You Don't Need Eggs To Make Perfectly Fudgy Brownies

Brownies are one of those desserts that feel almost sacred in their simplicity — flour, butter, sugar, chocolate, and, of course, eggs. But if you're skipping the eggs, whether it's because you ran out or because you don't eat them, that doesn't mean you have to settle for dry squares of cocoa-flavored disappointment. In fact, as Nisha Vora, the recipe developer behind Rainbow Plant Life and author of the NY Times best selling cookbook Big Vegan Flavor , explains, there's a way to achieve that rich, fudgy texture without cracking a single shell.

In an interview with Daily Meal, Vora revealed the best replacement for eggs to use while baking brownies — and it's not some obscure, hard-to-find ingredient. It's something you probably have sitting in your pantry: "Aquafaba is the best egg substitute," she says, referring to the starchy liquid drained from canned chickpeas . When whipped with sugar, aquafaba thickens into a glossy mixture that "mimics the structure of eggs" and helps bind ingredients while keeping brownies dense and chewy.



But how does it work, and what's the trick to making it count? Let's get into it. The right way to use aquafaba in brownies So, how does something that sounds more at home in a can of chickpeas help create fudgy brownies with that signature crinkle top? It all comes down to how you use it. Nisha Vora explains that aquafaba works best when it's whipped with sugar before adding it to the batter.

"For every egg, you'll want to use 3 tablespoons of aquafaba," she says. Whipping the two together for a few minutes turns the mixture thick and airy, helping brownies keep their structure while creating a rich, gooey texture when paired with melted chocolate and butter. But getting the texture just right isn't just about the eggs — or lack thereof.

"To avoid a cakey brownie, make sure to include melted chocolate in your brownies (not just cocoa powder)," Vora advises. And when it's time to mix, go easy on the batter. Over-mixing introduces too much air, which leads to a fluffier, cake-like texture instead of that dense, chewy bite.

Finally, don't overbake. "The brownies should look slightly underdone in the center when you take them out; they'll set up as they cool, leaving you with that irresistible fudginess," she adds. Eggs or no eggs, brownies should be indulgent, chewy, and deeply chocolatey.

And with aquafaba in the mix, skipping them doesn't mean sacrificing texture — it's a vegan alternative that won't make you miss dairy one bit ..