These are the BEST Vegan Gluten Free Brownies. Healthier, flourless brownies are packed with dark chocolate flavor, are fudgy in the center, and extra chewy around the edges.
Contents
Flourless, Vegan Gluten Free Brownies
You can tell a lot about a person by how they like their brownies.
- Chewy, or cakey?
- With nuts, or without?
- Deep dark chocolate, or on the sweeter side?
I’m complicated. Dark, fudgy, chewy brownies with nuts for me, please! And there isn’t a close 2nd. It’s an all or nothing thing.
Bonus points: These brownies are good for you! They are made from wholesome, nutrient-dense ingredients, and are low in sugar.
Instead of almond flour brownies, these are made with almond butter, which gives them an extra fudgy center.
Ground flax seed (flax meal) is used as an egg replacer to keep these vegan and gluten free!
I love that even with the healthier swaps, these turn out glossy with a crackly top and crunchy edges like traditional brownies. They truly are the best vegan brownies.
No black beans, no oat flour, no gluten-free flour – these brownies have more nutrient dense, lower carb ingredients. And definitely no xanthan gum required.
If you’re looking for another vegan brownie recipe, also try these Raw Vegan Peppermint Brownies.
Ingredients to Gather
- Almond Butter (No sugar added – just almonds in that jar! Cashew butter is a great sub.)
- Dark Chocolate Chips (or sugar free chocolate chips, or a chopped dark chocolate bar)
- Flax Meal
- Cacao Powder (raw cacao is my preferred choice, but a natural cocoa powder works too. A dutch process cocoa powder will give these the lightest chocolate flavor.)
- Arrowroot Powder (can sub tapioca flour)
- Strong Coffee
- Maple Syrup
- Coconut Sugar (sub brown sugar, or a sugar substitute, like monk fruit sweetener or allulose)
- Avocado Oil
- Vanilla Extract
- Sea Salt & Baking Soda
- Walnuts (optional)
How to Make Fudgy Vegan Brownies
These flourless brownies are made with a base of almond butter. The dough is incredible thick and rich, so instead of trying to hand mix these, it’s best to use a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, a hand mixer and a large bowl will work!
Step 1: Combine the flax meal and the coffee in a bowl. It’s not enough coffee to create a gel similar to “flax eggs”, but it is enough to soften the flax meal so it’s not noticeable in the brownies. Set aside.
Step 2: Into the food processor, add the dry ingredients, including the cocoa powder, arrowroot, salt, soda, and chocolate chips. Pulse until the chocolate chips are broken up, but some texture remains. You’re going for a pebble-type texture.
Step 3: Into the food processor bowl, add the wet ingredients (almond butter, maple syrup, avocado oil, flax mixture, and vanilla). If the batter starts to ball up, it’s okay. This happens when almond butter and water are mixed together and is the nut butter “seizing.” It won’t affect the brownies, it will just make it a little harder to spread the brownie batter in the pan. A way to avoid this is to be careful not to over mix the brownies.
Step 4: Stir in walnuts if you like, or leave them pure chocolate bliss.
Step 5: Press the sticky dough into a parchment paper lined 8×8 or similar sized pan. I spread the pan with a small amount of melted coconut oil to help the baking paper stick to the pan so it’s easier to work with.
Step 6: Bake the brownies for 14-16 minutes, until the sides begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and the top is glossy. Allow brownies to fully cool (refrigerate) prior to slicing.
I have a 6″x10″ baking pan (see in photo 6) I like to use for these brownies so I can cut them into 6 large squares. The 8″x8″ pan is great for cutting into 9 smaller brownies.
*Note that baked goods cook faster in a metal pan than in a ceramic or glass pan. If you’re cooking these in a metal brownie pan, subtract 2-3 minutes from the baking time.
How to Store Vegan Gluten-Free Brownies
Once the brownies have cooled to room temperature, cover the pan with foil or plastic wrap and freeze for at least an hour. This step is optional but allows for the cleanest cuts and nicest looking brownies.
Once they are frozen, pop the brownies out of the baking pan with the parchment paper. Cut the brownies into 9 large or 16 small brownies.
Store the brownies in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Tips & Variations for the Perfect Fudgy Brownies
Can I make vegan brownies nut free?
Yes! I have tested these with SunButter and they have a nuttier flavor, but they come out just as fudgy and delicious! Use sunflower butter as a 1-1 substitute for the almond butter.
How do I make the brownies sweeter or less dark in flavor?
A dutch processed cocoa yields a sweeter, more “milk chocolate” flavored brownie. You use it as a 1-1 substitution for the natural cocoa powder. You can also increase the monk fruit sweetener or coconut sugar to 4-6 tablespoons.
How do you make flax meal? Can I sub an egg?
I have tested these with an egg instead of flax, and the brownies come out more cakey and less chewy. You can purchase flax meal, but I prefer to make my own. I simply add whole flax seeds to my blender, and process until the seeds are broken down into a rough flour.
Are the chocolate chips vegan?
I use Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Chips or Pascha 85% Dark Chocolate Chips because they have the highest cocoa content and the best ingredient lists of vegan chocolate chips. Most dark chocolate chips will also be vegan.
Other Vegan Dessert Recipes:
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Fudgy Vegan Brownies
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons natural cocoa powder (raw cacao powder, or sub dutch cocoa powder for a lighter chocolate flavor)
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons arrowroot sub tapioca flour
- 3 tablespoons coconut sugar or sub allulose or monk fruit sweetener
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup almond butter unsweetened, or sub cashew butter or sunflower seed butter for a nut-free option
- 6 tablespoons maple syrup can sub honey, date syrup, or a sugar free syrup
- 1/4 cup flax meal
- 3 tablespoons strong coffee (I use 3 tablespoons hot water + 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee)
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil or melted coconut oil
- 1/3 cup walnuts chopped, optional
Instructions
- Into a small bowl, combine flax meal and hot coffee. It's not enough coffee to create a gel like a "flax egg", but it's enough to soften the flax meal so it's not a noticeable texture in the brownies. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350ºf F. Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment and set aside.
- Add cocoa powder, dark chocolate chips, arrowroot powder, monk fruit sweetener, salt, and baking soda to a food processor, and pulse to break up the chocolate chips until you have a "pebble-like" consistency. Leave some texture to the chocolate.
- Into the dry ingredients, add the almond butter, maple syrup, flax mixture, avocado oil, and vanilla. Process until just mixed. If the batter starts to become a ball, it's okay. This is a natural process when nut butter is combined with water.
- Stir in walnuts if using.
- Bake brownies for 14-16 minutes, until the edges start to pull away from the pan and the tops are glossy.
- Allow brownies to fully cool before slicing. Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an air tight container up to a week, or in the freezer up to 5 months.
These brownies are insanely delicious! Making this again and again and again!
Whipped up a batch of these this afternoon and they did not disappoint! So creamy and delicious; exactly what I needed to cure my sweet tooth!
These look absolutely stunning! I bet if I make them for my non-vegan friends, they won’t even notice it!
These were so good! Totally thick, chewy, and all around delish!
I love fudgey brownies and this was delicious! It made my home smell so good and tasted even better!