My ideal chocolate brownie is ultra rich and super chocolatey, with gooey centers and crispy edges.
Cooking Tips
Triple-Chocolate Magic Brownies: No Eggs, No Butter
If you have oil and baking powder, you can make delicious, fudgy brownies—no eggs or butter needed.
By Published Nov. 4, 2021
This recipe has all that. It’s got three types of chocolate and is easy enough for the whole family to make. Oh and by the way, it contains no butter or eggs. And brownie lovers won’t be able to tell the difference.
Sign up for the Notes from the Test Kitchen newsletter
Our favorite tips and recipes, enjoyed by 2 million+ subscribers!
America's Test Kitchen will not sell, rent, or disclose your email address to third parties unless otherwise notified. Your email address is required to identify you for free access to content on the site. You will also receive free newsletters and notification of America's Test Kitchen specials.
When it comes to a simple recipe like brownies, substituting major ingredients like butter and eggs can be problematic. By taking those away, brownies can become gummy, dense, and dry, rather than fudgy and appealing. We found, however, that two small swaps made these brownies every bit as good as recipes with eggs and butter—except this one is vegan. These brownies straddle the line between cakey and fudgy, much like classic brownies. Here are the secret ingredients:
Everything Chocolate
A recipe collection that covers it all—in chocolate. This is the definitive guide to any chocolate treat you crave, for any time of day.1. Oil (Instead of Butter)
Vegetable oil is ideal because its neutrality brings the chocolate flavor to the forefront, rather than overwhelming it. That makes vegetable oil a natural swap for butter. It also supplies moisture to the batter that may be missed without the eggs.
2. Baking Powder (Instead of Eggs)
While eggs are the usual rising agent in a fudgy brownie, a chemical leavener was needed to provide structure and lift. The scant teaspoon of baking powder is enough to support a substantial amount of incoming chocolate.
3. Three Kinds of Chocolate
This recipe uses three—yes, three—kinds of chocolate:
1) Cocoa powder
2) Unsweetened chopped chocolate
3) Semisweet chocolate morsels
Together, the three add richness, depth, sweetness, and balance for your brownie experience. The cocoa powder and unsweetened chocolate are bloomed in boiling water, furthering their flavor complexity. The remaining chocolate chips are stirred into the batter for a fudge bomb of chocolatey sweetness in every bite.
Yes, these are vegan fudgy brownies, but they’re every bit as delicious as ones with butter and eggs. But that can be our little secret.
