Fudgy Vegan Cocoa Brownies - Classic or Peppermint!

These ultra-decadent brownies are made with Dutch process cocoa and loaded with chocolate chunks to create the richest, most chocolate-y brownies that are both fudgy and made with 100% cocoa powder! So good that even the skeptics won’t believe they’re vegan. Try them as classic brownies or switch it up and turn them into peppermint brownies - either way is delicious!

It seems like most brownie connoisseurs (if a brownie connoisseur is even a thing? lol) have strong opinions about how they like their brownies. And speaking as someone with strong opinions about most things, many of which don’t actually matter, I get it. In fact, after (what felt like) ~hundreds~ of tests, I might even be able to call myself a brownie connoisseur. Here’s what you need to know thing: in the world of brownies, there are two camps of warring brownie factions. There is the cake-y vs. fudgy brownies battle, and there is the cocoa vs. chocolate brownies fight. And from diving way too deep into Google-ing all aspects of classic brownies, I’ve encountered a general consensus that seems to equate the chocolate source in a brownie with its texture, citing that “cocoa brownies = cakey” and “chocolate (or chocolate + cocoa) brownies = fudgy.” I’m here to tell you this is wrong!! Ok - while that belief may generally be true, it isn’t necessarily true. And this recipe proves it. Because I prefer the flavor of cocoa brownies and the texture of fudgy (not cake-y) brownies, I set out on a (seemingly never-ending) quest to create my dream brownie, which is a fudgy cocoa brownie.

Structurally speaking, there’s no reason that a cocoa brownie can’t also be fudgy. Fudgy brownies simply have a higher ratio of fat, whereas cakey brownies have more flour. Pretty straightforward, right? By adding in enough fat (i.e. melted vegan butter) for the ratio of cocoa powder/flour contained in these, I’ve created a decadent cocoa brownie that also has that fudgy texture that’s characteristic of (IMHO) the perfect brownie. Are you on board yet?

Why You’ll Love these Brownies

Very rich and decadent! Think of your ultimate dream brownie. This is mine - it’s rich, fudgy, super chocolate-y with bits of extra chopped chocolate throughout, and tastes as decadent and indulgent as possible.

100% cocoa brownies = the best deep chocolate flavor! Here’s the thing - cocoa powder makes the best tasting brownies. Full stop. Don’t believe me? I’m not the only one who thinks so - see: Exhibit A and Exhibit B. Cocoa brownies rely solely on cocoa powder (instead of a mix of cocoa powder and melted chocolate that you’ll find in most brownie recipes) for their rich chocolate flavor, so they don’t contain any of the extra additives found in actual chocolate (like sugar, fat, preservatives, or emulsifiers). This means that unlike melted chocolate (which is used in most brownie recipes), cocoa powder will impart the most pure and intense chocolate flavor into the brownies! Of course, brownies still need sugar and fat. But by using cocoa powder, we get to control the types and precise amounts of fat/sugar that we add into the brownies, which allows us to fine-tune them and achieve the perfect flavor.

Fudgy, slightly chewy texture. Not only do these brownies have the most delicious and richest chocolate flavor, they also have a fudgy texture. 🤤 But unlike, say, straight up fudge, they’re not overly dense and still retain some structure and, therefore, an element of chewiness, all without being cake-y. (Literally no one is here for cake-y brownies!! If you happen to still be reading this and you are #TeamCakeyBrownies, please help yourself to what you actually want, which is chocolate cake. Only sort of kidding here ;).)

Insanely chocolate-y. 🍫 As if the deep chocolate flavor in these brownies didn’t already make them chocolate-y enough, they’ve also got chopped chunks of actual chocolate pieces throughout them - you know, just to put an exclamation point on the whole ultra chocolate-y flavor experience.

Classic or peppermint flavors! Not only does this recipe make absolutely stellar classic brownies, it makes equally (or, depending on the time of year, more) delicious peppermint brownies! By simply swapping in peppermint extract for the vanilla used in the classic version, you can easily switch up the flavor. Highly recommend the peppermint for the holidays or any other time during the generally-way-too-long-and-dreary winter.

Ingredient Overview

Cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process/alkalized. Gives the brownies their super rich chocolate flavor, as well as some structure. (See the section above to learn why 100% cocoa brownies are the best brownies!) In particular, Dutch process cocoa, which is alkalized to decrease acidity during processing, will result in darker, smoother tasting brownies, so I recommend it over natural cocoa.

If you’re wondering if you could make these using raw cacao powder, I don’t recommend it. Structurally speaking, the recipe will work, but the flavor won’t be nearly as rich and chocolate-y as when using cocoa powder. (I tested it!) As much as I love cacao and really wanted it to work because of its extra nutrients (like tons of antioxidants!), these brownies are meant to be super rich and decadent, so you’ll want to use the ingredient that gives you those results (i.e. Dutch process cocoa!). And if you’re looking to get more antioxidants in your life, there are certainly better sources than brownies. If you’re looking for something with cacao powder, check out my recipes for “Nutella” brownies or whole grain chocolate espresso scones!)

All-purpose flour. For structure. Because all-purpose flour is a blank slate in terms of flavor and makes very smooth-textured brownies, I generally don’t recommend swapping it with a different type of flour.

Baking powder. Adds rise to help create the perfect texture!

Salt. For flavor balance and texture.

Aquafaba (i.e. the liquid inside a can of chickpeas). If you’ve never baked with aquafaba before, you’re about to learn that it’s absolutely magical. In these brownies, the aquafaba is whipped until stiff peaks form (think: meringue, which is made from whipped egg whites!), before being combined with the sugar, in order to help add more structure so that the brownies are fudgy and chewy without becoming dry or cake-y. If you’re skeptical, I promise, you won’t be able to taste any bean flavor.

Cane sugar and light brown sugar. This recipe uses both types of sugar to sweeten the brownies! The brown sugar also adds extra moisture and flavor depth to further enhance their deliciously decadent flavor. Don’t be tempted to replace it with more cane sugar!

Vegan butter. Every brownie needs a decent amount of fat, and vegan butter provides the right amount to make these fudgy while also providing the necessary aeration so they can rise and not turn overly fudgy, like oil would.

Vanilla extract or peppermint extract. To add depth and enhance the flavor even more! If you’re going for classic brownies, use vanilla extract to enhance the chocolate flavor. Otherwise, swap in some peppermint extract to turn these classic brownies into peppermint brownies!

Chopped dark chocolate. Adds extra bits of gooey chocolate throughout the brownies for some textural contrast and to create the ultimate, rich, fudgy, extra chocolate-y brownies. Don’t skip the extra chocolate!

Tips for Baking these Brownies

Use the best quality cocoa (preferably Dutch process) and chocolate possible. Because these are brownies, it’s all about the chocolate. The cocoa powder is the primary determinant in how these brownies will taste, so make sure you’re using the good quality stuff for the best flavor! (Brownies don’t have that many ingredients, so to make the best-tasting brownies, I can’t emphasize enough how much the quality of your cocoa matters!) As Alice Meldrich said, “A great recipe made with great cocoa gets you great brownies.”

And if you’ve got some natural cocoa powder in the back of your pantry and you’re wondering if it’s worth buying Dutch process cocoa, the answer is: yes, it is! Dutch process cocoa is alkalized, meaning it has a lower acidity than cocoa, which results in darker and smoother tasting brownies. For reference, I used Guittard’s Dutch process unsweetened cocoa powder.

Similarly, you’ll also be able to taste the chocolate chunks when you bite into the brownies, so just make sure you’re using a great-tasting chocolate you enjoy the flavor of.

Use a scale to accurately measure the flour and cocoa. When it comes to baking, precise measurements are key for consistent results - and it’s no different with these brownies! To avoid using too much flour or cocoa powder (too many dry ingredients = dry and cakey brownies), I recommend measuring them out in grams using a kitchen scale.

If you don’t have a food scale, measure the flour and cacao using the “spoon and level” method. Simply spoon the flour/cocoa into a measuring cup until it overflows slightly, and use the back of a knife to “level” the excess flour off the top.

Sift the flour and cocoa. Once you’ve measured your dry ingredients accurately, sift them together (either with a fine mesh strainer or an actual sifter) to aerate or “fluff” them. Not only does this get rid of any unwanted clumps, it ensures the texture of the baked brownies will be super smooth.

Beat the aquafaba until stiff. I’ve tested this recipe using two different methods of incorporating the aquafaba: 1) beating it until stiff before combining it with sugar and 2) beating it together with the sugar. I found that the final texture of the brownies made using the beaten aquafaba method yielded a slightly better baked texture - the other one method ended up a bit gooey-er.

Don’t overbake (or underbake) the brownies. Sounds so obvious, right? Although brownies are quite simple to make, it can be tricky to figure out when they’re done! Pull them out of the oven too early and the structure will (sadly) collapse and they’ll be an underbaked, gooey mess. Leave them in just a few minutes too long and you’ll be left with dry brownies. 🙄 Oi!

For that perfect fudgy, chewy, and not cakey texture, bake the brownies just until a tester toothpick inserted near the middle comes out with a few moist bits (but not wet batter). And if you’re unsure whether or not you’re poking the toothpick straight into some chocolate (which has now melted!), I recommend testing the brownies in a couple of different spots. It’s crucial that you remove them from the oven before they seem to be fully cooked since they’ll continue baking in the pan after you pull them out.

That covers all the basics - time to bake!