These Ultimate Fudgy Brownies without Eggs are super fudgy, moist, chewy, gooey, dense, and chocolaty, with crispy edges and crackly tops. Easy to make with basic pantry ingredients. This easy eggless brownie recipe really is the best! The recipe includes step-by-step photos and lots of tips.
For years, I have been on a quest to find the perfect egg-free brownies recipe, and I think I got it! Meet my Ultimate Fudgy Brownies without Eggs recipe.
These eggless brownies are super fudgy, moist, chewy, dense, and chocolaty, with crispy edges and crackly tops, and made completely from scratch.
They’re much more flavorful than anything made from a box. They taste amazing. I bet you have most of what you need to make these eggless brownies already sitting in your kitchen. So let’s get baking!
If you prefer cakey brownies, check out my Best Eggless Brownies.
Ultimate Fudgy Brownies without Eggs Recipe Highlights
- They have fudgy and chewy centers and crispy edges.
- Rich chocolate flavor
- Perfect crackly top.
- Easy to make. You don’t even need a mixer.
- The recipe calls for basic pantry ingredients.
Ingredients Notes & Substitutions
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
- Flour: Standard all-purpose flour works best here, skip the cake flour, bread flour, and wheat flour.
- Cornstarch
- Baking powder: Make sure it’s not expired or too old.
- Salt: I prefer kosher or sea salt. If you only have table salt handy, I recommend reducing the amount to half.
- Milk: For baking, I like to use whole milk. However, you can use any milk you have handy.
- Vinegar: You can use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.
- Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter, but if you only have salted butter handy, you can use it. In this case, skip the salt called in the recipe.
- Sugar: You will need brown sugar and white granulated sugar.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: I use unsweetened natural cocoa powder, which is more acidic and reacts with baking powder, allowing your baked goods to rise. If you live in the US, the cocoa powder you most often see in the baking aisle, like Hershey’s or Ghirardelli, is natural. Flavor varies by brand, but you can always find me using either of these two.
- Pure vanilla extract: For optimal flavor, reach for pure vanilla instead of imitation. Even better, try homemade vanilla extract!
- Instant espresso powder: This is optional, but I recommend its addition because it enhances the chocolate flavor. Adding a little bit will make things taste more “chocolatey” without giving a coffee flavor.
- Chocolate chips or chunks: I recommend using high-quality chocolate chips. I like to use Ghirardelli Chocolate Premium Baking Chips 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate or Callebaut Belgian Dark Couverture Chocolate Semisweet Callets, 54.5%.
Step By Step Recipe Photo Tutorial
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
1 – Preheat the Oven and Prepare the Baking Pan
Preheat the oven to 325º F (165 º C). Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
2 – Mix Dry Ingredients
Combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
3 – Combine Milk and Vinegar
In a mixing bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the milk and vinegar. Let the mixture rest for 5 to 8 minutes, until thickened and curdled.
4 – Melt Butter
Melt butter in the microwave. Alternately, you can do it over the stovetop in a medium saucepan.
5 – Add Sugars
Stir in the sugars, mix until well combined. The mixture must be homogeneous and glossy.
6 – Add Milk Mixture
Add milk mixture; mix with a whisk to incorporate. Microwave the mixture for 2 minutes. Carefully remove the bowl from the microwave and continue mixing with the whisk for 1 – 2 minutes. Undissolved sugar will prevent you from getting the crackly top on the brownies, so rub a little between your first finger and thumb to test. If it feels smooth with no grains of sugar, it’s ready. If you can feel some grains, place the mixture in the microwave and heat for 1 more minute, and then mix with the whisk for 1 -2 minutes. Repeat until you don’t feel any grain of sugar at all.
7 – Stir in Cocoa
Add cocoa powder, mix to incorporate; continue stirring constantly, for 2 more minutes. Add vanilla and instant expresso powder (if using), mix to incorporate.
8 – Add Dry Ingredients
Add the flour mixture; stir until mostly combined. Then add the chocolate chips and stir until no flour remains.
9 – Pour into Prepared Pan
Pour the batter into the pan. Use a spatula to spread it to the edges of the pan and smooth the top. Tap the pan once or twice on the counter to settle any air pockets; you can also poke the air pockets with the tip of a knife or toothpick. Top with more chocolate chips or chunks, if desired.
10 – Bake
Bake for 45 – 50 minutes or until the brownies are set and the tops or cracked and shiny. You’ll notice the center does not wiggle when the pan is moved. If in doubt, it’s better to underbake these brownies a bit rather than overbake. Unfortunately, the toothpick test doesn’t work well for these brownies because the chocolate chips get melty!
11 – Cool and Cut
Set the pan on a wire rack until completely cooled. When completely cooked, run a thin knife around the edge of the pan to make sure the block of brownies is loose, then lift from the pan using the parchment paper sling. Slice the brownies into 9 or 12 squares.
How To Fix Sunken Brownies
When baking brownies, especially without eggs, a common problem is that the center can sink a little. This happens because the outer edges bake more quickly and rise more while the center is still soft. Most people will tell you to cook the brownies longer. The problem with this, in my opinion, is that the chance of overbaking the brownies increase, and NO one likes dry brownies. So, I have an easy fix to this problem! As soon as you get the brownies out of the oven, GENTLY push down the edges with a spatula.
Quick Baking Tips
I highly recommend measuring the ingredients with a kitchen scale. Metric measurements provide the most accurate, easy-to-replicate results. These measurements were not run through a conversion calculator, but rather hand weighed and tested by me.
Use high-quality chocolate chips. I like to use Ghirardelli Chocolate Premium Baking Chips 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate or Callebaut Belgian Dark Couverture Chocolate Semisweet Callets, 54.5%.
Undissolved sugar will prevent you from getting the crackly top on the brownies, so after adding the milk and heating in the microwave, rub a little of the mixture between your first finger and thumb to test. If it feels smooth with no grains of sugar, it’s ready. If you can feel some grains, place the mixture in the microwave and heat for 1 more minute, and then mix with the whisk for 1 -2 minutes. Repeat until you don’t feel any grain of sugar at all.
Preheat the oven at least 15 minutes before getting started to give it plenty of time to reach the ideal recipe temperature.
Bake the batter as soon as it is ready.
Don’t open the oven door until your baked good has set. Leave the oven closed until the minimum time stated in the recipe.
Every oven is different, so baking times always have to be taken with a grain of salt. Oven thermostats can be wildly off, and that will all affect baking time, so keep an eye on yours.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best way to cut brownies is to let the brownies cool off completely and use a plastic knife. Alternately, you can also use a hot knife or regular knife covered in cooking spray to cut.
For baking sweets, metal is better! Metal pans distribute the heat more efficiently, resulting in evenly baked and brown sweets. Glass pans bake more quickly. If you need to substitute a glass pan for a metal one, you will need to decrease the oven temperature by about 20 – 25 degrees to ensure that your baked good does not overbake or burn.
In most of my egg-free recipes, I use unsweetened natural cocoa powder, which is more acidic and reacts with leavaners allowing your baked goods to rise. If you live in the US, the cocoa powder you most often see in the baking aisle, like Hershey’s or Ghirardelli, is natural. Flavor varies by brand, but you can always find me using either of these two.
Yes! Finely chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts can easily be added to this recipe. I recommend 1/2 to 3/4 cup of chopped nuts.
If you want your brownies to be super chocolatey, use dark chocolate chips or chunks. If not, use semi-sweet chocolate chunks, or a mix of dark and semi-sweet.
For more cakey brownies, use my Best Eggless Brownies recipe.
Storing & Freezing Instructions
Store
Cover and store leftover brownies at room temperature for up to 7 days.
Freeze
Brownies freeze well up to 3 months. Wrap cooled brownies in plastic wrap, then in foil, and then place them in an airtight freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before serving.
More Recipes You’ll Love!
- Eggless Red Velvet Brownies
- Best Eggless Brownies (more cakey)
- Eggless Fudgy Zucchini Brownies
- Eggless Cheesecake Brownies
- 15 Amazing Desserts You Can Make Without Eggs
Ultimate Fudgy Brownies without Eggs
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon (150 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon (10 g) cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (130 ml) milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup (173 g – 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup (150 g) brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (150 g) white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (57 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 1/2 cup (100 g) chocolate chips or chunks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325º F (165 º C). Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Lightly spray with baking spray.
- Combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the milk and vinegar. Let the mixture rest for 5 to 8 minutes, until thickened and curdled.
- Melt butter in the microwave. Alternately, you can do it over the stovetop in a medium saucepan.
- Stir in the sugars and mix until well combined, for about 2 – 3 minutes. The mixture must be homogeneous and glossy, not oily.
- Add milk mixture to the butter mixture; mix with a whisk to incorporate. Microwave the mixture for 2 minutes. Carefully remove the bowl from the microwave and continue mixing with the whisk for 1 – 2 minutes. Undissolved sugar will prevent you from getting the crackly top on the brownies, so rub a little of the mixture between your first finger and thumb to test. If it feels smooth with no grains of sugar, it's ready. If you can feel some grains, place the mixture in the microwave and heat for 1 more minute, and then mix with the whisk for 1 -2 minutes. Repeat until you don’t feel any grain of sugar at all.
- Add cocoa powder, and mix to incorporate; continue constantly stirring, for 2 more minutes. Add vanilla and instant espresso powder (if used), and mix to incorporate.
- Add the flour mixture; stir until mostly combined. Then add the chocolate chips (reserve 1/4 cup for the top if desired) and stir until no flour remains.
- Pour the batter into the pan. Use a spatula to spread it to the edges of the pan and smooth the top. Tap the pan once or twice on the counter to settle any air pockets; you can also poke the air pockets with the tip of a knife or toothpick. Top with more chocolate chips or chunks, if desired.
- Bake for 40 – 50 minutes or until the brownies are set and the tops or cracked and shiny. You'll notice the center does not wiggle when the pan is moved. If in doubt, it's better to underbake these brownies rather than overbake them. Unfortunately, the toothpick test doesn't work well for these brownies because the chocolate chips get melty! IMPORTANT: Every oven is different, so baking times always have to be taken with a grain of salt. Oven thermostats can be wildly off, and that will all affect baking time.
- When the brownies are ready, remove them from the oven and set the pan on a wire rack until completely cooled.
- When completely cool, run a thin knife around the edge of the pan to make sure the block of brownies is loose, then lift from the pan using the parchment paper sling. Cut the brownies into 9 or 12 squares.
- I highly recommend measuring the ingredients with a kitchen scale. Metric measurements provide the most accurate, easy-to-replicate results. These measurements were not run through a conversion calculator but rather hand-weighed and tested by me.
- Use high-quality chocolate chips. I like to use Ghirardelli Chocolate Premium Baking Chips 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate or Callebaut Belgian Dark Couverture Chocolate Semisweet Callets, 54.5%.
- Undissolved sugar will prevent you from getting the crackly top on the brownies, so after adding the milk and heating it in the microwave, rub a little of the mixture between your first finger and thumb to test. If it feels smooth with no grains of sugar, it’s ready. If you can feel some grains, place the mixture in the microwave and heat for 1 more minute, and then mix with the whisk for 1 -2 minutes. Repeat until you don’t feel any grain of sugar at all.
- Preheat the oven for at least 15 minutes before getting started to give it plenty of time to reach the ideal recipe temperature.
- Bake the batter as soon as it is ready.
- Don’t open the oven door until your baked good has set. Leave the oven closed until the minimum time is stated in the recipe.
- Every oven is different, so baking times always have to be taken with a grain of salt. Oven thermostats can be wildly off, and that will all affect baking time, so keep an eye on yours.
Nutrition
Eggless Baking Frequently Asked Questions
You’ve asked, and I’ve answered! Read on for a handful of answers to the most frequently asked questions about eggless baking.
Could you use butterfinger chips or heath bar chips instead of chocolate chips? Anyone figure out the butter issue mentioned by several people?
Hello Susanne! Yes, you can add butterfinger chips or any other chips you prefer. I added a note to the recipe addressing the “oily” issue. Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it =)
I also ran into the “butter floating on top” issue. I ended up dabbing off the liquid butter while it was still hot. A LOT of butter came off (5-6 paper towels got soaked.)
Since there at least 3 of us in the comments who experienced this… did anyone figure out why it was happening?
I followed the recipe exactly (checking for sugar grains etc.)
Waiting for them to cool before cutting. Hope it will still be tasty.
Hello Katherine! I am sorry you had trouble with the brownies. A few people have reported experiencing oily brownies, which could result from not fully combining the butter and sugars in step 5. It’s essential to mix them until the mixture is smooth and glossy rather than oily, which may require a few minutes of whisking. Please check out the step-by-step photos in the post. I hope you give it another try soon. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to return and let me know! xo
Can I make these with half the sugar?
Hello Cole! I do not recommend that. For best results, I recommend following the recipe exactly. Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it =)
Today is Feb 14/23.
I am SO HAPPY I found this recipe!!! My husband has been asking me to make him brownies for 3 years. But I haven’t because I didn’t know how.
He has a dairy, wheat, nut and egg allergy!
I used gluten free all purpose flour, applesauce for the butter substitute, and oat milk instead of dairy milk. And dairy free chocolate chips! It turned out PERFECT!!! I can’t believe it!!! Thank you so much for this recipe.
Hello Rosy! It sounds like you nailed it! I am super glad you and your family love this recipe. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know. xo
Hey! Love the recipe always hits the spot, have been baking this for almost a year now however recently the recipe only shows up in cups and I can’t convert it to grams please help!
Hello Abigail! I am sorry about that. I just checked the recipe, and it s showing the qualities in grams. Maybe it was a temporary glitch. xo
These brownies turned out great! Thanks for all the tips. They were moist and fishy!
Hello Cathy C! Great to hear that they were a hit =) Thanks a lot for the review and good feedback.
Quick question what type of chocolate chips will be better? Dark chocolate/semi sweet / milk:white?
Hello Aruna! I prefer dark, but it’s totally up to you. Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it =)
Chocolate flavor wonderful. Batter tasted great. Not sure what I did wrong, though. Butter started oozing out of the batter as brownies were baking. The tops and bottoms both were coated with oil after cooling. Reviewed my measurements and I think I followed the recipe as written.
Hello Laura! Yikes, sorry you had such a bad time with the recipe! This never happened to me. This might be due to undermixing the butter and sugars or if the ingredients are not all at the same temperature. Did you use butter or oil?
The same thing happened to me where the butter sat at the bottom of the pan, the top of the brownies crusted beautifully! my brownies turned out dense and very oily and I’m almost 100% sure I followed this recipe exactly. Anyway it is a very wonderful rich chocolate flavor! I’m going to put them in the fridge to make the butter solid, hopefully it will make the brownies look better haha
Hello Erin! I am sorry you had a hard time with the brownies. A few people have reported experiencing oily brownies, which could result from not fully combining the butter and sugars in step 5. It’s essential to mix them until the mixture is smooth and glossy rather than oily, which may require a few minutes of whisking. Please check out the step-by-step photos in the post. I hope you give it another try soon; they are really delicious and decadent. xo
Can the corn starch be substituted? I have a corn allergy as well.
Hello Lisa! Yes, you can substitute for potato starch 1:1. Hope that helps!
Just wanted to share my appreciation for this recipe. I made a batch at the last minute for my sister’s birthday yesterday and everyone loved them! My family don’t eat eggs so I will definitely be using more of your recipes! Thank you for sharing.
Hello Avni! It sounds like you nailed it! So glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know.
Absolutely delicious. I’m severely egg-intolerant and have been hunting for a good egg-free brownie recipe that was close to the generic recipe and I have to say this one is it. Most other recipes produce almost bread-like brownies that I wouldn’t really consider to be a brownie but these are firm but gooey with the lovely signature crackling on top just as one would expect. I brought them to a family party and they were an absolute hit. Thank you so much for the amazing recipe.
Hello Markus! Great to hear that it was a hit! Thanks a lot for the review and good feedback.
nah these brownies are absolutely fire soo gooey on the inside and crispy on the outside
Hello Small King! It sounds like you nailed it! Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know.
what if i don’t have espresso powder? i only have instant coffee granules. will that do?
Hello Jenn! Yes, you can use coffee granules. Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it =)
I’m allergic to eggs and dairy, can I replace the milk with water? Or soy milk? (Can’t have nuts either) also can I use oil instead of butter?
Hello Ellen! I am sorry, but I haven’t tested this recipe with water and oil. I would recommend using soy or oat milk and a good dairy-free butter instead. My favorites are Miyoko’s Creamery Organic Vegan Butter and Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks. Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it =)
Hi Ellen, I have made this recipe twice now with plant based milk if you can have any. This works perfectly fine and we got some delicious brownies.
Hello Severine! I’m so glad you loved this recipe! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback.
Hi Ellen! For sure you can. Use Oat milk instead of dairy, applesauce, instead of butter , and dairy free chocolate chips.
I found that the 8×8 inch pan was too small for this amount of batter. Looking at them in the oven, the brownies have risen and now the pan is full to the brim. I wanted to use a 9×9 inch pan but didn’t since the recipe didn’t call for it and I’ve never made this recipe before. Are these brownies supposed to be this thick?
Hello Sadie! I always use an 8×8 pan, and I’ve never experienced this issue before. Is it possible something may have been mismeasured? There could have been a little too much baking powder, maybe? Was your pan metal or glass? I’m sorry I can’t be of any more assistance. Hope you liked the brownies!
These brownies turned out great!! Made these as a slab (x4) and baked at 170C for 50mins. Really lovely texture and not too sweet. Thankyou so much
Hello Ainsleigh! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know!
I never thought I could make brownies without eggs or egg replacer, I’m so impressed!
Hello mellowbaker! I’m so glad you both loved the brownies! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback and review!
Just delicious!
Hello Kristine! Great to hear that it was a hit! Thanks a lot for the review and good feedback.
Amazing recipe! Didn’t have real butter so subsituted half oil and half oil spread and was still amazing! Was out of eggs but had everything else for brownies and these didn’t disappoint! So gooey and delicious
Hi Jesse! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know!
Hi! I tried out your recipe today as my boy is allergic to eggs. Thought it would be great for him to try out brownies for the first time. The recipe is great but i find it too sweet to my liking. Would cutting down the amount of sugar affect its outcome? Thank u!
Hello Sue! I haven’t tried it myself, so I can’t say for sure how you would alter it to make them with less sugar. You may need to do some experimenting on your own. I wouldn’t reduce more than 10% of the sugar, though. If you try it, I would love to know how they turn out. 🙂
Hey, I reduced the sugar by half and then added two table spoons of honey, it was GREAT 🙂 the texture of the dough was also still fluffy and holy!
I don’t have a dietary restriction but was just plain out of eggs. These may be my new favorite brownie recipe! So rich and delicious.
Hello Claire! I’m so glad you loved these brownies! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback and review!
My 10 yr old daughter baked them not sure what went off. It just wouldn’t bake and had too much butter. Is the butter measurement accurate here ( 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) that’s almost 2 sticks of butter?
Hello Jyoti! Yes, that is the right amount of butter. When you mix the melted butter and sugar, you have to make sure that the mixture is homogeneous and glossy. Also, these take a long time to bake. Every oven is different, so baking times always have to be taken with a grain of salt. Oven thermostats can be wildly off, and that will all affect baking time. The brownies are ready when you notice the center does not wiggle when the pan is moved. Unfortunately, the toothpick test doesn’t work well for these brownies because the chocolate chips get melty! I hope you give these brownies another try soon, they are super delicious.
This was my exact experience… I’m going to try one stick of butter next time as the brownies turned out a wet mess😔
Hello M. Tyree! If your brownies were too wet, maybe they needed more time in the oven. Every oven is different, so baking times always have to be taken with a grain of salt. Oven thermostats can be wildly off, and that will all affect baking time. Thanks for trying my recipe!
I’m curious as to why my brownies were jiggly when I removed them from the oven; it was entirely liquid- I used the same ingredients as well as followed the instructions so I’m not sure how this happened, either way once it cools down a little, hopefully it should be easier. Thanks for the great recipe!
Hello Olivia! It sounds like they weren’t baked long enough. Every oven is different, so baking times always have to be taken with a grain of salt. Oven thermostats can be wildly off, and that will all affect baking time. I would recommend using an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is working properly. I hope that helps!
Moist and fudgy, full of chocolate goodness. Do yourself a favor and share.
Hello Maggie! So glad you enjoyed this, thanks so much for trying my recipe!
Hi! Do I need to change the time or temp if I make them in mini cupcake tray, so they’ll be like the one-bite mini brownies?
Hello GG! This is something I have never tried myself, so you may need to do some experimenting on your own. If you try it I would love to know how they turn out. 🙂
Thanks for the recipe. Texture was great but I could taste the vinegar in the brownies :/ do you think I could swap the milk+vinegar for buttermilk instead and get a better result?
Hello Ashley V! Yes, you can use buttermilk. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and for taking the time to come back and let me know!
Hi oriana I have round pans of 6, 8 Inch which would be the ideal pan to substitute for 8*8 square pan
Hello Akshaya! I would use the 8-inch. Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it =)
Thank you for this recipe! I’m excited to try them. Can I substitute buttermilk for the milk and vinegar? Just because I have some on hand that needs to be used. Thank you!
Hello Jaimie – Yes, you can! Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it =)
I developed an egg allergy 5 years ago. I haven’t had a decent brownie since then and because I could eat eggs for 30 years before my first reaction….I remember what a good brownie tastes like. We made these today and oh my goodness they are amazing! THANK YOU!! Even my family that can eat eggs wants to use this recipe as their new go to!
Hello Amanda – Great to hear that it was a hit! Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know =)
These are the ultimate Brownies. From the first time I made them I swore I would never use another recipe. Anyone who tries these I’m sure will never go back to their former recipe.
Thank you for your baking expertise Orianna!
Hello Elaine! I’m so glad you love this recipe! I hope my recipes inspire you to continue baking. Please make sure to reach out if you have any questions or special requests. I am happy to help! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback and review =)