Dairy Free Brownies
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These are the BEST dairy free brownies ever! They’re so easy to make, super fudgy with the perfect crinkle top just like bakery brownies! They’re made entirely with cocoa powder (no melted chocolate) and all you need are 8 ingredients and one bowl!
I promise you I’m not exaggerating when I say a pan of these dairy free brownies does not last a full 24 hours in my house.
That being said, they stay gooey and fudgy for days after they’re baked, and you can make them with regular dairy ingredients too!
Brownies are my weakness – I make Biscoff brownies all the time and sometimes when I feel a bit lazy I’ll just make edible brownie batter.
I am constantly getting requests from my friends and family for these brownies – they’re the best chocolate brownies I’ve ever had and making brownies from scratch has never been easier!
Why These Dairy Free Brownies Work
- These brownies are made with cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate. Cocoa powder has no extra ingredients, so it delivers a rich, bold chocolate flavour. Using all cocoa powder means you’ll have that velvety, fudgy texture for days after the brownies are baked.
- All you need is 8 simple pantry ingredients and one bowl to make this recipe – no mixer required!
- This recipe is super budget friendly since it only uses 2 eggs (many brownie recipes use 4) and cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate (which can be pricey).
- These dairy free brownies are completely dairy free but dozens of readers have made them with regular butter and they turn out just as delicious!
Ingredients Needed
- Butter: you can use regular butter or dairy free butter for this recipe.
- Cocoa powder: unsweetened dutch processed cocoa powder works best for these dairy free brownies, but you can use natural cocoa powder if that’s what you have on hand.
- Flour: This recipe uses all purpose flour. I don’t recommend substituting this as the recipe hasn’t been tested with other types of flours, although some readers have said they turned out great with gluten free 1-1 baking flour.
- Eggs: I haven’t tested these brownies with any egg substitutes, so I can’t say how they would turn out.
Step By Step Instructions
Note: Full ingredient measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
STEP ONE: Prepare an 8×8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Leave some hanging over the sides to make it easier to remove the brownies from the pan later. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
STEP TWO: In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Add in the brown sugar and white sugar and whisk well until the mixture pulls away easily from the sides of the bowl as you mix.
STEP THREE: Whisk in the vanilla extract and eggs.
STEP FOUR: Add in the salt, flour, and cocoa powder and whisk until just combined (do not over mix).
STEP FIVE: Pour the batter in the prepared pan, spreading it around in an even layer and bake the dairy free brownies for 30-40 minutes. (See tips below for how to tell if brownies are ready).
How do you know when brownies are done baking?
I will admit, it can be very hard to tell when the dairy free brownies are done baking! Luckily I’ve outlined a few important tips below to set you up for brownie success.
The top is cracked. You know that classic crinkly top that a brownie gets? Watch for that! There might not be a TON of cracks but overall it’s got to be crinkly throughout the surface.
Shake the pan: The middle shouldn’t jiggle. If the middle of the pan jiggles, they are definitely not ready!
Toothpick test: this one is tricky but it’s the best tip. Insert a toothpick in the middle of the dairy free brownies. If it comes out covered in wet batter, bake them a little longer (4 minutes at a time).
You want the toothpick to come out with what looks like a few wet crumb pieces on it, but not completely covered in wet batter. You do not want to toothpick to be clean!
Start checking them early. You want to start checking on the brownies after about 30 minutes. If you wait 40 minutes to check on them, depending on your oven, they could be over-done already.
If they aren’t ready after 30 minutes, check them every 4 minutes or so until they are. Don’t worry about opening the oven a few times.
Expert Tips
- Properly measure your flour and cocoa powder – If you over-measure your flour or cocoa powder, the dairy free brownies won’t be as gooey and chewy, and will be more cake-like. I strongly recommend weighing both ingredients with a kitchen scale or using the scoop and level method.
- Don’t over-mix – The texture of brownies is be largely affected by how much you mix the batter. Brownies are one of the few desserts that I don’t use my standing mixer for, because I want to be really careful about how much I’m mixing them. When you add in the dry ingredients, use a whisk to mix the brownies just until you don’t see anymore dry ingredients, then stop.
- Don’t over-bake – Over-baking your brownies will lead to tough brownies – no one wants that! See tips above on how to tell if brownies are done baking.
- Let the brownies cool completely before slicing them – I know it’s hard, but I urge you to resist! Because the brownies are super fudgy, they need some time to set and firm up before you can neatly slice them. Otherwise you’ll have a big gooey mess on your hands.
Storage Instructions
These dairy free brownies should be stored un-sliced in the baking pan covered tightly with tin foil for up to 4 days (although they’ve never lasted that long in my house).
If you’ve already sliced them, they can be stored covered in an air tight container at room temperature.
More Brownie Recipes You’ll Love
If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Dairy Free Brownies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (158 g) butter (regular or dairy free), melted
- 3/4 cup (150 g) light brown sugar
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (64.5 g) cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (79 g) all-purpose flour, SEE NOTES
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8 square baking pan with parchment paper. Leave parchment paper hanging over the sides of the pan so that you can easily remove the brownies from the pan later.
- Melt the vegan butter in the microwave or in a small pan over the stove. Transfer the melted butter to a medium sized bowl.
- Add in both the sugars and use a whisk to whisk the butter and sugars together. Keep whisking until the mixture resembles a paste that pulls away cleanly from the side of the bowl when you mix it. (this contributes to the crinkly top in the brownies)
- Add the eggs and vanilla and mix again.
- Pour the dry ingredients (cocoa powder, salt, and flour) into the bowl and mix with the whisk until just combined (it should only take about a minute). This is important, because over-mixing at this stage will affect the texture of the brownies!
- Pour the batter into the lined baking pan using a spatula to scrape all the batter out of the bowl.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes*. Begin checking the brownies at 30 minutes by inserting a toothpick in the middle. The top of the brownies should be crinkly and the toothpick should not come out clean (over-baking the brownies will make them tough). The brownies are ready when the toothpick has a few wet crumbs, but not wet batter.
- Let the brownies cool completely before slicing (they need time to set and if you cut them too early they will make a gooey mess). Enjoy!
Video
Notes
The calorie information provided for this recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.
La receta fue explicada perfectamente y me salió por primera vez perfecto. Me ha encantado esta página donde explica todo detalladamente. Estoy muy contenta, tienes una nueva seguidora!!!
So happy you loved the brownies Saida! Thanks so much for the review! 🙂
Does it require plain or Self raising flour?
Plain all purpose flour!
Made this yesterday. Halved the sugar quantity and still turned out very sweet for me. Easy to make and a good intense chocolate taste. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Rev! I am so happy to hear that you loved the brownies and that they worked out with the modifications! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Wow recipe worked which was great but far too sweet for my palette
Hi I just made this recipe they smell good. They look good waiting for them to cool off. Thank you for the recipe Barbara
Enjoy Barbara!!
Hi!!! In want to make this recipe. Sound delicious. I just have regular sugar, don’t have brown sugar. Can I change the brown sugar for white sugar??? Thanks.
Hi Dayam! That will work fine but it will change the texture of the brownies, they may be a little less fudgy.
Yes! Yes! Yes! I loved this recipe! Very easy to make and super chocolatey
Hi Cassandra! So happy to hear that you loved the brownies and found them easy! Thanks so much for the review:D
Just made this for the little one and myself! So gooey, chocolately and yummy!! And so easy to make as well! I love that the recipe is not too complicated at all and I was able to make it with what I already had at home!
Only issue I had was (and this was my fault) not spraying the parchment paper with some oil or nonstick spray cause my brownies ended up sticking to the parchment paper and would not come off. Ended up losing the bottom crust on the brownies so baking newbies like me, remember to spray or coat your parchment paper with a thin layer of oil! ?
Overall, great recipe and delicious brownies!
Hi Tiffany! Yay! I’m so happy to hear that you both loved the brownies!! I haven’t had that issue with the parchment paper before but it definitely doesn’t hurt to give it a light spray 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review 😀
Look no further for the BEST dairy free (and soy free) brownies! These were a crowd pleaser at a dinner party. I’m so glad I stashed one away for another treat before they were all gone.
Hi Christina! Woohoo! I’m so happy to hear that the brownies were a hit! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review 😀
Hi. Can I reduce the sugar? It is so scary to see that you use so much sugar and little flour. I like brownies which is a bit bitter (not sweet).
Hi Nar, you can reduce the sugar if you want to but the recipe has not been tested with less sugar.
Made these for a holiday dinner and they were a huge hit with everyone. Probably the best brownies i have ever made dairy-free or otherwise.
Question: does using real butter change the texture too much?
So glad to hear this! To answer your question: using real butter shouldn’t affect the texture!
They were amazing! I subbed gf flour for normal and they tasted exactly like a more professional version of fudgy Ghirardelli brownies! 10/10 everyone in my fam loved them
Hi Kaylee! Oh yay! I am so happy to hear that they worked out so well with the GF sub and that they were a hit! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review 😀
I’ve tried this recipe and it went really well. Y’all must try this because surely you won’t regret. It tastes so good and easy to bake!
Hi Hannah! I’m so happy to hear that you loved the brownies! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review 🙂
Thank you SO much for including metric measurements for us bakers across the pond! It’s really helpful as online conversion charts are so iffy and inaccurate. So thank you!! 🙂
Hi Lauren! You are so welcome! I’m so happy you find it helpful 😀
These truly came out fudgy!!! Yes!
Some receipes say fudgy brownies and are not! These are delicious and live up to ther name. I read someone added chocolate chips to their brownies. How much would you suggest to add?
These are great! My family liked them alot! A keeper!
Hi Violet! Yay, I’m so happy to hear that you all loved the brownies, thanks so much for the review! You can absolutely add chocolate chips to them! The amount is mostly based on your preference, I like to add around 1/2 cup -3/4 cup 😀
Would it be possible to sub the cocoa powder with chocolate tabs melted into the butter? I ran out of cocoa powder and have some packs of valhorn left
Hi! I believe it would require modifications to the amount of other ingredients in the recipe, and I personally haven’t tested this recipe without cocoa powder. For that reason, I don’t recommend it since I’m not sure how it would turn out!
So quick to mix together and turned out great!
Hi Jill! I’m so happy to hear that you loved the brownies and found them easy to make! Thanks so much for the review!
Made these with regular butter and they were DELICIOUS! Super fudgy and perfect. I added chocolate chips to mine as well! Can’t wait to make them again
Hi Kelly! I am so happy to hear that you loved the brownies! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review 🙂
These were to die for! I also loved how you explain why to mix things a certain way – otherwise I doubt I would have ended up with the delicious crinkly top, which is my favourite thing about brownies!
Hi Kayma! So happy to hear that you loved the brownies and found the tips helpful! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a review 🙂
Hello! Would I be able to substitute the flour for a GF flour equivalent?
Hi Madison! You could try a gluten free all purpose 1-1 baking flour instead of the regular flour. I haven’t tried it myself, so I can’t say for sure how it would turn out, but would love to hear how it goes if you try it 🙂
Thank you! I made them today with GF flour!!! These brownies are so moist and delicious! My mom tried them and didn’t even know they were GF and Dairy Free (I used DF chocolate chips on top!).
Thank you so much for this delicious recipe! I will be making them again!
Oh yay!! I’m so happy to hear that you both loved them and that they still turned out delicious! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review! 😀
So good and easy! I can’t stop eating them?
Hi Kristina! I am so happy that you loved the brownies! They definitely don’t last long around here either ? Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review!
My daughter is allergic to eggs. What substitute would you recommend and how much?
Hi Maria! Substituting for eggs in brownies can be tough. I think the best alternative would be to try to use 2 flax eggs instead. I haven’t tested these brownies myself without eggs, so I can’t say for sure how they will turn out! If you try it I’d love to hear how it goes 🙂 Good luck!
Apple sauce makes an excellent egg substitute in brownies!
Thanks a lot for sharing such a beautiful recipe. The reviews say a lot!
Please can I bake this with less sugar, and how much sugar won’t compromise the recipe?
Can I replace the sugar with honey? If yes, how much honey please?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Aba! I haven’t tried reducing the sugar myself, so I can’t say how they will turn out. I would say you could probably try to reduce the granulated sugar by about 1/4 cup (3/4 cup total) without it affecting the recipe too much.
In terms of honey, I also have not tried this. For one cup of sugar, usually 1/2 cup of honey is all you need for the same level of sweetness in other recipes (it’s not a 1:1 ratio). However, I suspect replacing all of the sugar with honey would make the batter more liquid, so you may need to add a bit more flour (perhaps start with 1 tbsp).
Again, I have not tried either of these modifications myself so I’m not sure how they will turn out, but I’d love to hear how it turns out! Good luck and thank you for stopping by 🙂
Best brownies ever!!
Had these made for me for a going away, I almost ate the whole batch in 1 go! Made them a few days ago and everyone loved them! Perfect gooey chocolatey goodness!
Will definitely make these again!
Thanks Gabby!
Hi Tay! I’m so happy to hear that you loved the brownie recipe! Yay! Thank you so much for making them 🙂
These are wonderful! I’ve made them multiple times. The first time my son and his friends devoured them. Then I took a double batch to work that the 6 of us ate by the end of the day. They’re easy and so worth it to make! Saved into my recipe box to be used regularly.
Hi Heather! You made my day with this review! I am so happy to hear that the brownies were a hit and thank you so much for giving them a try 😀
Can u share the recepie of eggless brownie?
Hi Ashima, I haven’t made this recipe without eggs, but you could try using flax eggs or a store bought egg replacer, though I can’t say for sure how it will turn out. Good luck!
Hi Gabby!
Can you please tell the weight of ingredients in grams?
Hi Maryam! Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂 Here is an imperial to metric converter you can use https://www.myrecipes.com/how-to/metric-conversion-charts
Please note that I haven’t tested using these conversion measurements so I can’t say from personal experience how perfectly accurate they are – but let me know how it goes! Good luck! 🙂
Do you have a high altitude recepie change?
Hi Zina! I don’t have high altitude recipe adaptations on the site, but here is a guide that looks like it could be helpful for adapting brownies: https://food52.com/blog/24630-high-altitude-baking-adjustments-guide
Good luck!!
Can I use dairy butter?
Hi Monika! Absolutely you can 🙂 All my recipes can be made using dairy ingredients at a 1:1 ratio, so you can simply replace the vegan butter with 3/4 cup regular dairy butter for these brownies! Happy Baking!