Easy Vegan Brownies with Walnuts. All whole grain brownies with walnuts. Makes 1 8 by 8 inch brownie pan, 16 pieces. Vegan Brownie. Palm oil free Recipe. Can be made nut-free.
One cannot have enough brownie recipes right. So here is another one that is simple and customizable! Add walnuts, other nuts or seeds. Add some fresh cranberries or a nut butter swirl on top before baking. Add crushed peppermint candy cane + peppermint extract instead of vanilla, or add candied ginger + gingerbread spices for holiday brownies and more.
Fudgy and fabulous. Make these this Sunday! These brownies get fudgier as they sit. The key to great brownies is knowing the bake time, which is dependent on your oven, pan used etc. Underbake whenever in doubt, as the brownies will set even if liquidy in the center, out of the oven as they cool. For gluten-free options, see the list of brownies below.
We’ve been having sleepless nights all week because Chewie, our pom is miserable with cough every hour. Fuzzy brain = not all clear recipe. 🙂
More brownies from the blog
- Vegan Pumpkin Brownies
- Gluten-free Brownies and Brownie Mix. GF
- Vegan Almond Butter Blondies with Chocolate Chips
- Vegan Brownie Mix in a Jar. Single Serve Brownie too. Vegan…
- Coconut Flour Brownies GF
Make the brownie batter and press it into a lined brownie pan. Bake, cool and see it vanish.
Add other nuts, cranberries, crushed peppermint candy cane, candied ginger+ gingerbread spices for variation.
Easy Vegan Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
Dry:
- 1 cup (120 g) + 1 tbsp whole wheat pastry flour or whole wheat flour or Spelt flour
- 1 tbsp starch like arrowroot or cornstarch
- 1/8 tsp (0.13 tsp) salt
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) baking soda
- 1/4 cup (21.5 g) cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered/fine sugar 1-2 tbsp less for less sweet, I use ground raw sugar that I blend in a blender
- 1/4 cup (40 g) coconut sugar
Wet:
- 3.5 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 cup (62.5 ml) water
- 1/3 cup (58.33 g) vegan semi sweet chocolate chips or chunks or bar, more the merrier/fudgier
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) instant espresso/coffee
- 3 tbsp oil
Additions:
- 3 Tbsp vegan mini chocolate chips
- 3 tbsp chopped walnuts or pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F / 180ºc.
- In a bowl, add all the dry ingredients and whisk really well. *Pulse the sugar and coconut sugar a few times in a blender to make a powder if needed and then mix in. Large granules in sugar might add a texture to the brownie.
- Heat the maple syrup and water in a pan or microwave until hot. Add the semi sweet chocolate and mix until all the chocolate melts and is smooth. Add the vanilla, coffee and oil and mix in.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix to just about combined. It will be a stiff batter, stiffer as it gets cold. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts or other additions.
- Drop the mixture onto a parchment lined or greased or well floured brownie pan. Spread the mixture evenly using a spatula if needed. I used greased hands to move and press for an even thickness. Sprinkle any toppings if you like like chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, crushed candy cane and press in.
- Bake for 22 to 24 minutes. Check with a toothpick about an inch from the edge. The toothpick should not come out liquid. The center might come out liquid, which is ok. Do not over bake. Check every 2 minutes if adding more baking time.
- Cool for atleast 15 minutes if you can before moving them out of the dish. Slice and serve. To store, slice and store in a container with a lid on the counter for upto 2 days.
Mya Sofia
Hey this recipe was lovely! I enjoyed the sweetness but was wondering if next time I could omit the powdered sugar? Is it going to mess up the baking?
Vegan Richa Support
you can reduce a little – but not cut out completely
SD
Can I use Aatta as a substitute for whole wheat flour?
If I were to bake these in a mini muffin pan as brownie bites, at what temperature and for how long should I bake these?
Thank you!
Liesa
Making these tonight! Any reason I cannot sub all purpose white flour for WW flour? Thanks so much!
Vegan Richa Support
A mixture of all-purpose and whole wheat flour would be best.
Nidhi
Omg! This was the best brownie recipe I have ever tried (vegan or non-vegan)! I read the comments and baked it for 20 min and so it was soft in the middle even after it cooled, so I will bake it for 22-23 min next time. It was quick to put together, and honestly tastes better than most of the non-vegan brownies I have baked in the past. I will definitely be trying more of your recipes! Thank you!!!
NP
Fabulous fabulous recipe. I used raw nendran banana flour for starch. Golden syrup in place of maple syrup. Weighed every ingredient. Used Google for reference to convert tbspn to grams. Loved the result. Looking forward to making this again. Thanks for posting this recipe. God bless!
Richa
awesome
Julie
I’ve been eyeing these for a LONG time and can’t wait to try them out!! Can I use tapioca powder instead of cornstarch or arrowroot? I don’t have those.
Thanks!
Richa
yes
Nikki
Just made these and they’re delicious!!! Stress free, mess free and oh so sweet. VeganRicha is the truth! Every time I make one of her recipes my vegan-skeptic family is blown away. Thanks, Richa!
Richa
awesome!
Sarah
OMG these brownies are amazing!!! And I love that there is only a little bit of oil in the recipe- most recipes have like 1/2 cup. Love these- will definitely make them again and again!
Gayathri
Hey Richa! I made this over the weekend for a party full of non-vegans – and everyone loved it! We made a sundae – with vanilla ice cream (Nada Moo for me). Was delicious!! I thought it was a little dry/ hard if I ate it cold — but just heating it for 10 seconds made it taste like a bite of heaven!! Thank you!
Richa
Awesome! underbake it for a few minutes. Underbaked brownies dont dry out. Also store in a closed container as all baked goods keep losing moisture on cooling.
Hilany S
What could i use instead of baking soda?
Mallika
Hi Richa! What can you substitute for the coffee? Thank you!! Love all your recipes ☺️????????
Richa
omit it.
Luna
Hello, I was wondering if I could use white flour + a couple tablespoons oat flour instead of the whole wheat flour? It’s just that I forgot to buy this today at supermarket and it’s already closed where I live.
Many thanks in advance!
Richa
yes you can
Sloane
These are amazing and lower in fat than some of the more popular vegan brownie recipes (though definitely not health food, but I’m not complaining ;))
Kelly
These were good but too sweet for my taste–and I am a sweet tooth! 🙂
I only used about 2/3 of the powdered sugar and I think next time I will nix it altogether. Otherwise, yummy.
Natasha Graf
Terrific recipe! The best brownie I’ve ever made.
The only problem: I can’t stop eating it!!!
Thank you 🙂
Raji
I made these yesterday and they came out really well… super delicious. My non-vegan friends were surprised that it did not have eggs or milk! thank you!
One quick question: I want to make these for a friend who can’t eat any processed foods due to health reasons; what can I replace the maple syrup with?
Richa
Use a syrup made with jaggery or sugar.
shamira
Hi Richa. Your recipes look simple and doable.
wish to try these for a lactose intolerant kid. Could you help me out a few queries plz?
1. the jaggery syrup you mentioned, how do I make that? He’s also allergic to coconut so I’ll have to skip coconut sugar.
2. Can I use honey instead of maple syrup?
3. Vegan chocolate not easily available where I live, can I add more cocoa pwd sugar instead to make them chocolatey?
Richa
you can make the jaggery syrup like you do sugar syrup. Boil till just about single thread consistency. 1 cup jaggery with 1 cup water, mix and simmer.
I dont use honey, so I am not sure if it will work.
For vegan chocolate sub, use 1/4 cup cocoa and 1/4 cup more oil.
Use any sugar.
shamira
Thank you Richa for a prompt response! ????
Melia
Came out amazing!! Super chocolatey and moist 🙂 easy to make too
Roma
Any substitute for Maple syrup? Can I leave it out?
Richa
use any sweet syrup like sugar syrup, date syrup, agave.
Roma
This brownies were extremely yummy & fudgy…
Everybody loved it.
I’m going to make some batches again!????
Richa
Thats awesome! so glad they turned out so good!
Amelie
Hey, I want to make them for a non-vegan friend of mine therefore I wonder if I can use all-purpose flour instead oft the whole wheat flour. And can I substitute the coconut sugar with white sugar since I habe no coconut sugar at home?
Richa
yes and yes
Lisa
I followed the recipe exactly, baked for 22 minutes and they came out dry dry dry, like a dry cookie that just turned into a powdery mess. Barely edible with milk
Richa
I am not sure what happened Lisa. Maybe your oven was running too hot and they got overbaked? Ovens can vary by 50+ degrees. I know that the brownies when overbaked esp with coarse whole grain flours like spelt can get crumbly on the edges. I have never had completely crumbly problems with these brownies. Maybe the chocolate type or something else. I don’t know. How was the mixture before going in?
You can use those crumbs in chocolate or vanilla ice cream.
Denise
OMG did you forget the sugar? I’ve made this recipe 5 times already and it’s always come out amazingly perfect. However, in one instance, I forgot the sugar, and it came out as your described… It still tasted good, thanks to the maple syrup, but the texture was totally off! Sort of reminds me of https://www.unicornlove.com/blog/2015/12/6/what-happens-when-you-forget-to-add-sugar-to-your-cookie-recipe —- Sugar keeps baked goods soft and moist. The bond between sugar and water allows sugar to lock in moisture so that items such as cakes, muffins, brownies, and frostings don’t dry out too quickly. — Additionally, because sugar holds onto moisture, it keeps baked goods tender for a longer period of time. Sugar has hygroscopic properties, meaning that it grabs and holds onto moisture. Because sugar holds onto moisture, baked goods made with sugar do not stale as quickly as baked goods made without sugar. Brown sugar is granulated sugar that has molasses added into it. Molasses is even more hygroscopic in nature than plain granulated sugar so it keeps baked goods even more moist and adds chewiness.
Sugar also serves to help reduce gluten development and tenderize baked goods. Because sugar grabs and holds onto moisture it leaves less moisture readily available, delaying gluten development.
Melina
These look amazing, I’m gonna be making them soon.
But I was wondering, if I use regular sugar instead of coconut sugar (we don’t have that in my country), should I pulse it into a powder too? I also plan on substituting the maple syrup with a cane sugar syrup since it’s the only available liquid sweetener where I live.
Thanks for the recipe! ????
Richa
Hi Melina,
If your regular sugar is granulated i.e. you can feel each sugar granule in your fingers when you pick some up, then pulse it a few times in the blender and use. Yes cane syrup should work. Happy Baking!
Ashley
What great vegan desserts you have! We love all your recipes, but were not the healthiest vegans! You’ve inspired us to try more healthy recipes, but given our dessert recipes great inspiration!
Thankyou,
Ashley x
theveganapprentice.com
Lydia
Hi thanks for the great recipe! Can’t wait to try!
But can I ask a few questions?
Is this brownie sweet?
Can I substitute oat flour with almond flour?
Thanks
Richa
Yes this brownie is sweet like a regular brownie. Where is the oat flour you want to substitute?
Kristina
Just made these brownies and they turned out perfectly! Thanks for a great recipe 🙂
Richa
Awesome!
Michelle
I thought I saw that you can omit the coffee? Is there something else I should substitute for it? I don’t like the taste of coffee, so was just wondering. Would leaving it out make the brownies drier?
Thanks
Richa
omit it. it adds a mocha-ish flavor profile to the brownies.
anat
Looks amazing. Can I put regular sugar instead of the coconut sugar?
Richa
yes you can use regular or brown sugar.
Rupal
Your recipies are great. Blessings for Vegan & Vegetarians. My daughter is allergic to dairy, eggs & nuts. I will omit nuts from this recipe & it will be perfect for her. Is there any substitute for Maple Syrup? Can I use Agave Necter? I am also making Oatmeal Walnut Chocolate Chunk cookies from your recipe.
Thank you.
Richa
sure agave should work.
Cassie
You can never go wrong with brownies! Especially if they’re vegan! 😀 Look at that chocolatey goodness!
Richa
I agree!
Annemarie
Best, best ,best brownie recipe. Did I mention it’s the best recipe?! I made them exactly as stated in the recipe. Where there were choices I used spelt flour, cornstarch and 1/2 cp vegan chocolate chips. I put the coconut sugar and regular sugar in a coffee grinder and the result was a lovely powdered sugar. Great idea by the way and I will use that trick again. The only thing I would change is that I baked them 2 minutes too long. I set the timer for the lowest suggestion, 22 minutes and the tooth pick came out clean but thought they could use an extra 2 minutes. The result is the edges are quite crunchy which isn’t a problem. There’s always someone who likes to crunch. But next time I’ll look at 20 to 22 minutes. The taste and texture of these brownies are spot on. I made them last night and just cut them to bring to a dinner party. I had to stop myself from eating them or would be bringing a plate of only brownie crumbs!
Richa
Thats awesome!! Thank you annemarie. Yes, the baking time really is dependent on the oven and your pan, and each minute makes a difference. Underbake whenever in doubt, as the brownies will set even if liquidy in the center, as they cool.
angie
Great recipe! I’ve never bought instant espresso or coffee, so what brand should I look for?
Richa
you can use any. i have mount hagen. Or omit it.
June @ How to Philosophize with Cake
Those do look “fudgy and fabulous”! Brownies with walnuts are such a perfect classic, you really can’t improve upon that. Love how easy these are!!
abc
Hi Richa,
Any substitute for Oil? Applesauce/Almond Milk?
Thanks
Richa
you can scale up the wet ingredients. Add 1 tbsp more maple, 1 tbsp more water and 1-2 tbsp more chocolate chips. Applesauce will change the texture. Chocolate usually will have some oil/cocoa butter in it.
abc
Thank you 🙂
Xena
I just made these; at 24 minutes, my toothpick came out looking wet so i left them in for an extra 5 minutes which made the edges quite crunchy. Even then, all I can say is WOW – they were one of the best brownies i have ever had.
Richa, you are a kitchen magician. I can’t believe these aren’t full of butter – they came out of the oven 2 hrs ago and there is only 1/4 of the pan left after the hubs and kids inhaled them. Thank you, thank you for such a fantastic recipe!
Richa
Awesome! The brownies keep baking after they r out too. so if the toothpick from near the corners is just about clean and wet from the center, they will bake through outside. It depends on the oven, pan, brownie thickness. You can bake them another 2 minutes ad check instead of 5.
Jackie
I made these today and they turned out great! I did go crazy on the walnuts putting them in the mix and on top. But the recipe was forgiving and they came out beautifully. Mixed with almond milk ice cream and I was in heaven. Thank you for a very easy and delicious recipe, Richa.
Richa
yay!! awesome!!
Pure Ella
Holy Yum!!
How about getting into wholesale baked goods by now Richa?
Because I would sure love to go and buy a pack of these right now 🙂
xox
Richa
that would be more work than I can handle 🙂
Christine (Run Plant Based)
These look wonderful, perfect for holiday gatherings. Love the addition of walnuts, thanks!
Richa
Thanks!
Lisa
Oh, Richa — never mind my question about the chocolate! I should have read more closely. Reading step 3, I see we’re melting it there, so it must be pieces of chocolate/a bar/or chips. Sorry for my confusion. 🙂 -Lisa
Cheryl
Richa,
Could you clarify, is the maple flavoring or syrup? I am assuming syrup…but we all know what happens when we assume. 😉
Thank you, Cheryl
Richa
syrup. i will add that to the recipe.
Lisa
Hi Richa, thanks for this recipe. I’d like to try it for a holiday lunch in a couple days. Question: Under wet ingredients, what does “vegan semisweet chocolate” refer to? I thought it meant chocolate chips, bur I see chocolate chips are listed further down. Best, Lisa
Richa
chips or chunks, anything works as it gets melted in.
Christine
These brownies sound perfect and I plan to whip some up today. I’m actually posting about more than this particular recipe. Richa, I love your blog, am delighted with your cookbook, and post all too infrequently to share my enthusiasm and appreciation. Your recipes are great, your instructions clear, your explanations help me understand cooking better. I’m a much happier vegan cook than I once was, thanks to your skilled efforts!
Dianne
I try to not use white sugar and use dates instead. I’ve had success with subbing 6 dates in cake recipes, do you think these would work also?
Richa
the consistency will change in this recipe. Maybe try raw date brownies? https://www.thisrawsomeveganlife.com/2015/01/the-perfect-raw-vegan-brownie-for-two.html
Suzanne Lyons
YUM..and your photography is fabulous!
Can’t wait to try it.
Richa
Thanks!