Vegan Gluten-Free Brownies - no butter
Fudgy Vegan Gluten-Free Brownies without butter and a secret brownie hack to get that perfect shiny top every time! Melted chocolate, brown sugar, and oil make the BEST brownie texture.
Servings 16 brownies
Calories 248kcal
Ingredients
- ¾ cup sugar (150 grams)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar firmly packed (150 grams)
- ½ cup oil , avocado oil, vegetable oil, and melted coconut oil all work (118 ml)
- ½ cup hot water (118 ml)
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips , divided (200 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all purpose gluten-free flour with xanthan gum**(190 grams)
- ½ cup cocoa powder (50 grams)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line a 9x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Dissolve the sugar: In a large microwave-safe bowl, add the sugar, brown sugar, 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.*¾ cup sugar, ¾ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup oil, ½ cup hot water
- Melt the chocolate: Add vanilla and ⅓ 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 notes section under "shiny top".1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Dry ingredients: Add the gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda to a medium mixing bowl and whisk together. Then add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and mix until well combined. Add ½ cup of chocolate chips and stir until well incorporated.1 ½ cups all purpose gluten-free flour, ½ cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- Bake: Spread the thick brownie batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out slightly fudgy but with no wet batter. In my oven, the baking time was 39 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
See the blog post for step-by-step photos and variations.
Storage: Store these vegan gluten-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! They can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Chewy Brownies: As listed, this recipe makes a fudgy brownie variety. To make an equally amazing chewy brownie, melt ¼ cup of chocolate chips in step 3 and add ⅓ cup of chocolate chips in step 4. Bake for 30-35 minutes (a little less than listed).
*Shiny Top Tip: Don't skimp on the whisking to dissolve the sugar -- this is what makes that perfect shiny crackly top! If the sugar does not dissolve in step 2, microwave the wet mixture for 30 seconds, then stir to combine. Continue microwaving in 15 second intervals, whisking in between, until the sugar is dissolved completely.
Brownie pan: Baking time is for a metal 9x9 inch baking pan. If using an 8x8 inch baking pan, expect baking time to be about 5 minutes longer and double check for doneness using the toothpick test. Baking times will be longer with a glass baking pan and baking is likely to be uneven. Choose metal if possible.
**Xanthan gum: If your gluten-free flour blend does not include xanthan gum or guar gum, add ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum per cup of GF flour.
Nutrition
Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 159mg | Potassium: 124mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 6IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2mg