These fudgy mini egg vegan brownies with crackled top is the only chocolate vegan dessert you’ll need this Easter! Super easy to make and only require 10 ingredients.
Who would have thought that when setting out to make fudgy, chocolatey, dense vegan Easter brownies, I would embark on a proper vegan brownie science quest!
I’ve spent hours (or more like days!) researching on what makes the best vegan brownie. Those fudgy, gooey, dense, rich with crinkled crust type of brownies, you know?! I then put all of my brownie research to the test. As a result, after 5 attempts of perfecting this recipe and playing with ratios of ingredients, I think I’m finally there! But ultimately, it’s up to you to decide of course!
If you prefer your brownies on the cakey side, this recipe is not for you. You might want to try these healthier vegan chocolate brownies recipe instead.
WHAT MAKES A PERFECT VEGAN BROWNIE?
From personal experience, after experimenting with different ingredients, here’s my verdict:
- The type of flour you use will produce difference results and textures.
- The ratio of flour to fat has a huge impact on how gooey or cakey your vegan brownies will turn out.
- The type of fat you use in your brownie mixture. I’ve found that dairy free butter produces the best results (refer to the ‘Key Ingredients and Substitutions’ section below for more details).
- The quality of dark chocolate (go for the best quality you can get, preferably 80% cacao solids).
- How long you bake the brownies in the oven and at what temperature.
CAKEY BROWNIE VS GOOEY BROWNIE
If you’re wondering on what makes brownies gooey, fudgy, rich and less cakey, the answer is the ratio of fat to flour. If you have more flour in the recipe than fat, it’ll result in a cakey brownie. On the other hand, more fat (ie butter & chocolate) produces a gooey, fudgy brownie. This video from Martha Stewart explains the science behind the perfect brownie really well.
HOW TO GET THAT SHINY CRACKLY CRUST ON YOUR VEGAN BROWNIES
Although Google comes up with a few factors which contribute to the brownies with crackly top but the majority of them seem to do with how and when you add the beaten eggs to the mixture. Shirley Corriher, the author of BakeWise, writes that ‘shiny, crackly crust is actually a very thin layer of meringue that arises when eggs are beaten into creamed butter and sugar’.
Because we’re dealing with vegan brownies, we’re not using eggs, obviously. So instead, I decided to imitate the texture of the egg meringue by whipping aquafaba (chickpea water) and sugar together. Ta dah! It seemed to have worked a treat!
KEY INGREDIENTS AND SUBSTITUTIONS
- Dark chocolate
Use good quality dark chocolate, at least 80% cocoa solids. I’m using two types of chocolate: a dark chocolate bar and dark chocolate buttons. You can use dark chocolate chips instead of buttons. Otherwise, use another dark chocolate bar and cut it into chunks. - Dairy free butter
If you want that rich brownie flavour, butter works the best. Make sure you use solid butter, not buttery spread. I like using plant-based Flora unsalted butter. I experimented with coconut oil too. Although it works, its coconut flavour is quite overpowering in the brownie. However, if you don’t mind that, feel free to use coconut oil.
- Raw cacao powder
I used this organic cacao powder. Don’t confuse it with cocoa powder, which normally has a lot of added sugar and other additives. You can read about the difference between cacao and cocoa powder in my post here. - Plain flour
I experimented with making these vegan brownies gluten free and tried using buckwheat flour instead of plain flour. The nutty taste was quite strong and the brownies came out more cakey. So, I’d recommend sticking with plain flour here to get the best results. - Aquafaba (chickpea water)
As I mentioned above, we’re using aquafaba to imitate the egg meringue to get that crackly shiny brownie top. This ingredient is essential in this recipe and I wouldn’t recommend skipping it. And by the way, if you’re worried about tasting chickpeas in brownies, I promise you won’t at all!
- Coconut sugar
As brownies already have quite a bit of sugar from dark chocolate & mini eggs, I’m using unrefined sugar for a slightly healthier alternative. You can by all means substitute coconut sugar for plain white sugar. - Dairy free mini chocolate eggs
As I’ve made these vegan brownies for Easter, I’m using dairy free mini eggs, which add a lovely crunch to the brownies as you bite in. You can substitute mini eggs for chocolate buttons or chips.
HOW TO MAKE FUDGY MINI EGG VEGAN BROWNIES. STEP BY STEP GUIDE.
To make things really simple for you, so that you can bake those mini egg vegan brownies to perfection, here’s a step by step guide.
STEP 1
Firstly, add plain flour, salt and cacao powder in a big mixing bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
STEP 2
Combine butter and dark chocolate in a bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Most importantly, ensure that the bowl is snug and doesn’t touch the water. Melt the butter and chocolate, stir to combine. Alternatively, you can do this stage by short bursts in the microwave if you prefer. Just make sure not to burn the chocolate, otherwise you’ll have to start again.
STEP 3
Combine aquafaba (chickpea water) & coconut sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk for 2-3 minutes until all the sugar is incorporated and the mixture is bubbly and foamy. Then whisk in the vanilla extract.
STEP 4
Pour the melted chocolate and butter into the bowl of flour and cacao.
STEP 5
Add whipped aquafaba to the flour mixture and mix to combine until smooth. Make sure not to overmix.
STEP 6
Now fold in chocolate buttons into the brownie mixture.
STEP 7
Transfer the batter into the square baking tin lined with parchment paper and spread evenly. Bake at 170C (fan) for 10 minutes.
STEP 8
Take the pan out of the oven and dot mini eggs into the mixture by gently sinking them into the batter with your fingers. I put a mixture of whole & halved mini eggs. Bake for a further 7 minutes.
STEP 9
Finally, remove from the oven and let the brownies cool down completely before cutting them into squares.
HOW LONG TO BAKE VEGAN BROWNIES IN THE OVEN
The oven time and temperature are really important in getting the brownies gooey and fudgy. When testing this recipe, I found that even a couple of extra minutes in the oven can turn the fudgy brownie into a cakey one.
To test if a brownie is ready, take it out of the oven and insert a wooden toothpick into the centre. When you take it out, it should have a little bit of batter and crumbs on it, because we’re going for a fudgy brownie here. If it comes out totally clean, I’m afraid you might have overbaked the brownies.
In addition, as all ovens differ, I’d advise to do the toothpick test at a 15 minutes interval. Remember that brownies will continue to cook once you’ve taken them out of the oven, so it’s best to underbake them than overbake.
THESE MINI EGG VEGAN BROWNIES ARE NOT JUST FOR EASTER!
You can certainly make these fudgy vegan brownies all year round, not just for Easter. Just replace mini eggs for chocolate chips (you can use dairy free milk buttons too). Above all, they’ll taste just as delicious!
LOOKING FOR MORE CHOCOLATE VEGAN DESSERTS?
Try some of the readers’ favourite below, for instance:
- EASY FLUFFY VEGAN CHOCOLATE MOUSSE WITH AQUAFABA
- GLUTEN & DAIRY FREE CHOCOLATE & DATE BALLS (VEGAN)
- HEALTHIER VEGAN CHOCOLATE BROWNIES (GF, SUGAR FREE)
- VEGAN CHOCOLATE & BLOOD ORANGE TART
- HEALTHY VEGAN CHOCOLATE TARTS (GF)
In conclusion, I really hope you’ll give these fudgy mini egg vegan brownies a try. If you recreate this recipe, I’d love to read your comments and hear your feedback because they really make my day. Be sure to drop a comment here on the blog, tag me in your photos on Instagram @Fit Foodie Nutter, Facebook or Pinterest .
Healthfully yours,
Tania x
THE BEST MINI EGG VEGAN BROWNIES
Equipment
- Electric whisk
- Mixing bowls
- Small saucepan
- Spatula
- 9 x 9 inches cake tin
Ingredients
- 120 g plain flour
- 30 g raw cacao powder
- 1/4 tsp finely ground sea salt
- 100 g dark chocolate 80% cocoa solids
- 100 g dairy free butter not buttery spread
- 135 ml aquafaba water from 1 tin of chickpeas
- 100 g coconut sugar or granulated white sugar
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 50 g dark chocolate buttons (or chocolate chips) quartered if they’re large buttons
- 50 g dairy free mini eggs you can use dark chocolate or dairy free milk chocolate instead
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170C (Fan) / 190C conventional oven / 375F and line a square cake tin (9 x 9 inches) with parchment paper.
- Add plain flour, salt and cacao powder in a big mixing bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Combine butter and dark chocolate in a bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Ensure that the bowl is snug and doesn’t touch the water. Melt the butter and chocolate, stir to combine.
- Combine aquafaba & coconut sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk for 2-3 minutes until all the sugar is incorporated and the mixture is bubbly and foamy. Whisk in the vanilla extract.
- Pour the melted chocolate and butter into the bowl of flour and cacao.
- Add whipped aquafaba to the flour mixture and mix to combine until smooth. Make sure not to overmix.
- Fold in chocolate buttons into the brownie mixture.
- Transfer the batter into the square baking tin lined with parchment paper and spread evenly. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Take the pan out of the oven and dot mini eggs into the mixture by gently sinking them into the batter with your fingers (I used a mixture of whole & halved mini eggs). Bake for a further 7 minutes.
- Remove the tin from the oven and let the brownies cool down completely before cutting them into squares.
My kids and I had fun making these today. I had to stash some of the candies so they didn’t eat them all before baking though, haha! They were a total hit!
Thank you so much Jen! I’m so glad your little ones enjoyed them!
What a delicious Easter treat!
Thank you Julia!
These brownies look great, perfect for spring!
Thank you Biana!
I cannot resist a dessert made with mini eggs. These brownies look so chocolatey and delicious.
Thank you Jill. I was very chuffed to have found some delicious vegan Easter eggs, after hunting them down for ages!
These look so good and I can’t wait to try them for Easter.
Thank you Shanna! Let me know how you’ll get on!
these look awful! so stodgy and dull as dishwasher!
Hi Bella. Thank you for taking your valuable time to post a comment. May I ask if you’ve actually made them?