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Vegan One Bowl Fudge Brownies (Gluten Free)

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Looking for an allergy friendly brownie recipe? Make a batch of these Vegan One Bowl Fudge Brownies that are gluten free, nut free, and made with simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry!

Photo collage showing 2 different photos of dairy free brownies.

Hey friends! This Vegan one Bowl Fudge Brownie recipe is one of our reader favorites (and a family favorite!) from March 2014, so I’ve updated the text, recipe, and images.

But not to worry, it’s the same great recipe, just doubled and made with a 9×9-inch baking pan so it’s easier for people to follow and make. This recipe is one of my absolute favorites, I even used it as the base for my Mint Brownie recipe, too – it’s crazy good 🙂

overhead photo of gluten free brownies on a baking sheet pan.

And best of all, this recipe doesn’t have any strange ingredients like beans or avocado and not “healthified” (I want real brownies if I’m going to eat them!). These fudge brownies made with staples you probably already have in your pantry and it’s less mess since they are one-bowl brownies. Boom!

Enjoy!

Update: I’ve now included notes on how to makes these brownies with gluten free all purpose flour and regular wheat all purpose flour!


Some recipes are just buggers…

Take these Vegan One Bowl Fudge Brownies as a prime example: I love experimenting in the kitchen but I often have to deal with crazy recipes-gone-very-wrong since I have to replace ingredients due to our food allergies.

I originally started re-doing one of my favorite traditional brownie recipes, the classic Baker’s One-Bowl Brownies, but I quickly learned that simply re-making this recipe with gluten-free flour wasn’t going to cut it!

close up photo of cut vegan brownies.

After several trial and errors, I came upon this amazing recipe you have before you, but before that batch, I failed a few times.

Here’s what happened:

  • Batch 1: too little flour and too much oil, ended up as molten brownie batter which cooled into a solid fudge. Very odd and quite delicious, but still not brownies.
  • Batch 2: too much flour and still too much oil – ended up being like a crumbly super-dense chocolate shortbread. Again, yummy but not what I was aiming for.
  • Batch 3: this batch actually turned out perfect! I completely scrapped the idea of re-doing the Baker’s One-Bowl recipe and just went with my gut this time.
close up photo of cut brownies showing how fudgy they are inside.

How to make vegan and gluten free brownies

These brownies are easy to make (almost fool-proof!) and are nice and crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. If you prefer cakey-type brownies, then you will have to look for a different recipe: these are fudgy inside (my favorite!).

I used unbleached cane sugar in this fudge brownie recipe since we use unbleached sugar in our regular baking vs. bleached white sugar.

Using real sugar gives it that nice crust on top that I love so much! You can use granulated coconut sugar or regular granulated sugar here for the same results.

stack of 3 fudgy brownies on parchment paper.

Using coconut sugar will give it a richer taste similar to using brown sugar, so you can use whichever you prefer in this recipe (coconut sugar or cane sugar).

For the updated version of this recipe, I baked my batch for 30 minutes and they were super soft and gooey. If you love seriously fudgy brownies, then 30 minutes is good for baking, but if you want them to firm up a little more, try baking these for 35-40 minutes, starting with 35 minutes then adding baking time 2 minutes at a time until you get the texture you want.

Just remember that these fudge brownies will firm up as they cool, so even if you want your brownies gooey, make sure you still allow your brownies to cool for about 15 minutes before cutting and eating them.

These egg-free brownies are still pretty amazing the next day, and maybe even better the next day!

single brownie on parchment paper with a bite taken.

Update on using different flours for our egg-free brownies

For quite a while I told people not to use different flour than sorghum or brown rice flour in this recipe because I had heard from some people that their batch didn’t turn out when made with a different type of flour.

But recently I had a ton of questions about whether this recipe will work with other flours and a friend shared that she tried it with gluten free all purpose flour with great success!

So I went ahead and tried half batches of this recipe made with 2 other kinds of flour in the same measurements, both turned out well!

As it stands, I still think these brownies have the very best texture when made with the brown rice flour or sorghum flour, but gluten free all purpose flour and wheat all purpose flour (if you’re not celiac or gluten intolerant) also work in this recipe in a pinch!

Comparison of vegan brownies made with different flours

In the photo above, the vegan brownies made with gluten free all purpose flour are on the left while the wheat flour brownies are on the right.

I used a handy tin foil separator to make 2 half-batches of brownies to test the different flours in our regular glass baking pan. Worked pretty good!

Here’s what I found with my flour substitutes:

Using gluten free all purpose flour

I made this recipe with the King Arthur gluten free all purpose flour and they turned out nicely. I used the same amount of flour as called for in the recipe, no changes made except for the type of flour.

I felt that these were more gooey in the middle, so I’d recommend baking for 40 minutes to get them to set more firmly. These have a beautiful crust on top and nice crispy edges!

I also noticed that with the gluten free all purpose flour that the brownies had a slightly gummy texture in the middle when they were warm due to the xanthan gum. But this went away when the brownies had completely cooled.

So I’ll try to do a few more tests with this recipe to get a better brownie texture with gluten free all purpose flour, but as it is, they aren’t too bad made with the King Arthur gluten free flour!

Overhead photo of brownies with text overlay.

If you use the gluten free all purpose flour, I’d recommend letting them cool completely for the next texture until I can continue testing the recipe for better texture with this substitute.

A note on this: every gluten free all purpose flour blend is slightly different, I tested this with the King Arthur gluten free flour and the Bob’s Red Mill flour is pretty similar in how it bakes. But I’m not sure how other brands would do in this recipe.

Using wheat all purpose flour

I also tested a batch with regular wheat all purpose flour (we use Wheat Montana flour), which is great if you’re looking for an egg free, dairy free, or vegan brownie recipe and you’re not celiac or gluten intolerant.

The brownies made with the wheat all purpose flour were more firm than the ones made with the gluten free all purpose flour and they had a great texture (no gumminess from xanthan gum like the gluten free AP flour).

They didn’t have as great a crust on top as the GF all purpose flour ones, but they still had a great fudgy texture inside and set up well once they were cooling.

So if you don’t have to avoid gluten, you can use regular all purpose flour in this recipe with no changes to the amount of flour or other ingredients!

Can I reduce the amount of flaxseed in this recipe?

Most people don’t seem to mind the ground flaxseed in this recipe (it acts as the binder in this recipe instead of eggs), but some readers have mentioned that they don’t like the taste of the flaxseed in these brownies.

Based off the recommendations of one of our readers, I tested these with half the ground flaxseed (1/4 cup instead of 1/2 cup) plus 1 Tablespoon of egg replacer powder (I used Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer powder) and they turned out great!

I haven’t tried making these completely without flaxseed yet, so I’m not sure how that would turn out. Though I bet they would turn out fine.

So if you don’t like the taste of flaxseed, you can use this swap:

  • Replace 1/2 cup ground flaxseed with 1/4 cup ground flaxseed + 1 Tablespoon egg replacer powder
Chocolate fudge brownies on a baking sheet with a knife.

Vegan One Bowl Fudge Brownies (Gluten Free)

Looking for an allergy friendly brownie recipe? Make a batch of these Vegan One Bowl Fudge Brownies that are gluten free, nut free, and made with simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry!
Gluten Free, Vegan, Whole Grain; Free of: wheat, gluten, eggs, dairy, soy, nuts, peanuts, coconut
4.85 from 39 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Bars, Desserts
Cuisine: American
Keyword: fudge brownies, gluten free brownies, vegan brownies
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 280kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. 
  • In a large bowl, whisk together oil, rice milk, vanilla, sugar, and ground flaxseed. Whisk in cocoa powder and salt.
  • Stir in the brown rice or sorghum flour and the chocolate chips until well mixed. This will form a very thick and sticky batter.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread out the batter.
  • Bake in the pre-heated oven for 35-40 minutes or so (or 30 minutes if you want these to be super gooey). If you want these to be less gooey, cook for 35-40 minutes. 
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting and eating. These will firm up as they cool. 
  • Enjoy!

Video

Notes

*Less ground flaxseed: If you don’t like the taste of ground flaxseed, replace 1/2 cup ground flaxseed with 1/4 cup ground flaxseed + 1 Tablespoon egg replacer powder
**I did some additional recipe testing and both gluten free all purpose flour and regular wheat all purpose flour can be used in this recipe!
When subbing with GF flour blend or regular white flour, use the same amount of flour called for, you don’t have to change anything in this recipe at all. 
Gluten free all purpose flour: Brownies made with gluten free all purpose flour have a slightly gummy texture in the middle when warm due to the xanthan gum, but this goes away when completely cooled.
Wheat all purpose flour: The brownies made with the wheat all purpose flour don’t have as nice a crust on top, but they are still nice and fudgy in the middle and set up great. You can cook these for 35 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 104mg | Potassium: 146mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 20g | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1.7mg
Did you make this recipe?Share a photo on Instagram and tag us @TheFitCookie!

We recently updated this post, here are some of our older images for this post:

Looking for an allergy friendly brownie recipe? Make a batch of these Vegan One Bowl Fudge Brownies that are gluten free, nut free, and made with simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry! | TheFitCookiecom #vegan #glutenfree #brownies #chocolate
Looking for an allergy friendly brownie recipe? Make a batch of these Vegan One Bowl Fudge Brownies that are gluten free, nut free, and made with simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry! | TheFitCookiecom #vegan #glutenfree #brownies #chocolate

97 thoughts on “Vegan One Bowl Fudge Brownies (Gluten Free)”

  1. 5 stars
    These brownies are delicious! I usually don’t eat gluten-free, but I had some brown rice flour that I needed to use up. I’m so glad I found this recipe! I subbed applesauce for half of the oil, and it worked wonderfully. I also baked them in an 8×8 pan for 40 minutes. Great recipe!

    Reply
  2. 5 stars
    YUM! I wouldn’t have guessed that these were gluten free or vegan, although they do taste a bit “healthy” which I prefer. Will definitely be making these again. I used an 8×8 pan for 40min like some of the other commenters

    Reply
  3. This recipe looks delicious. I am just looking for a gluten free brownie recipe so wondering if I could replace the flaxseed with an actual egg? Also, could I use white rice flour instead of brown?

    Reply
    • Hi Kadey, I think this recipe should be fine with white rice flour vs brown rice flour, however it might lose some of its structure since there is more fiber in the brown rice flour. If you use white rice flour I think it might end up even more soft in the middle, so you might have to bake it slightly longer (but check on it after the written baking time). This should work out with an egg in it, I’d still keep probably half the flaxseed meal (1/4 cup) though for structure and reduce the rice milk by 3 Tablespoons if you use an egg. I’ve never made this recipe with white rice flour or eggs, so come back and let us know how it goes for you!

      Reply
  4. Wow I can’t wait to try this. Thanks for sharing such a nice recipe! If I wanna halve the recipe (being the only dessert lover in the fam), do you know what size pan I could use instead of 8×8? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Hi Kim! You could use a small 5 or 6 inch round cake pan (like the kind they use for the top tier of a layered wedding cake), that’s what I have used for smaller batches of this recipe. We also have a mini casserole dish that we have used for half batches that is about 4×6 that works well. Or if you don’t want to buy a smaller pan, you can create a foil “pan” divider inside your 8×8 inch pan kind of like we did with the recipe testing in the post and try that too. Just use some sturdy foil to create a half-sized pan and put it inside your 8×8 pan for support and bake it in there. Let me know what you end up trying for this!

      Reply
  5. 5 stars
    This recipe is amazing. The flax is actually a scrumptious addition because it gives the brownies a “nutty” taste while being nut free. My roommate commented that they tasted like walnut brownies without walnuts. I used coconut oil instead of a light tasting oil, and that added coconutty flavor was delicious.

    My carnivore brother who is usually against gf, vg, etc recipes RAVED about these.

    Reply
  6. 5 stars
    These were fantastic and definitely hit the spot! So easy to whip up. I love how it uses just brown rice flour rather than a mix of gluten free flours as I happened to have it and the other ingredients on hand. I subbed in chia seeds instead of flax. It does change the texture but I didn’t mind it. Thank you!

    Reply
  7. 5 stars
    This recipe is great. I did some substitutions but it turned out so well. I used less sugar, added almond flour and cassava flour because that’s all
    I had and also have to avoid rice flour. But, the brownies turned out soft and fudgy and became a little firmer after a few minutes. It’s very rich and delicious. Thank you 😊

    Reply
  8. 5 stars
    Awesome recipe!!! I didn’t have unsweetened cocoa on hand, so I used peppermint sipping cocoa and decreased the coconut sugar to 1/2 cup. I also used almond milk instead of rice milk and replaced light olive oil with avocado oil. I added toasted pecans too. The brownies came out fudgy and tasted great. It’s not too sweet either which I love. I’m amazed how good these brownies are with brown rice flour and flaxseed flour. Thanks for sharing!!!

    Reply
  9. 5 stars
    I am allergic to gluten, dairy and eggs and this recipe is amazing. Fudgy brownies and I cannot taste the flaxseed at all. Just fudgy deliciousness!!

    Reply
  10. 5 stars
    I was looking for a good gluten free brownie for my daughter’s lunchbox (and for me too, who are we kidding?) and these turned out nothing short of perfect! So chocolatey and fudgy! I used coconut oil, and baked in an 8×8″ pan for 42 minutes. Will try with olive oil the next time. Such a keeper. Thank you!

    Reply
  11. Sorry but feelt like a waste of ingredients 🙈 . Waay to much ground flaxseed. Made the concistency stange and dryish. Do not recommend

    Reply
  12. 5 stars
    My true rating is a 4.5/5. I made these last night and, aesthetically and texturally, they turned out beautifully: fudgy, not cake-like. The one aspect I’m not a huge fan of is the use of flaxseed meal, as I found the taste to be somewhat overpowering in the recipe (although my wife did not). I did have to buy whole flaxseeds and grind them down in a coffee-bean grinder, but I was able to get a very fine consistency, so I don’t think that’s the problem. Any thoughts on whether I can use half the quantity of flaxseed meal and maybe one serving of Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer next time? I’m also going to try with coconut sugar next time. Thanks!

    Reply
  13. Can’t wait to make these later today! We have both sorghum flour and brown rice flour on hand – is there one you prefer over the other? I love fudgy brownies with a crackly top. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Hi Kate! I think either of those will give you that crackly top, but I usually use sorghum flour since I have an intolerance to brown rice/brown rice protein now. So I think it’s a personal preference, but I like it made with sorghum flour best 🙂

      Reply
  14. Hi! Do you think I could add some peanut butter to the batter? (And maybe a peanut butter swirl on top?) How much peanut butter would you recommend adding? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Hi Laura! You could add some peanut butter, I’d replace a little bit of the oil with peanut butter if you’re using it. For example, if you added 1/3 cup of peanut butter to the brownies, I’d reduce the amount of oil by maybe 3 Tablespoons or 1/4 cup. Let me know how they turn out if you try it! 🙂

      Reply
  15. 3 stars
    Hey! The recipe is really easy to make, however, despite baking 35 min, mine came out really dry.. I used brown rice flour and everything like in the recipe. I’m really not sure what’s going on, but so far I haven’t manage to make a proper brownie texture vegan and gluten free cake, which reallly makes me sad. I will try to bake it maybe for 20 -25 min next time. Do you have any secret tips how to not destroy brownie 🙂 ?

    Reply
    • Hey Aga! I’m so sorry this came out dry for you, I’m really not sure what could be causing that since we’ve made this recipe for several years and it doesn’t end up dry. I’d double check to make sure that everything is the same in the recipe (don’t leave out the sugar, oil, or the flaxseed) and then try baking for that 20-25 minutes and let me know how they are turning out for you.

      It’s also possible that your oven maybe isn’t calibrated and is running hot? At any rate, keep me posted if you try baking again for less time!

      Reply
  16. 5 stars
    These are fantastic! I used sorghum flour and they came out perfectly. I also used an 8×8 pan and cooked for 40 minutes. Gooey good!

    Reply
    • Hi Sylvia, you can try using regular flour in this recipe but it won’t have the same texture. It would probably be best to look for an egg-free brownie recipe that is already made with regular flour for the nest results.

      Reply
  17. 5 stars
    OH BOY!! The best brownie recipe I’ve found so far!! I made some changes and used melted coconut butter instead of olive oil and cocount sugar instead of cane sugar. WOW 10/10

    Reply
    • Hi Gaby, I use a light tasting olive oil that’s not necessarily extra virgin olive oil. If you use an extra virgin olive oil, make sure it’s mild tasting, or use a different mild tasting oil like avocado oil or melted coconut oil.

      Reply
  18. 5 stars
    OH MY DAYS. Now I used to be a Chef de Partie years ago so I know how to bake. And since I have been gluten free I have been baking successfully (past 16 years) But since going Vegan too (last 6 years) I haven’t been able to find one decent (and I mean REALLY scrummy decent recipe that tastes like the real thing) UNTIL NOW!!!! I made these. I put orange essence instead of vanilla and melted vegan spread instead of oil (I don’t like oil) and they were AMAZING! Thank you sooooo much, I have bookmarked this recipe as I can’t see me ever needing another brownie recipe xxxx

    Reply
    • Hi Saoirse! I’m not sure how these would turn out with a different flour like coconut flour. I know the texture won’t be the same as these ones. You can experiment with coconut flour in this recipe, but I can’t guarantee the results since I haven’t tried that with this recipe.

      Reply
    • Do you mean white rice flour instead of brown rice flour? I think you could use it in this recipe, but the texture may be a bit different, it might not be as firm if it was made with white rice flour. I haven’t made this recipe with white rice flour, so if you try it, let me know how it goes

      Reply
    • 5 stars
      I used white rice flour with a touch (about 1/8 cup) of Quinoa flour. I ran out of white rice flour at the end so just added a bit of quinoa flour. I also used coconut oil and the amount of flaxseed that the recipe called for. I moved them when they were still warm and they are quick to come apart so maybe wait until they are completely cool before moving them anywhere.. still have to see what they look like when cool.

      They turned out great and taste delicious though! You wouldn’t be able to tell if they are gluten-free and/or vegan.

      Reply
  19. Hi there, I was wondering why you chose the olive oil and if and how vegetable oil would make the finished product different?

    Reply
    • Hi Shalee! I use light tasting olive oil in most of my cooking since it’s easy to get, fits our food allergies (some oil blends have soybean oil), and is pretty affordable. But you can use a vegetable oil if you like and the recipe will turn out the same 🙂

      Reply
    • I haven’t tried subbing for honey, but 1 cup of honey is going to have the same amount of sugar as a cup of cane sugar, so you’re not reducing the sugar content of these brownies by subbing with honey (just subbing for a less refined sweetener). These brownies are meant to be allergy friendly, not healthy. If you want to reduce the amount of sugar in this recipe, you can try replacing half the sugar with some sugar replacement like baking Stevia.

      Reply
  20. 5 stars
    I’ve tried several V/GF brownie recipes, and none of them (until now!!) turned out quite like my mom’s regular recipe. I had to bake them about 10 minutes longer, but they came out with a crisp top and melt-in-your-mouth middle. I will definitely be making these again! Thank you!

    Reply
  21. 5 stars
    I will be making these again today. This will be the fourth time making them but today I’m doubling the recipe our family loves them!? We have added dried cherries and nuts to the last two batches and they turned out fantastic! I will be making theese for thanksgiving so my extended family can taste how good vegan food is! Thank you for the recipe. Sincerely, Aron (freshlymintedvegans) (youtube)????

    Reply
  22. 5 stars
    These look amazing, but is there a nut free sub for ground flax meal. Egg, nut and seed allergy in the family. Could I use Tapioca starch?

    Reply
    • Hi Carly! I’d normally suggest using ground chia or psyllium, but those are both seeds so probably not what you guys can use. Instead of those, you could try a little bit of tapioca starch/powder (maybe 1 teaspoon to 1 Tablespoon in this recipe), it can act as a binder in some recipes. and xanthan gum or guar gum might also work (but I’d use a very small amount of the gums, like maybe 1/8 teaspoon in this recipe, it doesn’t take much!). I haven’t tried this with other binders besides flaxseed, so I’m not sure how it will turn out using other binders. Keep me posted and let me know how it turns out for you!

      Reply
  23. 5 stars
    This is the most delicious brownie recipie I have ever made! I am bringing it to my grand-daughter’s 1st Birthday party.
    I will definitely be making again and again…THANK YOU!!!

    Reply
  24. 5 stars
    This recipe worked soooo well! These completely satisfied my fudgy gooey craving! And i made double so after a day should i store it in the refrigerator ?

    Reply
    • Awesome! I’m so glad this worked out for you 🙂 I would say they could stay at room temperature in a sealed container for 2 days, if they last that long 😉 If you have a lot of extras, you could freeze some and thaw them as you need

      Reply
  25. Each time I make these, they come out ‘chunky’ and don’t look anything like the picture – but still good. I think it’s the flaxseeds – since I don’t have a 6-inch pan, I’ve been doubling the recipe and using the 9-in instead as described in the instructions above. I think the 1/2 cup ground flax might be too much? Any thoughts or help?

    Reply
    • Hi Shirley! Can you describe what you mean by chunky? Are they crumbly or lumpy? If they are lumpy, it’s possible the ground flax seed is clumping together in your batter. You can try sifting or whisking the flax seed first. You can experiment with less flaxseed if you like, it acts as the egg replacement and binder in this recipe, so I wouldn’t reduce it too much.

      Reply
      • They are lumpy and it’s definitely the ground flax. How many eggs are you trying to put in the recipe using the flax? I might try using flax eggs by mixing with water and microwaving first until it gets all goopy like a real egg before adding to the mix.

        Reply
        • I would definitely sift or whisk your flax seed meal well before whisking it into the flour and make sure the flax meal is ground really well, course ground would be lumpy. I don’t have a specific number of eggs to replace in this recipe: the flaxseed meal is simply a part of the recipe to bind it together and add moisture to the finished product without the use of eggs. You can certainly make your “flax eggs” first, it might change the texture, but experiment a little with it and let me know what you find out. This works really well for me, so it may be the brand or grind of flax seed

          Reply
  26. These came out very dry and crumbly for me:/ the flavor is spot on so idk what happened I may try addin an egg and we it that helps 🙂

    Reply
    • That might help! I didn’t use eggs in this recipe because my kids and I can’t eat them, but you can add one if you like. You can also try adding a little bit more milk next time as well. Let me know how these turn out! Also, if you subbed the flour for any kind of gluten free flour blend it might end up dry and crumbly

      Reply
    • One thing you may check, too, is if you’re using straight brown rice flour or if you’re using a pre-mixed flour blend. If you’re using a gluten free flour blend, I these won’t end up with the right texture.

      Reply
  27. Oh my, these will make me roll on the floor, I’m sure! We’re all gluten-free and chocolate lovers, here, so I’m pretty certain it will be a success. Thanks for sharing!:-)

    Reply
  28. Yummy! So glad you kept trying till it was perfect! I look forward to giving these a try. These will be perfect as a post run treat. I love fudgy brownies 🙂

    Reply

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