These Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Vegan Brownies are a paleo, kid-friendly treat, with antioxidant-rich dark chocolate and dairy-free salted caramel sauce. Make this one-bowl recipe for your fudgy brownie fix!
Before I begin, huge thanks to my niece for helping update this recipe. We had so much fun in the kitchen! It was a science project just learning about how to make baked goods without eggs or dairy or gluten. By the way, she’s the star in the video. And, she absolutely LOVES this vegan brownie recipe.
We Love Brownies
Oh brownie recipes, my collection of them continues to grow and I’m not finished yet! There are flourless brownies, made with chai, and tahini works its magic in this low-carb brownie recipe. Of course, for the non-chocolate lovers, there is a recipe for cinnamon vegan blondies.
And for any brownie (or blondie) lover, there’s always space for another recipe in your life—especially one featuring dark chocolate and salted caramel! Plus, this recipe is a convenient one-bowl creation
Vegan Brownie Ingredients
Below is an overview of the ingredients and recipe. Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the complete details and nutrition information.
- Chocolate chips – If you need a dairy-free option, I recommend Enjoy Life Foods. For a sugar-free option, Lily’s is my favorite.
- Almond flour – Be sure to use the fine blanched almond flour.
- Coconut flour – Make sure to sift the coconut flour.
- Agave syrup or maple syrup – If having a vegan option isn’t important to you, feel free to use raw honey.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder or Cacao – If you aren’t familiar with what cacao is, check out the details below! 🙂
What’s the difference between cocoa powder and cacao powder? Cacao is the purest form of chocolate. It comes from the pods of a cacao fruit tree. It is raw and has the highest source of antioxidants of all foods, and the highest source of magnesium of all foods.
Unsweetened cocoa is very similar to cacao powder, except cocoa undergoes a bit more heat during processing.
- Pumpkin puree – Use 100% real pumpkin, or sometimes it’s known as packed pumpkin puree. This acts as the egg replacer.
- Dairy-free caramel sauce – It’s not that dairy is necessarily bad (for people who can tolerate it) but if it can be made with better-for-you ingredients, why not do it?!
Tips Before You Begin
- Use liquid coconut oil. You will need the coconut oil to be a liquid, otherwise you will have a tough time incorporating it with the other ingredients.
- Refrigeration is essential. After baking, the brownies will need to set up in the fridge. I know- waiting is SO hard! While you wait, you can keep yourself busy by making the salted caramel sauce.
- Refrigerate or freeze any leftovers. Refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Storing and reheating dairy-free caramel sauce. You will probably only use half the caramel sauce for one batch of the brownies. Don’t worry though. Just store the extra caramel sauce in a covered jar. It is great on blondies, ice cream, waffles, or in coffee.
How to Make Vegan Salted Caramel Brownies
This one bowl brownie recipe was taste tested by vegan and non vegan friends, including kids. It passed with flying colors! So, grab a bowl and just a few ingredients from your pantry. It’s time to bake!
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper for easy removal later.
- Sift the Dry Ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, sift together both flours. Then, add in the cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder. Give it a good whisk to combine everything.
- Mix in the Wet Ingredients: Stir in the pumpkin and milk, whisking until everything is nicely blended.
- Create Wells for Flavor: Use the back of a spoon to make three wells in the batter. Carefully pour the coconut oil, vinegar, and vanilla extract into the different wells. GENTLY mix everything together, but be careful not to overdo it!
- Add the Chocolate Chips: Fold in the dark chocolate chips, and then press the thick batter into your lined baking pan.
- Bake: Pop the pan onto the center rack of the oven and bake for 28-35 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Cool Down: Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and let it cool. For easier slicing, place the pan on a kitchen towel or oven mitt in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes to firm them up.
- Make the Caramel Sauce: While the brownies are chilling, whip up your salted caramel sauce!
More of Our Favorite
Vegan Dessert Recipes
Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Vegan Brownies
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 9 brownies 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These vegan brownies are a paleo, kid-friendly treat, with antioxidant-rich dark chocolate and dairy free salted caramel sauce! Make the recipe for a fudgy brownie fix!
Ingredients
- 1 cup fine almond flour (112g)
- ½ cup sifted coconut flour (56g)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder or cacao powder
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ⅔ cup 100% pumpkin puree
- ⅓ cup non dairy milk
- 2 teaspoon distilled vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓– ½ cup refined coconut oil, liquid (for lighter texture use ⅓ c oil)
- 1 cup dairy free dark chocolate chips
For salted caramel sauce
You’ll only need half a batch of salted caramel for the brownies
- ½ cup coconut palm sugar or raw sugar
- ¼ cup agave or maple syrup
- 1 ½ tablespoon naturally refined coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup non dairy milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
- Sift both flours together in medium size mixing bowl. Add remaining dry ingredients; cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and whisk to combine.
- Stir in the pumpkin and milk and whisk to combine.
- Use the back of a spoon to form 3 wells in the batter. Carefully pour the coconut oil, vinegar, and vanilla extract into different sections of the bowl. GENTLY mix to combine, being careful not to over mix.
- Fold in the dark chocolate chips and then press batter into lined baking pan. The batter will be thick, due to coconut flour.
- Place pan in oven on center rack and bake for 28-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry or with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove pan of brownies from oven and let them cool. Then, place pan of brownies on a kitchen towel or oven mitt in fridge for 15-20 minutes. This firms them up for slicing.
- While brownies are in fridge, make the salted caramel sauce.
Salted Caramel Sauce
- In small saucepan over medium heat, combine coconut sugar, agave/maple syrup, coconut oil, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring to fully melt the syrup and coconut oil.
- When sugar comes to soft boil (bubbling), set timer for two minutes. Stir the mixture once or twice during these two minutes.
- Then, carefully stir in coconut milk to incorporate and continue cooking until sauce returns to a low simmer.
- Simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring every so often to get the caramel from the bottom of the pan. It will start to turn a darker amber color. The mixture will be soft and will continue to bubble a little bit during this whole process. NOTE: The longer you simmer it, the thicker the sauce will become when cooled.
- When sauce can coat the back of a wooden spoon (a thin coating), remove from heat and let it cool and thicken. Store it in a covered glass container. Cool for another 10 minutes, stir, then if not using immediately, place it covered in the fridge for up to two weeks. Makes ¾ to 1 cup sauce.
- Remove brownies from fridge, pour half of the caramel sauce on top, or drizzle over individual slices.
Notes
- The key to making these brownies set is refrigerating them a bit after you have removed them from the oven and they have cooled a bit.
- Refrigerate leftover brownies for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- You will probably only use half the caramel sauce. Refrigerate in covered jar for other uses.
- Reheat the refrigerated caramel sauce in microwave on high power for 30 to 40 seconds.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: dessert
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 brownie with sauce
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 24.2 g
- Sodium: 257.4 mg
- Fat: 19.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 10.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 32.6 g
- Fiber: 5.5 g
- Protein: 4.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Is it possible to replace the almond flour with any other flour?
Hi Denise! Are you looking for a nut-free option, or are seed flours okay? I also have another brownie recipe with a vegan option that uses gluten-free 1:1 flour, if that’s more in line with what you need.
Everyone at my house will love it! Thank you.
So glad!
Wow! These were as delicious as they look. I’m not vegan so I did add one egg and a scoop of protein powder. The sauce is outstanding. Thank you for the recipe.
Oh wonderful! So glad you enjoyed them Anita!
Can you substitute the pumpkin purée for banana?
I haven’t tried it, but it might work! Or avocado or applesauce. Let me know if you do try it Kayla!
Due to blood sugar issues, I have to use a zero calorie sweetener. I wasn’t able to get it t caramelize, but I just spooned the liquid over the brownies as a caramel flavored glaze. Wow, they are totally delicious! I even subbed oat flour for the almond flour as it’s what I had and the recipe worked just great.
oh yes, sometimes that happens with zero calorie sweetener. But so glad the taste worked out!
Has anyone made these ? I see a lot of reviews, but I none stating they have made the recipe with success 🙂
Hi Kari! I get a lot of reviews posted on social media. Would you like me to send you a link to one?
Hi Lindsay, how are you?
Thanks for sharing those recipes…love all
I’d like to ask you if I can sub all flours for oat meal or oat flour and also rice flour.
Thanks
Happy Holidays from Brazil
I think that should work, but the baking times will be different. Be sure to check after 25-30 minutes. Keep me posted.
Ah, hope the surgery was okay, Lindsay! I’m sure these brownies were WELL-enjoyed after you made them. They look BEYOND scrumptious!
thanks so much friend! yes, surgery was successful!
Hello, can you please advise what suitable substitute I can use for the pumpkin puree if not available? Thanks!
Hey Laura! What do you have on hand? Apple sauce? Avocado? Yogurt? Egg if not vegan?
Hi! I have apple sauce, almond yogurt and eggs 🙂 can you give me a vegan and an egg alternative please? Which do you prefer?
I would use 2 eggs first to get a nice bind. But then check cooking times. Will be faster. For egg free I would try the yogurt first. But maybe just 1/2 cup yogurt. It will be moist but probably not as fluffy. Check baking time around 30 minutes. Stick in fridge to set for sure before slicing. Keep me posted!
Oh you could also try it with just the oil. No yogurt or eggs. It will be more dry but would work. Haha sorry for all the answers.
No that’s great!! will try it out this week and let you know 🙂 thanks so much!
yes, please do!
Just that picture makes the brownies pass with flying colors for me. WOW. Trying this today. 🙂
How much cocoa powder did you use? I see 1/2, but 1/2 what? Thanks so much! Can’t wait to try them!
Oops! sorry about that. It’s 1/2 cup. Correcting now. Let me know if you try it! Would love feedback. Be sure to pop in the fridge after you bake so it can set.
OMG. This is beyond.. the pumpkin, the cacao…! Yay YOU!! I’ve not baked with coconut flour, but since my breakthrough with Teff.. I’m open to anything! Love your drool-worthy photog, Linds! This is fabulous! 😀
you gotta try coconut flour! It can be tricky but great when combined with almond flour! p.s Let’s bake together!
These brownies are…wait, excuse me while I get a napkin…sorry was totally DROOLING!! Anyway, absolutely amazing! Wish I could just reach into the screen and take a bite or two or just eat the whole pan! 🙂
haha I have several napkins to share.
These look so divine! I can’t even think about anything but brownies now! Love how easy they are too. Gorgeous!
One Bowl! If I was blown away by that alone but these are VEGAN! I need to be stuffing my face with these!
Girl you would LOOOOOVe these!
i am loving this recipe in terms of ingredients and dont even get me started on photos…teach me your skills please!!!
haha thanks friend. You teach me your skills and I will teach you mine. You got mad skilllllllzzzzz
I’m pretty sure the young cool kids would say “I can’t even” about this recipe. Me? I’m just drooling. It looks fantastic and I can’t wait to try it out!
haha i love that Katie! i mean… i can’t even handle “I can’t even”
I seriously want to face plant into these! they look amazingly delicious and that caramel sauce….YUM!
face planting totally allowed Laura! <3
These seriously look SOOOO good. Brownies are my weakness (especially a warm brownie with a little bit of ice cream or coconut cream on top!!) and I haven’t had any luck in the kitchen with them lately. But these!! I will be trying these later this afternoon for sure.
OH now you are talkin!! haha YUM!
Um wowwwwww….. These look CRAZY DELICIOUS! And crazy decadent which is perfect for a chocolate fiend like me!
yes! the darker the chocolate the better, right?
I seriously cannot believe that these are free of both gluten and eggs – I mean, look at that crumb! I would devour a pan-full of these.
So I just died and went to heaven., and I would basically kill a stack of these right now. Topped with coconut whipped cream, naturally 😉 I’ve been liking darker chocolate more and more the older I get, and I find that the sweet milky stuff just doesn’t do it for me anymore… which is why it’s a tragedy that I don’t have any (or a stack of these) at home right now 😥
GORGEOUS!!!! Oh wow…just WOW!
thanks friend!
Wow, amazing!!
Holy moly. Making these STAT!
yes you must!
These look incredible! Love the double dark chocolate!
it’s my fav!
Seriously drooling over these divine brownies!! I just made a salted vegan caramel sauce so I’m right there with you on putting that on everythingggg. One bowl – YES!
bring your sauce over! let’s share!
! I was seriously just gogling almond flour brownies… how did you know this is what I was craving today? Looks amazing!!
I’m a mind and craving reader! haha. Let me know if you try it friend!
Seriously stop! I have everything in the house to make these but I’m up to my ears trying to figure out A’s birthday cake. She wanted a Hummingbird Cake so easy, done and perfect for the gluten free and dairy allergies. Oh wait one of her friends just found out she has an issue with COCONUT! There is coconut flour, coconut yogurt, coconut oil, coconut milk/cream, and shredded coconut in the cake! Really? So back to the drawing board and now A is upset but wants to make sure her friends all get cake and food. A doesn’t like frosting and so we are trying something new with a white cake or angel food cake but I still have to alter things a little. Wish me luck!
In the meantime I think I’ll make these and ponder her cake. Should I share them with the guys out remodeling our patio and driveway or save them for the family and risk eating the whole pan, minus one that I save to have with wine. Haha!
best of luck!!! i want to come to the party!
oh my darling friend, I’m not sure how many times I can say I wish we were neighbors before you actually just come move here 🙂 I am always trying to figure out how to get that good chocolate flavor sans the milk and eggs!
Whoa! These look perfect. The whip picture might be the best picture I’ve ever seen in my life, lol! But seriously – drool!
haha you are too kind!
Holy cow these look dense and fudgy just the way I like my brownies. HEART.
bring your almond butter. We can make a double decker!
Omg stop. You’re amazing. These are amazing. I can’t handle it! So much ooey gooey chocolate goodness!!!
the best part… oooooey goooey! haha
A must try for sure!!! Love the ingredients in these babies 🙂
I so think you’d love!
Brownies can totally be a super food, especially when they contain saucy caramel goodness. Sign me up.
bring your ooey gooey bars and let’s party!
Omg these look to die for!! Definitely making these for my boyfriend this weekend- he loves brownies! And he’ll be happy that they’re paleo and GF (both of which he is!)! Thanks, Lindsay!
Oh heaven help me! That there stack topped with coconut whip is calling my name! What a wondrous creation, Lindsay and it’s good for ME! Now if only I can have that stack switch places with the eggs on my plate, it will be a wondrous day!
Getting my brownie and superfood fix in one is like the best of both worlds!! One bowl doesn’t hurt either lol! Anyway, just simply looking at these photos makes me drool ALL OVER my computer! You’re amazing, Lindsey!!!
Wowow, I don’t think you can beat those brownies! Spot on!
thanks friend!
Jesus, Mary, and food porn. This one might make me want to come home to a kitchen. That, and the fact that our flights is tomorrow morning. Boo hiss.
This looks incredible though. And gluten free for the *very* stubborn Vegas who cannot tolerate more gluten in her life after this trip. LOL!
This like a brownie sundae only healthy. Love!!!
I honestly don’t think that this needs to be cooked. Just give me the single bowl and a spoon and STEP OFF