Fudgy Crinkle Top Vegan Brownies with Aquafaba

These ridiculously fudgy vegan brownies are even better than any store bought brownie mix you’ll find. They’re moist, fudgy, and with perfectly shiny crinkly tops, all thanks to dissolving the sugar into aquafaba (or soy milk!). I did test with both, and if you can’t find aquafaba (chickpea brine), then you can definitely swap soy milk instead. Trust me, this will be the only brownie recipe you’ll use from now on!

Forget the box mix brownies- you’re going to LOVE these easy vegan brownies from scratch!

I’m serious. You’ll never be tempted to make another box mix brownie again after giving these ultra fudgy vegan brownies a go.

These brownies are one of our favorite vegan dessert recipes for a good reason (and the base recipe for several of our other vegan brownie recipes, including my vegan gluten free Oreo brownies (and my inspiration for several of the brownie recipes in my cookbook!).

In fact, this recipe is so solid, that I used it to create my easy vegan brownie cookies.

I’m serious, you’re going to be hard pressed to believe that these brownies are vegan (because we’re finally baking them right!).

You are just going to LOVE these super rich and fudgy brownies! Seriously, you won’t even miss the eggs and the dairy 😉

And for the most important part, YES, we achieved the classic iconic crinkle top! But how? There are two EASY reasons why these vegan brownies are different than others:

• Sugar content: We’ve slightly increased the moisture in this vegan brownie recipes by using part brown sugar and part granulated sugar. The brown sugar will add a slightly more molasses flavor, while also adding more moisture and richness.
• Sugar dissolution into aquafaba or soy milk: This means that the sugar granules are dissolved in the liquid by vigorous mixing- either with a hand mixer or by hand. Dissolving the sugar helps to create a super crinkly and shiny top!

Now, why use aquafaba or soy milk?

These are two of my favorite vegan egg replacements for this recipe, along with ground flaxseed. Together, they work better than what applesauce could ever achieve (trust me, I’ve tried).

This is because aquafaba is most similar to egg white in terms of texture and binding properties, and soy milk contains a high amount of protein (similar to a full egg), helping to give the brownies structure and moisture.

Now you might be thinking, well applesauce contains sugar. Don’t we need a high sugar content for crinkly tops? Yes, but sugar and water aren’t enough to cause a binding effect, which is what an egg does. Plus, because applesauce is more grainy from the apple flesh, you’ll have a harder time dissolving in the sugar.

That’s why aquafaba or soy milk are my two favorite options here. So if you don’t have access to chickpea brine, then you most certainly can use soy milk with near identical results!

The best part about this brownie recipe in particular is that it tastes like a fudgy Ghiradelli brownie. And all with the simplest ingredients and method.

The Simplest Ingredients to make Vegan Brownies:

The vegan pantry staple ingredients that we need to make these brownies actually come with some cool benefits:

• Ground flaxseed: We’re going to be using ground flaxseed to make a flax egg. I’ve also tested these brownies with unsweetened applesauce and dairy free yogurt, and either works as well! Here’s more on vegan egg replacements to check out why we’re using flaxseed for eggs!
• Aquafaba: Otherwise known as “chickpea brine,” aquafaba is the liquid found in your chickpea can. It acts as a great vegan egg substitute for egg whites found in traditional brownies. If you don’t have aquafaba though, this recipe will work with replacing it for soy milk!
• Vegan butter: for this recipe, you can use either vegan butter or coconut oil. There are many nut free vegan butters on the markets these days, including Violife (my favorite for nut-free!). I personally use Miyoko’s. If you don’t want to use vegan butter, you can use coconut oil- in fact, using coconut oil may help in protecting both our brains and our hearts! The only note I have for vegan butter is that if you’re using earth balance, use the baking sticks rather than the tub of butter. You’ll get much better results!
• Granulated sugar: The high amount of sugar is what gives our brownies the crinkly top, so please don’t reduce it! Make sure that it’s organic in order to be vegan. I always use Florida Crystals sugar, which is certified vegan.
• Cocoa powder: if you’re wondering what cocoa powder to use for this recipe, I actually go over this down below. But I recommend using all Dutch-processed for the fudgier texture it will give.
• All purpose flour: Many are so quick to knock flour, but it does contain nutrients, like selenium, riboflavin, and niacin. If you have an allergy to gluten, however, ​​you​​​ can use gluten free 1:1 baking flour here if needed. I recommend using King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free flour. I have not tried these vegan brownies with whole wheat flour, which definitely requires different ratios.
• High quality dark vegan chocolate: my favorite brand to use for this recipe is Endangered Species or Valrhona!

Overview: How to make vegan brownies step-by-step

For the full written instructions and ingredient measurements, see the bottom of this post in the recipe card. You can also hit the “jump to recipe” button at the top of this post! Here, we’ll go over a brief overview of the steps, along with providing visuals for a better understanding of the recipe. 

Once you see how simple and easy these vegan brownies are to make, you might just be making them every week!

How to know when brownies are done

This really depends if you’re looking more for fudgy vegan brownies or more cakey vegan brownies. I personally air on the fudgy side, so I would check the brownies after 20 minutes.

Use a toothpick to test: if the toothpick comes out slightly clean (there might be a few crumbs on it) they’re good to go! If there’s more batter than actual brownie on the toothpick, I would give them another 3-5 minutes.

When you remove the brownies from the oven, the tops of the brownies will be soft– that means they’re definitely fudgy inside! As they cool, the brownies will become firmer, yet still remain fudgy when you take that first bite.

What’s the best way to cut brownies?

The key to cleanly sliced brownies? The most important part is allowing the brownies to fully cool before slicing. This means waiting for about 25-30 minutes after they’ve been removed from the oven.

Next tip is slicing them with a large kitchen knife, using one fell swoop. DO NOT drag the knife through the brownies, as that’s what causes the crumbling to occur. Make sure to also gently clean the knife with a kitchen towel between each slice.

Another trick is to run the knife under really hot water. Make one slice, then use a clean kitchen towel to clean the knife after each slice.

This method will ensure that you don’t get any ruined edges! Your vegan fudge brownies will be the perfect squares of chocolatey bliss.

Remember: the brownies should be cool before slicing!! If they’re not, no matter how hot or clean the knife is, the brownies might crumble around the edges!

Brownie mix-ins

If you ever want to jazz up this recipe for something different, here are some of my favorite brownie mix-ins:

• More chocolate chips (of course!)
• Pecans, walnuts, cashews, peanuts (if you’re nut free!)
• Peanut butter or cashew butter (or try these amazing vegan peanut butter swirl brownies!)
• Vegan chocolate gems
• Crushed oreos (use these vegan gluten free Oreos if you need to!)
• Vegan white chocolate chips

Final Brownie Baking Tips:

• Don’t slice your brownies too soon: These are SUPER fudgy brownies. Therefore, we need them to set and slightly cool before going in with our kitchen knives. Give the brownies about 20-30 minutes cooling in the pan before you remove and slice. They’ll be perfect!
• Be careful not to over mix: This is a very thick brownie batter, so I know it will be tempting to REALLY mix hard. But over-mixing the batter will lead to super dry brownies- not what we want!
• The better the ingredients, the better the flavor! I love using a really high quality vegan chocolate. Valrhona has a few options, as well as their vegan milk chocolate!
• Use a hand mixer to save time: If it’s easier, you can just use a hand mixer instead of a whisk! You do need to fully dissolve the sugar into the liquid in order to get those shiny tops, which will take some work!
• Make sure the sugar granules are really dissolved: This is super important for those crinkly tops. To test this, pinch the liquid between your fingers. If you feel granules, you’ll still need to mix. If it feels super smooth, then you’re good to go!

You are just going to LOVE these super easy vegan brownies! Truly, this will be your go-to brownie recipe, I’m sure of it!

Happy brownie baking!

Watch how to make vegan brownies:

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If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!

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