USA · Sweet Dishes

Vegan Brownies

45 min16 servings280 kcal

Fudgy, deeply chocolatey brownies made without eggs or dairy — with a thin, glossy, crackled top and a dense, squidgy center.

Vegan Brownies

Ingredients

  • dark chocolate170 g
  • vegan butter or neutral oil115 g
  • caster sugar200 g
  • light brown sugar60 g
  • ground flaxseed mixed with 6 tbsp water2 tbsp
  • vanilla extract1 tsp
  • Dutch-process cocoa powder40 g
  • plain flour100 g
  • fine salt0.5 tsp
  • dark chocolate chips100 g

Method

  1. 1Make the flax egg first. Mix 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed with 6 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Stir and set aside for at least 10 minutes. The mixture will thicken into a gel — this is what binds the brownies. While it sits, line a 20 × 20 cm (8 × 8 inch) metal baking tin with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides for easy removal. Preheat the oven to 175°C / 350°F.
  2. 2Melt chocolate and butter together. Place the chopped dark chocolate and vegan butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until completely smooth and glossy. Remove from heat. Add both sugars to the hot chocolate mixture and whisk vigorously for 60 to 90 seconds until the sugar begins to dissolve — the mixture will look thick and shiny. This step is what produces the crackled top. Don't skip it and don't rush it.
  3. 3Add wet ingredients. Let the chocolate mixture cool for 3 to 4 minutes so it's warm but not hot — you don't want to cook the flax egg when you add it. Stir in the vanilla extract and the thickened flax egg. Whisk until fully combined and the batter looks cohesive.
  4. 4Fold in dry ingredients. Sift the cocoa powder over the batter and fold in with a rubber spatula. Add the flour and salt, and fold again — gently, just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix. The less you stir at this stage the better. Fold in half of the chocolate chips. The batter will be thick.
  5. 5Bake and cool properly. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Scatter the remaining chocolate chips over the surface. Bake for 22 to 26 minutes. The edges should be set and slightly pulling away from the tin; the center should still look slightly underdone and glossy when you gently shake the pan. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with moist crumbs — not clean, not wet batter. Let the brownies cool completely in the tin, at least 45 minutes. Cutting into warm brownies produces ragged, fudgy edges rather than clean slices — patience here makes a real difference.