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 8x8 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 Pyrex 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
When you’re craving chocolate brownies, you must make this Easy Vegan Brownies Recipe. They are thick and cake-like with loads of chocolate flavor.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (58 g) pureed avocado, about half of 1 large avocado
- ¼ cup (60 ml) melted coconut oil
- 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.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 78Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 147mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 1g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the values shown are just an estimate.
Adapted from Gimme Some Oven
Andrea says
Just came across this recipe a few days ago and made it tonight and WOW WOW WOW!! I freakin love them. My husband had some and even he was floored by how good these brownies were. Fantastic recipe. I did use some almond flour in place of 1/4 of the all purpose flour. Super fluffy. Def going into my favorites.
Jen Sobjack says
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the brownies, Andrea!
Jenny says
Made these with banana instead
Of avocado. Added choc chips and walnuts. So yum!
Perfect. Easy impromptu recipe.
Jen Sobjack says
Banana sounds like a fabulous option! So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
morgan says
AMAZING! i did change a few things like using almond flour, using both avacado and a bannana, and adding walnuts and chcolate chips. Even though i added alot to the recipe it was so tasty and my entire family loved it. It was slighly mushier than the pictures but as I read in the comments that may be because of the almond flour. Great recipe!
Julia S. says
Rich. Moist. Chocolaty. Definitely the kind of brownie that goes with Ice Cream! Followed the basic recipe - no fancy add-ins other than Enjoy Life mini chipes, and it turned out very well - as described - kind of like a square, not too dense. I would say texture almost melts in your mouth, like moist cake. Next time, I will divide into mini-muffin tin as two-bite brownies to freeze as on-hand desserts.
Jennifer Sobjack says
Right! I love these so much. And mini bite-sized brownies sound like a wonderful idea!
Victoria says
I'd like to make these for my friends but I'm unsure how to store them- would they need to go in the fridge? Thanks!
Jen Sobjack says
The brownies will stay fresh for up to 3 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Denise says
I stored them in fridge for up to 5 days.
Jen Sobjack says
Great! Thanks for sharing!
Sarah says
The taste is fantastic! I used Almond Flour instead of Regular Flour. They turned out more on the running side. I'll make them again & try using just regular flour. I paired my brownie with some vegan ice cream! Delicious!
Jen Sobjack says
Almond flour isn't the same as regular flour so I can see why the brownies were runny. If you are wanting a gluten-free option, you can try a gluten-free flour like Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Baking Flour.
Tara says
This is such a great recipe! I recently tried them again using applesauce in place of the avocado since that is what I had on hand.
I was wondering if I would be able to make this recipe for layered brownies. Do you think a thin layer of spiced pumpkin puree would bake in between the two layers? Or a sweetened tahini layer? I have never made layered brownies before so I was wondering if you would be able to give me some feedback.
Thanks,
Tara
Jen Sobjack says
Hi Tara! I'm so glad you like the recipe. I haven't tried layering these brownies so I can't say for sure how it would work. I fear they may not bake up properly because the texture is softer than a traditional brownie.
Lynsie says
So this looked so GOOD and easy... i had to make them right away. And with the simple ingredient i had everything on hand. The turned out amazing!!!! And my family love them as well! I will be making these again!
Jen Sobjack says
Woohoo! That's great to hear!
Katie says
I was wondering if honey would work in place of the sugar? These sound delicious I have all of the ingredients except the sugar. Thanks!
Jen Sobjack says
I've never tried making the brownies with honey. Honey is syrupy and I'm afraid it would ruin the texture of the brownie.
Virginie says
A BIG BIG thank you!!!
Perfection if brownies... i just changed one thing, because i make my own milk (coco, spelt, nuts or almond) i switched half of the flour by the coconut okara of the morning milk...
Perfection is the word!!!!!
And the kids ate it without noticing anything
Virginie says
Hi Jen!
I am Virginie, from belgium... full Time four boy's mom and trying to "veganize" them the better i can!
Not easy to make males Forget about meat, fat and donutS!
But i hang on and dont let anything go..
(Hope my english is not too bad to understand!)
So, i have avocados (like all year in my kitchen because i love them, but they (kids AND huby) hate it.. ^^
I am juste waiting for the Time They go out for a walk, and the baby is asleep and i Will give your brownies a try..
So They dont See what is inside and They will probably love it 10x more then if i introduce it as: avocado brownies..
Ha ha ha (i am evil)
Will let you know if They ate it or not!
Jen Sobjack says
I hope they enjoy the brownies!
Virginie says
Ohhhh yesssss They did!
It was really good!
Monica says
Hi I made vegan brownies for my class we had a nutrition day everyone loved them they were demolished. This recipe is a keeper. Love the simplicity of the recipe.
Ashley Steele says
I've made these before and love them so much. However, I'm trying a keto-ish diet now and wonder if you think granulated monk fruit or stevia could work in place of sugar? Please let me know, or if you have any favorite low-sugar recipes! 🙂 Thank you!
Jen Sobjack says
I don't specialize in low-sugar recipes so I'm not too sure what would work best. I've never used granulated monk fruit and stevia is okay but you need to use significantly less than the recipe calls for.
Sasha says
Can you use regular coconut milk if you don't have canned?
Jen Sobjack says
I don't recommend it. Regular coconut milk is too watered down.
Alexandra says
These weren't bad at all! I didn't have coconut sugar on me so instead I used organic cane sugar. I also added some water and a little more avocado because my batter ended up being really thick. At first I was nervous for the results, but they came out pretty good! Because of my tweak, they took a lot longer to cook and even when I finally took them out of the oven they were extremely rich and fudgy. But I'm not complaining! Pretty good recipe for not-too-bad-for-you brownies. I'd make them again.
Sasha says
Is this supposed to be really thick and dough like after you have mixed all the ingredients together? Mine wasn't a smooth consistency and I had to really spread it in the pan with some arm strength. It is baking now so I'm a little nervous as to how it will turn out ?
Jen Sobjack says
I mean, it shouldn't require arm strength to spread in the pan. It sounds like you used too much flour. Refer to my "How to Measure Flour" post to see how to achieve the best results for every recipe on this site.
cathy says
Same here! I measured the flour correctly, but the batter was still really thick. I added a little more coconut milk to thin it out a bit. I checked them after 15 minutes in the oven, but the center hadn't set at all so I just popped them back in. It ended up being 30 minutes until they were fully baked through. They came out really moist and were delicious. I think mine had more of a cake-like consistency than a brownie consistency, but I think that makes this a more versatile recipe. I would definitely make them again and even experiment with different toppings or a vegan icing.
Marie says
Mine was the same, maybe some water needed to be added??:/