Name: Easy Vegan Brownies (No Butter)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup plant-based vegan butter (melted); 1 3/4 cup coconut sugar (or 1 ½ cup granulated sugar); 1/3 cup plain almond milk (or other plant-based milk); 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder; 3/4 teaspoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt (or sea salt)

Do you have the sudden urge for a delicious, fudgy brownie?

But… you’re looking for a vegan recipe that doesn’t include butter?

Well, you’ve come to the right place! I’ve spent countless hours researching and perfecting the best fudgy brownie recipe that’s also plant-based!

Once you try this vegan brownie recipe, you’ll never need a “normal” dairy brownie again.

These vegan brownies (without butter) are fudgy, and gooey, and will have the family asking for seconds (or thirds)!

This vegan brownie recipe is simple, quick, and most of all – satisfies anyone’s brownie craving (vegan or not).

And… if you’re wondering if you can make brownies without butter, you definitely can! These brownies are super yummy, fudgy, and 100% plant-based (but your loved ones won’t be able to tell the difference!)

Table of Contents

How to Make Vegan Brownies (No Butter)

Brownies are a challenge to get just right when making them from scratch at home. They’re either overbaked, too dry, too flat, or too gooey. Not to mention… it’s even harder to make a good batch when you’re working with plant-based ingredients.

But, putting together this no-butter vegan brownie recipe required pulling in all the best brownie tips and vegan baking tips I could find. But… after multiple attempts, I figured out a way to create a classic chocolatey treat into an yummy plant-based dessert!

Ingredients

Keep in mind: You’ll find the recipe card down below for the fully-detailed brownie recipe! Here’s what you’ll need for ingredients:

Melted vegan butter (Make sure it’s hot. I use Nutiva’s butter-flavored coconut oil. Earth Balance is another solid option). If you don’t have those, you can use regular coconut oil. Just be careful not to use extra virgin olive oil as it can alter the flavor.
Unsweetened cocoa powder
All-purpose flour
Baking powder
Himalayan salt (or sea salt)
Plain almond milk (or other dairy-free milk)
Vanilla extract
Maple syrup
Coconut sugar (or granulated sugar)

That’s all you really need to bake up these yummy vegan brownies! You likely have most of the ingredients at home already. Now let’s get to baking to create these chocolatey treats!

Image (biscuits fresh out of the oven on tray)

Method

For this no-butter vegan brownie recipe, you’ll need a couple measuring spoons, measuring cups, two mixing bowls, an 8×8 baking pan, parchment paper, a whisk, and a spatula.

First up, turn your oven on to let it preheat. Then, prepare your baking pan. Cut your parchment paper in two. One piece will be put top to bottom on your pan. The other will go left to right as seen in the picture above.

Rub a bit of your vegan butter onto the bottom of your baking pan. This will prevent your parchment paper from sliding around. Next, put the first sheet of parchment paper down top to bottom. Add, a little more vegan butter on top of the first piece of parchment paper. Then, place your second piece of parchment paper on top.

Now that your tray is prepped, it’s time to mix up your brownie batter!

First, grab your melted vegan butter from your microwave and por it into a mixing bowl with your sugar. Whisk the two together. The vegan butter should be quite hot! This allows the sugar to break down so it dissolves evenly in your brownies. Next, mix in your other wet ingredients (plain almond milk, vanilla, maple syrup).

In a second mixing bowl, add in your dry ingredients (all-purpose flour,cocoa powder, baking powder, salt). Rememeber to do this separately first so everything mixes evenly.

Then, add your dry ingredients to your wet ingredient bowl and mix it all together with a spatula. Your batter should be quite heavy and dense when you’ve finished mixing it up. You may want to use your hands a bit if necessary.

Then, spread your batter into the baking pan evenly with a spatula. Throw it in the oven and enjoy the smell as the heavenly aroma fills your home!

3 Tips to Remember When Making Vegan Brownies

Want to make a delicious batch of brownies? Remember to follow these 3 simple rules:

It’s better to underbake than overbake these brownies! Feel free to use the “toothpick” method. But, just keep in mind this recipe gives you a fudgier brownie so the toothpick may still come out with a bit of batter. Don’t wait tilll the toothpick is completely clean as the brownies likely be overbaked at this point. Use your best judgment.
If you get beyond 30 minutes but your toothpick is still coming out with some batter on it, just take your brownies out of the oven. Don’t go over 35 minutes. Pull your brownie tray and let them cool fully. If you bake them for too long, they’ll start to get dry up and get crumbly (losing their fudginess).
For the best results, cool your brownies for at least 30-40 minutes before trying them.

Easy Vegan Brownies (No Butter)

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Print Recipe

Yummy, fudgy vegan brownies (without butter) that are ready to eat in 40 minutes with 9 simple ingredients and a couple of mixing bowls. These are perfect to share with guests or snack at any time of day!

Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 9 Brownies 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

1/2 cup plant-based vegan butter (melted)
1 3/4 cup coconut sugar (or 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar)
1/3 cup plain almond milk (or other plant-based milk)
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt (or sea salt)

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (232 C).

2. Place some parchment paper on an 8×8 baking pan. Rub some vegan butter on the bottom of your baking pan (I like to use butter-flavored coconut oil by Nuutiva). See notes below for more detailed instructions on the parchment paper.

3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together your melted vegan butter (make sure it’s hot) and the sugar. Then, add vanilla, maple syrup, and plain almond milk and mix it all together.

4. Next, get a second mixing bowl, and combine all dry ingredients together: unsweetened cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder.

5. Then, add all dry ingredients into the wet ingredient bowl. Mix everything together with a spatula until well combined. Keep in mind – this brownie batter has a fudgier consistency and it may seem a bit hard or even dry when mixing it together. If you need, you can add an extra teaspoon of almond milk to help shape it.

6. Scoop your brownie batter out into your baking pan (slowly) and spread the brownie batter evenly through the baking pan with your spatula (you can even get in there with your hands).

7. Place your brownies in the oven.

8. Bake them for 25-30 minutes (or until the brownie is set on top. The brownie edges should be a bit hardened and start to slightly pull away from the edges of your baking pan. Be very careful not to overbake your brownies. Since these particular brownies are quite fudgy, you’ll likely still have a bit of brownie batter on if you use a toothpick to check doneness. Use your best judgment.

9. Let your brownies cool for at least 30 minutes. Leave them in the baking tray. Once you reach the 30 minute mark, carefully place them onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Be very careful to pull the entire batch of brownies out of the pan (still in the parchment paper). Place them on a wire rack to fully cool before cutting into them. This is to ensure the brownies have cooled fully so they set properly.

9. Optional: You can add a touch of Maldon salt on top of the brownies when serving.

Notes

Remember: The recipe calls for baking powder NOT baking soda. If you use baking soda it will alter the flavor and make the brownies taste off.
Use parchment paper on your baking pan: Grab a piece of parchment paper and cut it in two. Spread a little bit of plant-based butter (I prefer Nutiva butter-flavored coconut oil) on the bottom of the baking pan. Then, put a piece of parchment paper on the baking pan. Next, rub a bit more vegan butter on top of the first piece of parchment paper. Then, add a second piece of parchment paper. The vegan butter helps your parchment paper stay attached to the baking pan. Once your brownies are done, you can then easily remove them from the pan by pulling the parchment paper out without them crumbling apart or getting stuck to your baking pan.
Check out this post if you’re wondering what to do if your brownies are soft or mushy!

Author: Jenny Storey
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Category: Dessert, Snack
Method: Bake
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan