These incredible naturally Dairy-Free Brownies are made without butter and use oil instead! We melt chocolate into the batter for an extra fudgy texture that is sure to blow you away. We use a secret brownie hack to get that perfect shiny top every time, plus you'll learn how to apply this hack to any brownie recipe you try in the future!
This recipe does not need eggs, is naturally vegan, and can be made gluten-free using gluten-free all purpose flour.
Dairy-Free Brownies are the perfect year-round recipe! They're great for potlucks, the 4th of July, baby showers, Sunday baking, and more. This super classic fudgy brownie recipe is the only brownie recipe you'll need from now on. It's way better than boxed brownies, with little extra work!
For more dairy-free dessert recipes that are fun to make all year, check out our Vegan Blondies, Chocolate Chia Pudding Dessert, Dairy-Free Gelato, Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies, Vegan Gluten Free Funfetti Cake and Dairy-Free Tiramisu!
And for some incredible dairy-free dinner recipes to have beforehand, try our Dairy-Free Zuppa Toscana, Dairy Free Swedish Meatballs, and Dairy Free Shrimp Scampi!
And for dairy-free side dishes, consider Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes, Dairy-Free Scalloped Potatoes, and this Dairy Free Charcuterie Board.
Jump to:
- Do brownies have dairy?
- How do you make brownies without butter?
- What oil is best for brownies?
- Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
- Allergy-Friendly Brownies
- Instructions
- Variations
- Top tip -- What makes the top of brownies shiny?
- Recipe FAQs
- More Related Dairy-Free Desserts to consider...
- Dairy Free Brownies
Do brownies have dairy?
Yes, most brownie recipes do include dairy. However, dairy ingredients are not essential and delicious brownies can be made with oil instead of butter and without milk.
How do you make brownies without butter?
There is a trick to replacing butter with oil in brownies. Butter is 80% fat and 20% water, and oil is 100% fat. To replace butter with oil in brownies, replace ¾ of the butter with oil and replace the remaining butter with water.
This substitution for oil in brownies will give you thick fudgy brownies with a crackle top and perfect texture.
This dairy-free brownies with oil recipe requires no substitutions or calculating to make them without butter!
What oil is best for brownies?
The best oil for brownies is a liquid oil with a buttery or neutral taste, like melted coconut oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil. Canola oil makes a great brownie texture but the taste can be strong if you are not used to it.
Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
You need 10 common ingredients to make these no butter brownies!
Sugar
I use regular white sugar and light brown sugar in this recipe. The combination of sugars makes a rich and chewy brownie flavor that we love! You can replace the brown sugar with more white sugar.
I do not recommend using coconut sugar in this recipe. Coconut sugar does not dissolve easily and I was not able to get a crackly top in that recipe trial (it did have a nice taste though).
Some brownie recipes suggest using powdered sugar, but this is not necessary. Powdered sugar dissolves easily into the mixture and therefore helps create the shiny crust, but if you follow our instructions you won't need it!
Oil
We liked melted coconut oil or avocado oil best. If you don't mind the canola oil flavor, it also works nicely. Vegetable oil can be used in these dairy-free brownies too.
If you are looking for a special and distinctive flavor, Olive Oil Brownies are delicious! Simply use olive oil as the oil variation in this recipe.
Hot Water
Hot water is our hot tip for making 100% sure you have that crinkle top brownie! The sugar must dissolve in the water and oil mixture for that crinkle top.
It's also why eggs are not a necessary brownie ingredient. It is harder to get that shiny top with eggs since hot water will cook them prematurely! For best flavor and texture, I recommend this egg-free brownie recipe to take advantage of our easy brownie hack.
See the recipe card for full ingredients and quantities.
Allergy-Friendly Brownies
This fudgy brownie recipe is naturally dairy-free, soy-free, vegan and egg-free. To make this popular dessert wheat and gluten-free as well, simply use a Gluten-Free all purpose flour. I like Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Flour for cakes, cookies, quick breads, and brownies.
Instructions
This dairy-free brownies without butter recipe is super easy and very traditional.
Step 1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line a 9x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
Step 2. Dissolve the sugar: In a medium microwave-safe bowl, add both sugars, oil (warmed to liquid if using coconut oil), and hot water. Whisk by hand or with an electric mixer for 3 minutes or until the sugars are completely dissolved and you have a smooth sugar syrup. Don't skimp on the whisking -- this is what makes that perfect shiny crackly top! If needed, microwave the mixture for 30 seconds, then stir to combine. Continue microwaving in 15 second intervals, whisking in between, until the sugar is dissolved completely. See notes for tips without a microwave.
Step 3. Melt the chocolate: Add vanilla and ½ cup of chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate to the mixture. Whisk until the chocolate has melted fully and the mixture is smooth. If needed, microwave the mixture as described in the previous step.
Step 4. Dry ingredients: Add all dry ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together. Then add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and mix until well combined. Add the remaining chocolate chips and stir until well incorporated.
Step 5. Bake: Spread the thick brownie batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out slightly fudgy but with no wet batter. In my oven, the baking time was 42 minutes.
Step 6. Cool: Cool completely before removing from the pan and serving. If you do not let it cool, the melted chocolate makes these brownies very wet and they will not hold together well (you will need to eat them with a fork). Just like fudge, these dairy-free brownies are best enjoyed at room temperature or slightly warm.
Hint: Use a metal pan if possible and make sure to spread the brownie batter evenly from the edges of the pan to the center. That way they bake evenly.
Variations
Try these fun brownie variations to wow your guests!
- Coffee Brownies - Instead of hot water, add hot coffee for a luscious coffee flavored brownie!
- S'mores Brownies - Mix in marshmallows and bits of graham cracker before baking! Check out our S'mores Rocky Road for inspiration.
- Chewy Brownies - Instead of melting some of the chocolate chips into the batter in step 3, add a total of ¾ cups of chocolate chips in step 4 as a mix-in.
- Dark Chocolate Brownies - For dark chocolate brownies, use chopped dark chocolate or dark chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
And check out this amazing blonde brownies recipe on my site!
Top tip -- What makes the top of brownies shiny?
Dissolving the sugar is what creates that brownie crackle top. We know many websites claim that the shiny top is due to eggs, butter, or something else, but that is simply not true.
To get a crackle top every time, make sure to whisk the sugars with the hot water and oil until it has completely dissolved. I recommend whisking for 3 full minutes (it's worth the work I promise!). Then check to make sure the syrup is smooth and shiny before moving on to the next step.
Don't believe me? Research "sugar glass". It's used in movies whenever glass is shattered and is made by dissolving sugar in water. By dissolving sugar in water for this brownie recipe, we are making a thin layer of sugar glass on top of your brownie!
Troubleshooting: If you struggle to get the sugar to dissolve, pop it in the microwave for 15 seconds at a time, whisking for at least 30 seconds in between until the syrup is smooth.
Recipe FAQs
Store these dairy-free brownies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days. Allow the brownies to cool completely before storing to maintain the shiny top and crisp edges!
Milk is not a necessary brownie ingredient. Delicious brownies can be made with water instead of milk, and with oil instead of butter for dairy-free.
Eggs are not a necessary brownie ingredient. Contrary to popular belief, they are also not necessary for a shiny brownie top. As an egg replacement, add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch or potato starch and 3 tablespoons of water for each egg in the recipe.
More Related Dairy-Free Desserts to consider...
Looking for more delicious dessert recipes without dairy? Try these fan favorites:
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card or comment section below. Thank you!
Dairy Free Brownies
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup sugar (150 grams)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar firmly packed (150 grams)
- ½ cup oil
- ½ cup hot water
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips a dairy-free variety (100 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour or gluten-free all purpose flour (190 grams)
- ½ cup cocoa powder (50 grams)
- 1 rounded tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch (20 grams)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
Mix-Ins
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line a 9x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Dissolve the sugar: In a medium microwave-safe bowl, add both sugars, oil (warmed to liquid if using coconut oil), and hot water. Whisk by hand or with an electric mixer for 3 minutes or until the sugars are completely dissolved and you have a smooth sugar syrup. Don't skimp on the whisking -- this is what makes that perfect shiny crackly top! If needed, microwave the mixture for 30 seconds, then stir to combine. Continue microwaving in 15 second intervals, whisking in between, until the sugar is dissolved completely. See notes for tips without a microwave.
- Melt the chocolate: Add vanilla and ½ cup of chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate to the mixture. Whisk until the chocolate has melted fully and the mixture is smooth. If needed, microwave the mixture as described in the previous step.
- Dry ingredients: Add all dry ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together. Then add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and mix until well combined. Add the remaining chocolate chips and stir until well incorporated.
- Bake: Spread the thick brownie batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out slightly fudgy but with no wet batter. In my oven, the baking time was 42 minutes.
- Cool: Cool completely before removing from the pan and serving. If you do not let it cool, the melted chocolate makes these brownies very wet and they will not hold together well (you will need to eat them with a fork). Just like fudge, these dairy-free brownies are best enjoyed at room temperature or slightly warm.
Notes
- Coffee Brownies - Instead of hot water, add hot coffee for a luscious coffee flavored brownie!
- S'mores Brownies - Mix in marshmallows and bits of graham cracker before baking! Check out our S'mores Rocky Road for inspiration.
- Chewy Brownies - Instead of melting some of the chocolate chips into the batter in step 3, add a total of ¾ cups of chocolate chips in step 4 as a mix-in.
- Dark Chocolate Brownies - For dark chocolate brownies, use chopped dark chocolate or dark chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Katie
This crackle top is the best I’ve ever had! Super glossy and just a little crunch. I really appreciated the section on how to get that shiny top. This will be my go to brownie recipe from now on. I love that it’s super simple.
Jamie
I'm so happy to hear it! Thank you for the review Katie 🙂