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These are the best vegan brownies, and they have a secret ingredient. They are plant-based, gluten-free, grain-free, egg-free, chocolaty, moist, rich, low in fat, pretty healthy, easy to make, and super delicious!
Fudgy Chocolate Squares
When I am craving chocolate, I think about brownies first. But I don’t mean the regular store-bought boxed brownies, which almost make your teeth fall out because of all the refined sugar they contain, haha.
I am talking about healthy homemade brownies that taste like the real deal but don’t contain tons of fat, eggs, and refined sugar. To satisfy my taste buds, they must be fudgy, chocolaty, rich, chewy, dense, gooey, moist, and delicious.
Extra bonus if they are gluten-free and also low in fat. If you think that’s not possible, you have to give my recipe a try. After LOTS OF recipe testing, I finally nailed it!
Here they are, the perfect vegan brownies. They even contain a secret ingredient which is pretty unique as I haven’t seen it before in any other brownie recipe in the World Wide Web! Thousands of people on Instagram and Pinterest are raving about these plant-based gluten-free brownies!
The Best Vegan Brownies With A Secret Ingredient!
As mentioned before, these vegan brownies contain a healthy secret ingredient. This secret ingredient won’t be very secret anymore as I will reveal it in a second, but I am sure you will never guess what it is. Most people might think I added black beans, but nope.
The secret main ingredient is canned peas! Yes, sweet peas, not sweet potatoes. You might ask why sweet peas – is this lady crazy or what?!
Well to be totally honest with you, I was going to make black bean brownies one day but then I noticed that I don’t have black beans in my pantry, so I grabbed the sweet peas and made sweet pea brownies.
Also, since I like to experiment in the kitchen, I thought, “ok let’s try it out, either this recipe will turn out into the best ever vegan brownies or the worst ones I ever made”, haha.
And I really don’t regret trying it out since the recipe turned out to be absolutely EPIC. The brownies are even more chocolaty than my previous favorite ones, my Sweet Potato Brownies.
To Sum It Up, These Healthy Vegan Brownies Are:
- Plant-based (dairy-free, egg-free)
- Refined sugar-free
- Low in fat
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
- Grain-free
- Fudgy (not cakey)
- Chocolaty
- Gooey
- Chewy
- Dense
- Rich
- Moist
- Delicious
- Easy to make
- Protein-rich
Vegan Chocolate Glaze
Well, these chocolate squares are already very chocolaty, but you can never have enough chocolate in your life, right? That’s why I topped these delicious fudgy brownies with a creamy chocolate spread which tastes like buttercream!
I made it with powdered peanut butter, cocoa powder, coconut oil, maple syrup, and water. It’s the creme de la creme on top of these vegan brownies.
You can also skip the chocolate glaze and cook the brownies with dairy-free chocolate chips on top. I like the brand Enjoy Life and often use their vegan mini chocolate chips!
How To Make The Best Vegan Brownies?
Seriously, these healthy brownies are so easy and fast to make in 6 simple steps and require only a few ingredients. Check the easy recipe below!
When I posted a teaser of them on my Instagram account @elavegan people went so crazy about them and many asked for the recipe.
So here they are, the best brownies I made so far. Please let me know if you give them a try, I am sure you will love them as much as I do.
If you love chocolate, you should definitely also try out these delicious vegan chocolate cake and brownie recipes:
- Zucchini Brownies
- Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Vegan Lava Cake
- Flourless Brownies
- Sweet Potato Brownies
- Cheesecake Brownies
- Caramel Chocolate Brownies
The Best Vegan Brownies
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar (*see notes)
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup coconut flour (*see notes)
- 2 tbsp ground flax seeds OR chia seeds
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
Wet ingredients:
- 2 15 oz cans sweet peas drained and rinsed (*see notes)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup (or any other liquid sweetener)
- 1/4 cup coconut milk canned
- 2 tbsp coconut oil melted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate glaze:
- 3 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 3 tbsp powdered peanut butter (*see notes)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp of water
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
- I recommend using a kitchen scale for this recipe. You can easily switch between US and metric measurements underneath the ingredient list.
- Add the dry ingredients to a big bowl and stir until there are no clumps.
- Blend the sweet peas with all other wet ingredients in your food processor or blender.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until the mixture is combined. If the batter is too thick add a splash of plant-based milk. If it's too runny add a tbsp of coconut flour.
- Line a baking pan with parchment paper (with an overhang on all sides, for easy removal) or grease it with a little coconut oil. My pan measures 7 x 11 inches (18 x 28 cm).
- Bake in the oven at 390 degrees F (200 degrees C) for about 50 minutes (it can take longer, depending on your oven and the pan you use) or until a toothpick comes out almost clean (it can still be sticky but not wet). Check after 40 minutes with a toothpick. The brownies will still look slightly undercooked but don't worry as they will firm up in the refrigerator.
- To make the chocolate glaze, simply put all ingredients to a small bowl and stir well with a whisk. Spread the cream on top of the brownies once they cooled down. Cut with a big, sharp knife. Enjoy!
- They taste even better on day 2! Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can freeze leftovers!
Notes
- You can use 1/2 cup (100 g) of brown sugar or any other granulated sweetener instead of coconut sugar.
- You shouldn't replace the coconut flour as it's unique and very absorbent. However, if you really want to use a different flour (like almond flour) then use at least 1/2 cup more of it but I highly recommend to use coconut flour.
- I use this brand of peanut flour/powdered peanut butter. You can skip it and use 7 tbsp of cocoa powder and leave out the water (as the peanut flour absorbs a lot of liquid).
- I am using canned sweet peas which are labeled as "sweet peas" but some brands might be labeled as "small/young peas".
- You can also skip the chocolate glaze and cook the brownies with dairy-free chocolate chips on top
- Recipe makes 12 brownies. Nutrition facts are for one brownie WITH the chocolate glaze.
Love the chocolate ganache on top! And your secret ingredient is so clever!
Thank you so much Nisha, you are so kind to say this. Have a beautiful day ❤️
Gorgeous post Ela! I love the how-to photos, and peas! So interesting, thank you sweetie for sharing. Going to send this off into Pinterest now too! Dee xx
Awww Dee! You are such a sweetheart. Thank you so much for your kind comment, it made my day. And thanks for the Pin!! Much love ❤️
These look amazing, cant wait to try. Is it ok if the coconut milk is reduced fat or does it have to be full fat?
Thank you very much Ali! Yes you can use light coconut milk but I bet the brownies tastes a bit better/more rich with regular coconut milk. Let me know if you try it out. 🙂
Interesting! Who would have know. My mouth is watering in all these pictures. I will try it when I finally get my oven.
Thank you so much Geraldine! I can’t wait to hear if you liked them. Much love ❤️
Omg never would have guessed peas! Need to try this they look so delicious I don’t think I will be able to sleep now I’m craving these! Thanks for the recipe
Haha thank you so much for your sweet comment. I hope you can still sleep tonight so that you have enough energy to make my recipe tomorrow. 😛 Enjoy them ❤️
Please, is it possible substituted the flaxes seeds and sweet pea for others?
You can use chia seeds instead of flax seeds and black beans instead of peas. Why don’t you want to use peas? They are available in every supermarket right beside the beans. 🙂
I just made these! Firstly, if you have a cheap food processor, you’re better off using a blender for the peas. Otherwise you’re going to end up with greenish batter and teensy pea chunks. Secondly, these took WAY long to cook for me, like 1.5 hours long. But they are delicious! You can’t taste the peas at all, they are super ooey gooey, and go wonderful with some vegan ice cream atop. I added some melted extra dark chocolate to the batter because I have a chocolate problem.
Thank you very much for your feedback. I am really glad you tried out my recipe. I have a very cheap food processor and didn’t experience any problems. They took so long to cook? I made them twice already and both times they came out just perfect after 50 minutes. I guess it really depends on the oven and the pan. What was the consistency of the batter? Was it thick or thin? I am sure they taste incredible with the extra dark chocolate and some ice cream on top. Great idea! So happy you enjoyed them.
How do i keep them? In fridge? Freezer? Cabinet? How long do they keep? Thank you! I made them late last night.
Hi Becky! I live in the tropics, so I have to keep everything in the fridge. If it’s cold where you live, you might keep them at room temperature for 1-2 days. You can keep them in the fridge for up to 7 days!
I love these brownies! I made your recipe yesterday and they turned out so fudgy and moist. They took about an hour to cook. I already ate three of them and I can’t get enough lol. Thx for this great recipe. Xoxo Francesca
Hi Francesca, thanks a lot for your comment. It makes me so happy that you like my brownies. Also I totally understand that it’s hard to stop eating them, lol. ???? Enjoy them ❤️
Thank you!
You are welcome ❤️
Hello Ella my name is Master Hari teach kung fu and yoga here in Birmingham , I am vegan and for years have not ate any brownies and when I came across your recipe I was do happy and excited. I just want to ask you one question. Have you got you making this on video and put on you tube . Would be so good for people like me to see you make it step by step . , thank you for sharing this great recipe anyway
Hi Master Hari! I haven’t started making YT videos yet, I would love to make them but didn’t find any time yet. Thanks for your interest in my recipe. These brownies are very easy to make even without video, I hope you will like them. If you have any further questions, just ask. 🙂
Super tolles Rezept und richtig originell mit den Erbsen! Ich liebe so “alternative” Rezepte! Sehr lecker… weiter so 🙂
Vielen lieben Dank für deinen lieben Kommentar, Laura. Es freut mich sehr, dass dir die Brownies gut geschmeckt haben.
These brownies were AMAZING!! I made them for my friends without telling them they were vegan/gluten free- and they said they were the perfect brownie and were shocked when I told them what was in them. No joke. The ganache is especially delicious. Also, these were even better the second day. Definitely will be making these again for a healthier natural alternative for brownies!!
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback, Becca! This is so clever of you to not tell your friends that the brownies are vegan and gluten free before they tasted them. And it makes me so happy that they loved them. I also agree that they taste even better on day 2. Thank you once again ❤️
These were delicious! I followed the recipe exactly, but added a teaspoon of chocolate extract to the dough and the frosting. I ate half the pan in 2 days because they were so good and I froze the rest and am eating them as a frozen treat. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Hey Melany, thank you so much for your feedback. I am thrilled to hear that you enjoyed my recipe. Chocolate extract sounds very delicious, great idea!!
Made these the other day and they were so good! I fed them to my boyfriend and roommate and they were both blown away by the undetectable secret ingredient. If you try to take them out of the pan too soon, they will crumble a little bit(or at least mine did). But after letting them cool they were the perfect consistency. They were also really amazing after refrigerating and eating them the next day. I will definitely be making these again!
Hey Megan, thank you very much for your feedback. I am glad you and your boyfriend + roommate enjoyed my recipe. I also noticed that the brownies taste best on the second day.
Hello Eva,
This recipe looks soooo yummyyyyy! 🙂 I would like to try it out, but I only have frozen peas! :p What could I possibly do? Just boiling them in water will do the trick?
Thank you in advance! 🙂
Hi Gabriela, yes this could work! Just boil them long enough in water until they are very soft. You can also add some sugar (or any other sweetener as the canned ones often contain sugar). Let me know how the brownies turned out 🙂
These look fantastic and I can’t wait to try! I have two questions, please:
For the cocoa powder, is Hersey’s dark cocoa powder okay and for the peanut flour/ powder, would PB2 work? Thank you so much!!
Hi Dee! The cocoa powder should work. And yes, PB2 is what I also use quite often! 🙂
Thank you!
You are very welcome, Dee ?
Hi there! Thanks so much for posting this recipe! Can I substitute maple syrup and the coconut flour for anything else? My local supermarkets don’t have them ☹️
Hi Christina, you can you use any liquid sweetener like agave syrup or sugar cane syrup etc instead of maple syrup. It’s difficult to sub the coconut flour though because it is extremely absorbent. I would suggest to use almond flour but you definitely need more of it, I would say 1/2 cup of almond flour. I never tried out the recipe with a different flour than coconut flour but my suggestion is to either use 1/2 cup of a different flour (like almond flour) or you need to reduce the liquid in the recipe. Hope this helps. Let me know how the brownies turned out. 🙂
When she means best she really means best brownies. These are absolutely perfect! Not too much sugar but they are really sweet. Perfect for chocolate craving. I used peanut butter because I didn’t have powedered pb. And brown rice struo instead of maple. Came out perfect but I suggest you check them. You don’t taste the peas at all.
Hi Kay, thank you for your feedback. I am glad you like my brownies as much as I do. Good to hear that regular peanut butter worked too! 🙂
This recipe is just amazing! I really love it, because these brownies are so yummyy and fudgyy! ????
My whole family was surprised when I told them that the main ingredient is peas. Me too, but the brownies are truly fantastic!
Besides I want to thank you for your inspiration, your effort and your beautiful pictures! Your blog and your Instagram account are very motivating for me (and others) to start a vegan life. It shows how various a plant-based life can be and makes me think about the motives of this kind of nutrition.
Thanks a lot! ????????????
Hi Angelina, thank you very much for your wonderful feedback. I am thrilled that you enjoyed my brownie recipe and your family too. 🙂 I feel very flattered to hear that my blog and my Instagram account is inspiring. Ich danke dir ganz herzlich für deine lieben Worte.
I am really short of words! I didn’t expect this outcome at all! These brownies aren’t just the best vegan brownies, but the best brownies I’ve made, period!! Genius creation and use of sweet peas. I followed the recipe almost exactly – I subsituted peanut powder with hazelnut powder instead (couldn’t find peanut). I also only had to leave ny brownies in the oven for 40 minutes because the oven I used was super strong! SO GOOD. They were fed to carnivores and they could not believe they were vegan. They were gone within 1 hour 🙂 will make them again!!
Luiza!! Thank you!! I really appreciate your feedback so much. How awesome that you subsituted peanut powder with hazelnut powder, that’s genius. I actually never heard of hazelnut powder, but I will google it in a minute. And so cool that also your non-vegan friends enjoyed them, that makes me really happy. 🙂
Richtig richtig gutes Rezept! Machen süchtig die Dinger! ????
Vielen Dank Markus! Freut mich sehr, dass dir meine Brownies schmecken 🙂
Hi Ela, deine Brownies sind der absolute Oberhammer. ???? Sie sind so… matschig, schokoladig und lecker. Ein Traum ???? Alle waren begeistert und ich werde sie nun mindestens 1 mal im Monat machen. Morgen werden sich meine Arbeitskollegen freuen. Meine Familie war schon hin und weg. Vielen vielen dank . LG Riana
Wow Riana, was für ein tolles Feedback. Ich freue mich wirklich unheimlich, dass dir und deiner Familie meine Brownies geschmeckt haben. Das macht mich gerade wirklich super happy.