We’ve done brownies before (exhibits A, B, C, D, E, and F)…but these are different, friends! We couldn’t hold out on you. Introducing: shiny, CRACKLY TOP, chewy, decadent, REAL DEAL brownies that are undetectably vegan and gluten-free (!!).
They’re also SO easy to make with simple methods and just 1 bowl + 9 ingredients. Prepare for your brownie dreams to become a reality! Let’s bake!
How to Make Fudgy Crackly Top Vegan + Gluten-Free Brownies
These brownies are a literal DREAM! They have the perfect amount of chocolatiness, fudginess, and chewiness. Plus they’re vegan, gluten-free, and easy to make!
Correction: Seriously easy to make! Mix the dry ingredients, stir in the chocolate chips, then add boiling water, melted vegan butter, and vanilla.
The heat from the water + butter will melt the chocolate chips, creating a smooth, rich, ultra chocolaty brownie batter with minimal effort!
Add in some extra chocolate chips for good measure, and these brownies are going in the oven!
The final (and most challenging) step is to let the brownies cool for at least 30 minutes before digging in. If you can’t wait, they’ll be super gooey and hard to cut, but sometimes that fresh-from-the-oven brownie smell is just too hard to resist! We get it.
You’re going to LOVE these brownies! They’re:
Super chocolaty
Chewy on the edges
Fudgy in the center
Crackly on top
Indulgent
Easy to make
& SO incredibly delicious!
These are the perfect treat to make for your vegan and gluten-free brownie-loving friends, or really anyone who likes brownies or chocolate even a little bit. Yes, they’re that good. They’re perfect for Valentine’s Day, chocolate cravings, birthdays, movie nights, brownie ice cream, sundaes, and so much more!
More Recipes for Brownie Lovers
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Servings 16 (Brownies)
Prevent your screen from going dark
- 1 ⅔ cup coconut sugar (we like Supernatural or Whole Foods 365 Brand)
- 1 cup MB 1:1 GF Blend (oat flour also works, but the brownies will be less shiny and chewy and will fall apart a little // see notes if not gluten-free)
- 3/4 cup almond flour* (we like Wellbee’s)
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 3 Tbsp flaxseed meal
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips* (we used semi-sweet // ensure dairy-free/vegan as needed)
- 2/3 cup boiling water
- 1/4 cup vegan butter, melted (we like Miyoko’s // dairy butter would also work)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line an 8×8-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
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To a large mixing bowl, add the coconut sugar, gluten-free flour blend, almond flour, cocoa powder, flaxseed meal, and sea salt. Whisk to combine until almost all of the flour and cocoa powder is incorporated. Next, stir in the chocolate chips.
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To the dry ingredients, add the boiling water, melted vegan butter, and vanilla extract. Use a spatula to fully combine, stirring for 30 seconds to 1 minute. The chocolate chips will mostly melt at this point, so if you would like extra whole ones for pops of chocolate, fold them in after the mixture cools a bit.
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Transfer the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 35-40 minutes — until the edges look set and the center looks barely shiny.
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Let the brownies cool in their pan for AT LEAST 30 minutes before slicing and digging in. The brownies will be super gooey before cooling and will be very hard to cut. If you would like your brownies to have perfectly crisp edges, refrigerate them for 2 hours before cutting. Store the brownies lightly covered at room temperature for up to 2-3 days or up to 1 month in the freezer.
*If not gluten-free, you can replace the gluten-free flour blend with 1 scant cup all-purpose flour. We recommend including the almond flour for best results, but if you opt for all-purpose flour, use less because it’s much more absorbent.
*Almond flour sub: The next best option is cashew flour. If nut-free, you could try sunflower seed meal or possibly extra GF blend (use less because it’s more absorbent than almond flour — we recommend 1 ⅓ cup flour TOTAL).
*A chocolate bar or chocolate chunks would likely work in place of the chocolate chips, but you’ll need to finely chop them first or they won’t fully melt in step 3.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Serving: 1 brownie Calories: 221 Carbohydrates: 36.2 g Protein: 2.9 g Fat: 8.9 g Saturated Fat: 4.1 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.9 g Monounsaturated Fat: 1.9 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 94 mg Potassium: 110 mg Fiber: 2.8 g Sugar: 24.4 g Vitamin A: 0 IU Vitamin C: 0 mg Calcium: 32 mg Iron: 1.4 mg
