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Rich, Decadent Brownies. No Eggs Needed.

These fudgy treats don’t call for a single egg, so you can keep your grocery bill low.
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Published Jan. 20, 2023.

Rich, Decadent Brownies. No Eggs Needed.

Egg prices have jumped nearly 50 percent in the last year, and it’s likely made a big dent in your grocery bill. 

So what does this mean for us? Often, unfortunately, it means restricting our baked goods and eggy breakfasts to save at the grocery store.

Or does it?

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Luckily, chocolate lovers don’t need to sacrifice their sweet treats, thanks to our sumptuously indulgent egg-free brownie recipe. Developed as a vegan brownie recipe, this fan-favorite is so luxuriously chocolaty that home bakers can hardly notice the difference from non-vegan recipes.

These brownies were an absolute favorite among our test cooks, and word of their deliciousness quickly spread when they were being baked in the test kitchen. 

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The Complete Plant Based Cookbook

The Complete Plant-Based Cookbook is your one-stop guide to preparing delicious plant-based meals. Featuring 570+ plant-based recipes, this cookbook offers delicious meals for vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike.

But you don’t need to take our word for it—this recipe has a 4.8 star rating from home cooks, and has elicited comments such as, “Oh my goodness. These are the best brownies ever!” and, “The recipe is so simple that my teens have both become adept at making these brownies and often ask if they can whip up a pan to share with friends or take to school events. These are GREAT.”

So what are you waiting for? Get cracking (so to speak) on these perfectly fudgy treats, without spending a dollar more.

Vegan Brownies

SERVES: Makes 24 brownies

TIME: 55 minutes, plus 3 hours cooling

If you want to keep these brownies vegan, use organic sugar instead of granulated sugar. Not all semisweet chocolate chips are vegan, so check ingredient lists carefully. It's important to let the brownies cool thoroughly before cutting. If you use a glass baking dish, let the brownies cool for 10 minutes and then remove them from the dish. (The superior heat retention of glass can lead to overbaking.) For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle of water to a boil and then measure out the desired amount.

  • 2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
  • ¾ cup (2¼ ounces) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 1½ teaspoons instant espresso powder (optional)
  • 2½ cups (17½ ounces) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (3 ounces) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips


INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Grease foil.
  2. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in bowl. Whisk boiling water; unsweetened chocolate; cocoa; and espresso powder, if using, in large bowl until well combined and chocolate is melted. Whisk in sugar, oil, and vanilla. Using rubber spatula, stir flour mixture into chocolate mixture until combined; fold in chocolate chips.
  3. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake until toothpick inserted halfway between edge and center comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Let brownies cool in pan on wire rack for 2 hours.
  4. Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan. Return brownies to wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into squares and serve. (Brownies can be stored at room temperature for up to 4 days.)

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