These vegan brownies will change your mind about trying a healthier brownie option. This is a super moist and soft dessert with a secret ingredient and plenty of chocolaty goodness involved. These healthy brownies will satisfy any hankering or craving that your sweet tooth is begging for.
Fudgy Brownies
I love to focus on eating vegan and healthy when it comes to any recipe, including desserts, like these eggless Zucchini Brownies, these Sweet Potato Brownies, or these No-Bake Brownies. I haven’t found a recipe yet that couldn’t easily be made vegan and still taste just as delicious as the traditional version.
This time, when I set out to make a coconut flour brownie that tasted like the traditional fudgy brownies, I thought I had my hands full. However, it turned out to be easier than I expected.
I know, I know, you’ve probably been burned in the past with someone claiming they had fudgy vegan brownies without eggs. However, I’m serious about these being the best healthy brownies that I made so far. I am not one to sacrifice on taste when it comes to my food and I’m definitely picky when it comes to texture as well. So, believe me, when I say, these dairy-free brownies won’t be a disappointment to your taste buds.
Thousands of people on Instagram and Pinterest are raving about these vegan gluten free brownies, and I hope you’ll also give them a try.
The ‘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 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 noticed that I didn’t have black beans in my pantry, so I grabbed the 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 vegan brownie 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 these Cheesecake Brownies.
How To Make Vegan Brownies?
Seriously, these healthy brownies are so easy and fast to make in 6 simple steps and require only a few ingredients.
- Add all dry ingredients to a big mixing bowl and stir until there are no clumps.
- Blend the sweet peas with all other wet ingredients in a blender.
- Pour the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until the mixture is combined. But don’t over mix. If the batter is too thick, add a little plant-based milk. If it’s too runny, add about a tablespoon 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. The size of my pan is 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 size of your pan, or until a toothpick, inserted into the center 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 add all ingredients to a small bowl and stir well with a whisk. Spread the chocolate cream on top of the brownies once cooled. Cut into bars with a large, sharp knife. Enjoy!
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 vegan creme de la creme on top of these healthy brownies.
How To Store Brownies
Storing brownies is pretty straight forward. You’ve got a few options so you’re not limited. Also, they taste even better on day 2! Below are a few ways you can store these low calorie brownies.
On the counter – As long as your brownies are in an airtight container, they will do just fine either on the counter, in the pantry, or just in a cool, dark, place for a few days. If they’re somewhere too hot, condensation will build up and cause moisture, making them mold quicker. Therefore, I recommend storing them in the refrigerator.
In the fridge – If you want your brownies to keep a little longer, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge. You may want to pull them out a few minutes before consuming, so they will be closer to room temp and easier to eat.
Can you freeze brownies? – You bet you can! It’s important that the brownies are in an airtight container when placed in the freezer. It’s also a great idea to separate them by wax paper, so they don’t freeze together. Let them come to room temperature on their own if possible – they have a better outcome going this route.
Helpful Tips and Variations
- How to cut brownies? – The best way to get a nice clean cut when slicing them up is by using a plastic knife. I know, it sounds crazy, but it works. If you don’t want to use plastic, you can use a serrated knife dipped in hot water.
- Skip the chocolate cream – Even though I recommend not skipping the cream, but if you prefer these gluten free brownies without the glaze, that’s perfectly fine. If you would like something to still go on the top, simply add some dairy-free chocolate chips.
- Coconut flour substitute – When it comes to this recipe, there truly is no equal when it comes to coconut flour. If you absolutely must, almond flour and other nut flours will be fine, but you’ll want to add at least a half cup more than you did with the coconut flour.
- Powdered peanut butter substitute – If you don’t want to use powdered peanut butter, or you’re having trouble finding it, you can use cocoa powder instead. You’ll just need to double the cocoa powder and nix the water or use regular peanut butter.
If you end up giving these healthy brownies a try, please leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan – I love seeing those remakes!
If you love chocolate, you should definitely also try out these delicious vegan chocolate cake and brownie recipes:
- Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Vegan Lava Cake
- Flourless Brownies
- Caramel Chocolate Brownies
- Vegan Chocolate Pie
Healthy Vegan Brownies
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 3/4 cup (100 g) coconut sugar (*see notes)
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp (50 g) cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup (33 g) 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 (500 g) sweet peas drained and rinsed (*see notes)
- 1/3 cup (110 g) maple syrup (or any other liquid sweetener)
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) coconut milk canned
- 2 tbsp (28 g) coconut oil melted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate glaze:
- 3 1/2 tbsp (21 g) cocoa powder
- 3 tbsp (24 g) powdered peanut butter (*see notes)
- 1/4 cup (80 g) maple syrup
- 2 tbsp (28 g) coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp of water
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
- I recommend measuring the ingredients in grams on a kitchen scale.
- 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 cooled brownies. Slice into squares with a large, sharp knife. Enjoy!
- They taste even better on day 2! Store them covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can freeze leftovers!
Notes
Video Of The Recipe
- 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 using 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). Or use regular peanut butter.
- 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 bake the brownies with dairy-free chocolate chips on top
- Recipe makes 12 brownies. Nutrition facts are for one brownie WITH the chocolate glaze.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Simple and Delicious Vegan Cookbook by ElaVeganCLICK HERE to order!If you are using Pinterest, feel free to pin the following photo:
Wow! Ich habe dein Rezept getestet und die Brownies schmecken echt so so gut! Man kann sie essen ohne ein schlechtes Gewissen zu haben ☺️
Freut mich sehr liebe Jacqueline. Danke für dein Feedback! 🙂
This recipe looks great! I have tried, without success, to find a converter online for using regular flour instead of gluten free. Do you know of any resource like that? Or would I use the same quantity of regular flour in place of the gluten free? I’d like to try your dessert recipes if I could only figure this out.
Thank you!
Hi Jess, if a recipe calls for oat flour or rice flour, you can, in most cases, use regular flour. However, coconut flour is totally different because it absorbs so much liquid. Please check the recipe notes for a sub. Hope this helps. 🙂
Can’t wait to try this recipe but wondering what I can sub for the coconut oil. Thanks.
You can use any other oil or use nut butter (but double the amount).
Question. Do the chia seeds need to be ground if you are using them in place of the flax?
Yes! 🙂
Hi Ela, these brownies look delicious however they are very heavy on sugar. What would you recommend to replace the coconut sugar and the sugar in the icing?
Thanks
Hi Julia, you can always use a sugar-free sweetener like Swerve (Erythritol). 🙂
We have a family member with a seed allergy, so I subbed the use of seeds for 1 egg (I know, not vegan) and they turned out just as good as the original, but with a crackly top like a classic brownie. I also use only 1/4c coconut sugar and 1/4c maple syrup and it is perfect.
Thanks for your feedback, Maria! 🙂
I know everyone has already said this but WHOAH! These brownies are shockingly good!! As we are in lock down over here, I had to make a few substitutions but they still worked brilliantly! I used 1 cup dates to replace both the coconut sugar and the maple syrup (as you suggested to a previous commenter) and I used 1/4 cup date paste to replace the maple syrup in the ganache (I also used 1.5 tbsp peanut butter instead of powder here). I also used psyllium husk instead of flax (as a 1:1 substitution). These brownies beat their black bean cousins hands down! I couldn’t taste the peas at all, and the brownies cooled fast and were pretty easy to handle (not at all crumbly). And, as you say, they’re even more delicious a day later (alas, there were only 3 left the following day…). Making this again for sure!! Thank you!
P.S. I forgot to say, I used frozen peas (petits pois), cooked as per the instructions on the bag instead of canned peas. Still awesome and no legume taste!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Wow, thanks so much for your awesome feedback, Aleks! I am so happy the brownies turned out incredible even though you made some changes!
Very helpful comment, thanks, I appreciate it. 🙂
My oldest son & his girlfriend have been dating for over a year. We’ve spent time with her parents but never a holiday… until this year’s Thanksgiving! Her dad can’t have any gluten so I scoured the web for a great dessert that everyone could enjoy, including him. This hit the nail on the head so hard! Thank you thank you! It was a huge success! I look forward to more of your posts to surprise them with.
Wow, that’s awesome! Thanks so much for your great feedback, Andrea. I am glad everyone enjoyed this recipe. ?
Hi Ela,
These brownies look insane. I am really looking forward to making the (:
I live outside the US and ‘coconut milk’ can mean a couple of things here. There is canned ‘coconut cream’, that is really fatty (usually the dense fatty part floats to the top of the can), and it’s used as a substitute for heavy cream in cakes many times. The milk is usually a more diluted kind of “coconut drink”, very similar to rice/oatmeal/soy milk. I am wondering which one you meant. Is there any way to know, according to the ingredients on the can?
Hey! It’s important that the coconut milk is not too watery (so definitely not the coconut drink), other than that you can use whatever you want. The higher the fat content, the better the taste. 🙂
These brownies look great but canned peas contain sugar and the recipe says refined sugar free. ????
Tried these out tonight – I tried using a blender for less mess but the pea mix turned out a bit stringy :/ Had some parts where the pea were tasteable in the brownies. Maybe will try blending everything in the food processor (i.e. adding dry to wet in the food processor). the edges turned out just like a brownie edge, though. SO Good. Husband wasn’t a fan of the taste,not sure why. He said the coconut was too strong and not chewy enough. Fudgy, maybe, but he likes more chewy (personal pref).
Will make again, can’t beat that higher protein for a brownie! I loved them with the ganashe but don’t think I would without it. I added a bit more maple syrup cause they weren’t sweet enough, batter wise, for my taste. Good work!
Thanks for your feedback, Emily! 🙂
Hi Ela,
LOVE your recipes. Love that so many of them are baby friendly too!
Quick question, could you use puréed pumpkin instead of peas? I’d love to use peas but I have some puréed pumpkin lying in my fridge that I’d love to use up, this recipe sounds perfect for that!
How much puréed pumpkin would I need? I have a regular sized can of it.
Also, would frozen peas work? If so, how many cups?
Thank you!
Hello! I think puréed pumpkin could work! I would use the whole can. Also, I never tried frozen peas, so I cannot tell you if it will work. 🙂
I should share my experience since it isn’t represented in these reviews – these brownies absolutely tasted like peas. That’s not an insult! They taste like the most chocolatey fudgy brownie peas, but the taste is still there. I thought maybe it was just me since I saw them get mixed in, but my bf and friends said there was something “off” and asked me what “crazy thing” I had included this time (I obviously love experimenting with these types of recipes! ????) I think it’s important to put this out there to prepare future makers of the recipe for the idea that their taste buds might pick up on that element like mine did!
Also, for the record, the frosting was delicious and everyone in my circle loved the sweet potato brownie recipe on this site!!
Hey Lex! Which kind of peas did you use? Canned sweet peas or frozen peas? I think this might make a difference. I made the recipe many times (since it’s my favorite!) and never tasted the peas, to be honest, and so many of my friends love them too. Also, the feedback on Instagram (where I have a huge following) and Pinterest have been nothing but positive.
I used canned peas and followed the recipe exactly! Who knows why the experience was different?!
(I love your site and appreciate your recipes very much! )
I used canned for mine and could taste it. I could taste the peas, but my friend couldn’t tell.
Happy to see your review, as I came to read the comments after making mine to see if anyone else had the same result. I also used canned sweet peas, drained and rinsed. I definitely taste the peas, to the point it was off putting for me. I opted to cover the top in mini chocolate chips instead of the ganache. I was not stingy with the chocolate, pretty much did a solid layer of chips….maybe the ganache helps mask it more? Tempted to add that in top of the chips lol
The ganache really does make a difference in my opinion, even though I do not taste the peas (even without it). Also, I recommend storing the brownies in the fridge for 1-2 days, then try them again, I am sure you won’t taste the peas at all. 🙂
Hi Ela.
This is my first comment in your blog.
When I found this recipe, first of all I was so surprised, ” brownie with sweet peas???” . But after that I remembered that in my country, we use sweet peas for desserts to make “anko” , sweet beans paste, so I said “why not!”.
So I made this today.
What a delicious brownie!!! Even there are no butter no chocolat, it is very moist. It is a real brownie!!!
Normally when I eat a brownie, it stay long time in my stomach but contrary this brownie digests very well.
My husband and my daughter really liked it and I am so happy to discover your blog and this wonderful recipe .
The next time when I make a brownie, it is surely with this recipe and also I will soon try your another recipe definitely.
Thank you so much Ela!
Hello Mei! Thank you so much for your amazing feedback. I am so happy that you and your family loved my brownies. And thanks for telling me about “anko”, I read it’s a dessert from Japan, that’s so interesting. Thank you once again for your great comment 🙂