
- Chocolate sprinkles (optional)
How to make vegan brownies
- Prepare the baking pan: Prepare an 8 X 8-inch baking pan by lining it with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Leave an overhang on each side of the pan so you can easily lift the brownies out after they are baked. Spray the parchment or foil with non-stick cooking spray.
- Sift dry ingredients: This includes the flour, coffee, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Sift into a mixing bowl and set aside.
- Mix wet ingredients: In another large mixing bowl mix the maple syrup, water, sugar, flaxmeal mixture, and vanilla extract. Whisk together until well mixed.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients: Add the flour-cocoa mixture to this in 3 batches, mixing well after each addition using a ladle or spatula.
- Stir in the walnuts. The batter will be really thick but that's fine.
- Pour batter into prepared pan: Using a spatula or the back of a spoon, spread evenly in the pan. At this point, you can sprinkle some chocolate sprinkles over the top for a nice finish.
- Bake the vegan brownies: Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool thoroughly. Cool the brownies on a rack. Once they are cool lift the brownies from the pan using the foil overhang as handles, and cut into squares. If you didn't use chocolate sprinkles, you can dust on powdered sugar for a pretty finish.
Try these vegan dessert recipes next
- Vegan Chocolate Oreo Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream
- Chocolate Cherry Muffins
- Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe card
Vegan Brownies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup flour (whole wheat pastry flour or can sub with unbleached all purpose flour or a mixture of half whole wheat and half APF)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup cocoa powder (try and use Dutch cocoa powder)
- 2 teaspoon instant coffee granules (optional, but coffee really enhances the chocolate flavor)
- 4 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon water
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon flaxmeal (whisked with 3 tablespoon water to make one flax egg)
- ½ cup walnuts (lightly toasted and coarsely chopped)
- Chocolate sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Sift all the dry ingredients, including the flour, coffee, cocoa, baking soda and salt, into a bowl and set aside.
- In another bowl mix together the maple syrup, water, sugar, flaxmeal mixture, and vanilla extract. Whisk together until well mixed.
- Add the flour-cocoa mixture to this in 3 batches, mixing well after each addition using a ladle or spatula.
- Stir in the walnuts. The batter will be really thick.
- Prepare an 8 X 8-inch baking pan by lining it with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Leave an overhang on each side of the pan so you can easily lift the brownies out after they are baked. Spray the parchment or foil with non-stick cooking spray.
- Pour the batter in and, using a spatula or the back of a spoon, spread evenly in the pan. At this point, you can sprinkle some chocolate sprinkles over the top for a nice finish.
- Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool thoroughly on a rack. Lift out the brownies using the foil overhang as handles, and cut into squares. If you didn't use chocolate sprinkles, you can dust on some powdered sugar for a pretty finish.
Nutrition Information
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Shalini says
hi, i live in india and maple syrup is so expensive here. any ideas on how i can substitute it? thank you 🙂
Vaishali says
Use sugar. An unrefined sugar would be better, but regular sugar is just as good tastewise, albeit not as good for you.
caleb says
At first just two tablespoons of water didn't work. I had to use 6. It just was not mixing, went on for 30 minutes before adding water lol. But they came out amazing and perfect! Very affordable and healthy recipe.
Ace says
My kitchen smells heavenly right now, these are awesome and very easy to make!
Priti says
Hi. Was wondering if I could sub whole wheat flour with rice flour for a less gooey texture. Thanks
Vaishali says
There is no gooiness in this dessert, so not sure what you mean by that, and subbing rice flour would prob make the brownie too tender.
Priti says
Thanks for replying . Thought rice flour would make the cake less dense is what I meant
Vaishali says
If you're looking for a chocolate cake recipe, you could try my vegan chocolate cupcakes or my chocolate orange bundt cake. This is a brownie, so it will be a little dense. Hope that helps.
vanessa says
What if you double recipe and add to 13x9 pan, what would you recommend for oven time?
Vaishali says
The same! But do the toothpick test to be sure before you take them out.
Erika says
Loved this, what an awesome recipe!!
I nearly doubled the cocoa powder, used 7-8 softened pureed dates instead of sugar, and added a half cup of fresh pitted cherries. Also a quarter cup of chocolate chips, and the walnuts, and some toasted shredded coconut.
But the real game changer was the packet of instant coffee I added - best idea ever! Thank you so much!
Served with banana nicecream (flavored with cherries and cocoa powder). Couldn't possibly be more satisfied 🙂
Ann says
Amazing! Made these for my boyfriend for valentines because he loves brownies but doesn’t like to eat a lot of fat. I didn’t have whole wheat pastry flour, so used regular whole wheat flour instead. Used pecan instead of walnuts. Wish I used decaf coffee. They kept me awake last night. ? I have tried lots of low fat brownies. These are the winners. Btw, my batter was very thin. But I just poured it into the lined pan and baked it as suggested. They are perfection!
Vaishali says
So happy you tried these Ann.
Raushan says
Luscious fat-free, vegan brownies with chocolate and coffee. Brownies are my all time favorite and love making it at home.
Aimee B. says
These actually surprised me in a good way. I usually don't care for fat-free/low fat baked goods. These turned out well and pretty tasty. I omitted the nuts to make them lower fat. I also had to bake them in a smaller pan because I didn't feel there was enough batter for an 8x8 pan. I did them in my little toaster oven roasting pan and baked them about 18 minutes. I think I'd do a minute or two less next time. Over all, I'm pleased and will make them again. 🙂
Denise says
Holy Cow! So good...crispy top, moist inside, perfect degree of sweetness. I skipped the walnuts and used vegan chocolate chips 1/4 c and used parchment paper. Some of the sugar I used was maple sugar, about 1/4 c that I had left. These are the best vegan brownies I have ever had. Thank you for this recipe, a keeper once again. Hard not to eat them all this instant.
Vaishali says
So happy you tried this, Denise.
Fred Line says
I’m not very experienced with baking but I found the recipe as presented produced dough so thick as to be virtually unspreadable. I added a quarter cup or more of additional water and then it was fine. The only sugar I had was confectioner’s sugar. Could that have caused the overly thick batter? I also used dark chocolate cocoa powder. Since as a vegan I haven’t had a brownie for more than 2 years, I thought these were pretty yummy !
Jeana says
I used this recipe as a base for an egg free, oil free cookie, substituting teff flour, coconut sugar, chia sead meal and pumpkin seeds instead of the unbleached flour, white sugar, flax meal and walnuts using exact same amounts and all the other ingredients. Used all your combining recomendation tips. Spooned them onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Pressed them out with a fork like one would peanut butter cookies. Baked for nine minutes at 350 and let cool completely on the warm cookie sheet. They were very moist and delicious. Next time may add cocao nibs also. Loved the coffee flavor and rich cocoa together.....thanks for the inspiration.....
Elisa says
Hi Vaishali,
I also wanted to say "Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!"
I made these about 2 weeks ago and when I did I used Pecans, skipped the coffee, used Chia Egg instead of Flax Meal Egg and processed the nuts finely in a food processor.
This resulted in a brownie with a perfect brownie texture, moist and yummy.
They disappeared - Same day!!
On the list for this weekend!!
Aryn says
I just wanted to say thanks for this recipe (even if it was originally posted years ago, lol!). This has become my go to brownie recipe and I've honestly lost track of how many times I've made it. It is super simple, delicious, and can be made into a variety of different flavors (for example, I've done Smores brownies, peanut butter swirl brownies, frosted brownies of several varieties, chocolate-orange brownies and more using this as the base recipe). They are always a hit, with vegans and omnivores alike! ?
Heidi says
Awesome recipe! My husband adores these brownies. Can't believe they are low fat! Thank you for sharing <3
Aimee Brimmer says
I just made these today. I have to say I was skeptical because I usually don't care for fat free/low fat baked goods. These are amazing! I omitted the walnuts because I don't like nuts in my brownies, but they are perfectly fudgy and delicious. Can't wait for my husband to try them. They are definitely a keeper in my book. Thanks so much! 🙂
Maya says
So delicious!! I now have a favorite brownie recipe and it is low fat too... So great next time I will be doubling the recipe for sure though!!!
abc says
Hi Vaishali,
If I need to substitue chia seed meal for flax meal, should I use 2 tsp or 2tbsp?
Thanks
Vaishali says
Use the same amount as flax.
abc says
I will use chia seed meal instead of flax meal. That's what I have in hand. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Nicole says
Can I use applesauce instead of the sugar? Or maybe in place of the sugar and maple syrup?
Vaishali Honawar says
Hi Nicole, it won't work to substitute all of the sugar with the applesauce-- the applesauce will make it too tender and the brownies won't hold their shape.
Helen says
Oh dear, now I'm really confused. I've just read a comment above about replacing sugar and thought it was ok to go for an applesauce substitute?
X
Andrea says
Anyone have a suggestion for swapping regular coffee if I dont have instant?
Lakshmi says
I made these this morning and they turned out delicious - despite some minor changes. i'm not a great baker but this is one recipe that I will definitely add to my limited repertoire 🙂 Thank you.
Vaishali Honawar says
Lakshmi, glad they worked for you! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
Annie says
what's the calorie count on these? I have some in the oven right now and I'm on a diet (lol)
Anna says
These were delicious! Great recipe. The only fault I found was the aluminum foil; I had to peel it off of each individual brownie. I think parchment paper would've worked much better. Otherwise, perfection 🙂
Vaishali says
Anna, glad you liked them. I agree with you about the aluminum foil -- it is a problem when it enters the crevices in baked goods. I usually use parchment paper, but some readers in other countries don't find it as readily.
Vani says
Hi Vaishali,
I tried the brownies. They are amazing, I followed the recipe as is and it came out fantastic. Thanks for the great recipe
VK
Vaishali says
Vani, so happy you liked them!
Rebecca says
I made these brownies today and was shocked at how well they came out....without oil or butter. Thank you! They have the texture of a chewy brownie without making you feel the guilt. I did take a reviewer's suggestion and baked them for 18 minutes. That helped keep them moist. I also added some vegan chips and pecans, because I didn't have walnuts. These are the low fat brownies I've been looking for!
Vaishali says
Hi Rebecca, so happy you liked the brownies. I am now suddenly craving them. 🙂 Gotta make them soon.
Anonymous says
I made these and substituted about half of the sugar with agave nectar, also added a couple spoons of peanut butter - turned out great! I didn't leave them baking as long though, I took them out at about 20 minutes. Thanks so much for the great recipe!
panprinandproprin says
I can't believe these don't have any added fat to them! They look incredible!
Anonymous says
Hi Vaishali,
Thanks for this recipe! I've now tried 3 different low fat vegan brownie recipes (one with black beans that I ended up having to throw away, which really made me feel guilty) and I'm hoping these will break my unlucky streak!
However, I have two small issues; I'm diabetic, so I will have to replace the sugar with sweetener (I acknowledge that you said this will make the brownies drier, but that's fine) and I don't have flax seed - can I replace this with applesauce?
Thanks in advance!
Vaishali Honawar says
Yes, replace the flax with 1/2 cup of applesauce. In fact, if you plan to skip the sugar and substitute sweetener instead, you might want to double the applesauce. That's because sugar is considered a wet ingredient in baking, not a dry one, and the applesauce would put back some of the moisture in the recipe.
Helen says
So glad I read through the comments before asking you how best to cut back on sugar......now I know!
I have actually made the brownies already, and they were delicious. We don't get wholewheat pastry flour here in the UK so I used wholegrain spelt which worked beautifully. I like to avoid refined flour where possibles.
I will try out your idea of double applesauce no sugar next I think, or maybe try no sugar, a little extra maple syrup and a little bit more applesauce as I love the taste of maple and would be perfectly happy to sweeten entirely using that. It is never obvious how to reduce and eliminate sugar without wrecking the recipe so your suggestions were great. I happen to care more about reducing sugar than reducing fat and it would be much appreciated if you are able to tell us (when you can, and where you remember!) in your guidelines how to go about this (if you know!)
Xx