Moist and gooey, no one will guess these aquafaba brownies are made without dairy or eggs! They are rich in flavor, delicious, and have the perfect fudgy texture.
Have you tried baking with aquafaba? It is the brine leftover from canned chickpeas and works excellent as a substitute for eggs in vegan baking! We will use it to make a tray of these ultra-fudgy and rich vegan brownies that are a family favorite.
If you are looking for high protein brownies, I recommend checking out my protein mug brownie or vegan protein brownies instead!
💚Why you will love this recipe
- Whipping aquafaba gives brownies the classic crinkled top
- Decadent, chocolatey, and super gooey
- Naturally dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan
- Store well and are freezer-friendly!
🤔What is aquafaba
Aquafaba, sometimes known as chickpea water, is simply the liquid or brine in which the chickpeas are cooked in. It is thick, vigorous, and widely used as a replacement for egg whites as it foams beautifully upon whisking.
You can obtain aquafaba 2 ways, either by reserving the brine of your canned chickpeas or by making your own by cooking chickpeas from dried. The latter is less reliable, though, as it might turn out to be too thin and not foam properly. I recommend checking out this post on how to make aquafaba by Delightful Adventures if you want to make your own.
🍫What you will need
📃Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Aquafaba - I do not recommend substituting aquafaba with other vegan egg substitutes; it simply will not work!
- Applesauce - You can use ½ cup of mashed banana in place. But do keep in mind that your brownies will have a slight banana aftertaste.
- Oat flour - If you do not have any on hand, you can easily make your own at home by blending some rolled or quick oats in a high-speed blender until they are finely ground. Use gluten-free, if needed.
- Cashew butter - Feel free to use other nut butter in place, like peanut or almond butter. Use seed butter like tahini or sunflower seed butter in place to make this nut-free.
- Coconut sugar - You can use another granulated sweetener like brown or white sugar.
- Cocoa powder - Both Dutch and natural-processed cocoa powder will work. A good quality cocoa powder does make a difference, though. I am using either Ghiradelli Cocoa or Cacao Barry Extra Brute.
🔪How to make
Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line an 8x8 baking tray with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients except sugar. Mix well and set aside. Mix cashew butter, applesauce, and plant milk in another bowl.
Whisk aquafaba until stiff peaks form, either by using a stand-mixer or hand-mixer. It will take 8-10 minutes, so do be patient!
Slowly add in coconut sugar, a tablespoon at a time. Continue whisking until the mixture is shiny and thick.
Now, fold the applesauce cashew butter mixture into the aquafaba using a spatula. Add dry ingredients into wet and fold again until everything is well combined.
Pour batter into the pan and smooth it with a spoon or a spatula. You can top it with more chocolate chips if desired.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until brownies appear to be set. You can also insert a toothpick down the middle to check for doneness. The toothpick should come out reasonably clean with a few moist crumbs.
Take it out of the oven and let it cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan before transferring it to a cooling tray to cool down further. Let aquafaba brownies cool down to room temperature before slicing.
✔Helpful tips
- Measure flour properly - I recommend using a kitchen scale to measure your flour for the best results. I am using the Ozeri digital scale, and I highly recommend it! If you choose to use cups, follow the spoon and level method.
- Be patient when whipping aquafaba - It can take up to 10 minutes of beating for aquafaba to turn foamy and stiff.
- Be careful not to overbake - Brownies will appear underbaked and soft right out of the oven but will firm up as it cools. Overbaking it will result in aquafaba brownies that are dry and crumbly.
- Let brownies cool down before slicing - Allow brownies to cool to room temperature before slicing to avoid it from turning into a gooey mess!
- Note on slicing brownies - Allow brownies to cook completely before slicing. Slice brownies using a plastic or chef’s knife. Wipe the blade with a kitchen towel between cuts.
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🥜Optional add-ins
Chopped nuts - Mixing in some chopped nuts, like walnuts or pecans, gives brownies a nice crunch and additional flavors!
Candy and candy bars - Feel free to toss some of your favorite candy like vegan M&M’s or peanut butter cups. This will bring these aquafaba brownies to the next level!
Ice cream - Serve warm brownies with some vanilla ice cream to make a decadent dessert.
❄️Storing suggestions
Fridge - Aquafaba brownies can be refrigerated for 4-5 days. Store them in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out.
Freezer - Brownies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Store them in a freezer-safe container, and add a piece of parchment paper between each layer.
Reheat frozen brownies in the microwave at 15-second bursts, or let them thaw on the counter until they turn soft.
❔Commonly asked questions
If your brownies turned out dry, you had likely overbaked them. Brownies might appear undercooked right out of the oven but will continue to cook and firm up while cooling.
Or, you might have used too much flour. Hence, if possible, weigh your flour with a scale for the best result.
Brownies are cooked when the top is set and is reasonably firm. You can also check for doneness by inserting a toothpick down the middle. If the toothpick comes out fairly clean with a few moist crumbs clinging, it is done baking.
Allow brownies to cool completely before slicing to ensure brownies can be cut cleanly. Using a plastic knife or chef’s knife to slice your brownies and wipe the blade clean between cuts is highly recommended.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Aquafaba Brownies
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup oat flour use gluten-free if needed* (110g)
- ½ cup cocoa powder (60g)
- ¾ cup coconut sugar or other granulated sugar** (150g)
- ½ cup chocolate chips (100g)
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Wet ingredients
- ½ cup aquafaba (125ml)
- ½ cup applesauce (125g)
- ¼ cup cashew butter or another nut/seed butter (60g)
- 3 tablespoons plant based milk (45ml)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C / 350F. Line a 8x8 baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine together all dry ingredients except coconut sugar. Mix well and set aside.½ cup cocoa powder, ½ cup chocolate chips, 1 teaspoon espresso powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 ¼ cup oat flour
- In another bowl, mix together applesauce, cashew butter and plant milk.½ cup applesauce, ¼ cup cashew butter, 3 tablespoons plant based milk
- Whisk aquafaba until peak forms, either by using a stand-mixer or hand-mixer. It will take 8-10 minutes, so do be patient!½ cup aquafaba
- Slowly add in coconut sugar, a tablespoon at a time. Continue whisking until mixture is shiny and thick.¾ cup coconut sugar
- Now, fold in applesauce cashew butter mixture into the aquafaba using a spatula. Add dry ingredients into wet and fold again until everything is well combined.
- Pour batter into pan and smooth it out using the back of a spoon or a spatula. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until brownies appear to be set. You can also insert a toothpick down the middle to check for doneness. Toothpick should be fairly clean with a few crumbs attached.
- Take it out of the oven and let it cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan, before transferring it to a cooling tray to cool down further. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Measure flour properly - I recommend using a kitchen scale to measure your flour for the best results. I am using the Ozeri digital scale, and I highly recommend it! If you choose to use cups, follow the spoon and level method.
- Be patient when whipping aquafaba - It can take up to 10 minutes of beating for aquafaba to turn foamy and stiff.
- Be careful not to overbake - Brownies will appear underbaked and soft right out of the oven but will firm up as it cools. Overbaking it will result in aquafaba brownies that are dry and crumbly.
- Note on slicing brownies - Slice brownies using a plastic or chef’s knife. Wipe the blade with a kitchen towel between cuts.
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Email yourself a link to this page and come back later.
Also get a FREE high-protein vegan recipe eBook + weekly new recipes! Unsubscribe anytime.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
Catherine says
Heya, could i use a gkiten free flour mix instead of oats?
Meesha says
I have never tried it, but I think it might work! But I would highly recommend substituting it by weight (in g) instead of volume (aka cups) as gluten-free mix is denser when compared to oat flour. Hope you find this helpful!
Bridget says
Most delicious brownies I have ever made! Very gooey and fudgy
Meesha says
I am very happy to hear that!
Lucy says
I tried this today (first time using aquafaba). I liked that the instructions included the amounts as I'm always flicking back and forth between ingredients and instructions (except I couldn't see oat flour in the instructions so I assumed it was included in the first set of dry ingredients). They're cooking now so I can't comment on the taste!
Meesha says
Glad you find this feature helpful. Enjoy your brownies!
Erin says
Very tasty. Happy to find oil free recipe. I messed up the coconut sugar- didn’t whip it in, just added with all other dry ingredients and still yummy.
Meesha says
Happy to heat that! 💚
Melissa says
Is there something I can use to replace the espresso powder?
Meesha says
You could use instant coffee powder in place. Feel free to omit it if you do not have either of them!
Scott C Ausburn says
These turned out great . You talk about weighing flour is more accurate and i agree but there aren't any weighs on the recipe. I would much rather weigh everything out instead of dealing with all those measuring cups . ; )
Meesha says
Glad to hear that! As for the weights, you can press on the metric button above the ingredient list in the recipe card to change the units. 😊