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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 8x8 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.
FAQs and Expert Tips
Yes! A 9x13 pan is roughly double the size of an 8x8 pan, so you can double all ingredients. The brownies will bake slightly faster, so start checking them around 25 minutes (they should take around 25-35 to bake).
I strongly suggest using a metal baking pan for brownies. The brownies will cook much more evenly and in my experience the end result is overall much better. Using a glass pan will affect the bake time slightly.
These brownies can be frozen! Wrap the individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and then tin foil. Place in a Ziploc freezer bag.
Yes! Feel free to add ⅓ to ¼ cup of semisweet chocolate chips or even vegan white chocolate chips!
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
- ¾ cup butter (regular or dairy free), melted
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour SEE NOTES
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8x8 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
Nutrition
The calorie information provided for this recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.
Tiffany
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!
Gabby
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 😀
Christina
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.
Gabby
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 😀
Nar
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).
Gabby
Hi Nar, you can reduce the sugar if you want to but the recipe has not been tested with less sugar.
Kaylee C
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
Gabby
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 😀
Hannah
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!
Gabby
Hi Hannah! I'm so happy to hear that you loved the brownies! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review 🙂
Lauren
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!! 🙂
Gabby
Hi Lauren! You are so welcome! I'm so happy you find it helpful 😀
Violet
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!
Gabby
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 😀
Chez Migs
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
Gabby
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!
Jill
So quick to mix together and turned out great!
Gabby
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!
Kelly
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
Gabby
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 🙂
Kayma
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!
Gabby
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 🙂
Madison
Hello! Would I be able to substitute the flour for a GF flour equivalent?
Gabby
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 🙂
Madison
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!
Gabby
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! 😀
Kristina
So good and easy! I can’t stop eating them?
Gabby
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!
Maria
My daughter is allergic to eggs. What substitute would you recommend and how much?
Gabby
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!
Mara
Apple sauce makes an excellent egg substitute in brownies!
Aba
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!
Gabby
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 🙂
Tay
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!
Gabby
Hi Tay! I'm so happy to hear that you loved the brownie recipe! Yay! Thank you so much for making them 🙂
Heather
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.
Gabby
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 😀
Ashima Goyal
Can u share the recepie of eggless brownie?
Gabby
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!
Maryam
Hi Gabby!
Can you please tell the weight of ingredients in grams?
Gabby
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! 🙂
Zina
Do you have a high altitude recepie change?
Gabby
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!!
Monika
Can I use dairy butter?
Gabby
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!