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    Home Β» All Recipes Β» Dessert

    Fudgy Chocolate Brownies

    March 13, 2017 By Melissa Huggins / 24 Comments

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    These Vegan Fudgy Chocolate Brownies are super chocolatey, nutty, and delicious. Made without oil or gluten.

    These Vegan Fudgy Chocolate Brownies are super chocolatey, nutty, and downright delicious. They are seriously easy to make and require wholesome ingredients, too. 

    Overhead view of Fudgy Chocolate Brownies on parchment paper. Tea and ice cream on the side.

    You guys...I seriously have the best recipe for Chocolate Brownies EVER! It's straight out of Laura Wright's new cookbook, The First Mess, and I have permission to share it with you today.

    I've been following Laura's blog (The First Mess) for many years now, and I was SO excited to hear her recipes would be making it to print. I'm a HUGE cookbook collector, and I couldn't wait to have her delicious creations in my kitchen collection.

    There were so many recipes to choose from, but I just had to share this fabulous chocolatey dessert. I just can't say no to chocolate...can you? My Snickers Cream Pie these Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes, and these Peanut Butter Cups get me every time.

    Overhead view of Fudgy Chocolate Brownies on parchment paper. Tea and cookbook on the side.

    Table of Contents

    • What's inside?
    • What do these Fudgy Chocolate Brownies Taste Like? 
    • Gluten-free and Oil-free
    • Fudgy Nut and Seed Butter Brownies

    What's inside?

    There are 125 delicious recipes that are broken down into 7 categories:

    • Mornings and Breakfasts
    • Soups and Stews
    • Salads and Dressings
    • Hearty Mains and Big Plates
    • Vegetables and a Couple of Grains
    • Energizing Drinks and Small Bites
    • Desserts and Small Treats

    The book begins with Laura's Introduction. You'll learn why she has a deep love and respect for local food, family, hard work, and small business communities. It really shines a light on her work today.

    The book continues with How to Stock Your Pantry for Success. Laura lists simple ingredients to keep on hand for making her recipes successfully.

    Close up view of a brownie on a white plate. Ice cream and spoon in the background.

    What do these Fudgy Chocolate Brownies Taste Like? 

    Like I was saying earlier, these are the best damn brownies EVER! I knew whatever recipe I made would be a winner, but holy cow, these Fudgy Chocolate Brownies, really live up to their title!

    They have a rich, dark-chocolatey flavor, with a moist & fudgy center, and a crispy outer crust. They aren't overly sweet, and I love the addition of chopped nuts.

    Gluten-free and Oil-free

    The recipe calls for applesauce instead of oil, which makes them super moist and velvety. There's just a tiny bit of coconut flour used to keep them gluten-free, too.

    Coconut flour can be really tricky in baking, but it worked wonderfully in these brownies. To make them rich and fudgy, Laura adds melted chocolate and nut/seed butter to the mix.

    side view of a brownie on a plate with spoons in the side. Ice cream and a batch of brownies in the background.

    More chocolatey recipes to enjoy:

    • Vegan Chocolate Cake 
    • Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
    • Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream

    I’d love to hear from you

    If you make this recipe, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.

    These Vegan Fudgy Chocolate Brownies are super chocolatey, nutty, and delicious. Made without oil or gluten.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
    5 from 6 votes

    Fudgy Nut and Seed Butter Brownies

    This may be my crowning achievement as far as desserts go, and I’ve tested it about a hundred times just to make sure. No added oil, no added refined sugar, no grains, loaded with chocolate, and they’re vegan of course. These brownies are dense and fudgy, and taste great with a variety of nut or seed butters. I like to do a half almond/half hazelnut butter variation that mimics that popular chocolate hazelnut spread in flavor and richness. ~Laura Wright 
    *Reprinted from The First Mess cookbook by arrangement with Avery Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © 2017, Laura Wright
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time40 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American, Gluten-Free, Vegan
    Servings: 16 brownies
    Calories: 126kcal
    Author: Melissa Huggins

    Ingredients

    • ¾ cup smooth nut or seed butter (I like roasted almond, hazelnut, or sunflower butter)
    • ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
    • ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
    • 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
    • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 3 tablespoons coconut flour
    • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • ½ cup vegan chocolate chunks OR chopped chocolate from a 70% dark dairy-free chocolate bar, divided
    • 3 tablespoons whole nuts or seeds, rough-chopped (I like almonds, hazelnuts, or sunflower seeds)

    Recommended Equipment

    • 8-Inch Square Pan
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square pan with a piece of parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides. Set aside.
    • 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the nut or seed butter, maple syrup, applesauce, and vanilla.
    • 3. To the nut butter mixture, add the cocoa powder, coconut flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Whisk to combine, ensuring that there are no dry lumps of cocoa in the batter.
    • 4. In a double boiler, melt half of the chocolate chunks. Vigorously stir the melted chocolate into the brownie batter until fully incorporated.
    • 5. Scrape the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan. Smooth the batter out evenly with a spatula, pushing it into the edges and corners of the pan.
    • 6. Scatter the reserved chocolate chunks and rough-chopped nuts over the top. Slide the pan into the oven, and bake the brownies until the top is slightly firm and appears dry and lightly cracked, about 27 to 30 minutes.
    • 7. Cool the brownies completely in the pan set on a wire rack. Then, cover the brownies and place them in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. This step is crucial. The brownies will not cut neatly unless they get adequate cooling time.
    • 8. I recommend running a chef’s knife under hot water and drying it off right before slicing the brownies.

    Notes

    *If you don't have a double boiler you can microwave the chocolate for about a minute.
     
     

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Brownie | Calories: 126kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 128mg | Potassium: 139mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 1.2mg
    Tried this recipe?Follow me @veganhuggs and mention #veganhuggs!

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    More Vegan Dessert Recipes

    • Vegan Chocolate Cake
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    melissa

    About Melissa

    I’m Melissa Huggins – the creator of Vegan Huggs. I started this blog to share delicious vegan recipes that everyone will love. Yep, that includes carnivores, too! Read more...

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      Recipe Rating




    1. yen

      July 24, 2021 at 2:45 am

      hi. can i skip the applesauce? or what can be a good sub to it? thanks

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        July 25, 2021 at 10:49 am

        I haven't tried it with anything else so I can't be sure of the outcome. I will have to experiment soon. Thanks for stopping by πŸ™‚

        Reply
    2. Jakalyn

      March 26, 2021 at 6:57 am

      5 stars
      Hello Melissa,
      These are wonderful! Followed your direction exactly and they turned out great! I've been trying out Vegan recipes for my nephew who just moved close to us. He went crazy for these! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
      Best, Jakalyn

      Reply
      • Support @ Vegan Huggs

        March 26, 2021 at 7:22 am

        Hi Jakalyn, thank you so much for giving them a try! We are so happy to hear that you and your nephew both loved the brownies πŸ™‚

        Reply
    3. Lia

      October 28, 2020 at 2:07 am

      Hi, your recipe states to melt half of the vegan chocolate chunks. By this do you mean the full 1/2 cup in the ingredients list of half of that = only 1/4 cup melted chocolate chunks?

      Reply
    4. Kay

      April 10, 2020 at 7:28 pm

      I want to try this, but is there anything I can replace the maple syrup with? If its only for the sweetening factor, could I do coconut sugar? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        April 10, 2020 at 9:58 pm

        Hi Kay, I haven’t tried them with a dry sweetener, so I’m not sure of the outcome. Do you have any liquid sweetener? I wish I could be more help. Thank you for stopping by. πŸ˜€

        Reply
      • Maegan W

        June 09, 2021 at 2:16 pm

        I use an equal amount of agave in mine and they're just as delicious and there's no change in texture.

        Reply
    5. V.Brown

      October 20, 2018 at 3:46 am

      I made a first attempt yesterday. Though, delicious they crumbled a bit. They did not keep form. Any suggestions?

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        October 23, 2018 at 7:45 pm

        Hmmm, I'm not sure why that happened. Did you chill them long enough?

        Reply
        • V.Brown

          October 24, 2018 at 4:49 am

          5 stars
          I chilled them overnight. I think I put too much applesauce. Nevertheless, my coaches loved them especially the crumbles. It's just a personal preference. Thanks for the feedback.

    6. Rachel

      May 28, 2018 at 10:12 am

      If I leave the melted chocolate out will the texture still be good?

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        May 28, 2018 at 10:19 am

        Hi Rachel, I haven't tried it without the melted chocolate. I think it would still be good, but maybe not as rich. Sorry I couldn't be more help. I'd love to hear how they turn out for you. Thanks for stopping by πŸ™‚

        Reply
    7. Rhonda

      March 28, 2018 at 6:53 am

      What can I use in place of coconut flour? I don’t have that...

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        March 28, 2018 at 9:11 am

        Hi Rhonda, you can use all-purpose or GF flour. Thanks for stopping by πŸ™‚

        Reply
    8. Brittany

      June 27, 2017 at 7:45 am

      Could I use peanut butter?

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        June 28, 2017 at 11:35 pm

        Hi Britany, Yes, you can use any nut butter you'd like. I've actually tried them with the peanut butter and they were delicious! Thank you for stopping by πŸ™‚

        Reply
    9. Nick

      April 17, 2017 at 6:23 pm

      Wow, this recipe looks amazing! I love how "messy" the tops of the brownies look, I'm sure it gives them a gorgeous texture ????

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        April 22, 2017 at 6:41 pm

        Hi Nick, Thank you for stopping by! The topping is my favorite part. πŸ™‚

        Reply
    10. kimmythevegan

      March 23, 2017 at 8:16 am

      Wow! What a stellar sounding cookbook. I don't know that I actually need any more cookbooks... but I'm also not sure I can resist this one. I'm so happy you were able to share the brownie recipe with us! I'm a sucker for a good brownie. And they are gluten free. Yay! And don't have any weird ingredients I don't have on hand. Yum.

      Reply
    11. Sarah | Well and Full

      March 21, 2017 at 5:50 pm

      I have Laura's cookbook and I've made these brownies twice already!! They're so good!! πŸ˜€

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        April 04, 2017 at 10:04 am

        Hi Sarah, thank you for stopping by. I'm loving her book so much. So many great recipes that are easy to follow πŸ™‚

        Reply
      • Marissa

        March 12, 2022 at 8:08 pm

        5 stars
        These were great! I didn't have applesauce so I substituted one mashed banana instead and they turned out very fluffy inside. It was the perfect texture. We actually cut them as soon as they came out of the oven because we can't resist warm brownies and they held up great! They didn't crumble or fall apart. The only thing I would change next time is to maybe add more maple syrup or possibly less cocoa powder. I recommend eating them with some fresh raspberries on the side - it was delicious!

        Reply
        • Melissa Huggins

          March 14, 2022 at 9:05 am

          Hi Marissa, I am glad you were able to try the recipe and made the necessary substitutions to make it work. πŸ™‚ You are right, freshly baked brownies are just so irresistible! Hehe.

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