Dairy Free Brownie Recipe (Copycat Costco Brownie Bites)

Dairy Free Brownie Recipe – Like Costco Brownie Bites!

I absolutely love all Kirkland products – they all come in bulk and my mom always comes back from a trip to Costco with bags of the almond flour, almonds, pecans, walnuts and more. Not to mention the absolutely delicious crunchy cashew clusters, vanilla extract, maple syrup, spices or all other things we need to buy in large quantities (that Costco is perfect for). Speaking of Kirkland and Costco though, have you guys ever tried those one bite fudgy brownies? They’re not vegan, but when I was younger (and not vegan at the time) these one bite brownies definitely lived up to their name. So today’s dairy free brownie recipe is one that reminds me of that same brownie snack I used to eat all the time as a child.

But now, I’ve veganized and made them gluten-free! This is a dairy free brownies recipe that you’ll come back to again and again. You’ll also feel all the better for getting that chocolate fix, but in a healthier way that doesn’t leave you feeling like you just ate a boatload of sugar.

I Could Eat the Whole Bag …

One bite, they say … it was more like one bag for me. Every time I opened my mouth, another brownie would be in there (because DUH they’re supposed to fit in ONE BITE)! Alas, my fudgy brownie days are now over – at least Costco’s delicious brownies – because now I’ve got vegan options available! I made these brownie bites, which are not as small and bite-sized as the original, but they are chewy brownies, gluten free, vegan and filled with all the love in the world. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did – all I needed was one glass of oat milk and they all disappeared right after this photo was taken!

Since I always used Kirkland’s Almond Flour, I noticed there was a recipe on the back of the bag for gluten free brownies. I was never one to make the recipes that came on the back of food packaging, not for any specific reason though. At some point I decided I should give it a go, and I tried out these brownies (twice!). I tried to make different substitutions for the ingredients the first time around, which actually didn’t work … the brownies were very crumbly. The second time, I followed their recipe almost to a T but changed up the egg to use a chia egg.

I also changed the shape and made them in a muffin tray instead of a brownie square pan. THIS was what I was looking for. Crispy on the edges, chewy in the middle, and tastes AMAZING when warmed up with some ice cream. You might also have the urge to eat this brownie batter before it gets baked … just saying.

Why You’ll Love This Dairy Free Brownie Recipe

Copycat Childhood: I love veganizing childhood favourite snacks! Especially ones that are a healthier option for my sweet tooth. It’s also amazing when you make a recipe that you used to bring as a lunchtime snack to school, that was discontinued now. Like Little Debbie’s Honey Buns or Cosmic Brownies, among other Little Debbie products. Having this recipe in your arsenal is great to make when you’re craving those snacks, but you can make them to suit all dietary preferences. There’s also the satisfaction of making your own recreation, right?

Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownies: When it comes to gluten-free baked goods, many times they fail to hit the mark. This recipe is what you hope for in a brownie! Especially gluten free AND vegan brownies. A rich chocolate flavor, crispy top, crispy edges, and a chewy inside. This leaves you wanting to warm it up once more to get that gooey, melt-in-your-mouth feel that you get as soon as you remove that glass pan of brownies from the oven!

Substitutions (Wet Ingredients)

Chia seeds: These are mixed with a few tablespoons water and set aside for 15 minutes to thicken to form an egg replacement. If you don’t have chia seeds on hand, you can also try chia meal or flax meal. This is ground chia seeds or ground flax seeds which comes as a powder. Flax seeds make a flax egg, a chia seed makes a chia egg! However, they work in the same way.

Oat Milk: Try substituting a different plant based milk if you don’t have oat milk. Different milks have varying amounts of fat and sugar in them. For example, if you get sugar-free oat milk versus regular oat milk that includes some sugar. I used the original version of oat milk that had some sweetener in it. Alternatives could be soy milk, rice milk or full-fat canned coconut milk for a more rich brownie.

Vegan Butter: Sometimes it’s in the same section as the regular butter, but in the grocery stores I’ve been to there is a separate section for vegan items – including vegan butter. I used the Melt Organics brand of vegan butter sticks, but Earth Balance is another great butter brand. There are many substitutions. Coconut oil, avocado oil, canola oil, vegetable oil or another neutral oil. If using melted coconut oil, it should not smell like coconut – it should not say virgin!

Substitutions (Dry Ingredients)

Almond Flour: I would not use any replacement for the almond flour here. Other gluten-free flours that are used in baking could be coconut flour or 1:1 Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Flour blend, but I haven’t tried these.

Cocoa Powder: More recently, I’ve been using cacao powder to bake with because it is less processed than cocoa powder. But when I made these brownies, I used cocoa powder. This is the one you normally would find in stores, not dutch cocoa.

White Sugar: I tested this recipe with white sugar, but you can try substituting xylitol for a 1:1 sugar replacement. You could try brown sugar or coconut sugar as well, but I would say it is second to xylitol. The texture and the sweetness level of coconut sugar is different than xylitol or white sugar too.

Substitutions (Chocolate)

Chocolate Chips: These are optional, but always recommended to make a brownie bursting with cocoa flavour. I also LOVE the crunch of chocolate chips inside my brownies once they cool down. But I ALSO love the gooeyness of the melted chocolate chips when the brownie is warm. Either way, it’s a win-win for chocolate chips. Preferably use semisweet chocolate chips, but dark chocolate will also do (less sugar, more bitter taste the darker the chocolate).

To make sure your chocolate chips are vegan, check the ingredients – some brands add milk or milk powder to their chocolate. You can find vegan chocolate chips in the baking section of most local grocery stores. You don’t need to necessarily go to the natural section to find these. You’ll probably find chocolate chips made with a healthier sugar like xylitol if you go looking in the natural aisle. If you want a raw version of chocolate chips, you can try to use cocoa nibs. Now if you’re looking for a sugar-free option, there are brands that make sugar free chocolate chips too, or ones using a healthier sugar alternative can be these from Enjoy Life.

Dairy Free Brownie Recipe Notes

• Mix in crushed walnuts, chocolate chips or more add-ins for an elevated brownie!
• If baking these as brownies in a tray rather than brownie bites, use a glass tray for baking. I haven’t checked the perfect size brownie tray for this recipe, so you would have to experiment to find a size that you can fill about three-quarters with brownie mixture. I recommend using a glass pan to bake them. This way, the heat distributes more evenly to give the brownies a more even bake.

More Chocolate Snack Recipes

No Bake Salted Caramel Brownies

Espresso Brownies

Cherry Chocolate Coffee Brownies

Chocolate Energy Bars

Peanut Butter Fudge Brownie Bites

Single-Serving Marshmallow Brownie

If you make this Dairy Free Brownie Recipe, leave a comment and star rating! Don’t forget to tag your photos @peanut_palate on Instagram. Enjoy!