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    Home » Desserts » Brownies & Bars » Dark Chocolate Vegan Brownies

    Dark Chocolate Vegan Brownies

    Jun 12, 2020 · Updated: Dec 18, 2021 by Dee Dine · Affliate links disclosure.

    Jump to Recipe

    These healthy vegan brownies are fudgy, baked, dairy-free, and use organic ingredients that are nutrient-rich.

    Stack of three brownies with a black background.

    Dark Chocolate Vegan Brownies

    These vegan brownies are a dream come true. My sister and I used to make brownies from a box but they were not healthy. Haha. The joys of a boxed mix. Not sure what was in that mix.

    Now, of course, the trend is to make them from scratch and make them healthier. And making them without dairy so they are vegan is easy!

    Vegan Brownies Are Delicious For Non-Vegans Too!

    These vegan brownies have nutritious ingredients that support healthy nutritious diet for everyone. Eating a dessert does not mean you have to ingest unhealthy ingredients. That's why this vegan brownie is welcomed by non-vegans as well.

    Obviously, though, these brownies still have sugar, so they need to be eaten in moderation. No brownies for dinner people!

    BUT these brownies do have the nutritive redeeming qualities that come from some very nutritious ingredients, including chocolate, flaxseed and more.

    Let's have a closer look at the nutrition these fudgy bites offer.

    How Healthy Is Chocolate?

    The star ingredient is chocolate. In this recipe, I used dark cocoa powder but raw cacao powder is even healthier.

    Chocolate is loaded with nutrition such as fiber, iron, magnesium, copper and manganese. But its biggest benefit is its amazing range of antioxidants, those little soldiers that zip around your body zapping free-radicals, little entities that cause disease and come from foods, pollution and more.

    To get a more potent health benefit, choose cacao powder, you can find it in the baking aisle of most better grocery stores such as Whole Foods markets, and of course on Amazon, such as by this brand, Navitas Naturals.

    However, if it’s more convenient, use cocoa powder, the unsweetened variety you normally see on baking section grocery store shelves. Read about the difference below.

    The Difference Between Cacao Powder and More Commonly-Known Cocoa Powder

    Cacao powder and cocoa powder are both unsweetened chocolate powders.

    Raw cacao powder is healthier, made from unroasted cacao beans, a process that keeps nutritional values intact. Whereas cocoa powder is roasted at high temperatures, killing off nutritional value. Read more about the differences here.

    Cocoa powder tastes better than cacao powder which doesn't provide as deep a chocolate flavor to recipes.

    But there is another kid to consider - dutch processed cocoa. It is less nutritious because it undergoes a process to reduce acidity, but it tastes even better than cacao or regular cocoa. I use Valhrona brand.

    Health Benefits of Flaxseed Eggs in Brownies

    Flaxeeds are high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids with improve digestion, and can lower cholesterol among other benefits.

    Nutrition experts recommend using ground flaxseed so your body can aborb the nutrition. Whole flaxseeds can pass right through intact and you miss all the fun, haha.

    In this recipe, they are not only ground but soak in water to create a "flaxseed egg". So the nutritional value is easily bio-available.

    How to Make These Vegan Brownies

    Making this recipe is fairly straight-forward.

    Make the flaxseed egg, and melt the butter. Then, mix up dry ingredients, mix up wet ingredients, and mix them together. 

    And taste-test the batter! This is the beauty of a vegan brownie! No danger of salmonella from raw eggs. With this taste-test, I assess if it is chocolate-y enough. If you like, add another teaspoon of coffee. The coffee really deepens the chocolate flavor.

    Once you are satisfied, pour the batter in a parchment-lined pan.

    Biggest Challenge with Fudgy Brownies

    Finding the cooking time is the most challenging aspect of this fudgy brownie.

    The first test is to use the typical testing toothpick. But beware that a done fudgy brownie will still leave a fudgy smear.

    Another test is to shake the pan. If the center wiggles, it is certainly not cooked. So return it to the oven and check again in ten minutes.

    Small Batch Brownie Recipe

    You might want to note that this  is a small batch recipe. The recipe a loaf pan easily.

    Try More Vegan Brownies Here

    Sweet Potato Brownies
    Easy Vegan Gluten Free Brownies (buckwheat)
    No Bake Fudge Brownies
    Cake Like Brownies
    Pumpkin Brownies
    Brownie Bites
    Interested in sharing on pinterest? Perhaps use this image...

    Stack of three vegan brownies.

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    Stack of three brownies with a black background.

    Dark Chocolate Vegan Brownies

    Created by Dee Dine
    These vegan brownies have a deep chocolate flavor and are fudgy, baked, dairy-free, and are nutrient-rich. This is a small batch recipe.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Total Time 45 mins
    Cuisine vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free
    Servings 8

    Ingredients
     

    • ½ cup gluten-free baking flour (or use all purpose flour)
    • ½ cup cocoa powder (or cacao powder)
    • pinch of salt
    • 2 tbsp flaxseed eggs 2 tbsp ground flaxseeds + 6 tbsp water
    • ⅓ cup vegan butter melted
    • 2 tbsp brewed coffee
    • ½ cup organic cane sugar
    • ½ cup coconut palm sugar
    • 1 tbsp vanilla
    • ½ cup Semi sweet chocolate chips I use Enjoylife brand

    Useful Equipment

    • 1 pyrex measuring cup set

    Instructions
     

    Prep

    • Make the flax eggs. Put the ground flax into a medium bowl and spoon in water. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes.
    • Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    • Cut ⅓ cups of your butter sticks into rough chunks. Melt the butter in the microwave in a measuring cup at 60 seconds. Stir the hot butter until all chunks are melted. Make sure the melted butter measures at ⅓ cup and set aside to let it cool.
    • Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in a measuring cup at 60 seconds. Stir the hot chocolate until all chips are melted. Set aside.
      Brew some coffee if you don't have it ready. Or mix up instant coffee. You'll need 2 tbsp of liquid coffee.

    Mix the Brownie Batter

    • Add the flour, cocoa powder and salt to a large mixing bowl. Stir until combined.
    • Add the melted butter, brewed coffee, sugars and vanilla to the measuring cup that holds the flax egg mixture. Stir until combined.
    • Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and use a hand-mixer to blend the batter until creamy.
    • Fold in ½ the melted chocolate. Mix again until creamy.

    Baking the Brownies

    • Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a tester comes out relatively clean. These brownies are fudgy, not cakey, so the tester will have a fudgy smudge. What you don't want is wet smears. That means the brownies aren't done, so return them to the oven and bake another 5-10 minutes and check.
    • Finding the cooking time was the most challenging aspect of this fudgy brownie. Another test is to shake the pan. If the center wiggles, it is certainly not cooked. So return it to the oven and check again in ten minutes.
    • When these babies are finally done, remove the pan from the oven, allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
    • Set the brownie cake on a cooking rack and let it cool before cutting for the cleanest slices.
    • I frosted ours with some melted chocolate chips. I just microwaved half a cup of chips for 45 seconds and then smeared it on the cooled brownies while still in the pan.

    Storage

    • Store at room temperature sealed for 2 days. After that refrigerate for one week. After that freeze.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 250kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 3gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 84mgPotassium: 177mgFiber: 4gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 365IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword baked brownies, chocolate dessert, healthy brownies, vegan brownies
    Leave a ReviewLet us know what you think of my recipe!
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    About the Author

    Dee Dine is founder of Green Smoothie Gourmet, a plant based recipe blog, and author of two recent cookbooks, Crazy Healthy with 4 Ingredients and the immunity-boosting smoothie /juice/wellness shot book, 4-Ingredient Smoothies + Juices . On this blog you'll find incredibly healthy easy recipes with hidden veggies for anyone wanting to eat healthier, regardless of diet. Dee has graduate degrees in sciences and journalism, is editor at The Feedfeed and a nutritional expert at WikiHow. More about Dee Dine here.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ela

      July 15, 2019 at 1:02 pm

      5 stars
      Wow! Looks absolutely amazing, Dee! The texture is fantastic. Love that you added flaxseed eggs. 🙂

      Reply
      • Dee Dine

        July 17, 2019 at 5:56 am

        Thank you Ela! Flaxseeds are awesome! Thanks for stopping by, Dee xx

        Reply
    2. Klara

      July 13, 2019 at 3:27 pm

      5 stars
      OMG! I made these today and they came out perfect! I even doubled the recipe and used a loaf pan. Thank you for that option.

      Reply
      • Dee Dine

        July 13, 2019 at 3:28 pm

        That's great news Klara! Thanks for your feedback! Dee xx

        Reply
      • V

        January 19, 2021 at 1:34 pm

        Hello
        Could I use oil instead of butter ?

        Reply
        • Dee Dine

          January 20, 2021 at 12:39 pm

          I don't think so, although if you try, let us know how it worked out.

    3. Alli

      July 12, 2019 at 2:08 pm

      5 stars
      Just want to point out that the recipe says 1/3 cup butter but the instructions say 2/3 cup.

      Reply
      • Dee Dine

        July 12, 2019 at 5:39 pm

        Thank you Alli, I fixed it. The ingredient list is correct for a 4-inch by 4-inch pan. Many thanks for notifying me! Dee xx

        Reply

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    picture of dee dine.I'm Dee, and I make healthy dessert recipes that often include hidden veggies. All are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free. Visit me on Instagram where I always post new recipes first!

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