Vegan & Gluten Free Brownies!

This is the ultimate vegan brownie recipe! Neither eggs nor gluten are needed to make perfect brownies when you use the right ingredients and recipe. (See the recipe notes at the end of the post for wheat flour directions.) You can make them chewy, fudgy, cakey, extra rich (or a combination of those), just by tweaking the basic recipe a bit! See the recipe notes below for how to customize your brownies. (There are two recipes given below, one for a 9″ x 9″ pan and another for a 9″ x 13″ pan.)

Here are the ingredients you will need:

Please note that this recipe will only work with flour made with The Plant Based Egg! You cannot use just any flour or egg replacement and expect to get the same results! I will have a premade GF flour that has The Plant Based Egg already added coming out in a few months, but you can also use any of these 16 flour blend recipes. (I used blend seven to make the brownies shown in these photos, but I really love them made with blend ten.) The Plant Based Egg replaces both eggs and the xanthan and/or guar gums that you find in most gluten free flours. This allows you to achieve the right structure in your baked goods without any gumminess. The Plant Based Egg by Freely Vegan also works perfectly with wheat flour if you are not gluten free, and our online store will be up very soon at www.freelyvegan.com! (You can order now by emailing theplantbasedegg@gmail.com). This video shows just a few of the things you can make with it:

https://animoto.com/play/WRqKBQ2NPjCOjMiAeSxl9A

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Add the cocoa and baking powder to the flour and whisk them together. Set aside for now.

Melt the vegan butter in a microwave-safe bowl, then add the vanilla and unsweetened applesauce. Mix together:

Add the sugars and salt to the vegan butter mixture. Mix together:

Heat the water to very hot, then stir in the instant coffee:

Add the hot coffee to the sugar mixture. Stir until the sugar has mostly melted:

Add one-third of the cocoa/flour mixture to the sugar mixture, then stir it in:

Add half of the remaining cocoa/flour mixture and stir again:

Add the rest of the cocoa/flour mixture and mix again!

Add the chopped nuts and/or chocolate chips if you are using them. Stir to combine.

Line a 9″ x 9″ (or 9″ x 13″ if you are making the larger recipe) baking pan with parchment paper, being sure to leave a sufficient overhang to use to lift the brownies out of the pan later:

Add the brownie batter and spread it out evenly. Wait five minutes before putting the pan in the oven.

Bake at 350 degrees for 38 to 40 minutes (38 for fudgier and 40 for chewy or cakier brownies.) Place the pan on a rack to cool. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan.

Once the brownies are cool, lift them out of the pan with the parchment paper. Peel back the paper, then cut your brownies into 16 squares.

These brownies are delightful by themselves,

Made into a vegan ice cream sandwich,

Or as the base of a sundae!

Enjoy!

 

Perfect Vegan & Gluten Free Brownies! (9" x 9" pan)

This is the ultimate vegan and gluten free brownie recipe! You can make them chewy, fudgy, cakey, extra rich (or a combination of those), just by tweaking the basic recipe a bit!

Course Dessert, Snack
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 16 brownies
Calories 235 kcal
Author Deborah Mesdag

Ingredients

  • 255 g (2 c) Gluten Free Flour (made with The Plant Based Egg)
  • 110 g (1 1/4 c) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • 7.5 g (1 1/2 tsp) Baking Powder
  • 112 g (1/2 c) Vegan Butter (I use Earth Balance)
  • 20 g (4 tsp) Vanilla Extract
  • 30 g (2 TBS) Unsweetened Applesauce
  • 200 g (1 c) Vegan Sugar
  • 220 g (1 c packed) Vegan Light Brown Sugar
  • 7.2 g (1 1/8 tsp) Salt
  • 150 g (5/8 c) Water
  • 0.8 g (1/2 tsp) Instant Coffee Granules
  • 120 g (1 c) Chopped Walnuts (optional)
  • 115 g (2/3 c) Vegan Chocolate Chips (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9″ x 9″ baking pan with parchment paper, being sure to leave a sufficient overhang to use to lift the brownies out of the pan later.

  2. Add the cocoa and baking powder to the flour and whisk them together. Set aside for now.
  3. Melt the vegan butter in a microwave-safe bowl, then add the vanilla and unsweetened applesauce. Mix together. Add the sugars and salt to the vegan butter mixture. Mix again.

  4. Heat the water to very hot, then stir in the instant coffee. Add the hot coffee to the sugar mixture. Stir until the sugar has mostly melted.

  5. Add one-third of the cocoa/flour mixture to the sugar mixture, then stir it in. Add half of the remaining cocoa/flour mixture and stir again. Add the rest of the cocoa/flour mixture and mix again!

  6. Add the chopped nuts and/or chocolate chips if you are using them. Stir to combine.
  7. Add the brownie batter to the parchment-lined pan and spread it out evenly. Wait five minutes before putting the pan in the oven.

  8. Bake at 350 degrees for 38 to 40 minutes (38 for fudgier and 40 for chewy or cakier brownies.) Place the pan on a rack to cool. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan.
  9. Once the brownies are cool, lift them out of the pan with the parchment paper. Peel back the paper, then cut your brownies into 16 squares.

  10. Store in a Ziploc bag for up to three days. The brownies freeze and defrost really well, though, so I recommend freezing any that won't be eaten within a day. Allow them to defrost at room temperature when you are ready to eat them.

Recipe Notes

  • See my post on 16 gluten free flour blends and choose the blend you want to use. They all work well in this recipe! (You can also use my premade GF flour blend once it is available to purchase.) Only use flour that is made with The Plant Based Egg in this recipe. 
  • If you are not gluten free and want to try this recipe with wheat flour, use the same amount of flour and add the equivalent of three eggs to the flour and baking powder mixture. This would be 14.4 g (2 level TBS) of The Plant Based Egg. Whisk it together with the other dry ingredients. That is the only adjustment you need to make. (The liquid amount in this recipe has already been increased, so do not add extra as The Plant Based Egg package directions say to do. Those directions are only for recipes that include eggs and you are replacing them and veganizing the recipe with The Plant Based Egg.)
  • Each brownie has 235 calories when made without nuts or chocolate chips, 270 calories when made with chocolate chips, 285 calories when made with walnuts, and 320 calories when made with both.
  • For slightly cakey brownies, follow the recipe as written and bake for 40 minutes.
  • For fudgy brownies, decrease the amount of flour to 225 g (1 3/4 c) and bake for 38 minutes.
  • For chewy brownies, decrease the vegan butter to 84 g (6 TBS) and add 28 g (2 TBS) canola oil to the melted butter. Bake for 40 minutes.
  • For richer brownies, decrease the unsweetened cocoa powder to 90 g (1 c), and add 22 g (1/4 c) Dutch cocoa.
  • You can combine these recipe variations and use two or all three of them to make brownies that are exactly the way you like them!
  • If you want to make a 9" x 13" pan of brownies, use the recipe below this one that has the correct ingredient amounts and cooking times for the larger pan.
  • For thinner brownies, you can double this recipe and bake it in a lined 12" x 18" half-sheet pan. Bake for about 35 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Perfect Vegan & Gluten Free Brownies! (9" x 13" pan)

This is the ultimate vegan and gluten free brownie recipe! You can make them chewy, fudgy, cakey, extra rich (or a combination of those), just by tweaking the basic recipe a bit!
Course Dessert, Snack
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 48 minutes
Total Time 58 minutes
Servings 24 brownies
Calories 235 kcal
Author Deborah Mesdag

Ingredients

  • 385 g (3 c) Gluten Free Flour (made with The Plant Based Egg)
  • 165 g (1 3/4 c + 1 TBS) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • 11.3 g (2 1/4 tsp) Baking Powder
  • 168 g (3/4 c) Vegan Butter (I use Earth Balance)
  • 30 g (2 TBS) Vanilla Extract
  • 45 g (3 TBS) Unsweetened Applesauce
  • 300 g (1 1/2 c) Vegan Sugar
  • 330 g (1 1/2 c packed) Vegan Light Brown Sugar
  • 10.4 g (1 5/8 tsp) Salt
  • 225 g (1 TBS less than 1 c) Water
  • 1.2 g (3/4 tsp) Instant Coffee Granules
  • 180 g (1 1/2 c) Chopped Walnuts (optional)
  • 170 g (1 c) Vegan Chocolate Chips (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9″ x 13″ baking pan with parchment paper, being sure to leave a sufficient overhang to use to lift the brownies out of the pan later.

  2. Add the cocoa and baking powder to the flour and whisk them together. Set aside for now.
  3. Melt the vegan butter in a microwave-safe bowl, then add the vanilla and unsweetened applesauce. Mix together. Add the sugars and salt to the vegan butter mixture. Mix again.
  4. Heat the water to very hot, then stir in the instant coffee. Add the hot coffee to the sugar mixture. Stir until the sugar has mostly melted.
  5. Add one-third of the cocoa/flour mixture to the sugar mixture, then stir it in. Add half of the remaining cocoa/flour mixture and stir again. Add the rest of the cocoa/flour mixture and mix again!

  6. Add the chopped nuts and/or chocolate chips if you are using them. Stir to combine.
  7. Add the brownie batter to the parchment-lined pan and spread it out evenly. Wait five minutes before putting the pan in the oven.
  8. Bake at 350 degrees for 44 to 48 minutes (44 for fudgier and 48 for chewy or cakier brownies.) Place the pan on a rack to cool. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan.

  9. Once the brownies are cool, lift them out of the pan with the parchment paper. Peel back the paper, then cut your brownies into 24 squares.

  10. Store in a Ziploc bag for up to three days. The brownies freeze and defrost really well, though, so I recommend freezing any that won't be eaten within a day. Allow them to defrost at room temperature when you are ready to eat them.

Recipe Notes

  • See my post on 16 gluten free flour blends and choose the blend you want to use. They all work well in this recipe! (You can also use my premade GF flour blend once it is available to purchase.) Only use flour that is made with The Plant Based Egg in this recipe. 
  • If you are not gluten free and want to try this recipe with wheat flour, use the same amount of flour and add the equivalent of five eggs to the flour and baking powder mixture. This would be 24 g (3 TBS + 1 tsp) of The Plant Based Egg. Whisk it together with the other dry ingredients. That is the only adjustment you need to make. (The liquid amount in this recipe has already been increased, so do not add extra as The Plant Based Egg package directions say to do. Those directions are only for recipes that include eggs and you are replacing them and veganizing the recipe with The Plant Based Egg.)
  • Each brownie has 235 calories when made without nuts or chocolate chips, 270 calories when made with chocolate chips, 285 calories when made with walnuts, and 320 calories when made with both.
  • For slightly cakey brownies, follow the recipe as written and bake for 48 minutes.
  • For fudgy brownies, decrease the amount of flour to 340 g (2 5/8 c) and bake for 44 minutes.
  • For chewy brownies, decrease the vegan butter to 126 g (1/2 c + 1 TBS) and add 42 g (3 TBS) canola oil to the melted butter. Bake for 48 minutes.
  • For richer brownies, decrease the unsweetened cocoa powder to 135 g (1 1/2 c), and add 30 g (1/3 c) Dutch cocoa.
  • You can combine these recipe variations and use two or all three of them to make brownies that are exactly the way you like them!
  • If you want to make a 9" x 9" pan of brownies, use the recipe above this one that has the correct ingredient amounts and cooking times for the smaller pan.

23 thoughts on “Vegan & Gluten Free Brownies!”

  1. 1. You may know this, but in case not- all USDA Organic sugar is vegan.
    The process used for certified-organic sugar does not include animal-based ingredients, like bone char. You can buy inexpensive organic sugar products from stores like Kroger, or even Whole Foods Market, under their 365 label. Organic sugar tastes better, too. It’s more flavorful, because it’s not uber refined into blandness. I only buy organic sugars.

    2. Have you ever tried using sweet rice flour to make your gravies, or fillings?
    It has a mild flavor, compared to oat flour. It gets thick and holds onto liquids, unlike regular rice flour. I was thinking I might substitute in sweet rice flour when making your vegan pumpkin pie filling, do you think that would work?

    3. Have you ever tried the Beyond Burger? I am thinking of trying this vegan meat in your recipes that call for tvp.
    I cook for someone with a soy-allergy, so I cannnot use tvp (for this person). Do you think your recipes will still turn out this way?

    4. I truly enjoy your blog. One thing I like is the amount of detail you put into the recipe instructions. I like that you include photos of the recipe all the way through to the finished dish, including photos of the different dishes one can make from the same recipe! Love it!

    1. Will The Plant Based Egg (or your flour blend) ever be offered in stores, or only online? Will it be easy to order? In the meantime, can I use The Vegg baking mix? It’s a gluten-free vegan egg substitute, specifically designed for baking. It does contain some gums.
      I realize you answered this question in your post, but I’ll ask because this is a new formula out for 2018. Perhaps you can post a review of this product. They offer a “vegan egg yolk”.
      On a simpler note, what is the best brand of vegan ice cream to serve with these brownies? I’m partial to coconutmilk-based vegan ice creams, but maybe I’m in a rut? I have not tried soymilk ice cream in ages.
      Thanks for your time! Gods bless you!

      1. We do plan to get both The Plant Based Egg and my flour blend on store shelves as soon as we can. It will be awhile, though, so you’ll have to order online to start with. You cannot substitute any other egg replacement in my flour blend recipes because they really will not work the same way. The Plant Based Egg is a precise combination of flax, psyllium, pectin, chia, agar, and sunflower lecithin, and all of those ingredients work together to create the right structure and texture.

        You can use any vegan ice cream to make the brownie sandwiches or sundaes! I love Trader Joe’s Soy Creamy brand, but I also really like Ben & Jerry’s, the So Delicious cashew varieties, and Breyer’s peanut butter swirl!

    2. Thank you so much for your kind comments! It takes a lot of extra time to include the step-by-step directions and photos, so it is really nice to hear that they are appreciated!

      I did know that all organic sugar is vegan, but it is good to have a reminder for those who are not aware. I usually use Zulka brand sugar, which is not organic, but is labeled bone char free on the bag.

      I do really like sweet rice flour for gravies! I tend to use oat just because most people have oats on hand and can grind them up to make flour. I think sweet rice flour would also work for my pumpkin pie, but have not tried it.

      I like the Beyond Burger too! I would not use it as a substitute for TVP, though, because it is a ready to use burger “meat.” You might be able to use their beefy crumbles instead of the TVP in my burger recipe, but I would wait to add them until after adding the boiling liquid to the oats and nutritional yeast. I would also use less water (because the crumbles don’t need to be hydrated like the TVP does), and I would also use a little less Magickal Seasoning Blend so the mixture doesn’t get too salty (since the crumbles are already seasoned). If you try this, please let me know how it works!

      1. Thanks for the reply!
        I know tvp and the Beyond Burger product are quite different from each other. The reason I thought it might be possible to use the BB as a sub for tvp (with modifications), is because I’ve seen others use it as a “crumble”. Indeed, it seems many prefer to crumble the BB, instead of using the company’s beefy crumbles product.

        You are welcome, regarding the kind words.
        I love your recipes and how you present them here.
        I also enjoy the extras you put into your posts.
        This is one of my most favorite recipe-centered blogs.

        For the new vegans (or old) out there, becoming vegan is only half of it. The other half is staying vegan. I have found the writings of Jack Norris and Ginny Messina to be helpful in this regard. Both are registered dietitians, who themselves are commited vegans. Jack does the Vegan Outreach project. You can find Jack’s writings at vegan health dot com, an unbiased, fact-forward resource for healthy animal-free eating.
        Ginny’s writings can be found at the vegan rd dot com.
        Her website features a fact-forward section devoted to preventing ex-vegans.
        Together, these 2 vegan dieticians wrote the book Vegan For Life, which you can check out from your local library for free. -My two cents.
        I should have left this comment under your Why Vegan? post. Face palm!

        1. I had not thought of crumbling the Beyond Burger, so will have to give that a try!

          I am delighted to be one of your favorite bloggers and your comment just made my day!

          I love Vegan Outreach, but did not realize that Jack Norris had coauthored a book. I will check out both blogs and try to get Vegan For Life from my library. Thank you so much for the info!

      2. Oops! Correction. Jack Norris has 2 seperate websites. The first is jack norris rd dot com, the second is vegan health dot org (not dot com).
        Sorry about that.

        To stay on topic of this post, I have not tried this brownie recipe yet, but have no doubt it will turn out good.
        I will definitely add the chocolate chips as that’s what my family likes.
        All the recipes I’ve made from here and served to the wheat-loving omnivores I know have been met with praise.
        They did not even notice the switch-out.
        Good flavor is good flavor.
        I look forward to the rest of the year!

        Will you be making a menu for Memorial Day, or The Fourth of July? I have a friend who misses slow-cooked Boston baked beans (which are made with pork). His favorite non-vegan recipe was from Serious Eats.

          1. Hello again. Thanks for pointing me toward your Memorial Day post from last year. Sheesh, it was right under my nose all this time.
            Please excuse me.
            This will have to go into the books as another face-palm.

            Do you have a recommendation for a good gluten-free pasta to use in cold macaroni salad?

            Thank you for taking the time to reply to my previous comments!
            I know you must be busy.

          2. I am glad you asked about Memorial Day recipes and suggested baked beans! I am now craving them and will work on a recipe!

            The only GF pasta I like is Tinkyada, and but it gets hard when it is chilled. I make my pasta salad recipe and chill it as usual, then warm it up in the microwave just until the pasta softens, and then let it cool back down to room temperature right before serving. That is the only way I have figured out how to get around the problem.

            I love your comments and appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts and questions!

  2. Tinkyada is my go-to as well. Doing cold pasta salad with gluten-free noodles is tricky. I tend not to bother anymore. I serve warm pasta salads now(or room temperature, really). It never occurred to me to chill the salad, then try to reheat it. I find when I make pasta with marinara and reheat the leftovers the next day, it’s a gamble with the texture. It usually is fine, or acceptable, but just the other day when I reheated my Tinkyada pasta, it was hard. I used the spiral shape. I still try out new pastas from time to time, in search of a cold salad worthy brand. I may try bean pasta this year. I have read good reviews online. We shall see.
    Thank goodness that potato salad is safe to eat.

    The wandering vine promo video is quite enticing, I must say! I want to try each one of those recipes. I’d like to be able to make a lemon poppyseed poundcake for Ostara/Easter this spring.

    1. I have found that most pasta salads with GF Tinkyada pasta can be reheated, but that I get better results with marinara sauce by reheating the pasta and sauce separately. I’m not sure why this is, but I’m guessing that the pasta absorbs more of the liquid overnight from a marinara sauce than it does from a mayo or oil based sauce.

      I will be sharing all of the recipes in the video (and lots more!) once The Plant Based Egg is available. I have a great lemon poppyseed muffin recipe that can be baked in a loaf pan or doubled and baked in a bundt pan. I will be sure to share it in time for Ostara!

      1. Thank you for the response! Reheating the pasta and marinara sauce seperately makes sense. I was just being lazy.

        I’ll watch out for that lemon poppyseed muffin recipe!

  3. So sorry, I have another face palm moment to share. It was not Tinkyada spirals I had the other day, it was Trader Joe’s brown rice spirals. It all makes a little more sense to me now. I have less experience with TJ’s pasta.

  4. Would it be 1:1 swap if I used liquid oil instead of margarine?

    I second the request for Boston baked beans. I serve them every Independence Day.
    FYI, I cannot see all the comment posts. It could just be my device, though?

    1. I do not think using all liquid oil will work as well as using part vegan butter and part oil. The brownies may be too greasy with all oil. If you cannot use vegan butter, you might want to reduce the total amount of fat by a couple of tablespoons and increase the applesauce by the same amount. It will be an experiment, though, and I really recommend trying the recipe as written first if at all possible. Also, this recipe was developed using flour made with The Plant Based Egg, and I do not know how it will work with any other flour.

      I will definitely work on a baked bean recipe!

      I don’t know why all of the comments wouldn’t be visible. They should be, so I will call WordPress and ask them.

  5. Thank you for the reply. I will try the recipe as written first. I asked because I usually add oil to a brownie-mix, not butter. I like to make it that way. I tend to use oil over margarine. It is only a preference, not a necessity.

      1. Thanks. I was thinking the same. It seems most, but not all, sweet baking mixes call for oil, not butter or margarine. I think I would like the chewy version best, then.
        If I chose to follow the directions for the fudgy, chewy and rich versions, then replaced the nut portion with chocolate chips, plus added the optional chocolate chips – would I bake up a mess?

        I just thought of another question.
        Are there high-altitude adjustments for your baking recipes?
        Could we expect The Plant Based Egg to work equally well at higher elevations?
        It can be tricky to make baked goods in the mountain states, or down in the elevated southwest states.

        1. Great questions! You can definitely make all three changes at once for fudgy, chewy, and rich. I would only add 170 g (one cup) of chocolate chips, though. You might be able to get away with a little more, but add one cup first and see how the batter looks before adding more.

          We have had a few recipes tested at high-altitude, and are planning to test more. The main difference seems to be that you may need a little more flour and maybe less leavening. With the brownies, you might want to only make the chewy and rich adjustments and keep the flour the same. That way, you should end up with fudgy brownies at high-altitude.

  6. Oh and what I see in the comment section, is in a particularly long reply thread, there are blank spaces where a comment should be. There is only a cauldron icon.

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