These dairy free brownies are deliciously fudgy with chewy centers, crackle tops and pockets of melty chocolate. They’re made with no butter, but are still rich and decadent. Grab a large mixing bowl, a spoon and make these incredibly easy no butter brownies everyone is sure to love!
Jump to:
Why Should You Make This Recipe
I absolutely adore a deliciously decadent brownie. My current favorite brownies are my Almond Flour Brownies, Tahini Olive Oil Brownies, and Espresso Brownies. I know you’ll love this brownie recipe without butter too because:
- You have a dairy free diet: There’s no need to skip out on enjoying brownies just because you follow a non dairy lifestyle. This recipe for dairy free brownies gives you rich and fudgy brownies without butter.
- Simple pantry ingredients: You only need a handful of basic ingredients to make a batch of quick, simple and simply decadent butterless brownies.
- One bowl brownies: These dairy free brownies are so quick and easy to make, they come together in one bowl and are ready in under an hour.
Ingredients
Before I show you how to make no butter brownies, make sure you have these simple ingredients ready to go!
Dry Ingredients: Gather your cocoa powder, espresso powder, flour and salt.
Wet ingredients: Gather your choice of oil, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and chocolate chips.
Substitutions
Making these easy dairy free brownies is super simple and you probably already have everything you need. Here are my recommended substitutions to make this brownie without butter recipe if you need them.
- Oil: Any type of neutral tasting oil works well for this recipe for non dairy brownies. I especially love using olive oil. If you feel more comfortable using a non dairy butter, make sure to melt ¾ cup (170 g) of dairy free butter.
- Sugar: This recipe hasn’t been tested with alternative sugars. However, maple sugar would be a good refined sugar free substitute.
- Eggs: This is an essential ingredient for these rich brownies. This recipe hasn’t been tested without eggs.
- Ground Espresso Powder: This is my secret ingredient to make my chocolate desserts taste more chocolate-y. For this brownie recipe with no butter, I love adding 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder.
- Cocoa Powder: Any type of brand of cocoa powder will work well in this butterless brownie recipe. However, I love using dutch process cocoa powder for its mellow, but intensely chocolate-y flavor. Since these easy brownies don’t have a leavener, feel free to use any cocoa powder you like.
- Flour: This hasn’t been tested using alternative flours. For gluten and dairy free brownies, use a good 1-1 cup all purpose flour substitute. Measure by weight rather than cups as gluten free flour tends to weigh a bit more than all purpose flour.
- Dairy Free Chocolate Chips: To keep these no butter brownies completely dairy free, use a dairy free chocolate chip. I like using Enjoy Life.
Variations
Dairy Free Brownie Cake Mix: Use a 15.25 oz. box of chocolate cake mix in place of the dry ingredients. Mix this with 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk and ½ cup (118 ml) oil. Check out my Strawberry Brownies or Brownies from Cake Mix for all my tips and tricks!
Citrus Brownies: Follow my recipe for Citrus Olive Oil Brownies for the most delicious orange and chocolate brownie flavor ever!
How To Make
Learn how to make dairy free brownies in a few easy steps.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper along the bottom and two sides. Combine the oil and sugar in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in 30 second intervals for one minute total, stirring in between intervals. The sugar should feel smoother and less grainy than before it is heated.
- Once the oil and sugar mixture is warm, not hot to the touch, mix in the eggs and yolk until smooth and well combined. Mix in the vanilla extract, espresso powder, cocoa powder and salt until well combined.
- Stir in the flour until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips until just combined.
4. Evenly pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 25 - 35 minutes. A tooth pick inserted into the center of the brownies should come out with wet crumbs. If the batter comes out wet and shiny, bake the brownies for a few minutes longer and check again. Cool the brownies in the pan for 30 minutes. Remove the brownies from the pan to cool completely, slice and enjoy!
How To Serve, Store, Freeze And Thaw
Serve these dairy brownies: with a scoop of dairy free vanilla ice cream or a dollop of freshly whipped coconut cream and strawberry glaze or fresh berries.
Store the best dairy free brownies: Once the brownies have cooled completely to room temperature, place them in an airtight container for up to 3 - 4 days.
To freeze these fudgy butterless brownies: Make sure the brownies are completely cooled to room temperature. Cut the brownie into your preferred amount of pieces. Individually wrap each fudgy brownie in plastic wrap and place in a ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
To thaw the brownies: The easiest and tastiest way to thaw your rich no butter brownies is to let them sit out at room temperature for at least two hours or overnight in the fridge. Enjoy at room temperature or microwave it for 20 -30 seconds for that “fresh from the oven” taste.
M’s Expert Tips
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature: This allows the ingredients to mix together more evenly which requires less mixing, resulting in deliciously chewy brownies.
- Heat the oil and sugar together. Breaking down the sugar in the heat before stirring in the eggs and other ingredients helps to create a paper thin crackle top.
- Use an 8x8 pan metal pan. This recipe was created using an 8x8 aluminum pan. If you are using a glass baking dish, you may need to add a few more minutes to the baking time. I recommend using a metal pan instead of a glass pan if at all possible.
- Line the baking pan with parchment paper. This helps to release the brownies from the pan more easily. You can also lightly grease the pan if you prefer not to line it with parchment paper.
- Look for the signs the brownie is done. Use the baking time as a guide rather than a strict rule. Signs a brownie is finished baking are a set center with baked edges that have slightly pulled away from the edge of the pan.
FAQs
To make this no butter brownie recipe eggless, use an egg replacer such as this one from Bob’s Red Mill.
Yes! For small batch dairy free brownies, cut the recipe in half (use one egg) and bake in a 9 x 5 loaf pan. Double the recipe to bake in a 9 x 9 or 9 x 13. Note that the baking times will change depending on the size pan.
Dunkin Hines and Enjoy Life both carry dairy free box brownie mixes. You can also make your own by mixing up the dry ingredients listed in this dairy free brownie recipe and storing it in an airtight container until you are ready to bake with it.
Other Brownie Recipes to Try
If you try this Dairy Free Brownies recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! Happy Baking! - M
Dairy Free Brownies Recipe
Equipment
- 1 8 X 8 aluminum metal pan
- 1 parchment paper
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 spoon or flexible spatula
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (177 ml) neutral oil (like canola, vegetable, olive)
- 1½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (US), room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk (US), room temperature
- 2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 tsp instant espresso powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup (40 g) dutch process cocoa powder
- ¾ cup (90 g) all purpose flour
- ½ cup (85 g) diary free chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper along the bottom and two sides.
- Combine the oil and sugar in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in 30 second intervals for one minute total, stirring in between intervals. The sugar should feel smoother and less grainy than before it is heated.¾ cup (177 ml) neutral oil (like canola, vegetable, olive), 1½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- Once the oil and sugar mixture is warm, not hot to the touch, mix in the eggs and yolk until smooth and well combined.2 large eggs (US), room temperature, 1 large egg yolk (US), room temperature
- Mix in the vanilla extract, espresso powder, cocoa powder and salt until well combined.2 teaspoon (10 ml) vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ cup (40 g) dutch process cocoa powder
- Stir in the flour until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips until just combined.¾ cup (90 g) all purpose flour, ½ cup (85 g) diary free chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
- Evenly pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 25 - 35 minutes.
- Cool the brownies in the pan for 30 minutes. Remove the brownies from the pan to cool completely, slice and enjoy!
Leave a Reply