No-bake vegan brownies are virtually impossible to screw up, and absolutely delicious. Zero baking skills are required to whip up a batch of chocolate, gooey vegan brownies.
These no-bake vegan brownies are also gluten-free, grain-free, low calorie, and high in protein!
Trust me, I’m not vegan or plant-based, and I absolutely love these brownies. I will be making them again for sure!
What ingredients do you need for no-bake vegan brownies?
Since these vegan brownies do not require any baking, there is some room for experimenting with the ingredients. But if you want the same delicious result that I had with these vegan brownies, I highly recommend you stick to these ingredients as closely as possible. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Vegan protein powder
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Sugar-free syrup
- Peanut butter
- Dairy-free chocolate chips
- Canned pumpkin
That’s it! Don’t worry, these are some more substitution notes in the recipe card below.
Chocolate vegan protein powder
Undoubtedly, the star of these no-bake vegan brownies is the vegan protein powder.
I used PEScience Vegan Protein, which is a plant-based protein that combines both pea protein and brown rice protein.
I’ve never enjoyed pea protein- I find that it has a very strong, overpowering “earthy” flavor. This protein powder genuinely tastes good, and I swear on waffles and pizza (that’s how you know this is serious business) that I truly enjoy this protein powder.
Full disclosure: I am an affiliate with PEScience so naturally, it’s okay for you to feel skeptical that I’m being truthful that this protein actually tastes good. I know I can’t say anything specific to convince you, but I would never promote a product I didn’t truly believe in. I 100% stand behind the protein, and if you need proof for yourself, just whip up a batch of these no-bake vegan brownies and see for yourself!
If you want to save 10% on any PEScience products, the code “matt” at checkout will get it for ya!
All of that being said, you should be able to use any brand of plant-based protein powder here that you’d like! Dairy protein powder may not work out as well, so if you’re not plant-based, I suggest you check out my original brownie recipe or protein brownie batter instead.
Dairy-free chocolate chips
Chocolate chips are necessary for this recipe. The melted chocolate within the brownies themselves help keep them nice and soft, and the extra melted chocolate on top adds the perfect amount of extra chocolate flavor.
I like to melt the chocolate chips down in the microwave to drizzle on top, but I also experimented with spreading some on top of these no-bake vegan brownies.
Once the chocolate sets, that extra layer of chocolate is out of this world!
I used Lily’s Baking Chips for this recipe. Lily’s uses Stevia to sweeten their chocolate, making it a great option for low-carb or keto dieters. If you want to keep these brownies dairy-free, go for the dark chocolate option!
I’m not actually vegan, and I much prefer milk chocolate, so I used Lily’s milk chocolate chips for this. But of course, these are vegan brownies, so dark chocolate is the way to go.
How to form these brownies
Most no-bake brownie recipes have you filling some kind of a pan with parchment paper, letting the brownies set, then removing and cutting.
However, I learned from my no-bake sugar cookie bars that you can easily just use your hands to form a no-bake recipe! I don’t know about you, but I’ll never complain about having less dishes to do.
Once you mix all the ingredients up together, you can easily use your hands to form the dough into a large brownie sheet.
After you do that, it’s just a matter of cutting out the no-bake vegan brownies! I cut mine into 6, but you’re free to slice them as large or as small as you’d like!
Vegan or not, these brownies are absolutely delicious! If I had to describe the flavor to you, I’d say they’re a cross between brownies and fudge. Drizzle some extra chocolate on top, and you have a recipe for deliciousness.
No-Bake Vegan Brownies
Decadent fudgy brownies that are fully vegan (and gluten-free) and require no baking at all! Think of these as a cross between chewy brownies and soft fudge.
Ingredients
- 35g Chocolate Vegan Protein
- 32g (2 Tbsp) Peanut Butter
- 50g Canned Pumpkin (or pumpkin puree)
- 15g Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1/4 Cup Sugar Free Syrup (any sticky sweetener should work, but I used Cary's brand)
- 28g Lily's Chocolate Baking Chips (plus an extra 14g for topping)
Instructions
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the 28g of chocolate chips, syrup, and peanut butter. Microwave for about one minute, stirring occasionally until the chocolate and peanut butter are fully melted.
- Add the canned pumpkin and cocoa powder and fully mix everything together until smooth.
- Lastly, add the protein powder. Vegan powder absorbs a ton of liquid, so it's important to add it last. Mix it up until you have a ball of dough.
- Remove the dough onto parchment paper and use your hands to flatten it out and form it into a large rectangle. The exact size is up to you, but leave the dough as thick as you'd like your brownies to be.
Optional tip: sprinkle a little sea salt on top if you love sweet & salty! - Add to the fridge for one hour to fully set.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and slice into 6 brownies.
- You can enjoy as-is or do what I did and add some extra chocolate on top! Melt the additional 14g of chocolate chips in the microwave (or more chocolate, if you'd like!) and drizzle or spread it on top of the brownies. Add back to the fridge for about 10 minutes if you'd like the chocolate to harden.
Notes
- Since all protein powder is different, the taste of these is going to be largely dependent on whichever you choose!
- Since these are no bake, feel free to taste before chilling these to see if they need any adjustments. If you use different ingredients, you may decide you want to add some sugar or sugar substitute to sweeten these up a bit. Totally up to you!
- If you do not have canned pumpkin, it can technically be omitted. It very much helps the brownies stay soft, however. I tested a version without it and the brownies were very dense! If you leave it out, you may want to add some extra peanut butter.
- Powdered peanut butter will not work the same here because these brownies absolutely need some fat in them. You can use a different nut butter, though.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1 BrownieAmount Per Serving Calories 90Total Fat 5gCarbohydrates 9gFiber 4gSugar 0gProtein 6g
Lory
Thursday 11th of May 2023
Could you please put U.S.measurements next to your Gram measurements to make this much easier and much quicker please?
Matt
Thursday 11th of May 2023
With all due respect Lory, it's much easier and quicker for me to post gram measurements because I make all of my recipes using precise measurements on a food scale. I'm sorry if that's inconvenient for you (truly... I don't meant for that to sound sarcastic), but conversions can be done through Google pretty easily if necessary
Melissa
Wednesday 7th of July 2021
Why do you advise against using dairy protein powder? What will happen? Does it not absorb liquid as well?
Melissa
Thursday 8th of July 2021
I tried it with dairy protein powder and almond butter and the batter didn't really turn into a dough. I wonder if I add more protein powder, it might become more dough like. I put the liquidy dough in a container to form it into the same shape I would if it was dough like and refrigerated it and then added the melted chocolate chip icing and refrigerated it again. It never really formed into a solid holdable brownie but it was good enough and tasted great! I'll report back if I try it again with more protein powder.