Dairy free brownies are one of the best non-dairy desserts I’ve made recently. If you have a sweet tooth but are lactose intolerant or simply avoid dairy, these are wonderful brownies. Olive oil takes the place of the butter you might otherwise use and they are sweet, chewy, and delicious.
Jump to:
These dairy free brownies taste just like classic brownies made with dairy, so you definitely won’t be missing out on any flavor. They aren’t gluten-free, but you can swap the all-purpose flour for gluten-free flour if you need them to be. King Arthur makes a good one.
If you're looking for another dairy-free dessert option, I have a really great dairy-free carrot cake that everyone always loves. And these healthy pumpkin brownies can easily be made dairy-free as well!
Everyone loves brownies, especially served fresh and warm from the oven. As soon as you start to smell the chocolate aroma in the kitchen, your mouth will begin to water with these dairy free brownies!
Main Ingredients
Dairy-free and delicious, these brownies are inspired. They make a filling snack or a satisfying dessert. Here are some of the ingredients used to make these dairy free brownies:
- Cocoa powder: For a chocolate flavor. Not all cocoa powders are the same. For the tastiest result choose Dutch-process cocoa powder. This is less acidic than natural cocoa powder and results in less rising and therefore a chewier brownie. Natural cocoa would work, but the texture is better with Dutch-process cocoa.
- Sugar: To add sweetness. White sugar works best in dairy-free brownies.
- Baking soda: To get the texture perfect. This ingredient lifts the brownies and makes them cake-like. Since they are supposed to be both chewy and cake-like, don’t omit the baking soda.
- Chocolate chips: For even more chocolatey yumminess! You can use semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark if you prefer. Semi-sweet ones are typically made with dark chocolate and sugar and are dairy-free, but check the packaging to make sure.
- Vanilla extract: For a hint of vanilla in every bite. It’s amazing how many recipes vanilla works in. I always add an extra couple of drops!
- Olive oil: To replace the butter in classic recipes. You won’t be able to tell they were made with oil instead of butter. Coconut oil is another alternative that works very well in this recipe.
Instructions Overview
First, you will make a thick, fudgy batter and then bake the brownies to perfection. If you’re anything like me, you won’t be able to resist tasting the batter! Let’s take a look at the easy steps to make the brownies.
Whisk some baking soda and salt into the cocoa powder. Mix in oil and boiling water and then vanilla, sugar, and eggs. Add the flour bit by bit before stirring in the chocolate chips.
Now pour the batter into a parchment paper-lined pan and sprinkle some more chocolate chips on top if you like. Bake them for about 40 minutes and then let them cool in the pan before cutting.
Common Questions
Not every brownie mix is dairy free although some are. However, this brownie recipe is so simple I prefer making brownies this way, from scratch, rather than using a boxed mix. If you've only ever used the boxed mix or you haven't made brownies before, I'd encourage you to try this recipe. You will get all the amazing brownies flavor without having to use any dairy at all.
Dairy free options include soy milk, rice milk, oat milk, or nut milk. In this dairy free brownies recipe though I'm just using water. Don't worry about losing any of the flavor or richness. When you consider that 98% of almond milk, for example, is water, you'll see why simply using water in these brownies works so well.
Hopefully your brownies will come out perfect and that usually means crisp on the outside and fudgy on the outside. However, if your brownies seem to crumble, you might be wondering why that is. Overbaking can be responsible for crumbly brownies. Cutting them too soon can also cause this to happen.
How do you fix dry crumbly brownies, you might be wondering. The best way is to give them a minute or two at 300°F in the oven. The heat from the oven will warm them up and get them moist and soft again. If you're doing this, serve them right away, or else they'll go dry and crumbly again.
These are rich and indulgent just as they are but if you want to add whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, go ahead and treat yourself!
Let them cool in the pan and then keep them on the countertop, uncut and wrapped in foil. They will keep for up to 5 days. Refrigerating them overnight is fine but much longer and they will dry out slightly.
I find brownies actually taste better the next day, so by all means make them a day or so ahead.
Yes. Wrap them uncut in foil and then plastic wrap. They can be frozen for up to 4 months.
You can use either. A gray metal nonstick pan or an uncoated aluminum one gives a nice result. A glass pan also works and results in brownies with a fudgier middle and chewier edges.
Chopnotch Tips
- Slice them just before serving, since cutting them cracks the top. You can hide cracks with some powdered sugar sprinkled over them.
- Choose Dutch-processed cocoa for the best results.
- The crispy top is like a fine layer of meringue. Get as much air into the batter as you can when mixing the eggs with the other ingredients. That way, the egg layer will form on top and give them the perfect texture.
- Swap some of the white sugar for dark brown sugar. This both enhances the flavor and helps create a fudgy brownie.
Dairy free brownies are rich and indulgent. The crispy top, fudgy center, and rich chocolate taste are the things dreams are made of.
Related Recipes
Let us know what you think! Give this recipe a rating in the comments section below.
Recipe
How to Make
Dairy Free Brownies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅔ cup olive oil
- ½ cup boiling water
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chocolate chips, semi-sweet
Instructions
- Line a 9 × 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Take a large bowl and whisk cocoa powder, coarse salt, and baking soda in it.
- Now add ⅓ cup olive oil and boiling water into the cocoa powder mixture and mix until smooth.
- After that, add the remaining ⅓ cup olive oil, vanilla extract, eggs, and sugar. Whisk them again until smooth.
- Add all-purpose flour little by little and keep whisking until smooth.
- Take a rubber spatula and fold in chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the baking pan. Top with extra semi-sweet chocolate chips if desired and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean from the middle.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the brownies cool for 30 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Slice them just before serving, since cutting them cracks the top. You can hide cracks with some powdered sugar sprinkled over them.
- Choose Dutch-processed cocoa for the best results.
- The crispy top is like a fine layer of meringue. Get as much air into the batter as you can when mixing the eggs with the other ingredients. That way, the egg layer will form on top and give them the perfect texture.
- Swap some of the white sugar for dark brown sugar. This both enhances the flavor and helps create a fudgy brownie.
