Easy Vegan Brownies
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This recipe for easy vegan brownies is perfect when you’re craving chocolate brownies. They are thick and cake-like with loads of chocolate flavor.
Made with avocado, coconut sugar, coconut milk, and coconut oil, these vegan brownies will completely blow you away.
These brownies are not fudgy like my easy brownie recipe. Instead, they are moist and cakey. But they are full of chocolate flavor and taste amazingly delicious.
My husband knocked back several in one sitting. He said they were the best brownies he’s ever had.
He had no idea the brownies lacked eggs and butter. And he was shocked to learn avocado was an ingredient.
Even I didn’t know eating vegan could taste so delicious.
Let’s see how to make them! Or scroll to the very bottom to get the full, printable recipe.
Ingredients for vegan brownies:
To make these easy vegan brownies, you will need just a handful of pantry ingredients:
- Avocado: You need about half of one avocado.
- Coconut oil: Or any other oil that’s mild in flavor.
- Flour: Use regular all-purpose. You can make these gluten-free by using a 1-to1 baking blend like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Baking Flour. Other gluten-free flours will not work.
- Cocoa powder: Or you can use unsweetened cacao.
- Coconut sugar: I stuck with the coconut theme here but you can use any unrefined sugar you wish.
- Baking soda: To help the brownies rise.
- Salt: To balance the flavors.
- Coconut milk: I love the silky texture of canned coconut milk but refrigerated coconut milk will work just as well.
Feel free to get creative and mix in some of these for texture:
- Vegan chocolate chips or chunks: Stir some through the batter and sprinkle some on top of the batter. YUM!
- Flaked coconut: You can’t go wrong with this since there’s already a coconut theme here.
- Chopped nuts: Mix them through the batter and sprinkle some over the top. You could also combine them with the chocolate chips/chunks.
- All the above: Combine chocolate chips, Flaked coconut, and chopped nuts for the ultimate brownie!
To bake these brownies you’ll need:
- 8-inch pan: I baked these brownies in an 8×8 pan that I found in TJ Max. I don’t have a product link for that one but I also own this one from USA Bakeware and it works well.
- Muffin Pan: Alternatively, you can bake these vegan brownies in a regular muffin pan sprayed with nonstick spray.
- Mixing bowl: These glass bowls are my favorite. I use them regularly.
- Whisk: Oxo 11-inch balloon whisk is a great brand. I have this from them.
How to make vegan brownies:
This recipe is so easy! All you need to do is…
- Combine the avocado and oil. Mash the avocado or puree it in a blender then whisk it with the coconut oil until they are very well combined.
- Whisk in the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, salt, and coconut milk. Just dump everything into the bowl with the avocado mixture and whisk it until everything is combined.
- Transfer the batter to the pan. Use a silicone spatula to spread the batter evenly into the bottom of the pan. The batter will be very thick.
- Bake. Bake the brownies for about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. You can underbake them ever so slightly to get a fudgier texture.
Switch it up:
If you like to experiment, here are a few ways you can adapt this recipe…
- Add almond butter: Whisk ½ cup of creamy almond butter with avocado and coconut oil.
- Add espresso powder: To enhance the chocolate flavor, stir in 1 teaspoon of espresso powder when you add the cocoa powder.
- Add cinnamon and cayenne: You can make these brownies taste like Mexican hot chocolate by adding 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
- Add mashed banana: Use ¼ cup of mashed banana in place of the mashed avocado.
- Make them gluten-free: Use a 1-to-1 substitute like this one from Bob’s Red Mill.
How long do vegan brownies last?
Freshly baked vegan brownies will keep for up to 3 days stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
Why make vegan brownies with avocado?
When you omit the egg and butter from brownies, you run into an issue with the brownies being too dry. Avocado, coconut oil, and canned coconut milk solved the moisture issue, making these the best vegan brownies ever.
More vegan recipes you’ll love
Easy Vegan Brownies
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (58 g) pureed avocado, about half of 1 large avocado
- ¼ cup (60 g) coconut oil, melted
- 1 cup (130 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (43 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ cup (113 g) coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (180 ml) canned coconut milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil and mist lightly with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk the avocado and coconut oil together until smooth. Whisk in the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, salt, and coconut milk until well combined.
- Spread the batter evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool brownies completely in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into squares and serve. The brownies will stay fresh for up to 3 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
- If you want less of a cake-like brownie, try underbaking them slightly. This will make the brownies fudgy in texture.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided is for convenience and as a courtesy only. It is not guaranteed to be accurate because nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator and input the exact ingredients and brands you used in the recipe.
Adapted from Gimme Some Oven
These are the ones! After trying several recipes & being disappointed b/c they are too fudgy (I have an aversion of food that is undercooked/seems raw) I was looking for a cake like recipe. These came out perfect! I subbed vegan white sugar b/c I have a lot of it and added walnuts. I will definitely be making these again.
Thank you so much for trying out the recipe! I’m so happy you enjoyed them.
I have made these numerous times and they are so delicious! It’s my go-to brownie recipe & the first thing I want to make when I have a leftover avocado. Thank you for such a great recipe!
I use cacao powder instead of cocoa powder for a more intense flavor. I’ve struggled with the order of mixing ingredients. I often ended up with green polka dots in my brownies because the avocado didn’t mix well with the powdered ingredients. I’ve realized if I start mixing in the liquid ingredients first, then adding the flour & cacao powder last, I have better results. I typically use 1/2 cup sugar as well.
Thank you so much for your recipe! I tried it and it was amazing! This is my go-to brownie recipe now! For the brownies, I just used 2/4 sugar as I don’t want it too sweet and I folded in chocolate chips and walnuts. I used regular milk too even though I have canned coconut milk coz I don’t know how it will taste. (Not much a fan of coconuts!) And it was the best cakey browny I’ve ever tasted. It tasted homemade so much and not the commercial ones. Love it! 5 stars! Oh and I baked mine roughly 25 mins 🙂
Hi! Does the type of flour matter? I tried using coconut flour twice and the consistency at the end of mixing the batter is very thick and heavy. Today I tried adding more milk but I still can’t achieve the consistency of the video. Is there a trick or something I’m missing? Thank you!!
The recipe calls for all-purpose flour. Coconut flour alone will not work. The only gluten-free flour that will work is a blended flour made specifically as a 1-to-1 swap for regular flour.
What will the finished cooked brownies be like from using coconut flour?
The brownies will not hold together and will most likely crumble apart since coconut flour doesn’t contain gluten. Other changes to the recipe may need to be made.