The best fudge vegan brownies, made with superfoods Maca and cacao! These wholesome healthy brownies come together in one bowl in 10 minutes. They’re also paleo, grain-free, and gluten-free!
Chocolate. Let’s start there. I could probably write a novel about chocolate if I had the time. I start getting irritable when I go too long without it – or maybe that’s just an excuse. It might be the delicious taste, or it could be the amazing superfood base: cacao. It’s a natural mood elevator with happy chemicals serotonin, tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylethylamine. It’s also got 40 times the antioxidants of blueberries and more calcium than milk.
These vegan brownies are decadently chocolatey. Between the chocolate chips and cacao, its like a chocolate explosion in your mouth.
I can’t say enough good things about these vegan brownies. They’re fudgy, and the perfect balance of rich and sweet. They fit into a variety of eating styles (paleo, vegan, whole 30, Autoimmune protocol) and are friendly to egg and gluten allergies.
I’ve always loved a good brownie. The ones I grew up with were so decadent but ultimately left me sluggish and with an upset stomach from the butter, sugar, and eggs. These vegan brownies are gut-health and allergy-friendly, fitting into most health-focused diets out there. Most desserts are like a devil in a Sunday hat- but not this one. It’s just as good for you as it tastes.
The only downside to these is that once you have one, before you know it the whole pan is gone. I’m not even kidding. I kept cutting a little piece here and there, and the next day at four pm these were almost gone. Yikes. Sorry, not sorry though because these vegan fudge brownies are so wholesome and full of nutrients I don’t feel all that bad about it.
Substitutions / Additions
If you’re allergic to nuts, you could try substituting sun butter or tahini instead of almond butter.
You can omit the chocolate chips and replace them with cacao nibs for a more wholesome and higher nutrient alternative (but not quite as tasty obviously).
Some other chocolate chip replacements or add-ins:
Walnuts
Cacao nibs
Pecans
Hazelnuts
Shredded coconut
Dried fruit (blueberries, cherries ect)
Pistachios
Yummy Topping Suggestions:
Caramel swirl
Non dairy ice cream
Toasted sesame seeds
Coconut whipped cream
Fudge Vegan Brownies Ingredients:
Cacao: The star of these vegan brownies, giving them an incredible chocolatey richness and depth of flavor. Cacao is also a superfood due to its high antioxidant content (40x that of blueberries!), iron, magnesium, and loads of fiber. It also acts as a leavening agent that helps these brownies rise.
Maca: There’s a second superfood in these vegan paleo fudge brownies that help more than just the brownies rise. Maca is also thought to increase libido, boost energy and mood, and fight free radical damage!
Flax Seeds: High in healthy omega 3 rich fats. A good source of fiber and protein too! The combination of ground flax seeds soaked in water creates a gelatinous concoction that structures these brownies as well as provides even more moisture.
Almond Butter: Makes these vegan paleo brownies fudgy AF. I’ve also used cashew butter and tahini and its verrry yummy. Make sure your almond butter is smooth and pretty drippy. The first time I started experimenting with these brownies I used a jar of almond butter that was nearing its end. It was thick and pasty but I figured I was never gonna eat it like that straight so better to cook it up into brownies. Not a good idea. The batter was ridiculously thick and hard to work with and the texture of the brownies was off.
Coconut Sugar: Wholesome, unrefined, nutrient preserved alternative to traditional white sugar – without sacrificing taste.
Pure Maple Syrup: Antioxidant and nutrient rich. I like to embrace natural sugars.
Baking soda: A pure leavening agent that helps these brownies rise.
Salt: I always use pink Himalayan salt because it’s pure and has more minerals than table salt. Sea salt would work great too or in a pinch (lol) use table salt.
Chocolate Chips: I like to use naturally sweetened nondairy chocolate chips. Feel free to use whichever kind you like but I wouldn’t skip them- they add a necessary textual and flavor complexity to these fudgy brownies. Also, feel very free to add more chocolate chips – they’ll do nothing but enhance these and make them even gooier, if you can handle that.
Optional Chocolate Frosting:
A super yummy and relatively simple frosting for these is to melt together your favorite chocolate chips with full-fat canned coconut milk then chill for a few hours. Then just remove it from the fridge and whip together with a hand mixer.
See suggestions above for alternative toppings if needed, but these brownies are great plain!
Tips to ensure better vegan brownies:
- The batter will be quite thick – that’s what gives these brownies their fudgy texture when baked. But it can be hard to work with. Make sure to fully incorporate all the ingredients while also being careful not to overwork the batter. Also when mixing, it might be most efficient to use your hands. The batter will be sticky but it’s pretty yummy to lick off your fingers. When it comes time to spread the batter in the pan, use your hands again (after washing of course) or use a rubber spatula.
- Don’t overbake! Given the ingredients these brownies, they can become crumbly and fall apart if overbaked.
- If you can wait until these brownies are fully cooled before cutting into them. Similar to overbaking, they can become crumbly and fall apart easily if cut into too soon. Putting them in the fridge to cool will help avoid crumbly brownies. Sometimes you just need a brownie though and it can’t wait. I get it. They’ll still be delicious.
Storage:
These will do fine at room temperature for 1-2 days but are best kept in the fridge and eaten chilled or after sitting out to reach room temperature.
How to make vegan fudge brownies:
These vegan brownies come together beautifully in one bowl so you can avoid a messy kitchen (although I always seem to end up with one no matter how simple the recipe is, ya feel?)
Start off by combining the almond butter, coconut sugar, maple syrup and vanilla together in a medium sized bowl. Then add in your cacao, maca, coconut flour, salt, and baking soda. Then go ahead and add as many chocolate chips as your heart desires. Pour that mix in a pan, pop it in the oven and you’ll be biting into chocolate heaven in no time.
I hope you love these brownies as much as I do. Tag your creations on
*One bowl!* Fudgy paleo vegan brownies (w/ Maca & Cacao)
Ingredients
- 1 heaping cup almond butter creamy / salted (about 1 cup + 1 tablespoon)
- 2/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons flax seeds see notes below
- 5 tablespoons water see notes below
- 1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon cacao powder can substitute cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon maca powder
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I like these – they're dairy-free and naturally sweetened with coconut sugar)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degress F. Grease an 8×8 inch pan with a little coconut oil, non-stick cooking spray, or use parchment paper.
- In a large bowl combine almond butter, coconut sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and flax eggs*(see notes below) until well combined.
- Add in cacao, maca, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
- Next add in the chocolate chips. The batter will be the texture of a thick frosting /a bit like dough.
- Spread batter in prepared baking dish. Because the batter is so thick you can use a lightly greased rubber spatula or your hands!
- Bake for 22-30 minutes until a fork or knife comes out clean when inserted into the center (a few crumbs is fine). Be careful not to overbake!
- Allow to fully cool before enjoying for best results.
- Makes 12 medium or 16 small brownies.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Notes: Serving size 1 brownie.
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