Vegan Cherry Almond Brownies Recipe: A Decadent Plant-Based Treat

By Callie  

I came to vegan brownies skeptically. I’d eaten enough versions that tasted like carob and good intentions to develop a fairly firm position on the subject. Then someone brought a batch of dark chocolate brownies to a gathering and I had three before I thought to ask what was in them. Glacé cherries, ground almonds, flaxseed eggs, 70% dark chocolate. No butter, no eggs from a shell. I honestly couldn’t tell the difference in texture – dense, fudgy, glossy top, slightly chewy edges – and the flavor was actually better than many egg-and-butter brownie versions I’d had because the quality of the dark chocolate was the dominant note rather than the fat from the dairy.

The flaxseed egg is the specific ingredient that makes these work. Ground flaxseeds mixed with water produce a gel that, when set, functions as a binder in baked goods much the way beaten eggs do – it holds the batter together, contributes to the fudgy texture, and provides some of the structure that prevents the brownie from being a flat, crumbly disc. The flaxseed flavor is undetectable in a batter this intensely chocolate. The function is completely effective. It’s one of those plant-based ingredient swaps that works so well you wonder why anyone bothered with eggs in brownies in the first place – though I do know why, and eggs are also excellent, but the point stands.

The glacé cherries are the flavor detail that makes these genuinely interesting rather than just good vegan brownies. Glacé cherries – the bright red, sugar-preserved cherries that appear in British fruitcakes and holiday baking – have a concentrated, jammy sweetness and a slight artificial cherry note that against deep, bitter 70% dark chocolate produces one of the better flavor combinations in baking. The ground almonds add a subtle nuttiness and contribute to the dense, slightly moist crumb that makes these brownies fudgy rather than cakey. All three – dark chocolate, glacé cherry, ground almond – are doing specific flavor work that produces something more complex than any one of them alone.

My husband ate two and asked where the brownies “from that place” were. I told him I’d made them. He looked at the tray and at me and said nothing for a moment, then went back for a third. If that’s not an endorsement, I don’t know what is. For another richly flavored no-dairy chocolate bake in the same spirit, the 3-Ingredient Flourless Chocolate Cake is equally egg-based-ingredient-optional and produces a similarly intense chocolate result from minimal ingredients.

Why You Will Love These Vegan Cherry Almond Brownies

• The flaxseed egg produces a genuinely fudgy texture – not just “acceptable for vegan” but actually fudgy. Ground flaxseeds mixed with water at a 1:3 ratio produce a viscous, slightly gelatinous mixture that sets like beaten egg when incorporated into batter and baked. The binding and moisture-retention properties are functionally similar to beaten egg in a dense, fudgy brownie context. Combined with the vegan margarine and the high cocoa butter content of good dark chocolate, the texture is dense, moist, and slightly chewy at the edges – the definition of a properly fudgy brownie, achieved without any animal products.
• The coffee granules in the batter are the flavor secret most chocolate recipes don’t mention. Half a teaspoon of instant coffee granules added to the melted chocolate mixture doesn’t produce a coffee-flavored brownie – it amplifies the chocolate flavor by enhancing the perception of cocoa bitterness and complexity. Coffee and chocolate share many of the same flavor compounds (pyrazines, furans, organic acids), and a small amount of coffee in a chocolate recipe makes the chocolate taste more intensely like itself. You won’t identify coffee in the finished brownie. You will think the chocolate flavor is deeper and more complex than usual. That’s the coffee doing its job.
• Glacé cherries and dark chocolate is a flavor pairing that works almost alchemically well. The intense, jammy sweetness of glacé cherries against the bitter, slightly astringent character of 70% dark chocolate produces a contrast that each component benefits from. The bitter chocolate makes the sweet cherry taste more vividly fruity. The sweet cherry makes the bitter chocolate taste less austere and more complex. Rinsing the cherries before using removes some of the excess sugar syrup that can make them cloyingly sweet and helps them bake into the brownie more cleanly.
• Ground almonds add richness, moisture, and density that flour alone doesn’t provide. Replacing some of the flour with ground almonds (almond meal / almond flour) adds fat from the natural oils in almonds that contributes to the fudgy, slightly dense texture. It also adds a subtle nuttiness that is present in the background without dominating. Almond and cherry is a classic British flavor combination – the two ingredients have been paired in cakes, tarts, and biscuits for centuries because the warm, slightly sweet nuttiness of almond makes cherry taste more floral and complex. Having both in the same brownie batter is a deliberate choice with a long culinary history behind it.
• The glossy top that forms during baking is the hallmark of a properly made brownie – and this recipe achieves it. The characteristic glossy, slightly crinkly top of a well-made brownie comes from the interaction of sugar dissolved in the liquid fat (here the melted chocolate and margarine mixture) with the batter’s proteins during baking. Whisking the sugar into the chocolate mixture until it’s smooth and glossy before adding the other ingredients is the step that produces this surface. Skip or rush this step and you get a dull, matte top. Take the time to whisk thoroughly and the glossy crinkle top develops naturally in the oven.
• The recipe is built around UK/metric measurements with clear US conversions – accessible on both sides of the Atlantic. The original recipe uses British pantry staples (self-raising flour, golden caster sugar, glacé cherries, vegan margarine) with metric measurements. This post provides both the original metric quantities and clear US cup/weight equivalents so the recipe is accessible regardless of which kitchen you’re in.
• The brownies keep well and improve slightly over 24 hours. Like most fudgy brownies, these are good fresh but better the following day when the moisture has redistributed through the crumb and the flavors have had time to meld. A brownie that tastes slightly under-done when warm from the oven often tastes perfectly fudgy once cooled and rested overnight. Don’t judge these brownies at the 20-minute post-oven mark. Judge them the next morning.
• Completely dairy-free, egg-free, and straightforward to make gluten-free with one substitution. The recipe as written is fully vegan. For gluten-free: replace the self-raising flour with a gluten-free 1:1 flour blend and add 1 teaspoon of baking powder (since the gluten-free flour doesn’t contain the built-in leavener that self-raising flour does). The texture is slightly more dense but still genuinely good.

Vegan Cherry Almond Brownies Ingredients

The Full Ingredient List

• 80g (6 tablespoons / 3 oz) vegan margarine, plus extra for greasing – see notes on fat choice below
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds (flaxseed meal), mixed with 6 tablespoons of water to make the flaxseed eggs
• 120g (4 oz) good-quality dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa – chopped if using a bar
• 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules (espresso powder works too)
• 60ml (1/4 cup) water – added to the chocolate mixture
• 125g (1 cup) self-raising flour – or 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 70g (3/4 cup) ground almonds (almond meal / almond flour)
• 50g (1/2 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of fine salt
• 250g (1 1/4 cups) golden caster sugar – or regular granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 70g (1/2 cup) glacé cherries, rinsed and halved

Ingredient Notes And Substitutions

Vegan margarine – which products work and why the choice matters: Not all vegan margarine products behave the same in baking. The best choices for this brownie are block-style vegan butters (Miyoko’s, Violife, or Earth Balance baking sticks) that have a similar fat content to butter. Spreadable margarine from a tub contains more water and less fat than block-style, which can produce a slightly wetter batter and a different texture. For this recipe specifically, the margarine is melted with the chocolate and water before the dry ingredients are added, so the distinction between block and tub matters less than in recipes where creaming is required – but a higher-fat, more butter-like vegan margarine generally produces a richer, more satisfying result.

The flaxseed egg – what it is, how it works, and why it must be made before the baking starts: Ground flaxseeds (flaxseed meal – not whole flaxseeds, which won’t hydrate properly) mixed with water at a 1:3 ratio produce a viscous gel when left to sit for 5 minutes. This gel is the “flaxseed egg” – each tablespoon of ground flaxseed plus 3 tablespoons of water produces the functional equivalent of approximately one large egg in terms of binding. This recipe uses 2 tablespoons of flaxseed plus 6 tablespoons of water (2 flax eggs). The binding function depends on the gel being fully formed before it’s incorporated – add it before it has gelled and you’re adding flaxseed water rather than flaxseed gel, which doesn’t bind the same way. Make the flaxseed mixture first, before anything else in the recipe, so it has the full 5 minutes to gel while you prepare everything else.

Dark chocolate – minimum 70% cocoa, and quality matters: The dark chocolate is the dominant flavor in these brownies, which means its quality is directly reflected in the finished product. A 70% bar from a quality brand (Valrhona, Green & Black’s Organic, Lindt Excellence, Theo) produces a brownie with complex, deep chocolate flavor. A lower-quality dark chocolate produces a brownie that tastes chocolatey but flat. Avoid chocolate marketed as “baking chocolate” in bars without a clear percentage – these are often lower quality than labeled percentage bars. For a specifically vegan product: most 70%+ dark chocolate is naturally dairy-free, but check the label for “may contain milk” if cross-contamination is a concern. Lindt’s 70% and Green & Black’s Organic 70% are both reliably dairy-free in their formulation.

Glacé cherries – rinsing is important: Glacé cherries (also sold as candied cherries or maraschino-style preserved cherries) come preserved in a heavy sugar syrup. Without rinsing, this excess syrup bakes into the brownie as concentrated sweetness that can make the areas around each cherry cloyingly sweet rather than pleasantly fruit-forward. A quick rinse in a colander under cold water and a pat dry with paper towels removes the surface syrup and produces a cleaner, more balanced cherry flavor in the finished brownie. Halving the cherries before adding to the batter helps distribute them more evenly through the relatively thick batter, and ensures each slice of brownie is more likely to have cherry in it rather than some slices having clusters and others having none.

Golden caster sugar vs regular granulated: Golden caster sugar (common in British baking) is a fine-grain white sugar with a trace amount of natural molasses that gives it a very slight caramel note and a pale golden color. Regular granulated white sugar substitutes directly in the same quantity with a negligible difference in the finished brownie. The key function of the sugar in this recipe is to be whisked into the warm chocolate mixture until fully dissolved – the dissolving step is what produces the glossy brownie top. Both sugars dissolve equally well when whisked into the warm liquid.

Self-raising flour vs all-purpose plus baking powder: Self-raising flour is all-purpose flour with baking powder and sometimes salt already mixed in – common in British baking, less standard in the US. If you only have all-purpose (plain) flour: use 125g / 1 cup of all-purpose flour plus 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder (the recipe also calls for an additional 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder on top of what’s in the self-raising flour, which is already accounted for in the all-purpose conversion). The finished result is identical.

Callie’s Kitchen Note: The first time I made these I used cocoa-coated chocolate chips rather than a chopped bar, thinking it would save the chopping step. The chips melted unevenly and more slowly than a chopped bar because they contain stabilizers that help them hold their shape during baking – which is useful in a cookie, actively unhelpful when you need them to melt smoothly into the batter. The resulting chocolate mixture had small lumps of partially melted chip throughout rather than a perfectly smooth, glossy melt. The brownies were still good but the batter consistency was less ideal than with a properly chopped bar. Use a bar and take the 2 minutes to chop it – a coarsely chopped 70% bar melts completely smooth in under 5 minutes over low heat and produces a glossy, homogeneous batter that chips never quite replicate.

How To Make Vegan Cherry Almond Brownies

The Full Timeline

Prep time: 20 minutes. Bake time: 35-45 minutes. Cooling time: at least 45 minutes before slicing (ideally 2 hours). Total elapsed time: about 1 hour 45 minutes, with about 20 minutes of active work. The cooling time is the step most people rush and shouldn’t – a brownie sliced while warm will crumble at the edges and look ragged; the same brownie sliced after full cooling cuts cleanly. Make these in the afternoon for an evening serving, or the day before for best results.

1- Make The Flaxseed Eggs First

Before anything else: combine 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed with 6 tablespoons of cold water in a small bowl. Stir briefly and set aside. This is the step most people remember to do while they’re already in the middle of something else and then have to wait for the gel to form. Do it first, before measuring anything or turning on the oven, and by the time you need it the gel will be ready. After 5 minutes the mixture should look noticeably thicker and more viscous – like a slightly sticky, gel-like paste rather than gritty water. This is the flaxseed egg, fully formed and ready to use.

2- Preheat And Prepare The Tin

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C (150 degrees C fan / 338 degrees F conventional). Grease a 20cm (8-inch) square baking tin with vegan margarine and line with baking parchment, leaving a small overhang on two opposite sides – this overhang functions as handles to lift the finished brownie slab out of the tin cleanly after cooling. A fully parchment-lined tin is important for clean removal: brownies have a tendency to stick at the corners where the parchment doesn’t reach, which tears the edges when you try to lift them out. Press the parchment into the corners firmly and use enough overhang to grip without effort.

3- Melt The Chocolate Mixture

Add the vegan margarine, chopped dark chocolate, coffee granules, and 60ml (1/4 cup) of water to a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Set over the lowest possible heat and stir slowly and continuously until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth, glossy, and homogeneous. This takes about 3-5 minutes at low heat. The water in this mixture is intentional – it helps the chocolate and margarine combine into a smooth, pourable mixture and contributes to the final moist texture of the brownie. Low heat is essential: chocolate scorches at higher temperatures, and the coffee granules dissolve better in a slowly warming liquid than in a suddenly hot one. Remove from heat as soon as smooth and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before proceeding.

Why The Coffee Granules Are Worth Including

Coffee and chocolate share a significant number of aroma compounds – both are roasted products with complex, layered flavors built on similar chemical foundations. Adding a small amount of coffee to a chocolate preparation enhances the chocolate flavor perception by activating the same flavor receptors more completely than chocolate alone. Half a teaspoon of instant coffee granules dissolved in the warm chocolate mixture is below the threshold where most people perceive coffee as a distinct flavor. Instead, the finished brownie simply tastes more deeply, more completely chocolate – the kind of flavor depth you’d attribute to exceptional quality chocolate even if the chocolate itself is good but not extraordinary. This is a technique used in professional bakeries specifically for this effect. Don’t skip it.

4- Mix The Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together the self-raising flour, ground almonds, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. The cocoa powder tends to clump and benefits from extra whisking to break up any lumps before the wet ingredients are added – lumps of dry cocoa in the batter produce uneven-colored brownies and occasional dry patches. A sifting step before adding to the bowl is even more effective if you have a fine-mesh sieve to hand. Set aside.

5- Build The Wet Mixture And Achieve The Glossy Top

Add the golden caster sugar to the slightly cooled chocolate mixture and whisk vigorously until smooth, glossy, and fully combined. This is the step that produces the characteristic glossy top on a well-made brownie. The sugar dissolves partially in the warm liquid fat and forms a smooth, dense, glossy mixture. When this sugar-fat mixture bakes on the surface of the brownie, the dissolved sugar crystallizes into the characteristic crinkled, shiny top. Whisk for a full minute – the mixture should look noticeably glossy rather than grainy or dull before you proceed. If the sugar seems reluctant to dissolve, the chocolate mixture has cooled too much – warm briefly over low heat for 30 seconds and whisk again.

Add the flaxseed gel, vanilla extract, and halved (and rinsed and dried) glacé cherries to the chocolate-sugar mixture. Stir to combine evenly.

6- Fold In The Dry Ingredients

Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet chocolate mixture and fold together with a large silicone spatula until just combined. The batter will be noticeably thick – thicker than most cake batters and thicker than most standard brownie batters. This is correct and expected for this recipe. The thickness comes from the ground almonds absorbing liquid differently than flour would, and from the relatively high proportion of ground almonds to flour. Don’t add more liquid to thin the batter – the thick batter produces the dense, fudgy texture that makes these brownies what they are. Fold until no dry flour patches remain but don’t over-mix – 15-20 fold strokes should be sufficient.

7- Bake And Test For Doneness

Spoon the thick batter into the prepared tin and spread evenly with the back of a spoon or a small offset spatula. The batter is thick enough that it won’t self-level – spread it deliberately into the corners and smooth the surface. Bake at 170 degrees C (338 degrees F) for 35-45 minutes. The brownies are done when a skewer or thin knife inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached – not wet, liquid batter, but moist crumbs that show the interior is set but still fudgy. A clean skewer means over-baked. Liquid batter on the skewer means under-baked. Moist crumbs are the target.

Check at 35 minutes. If the skewer comes out wet, return to the oven and check every 5 minutes. Oven temperature variation is the reason for the 35-45 minute range – some ovens run hot and finish in 35 minutes; others need the full 45. An oven thermometer confirms actual operating temperature and removes this uncertainty.

Rotate the tin 180 degrees halfway through baking (at about the 20-minute mark) for more even cooking – most ovens have hot spots, and rotating the tin compensates for any uneven heat distribution that would otherwise produce brownies that are done at one end and under-baked at the other.

8- Cool Completely Before Slicing

Allow the brownies to cool completely in the tin – at room temperature, not in the refrigerator. Minimum cooling time: 45 minutes. Ideal cooling time: 2 hours. Overnight is even better. As the brownie cools, the interior continues to set through carryover heat, the moisture redistributes through the crumb, and the flavors integrate more fully. A brownie sliced warm crumbles at the cut edges and often looks underdone. The same brownie sliced after 2 hours cuts cleanly into neat squares with clearly defined edges. Lift the slab from the tin using the parchment overhang, place on a cutting board, and use a sharp knife – wiped clean between cuts – for the neatest results.

Callie’s Kitchen Note: I always make these brownies the day before I want to serve them, and I genuinely think overnight refrigeration after the initial room-temperature cool is the best possible storage method for the first 24 hours. The brownie that’s been in the fridge overnight has a firmer, more defined texture with a slight chewiness that the warm brownie doesn’t have – it cuts more cleanly, the cherry pieces hold their shape better in each slice, and the chocolate flavor has had time to become the dominant note rather than competing with the fresh-baked flour smell. Take them out of the fridge 15-20 minutes before serving so they’re not cold-cold when eaten, but refrigerated-then-slightly-tempered is my preferred serving state for these. You’ll taste more of everything.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

Not Letting The Flaxseed Gel Set Fully

Adding flaxseed mixture that hasn’t gelled yet – within the first minute or two of mixing with water – adds a gritty, liquid mixture rather than a viscous gel. The binding function of the flaxseed egg depends on the mucilage (the gel-forming compounds in the flaxseed) having fully hydrated and formed the gel structure. Five minutes is the minimum. Ten minutes produces a slightly more fully set gel that works even better. Make it first, before preheating the oven or preparing anything else, and it will be fully ready by the time you need it.

Using Chocolate Chips Rather Than A Chopped Bar

Covered in the Kitchen Note above. Chocolate chips contain stabilizers that help them hold their shape during baking – a useful property in a cookie, actively unhelpful when you need the chocolate to melt smoothly. A chopped 70% bar melts completely and smoothly in the saucepan. Chips melt incompletely at low heat and require higher heat that risks scorching the margarine. Use a bar and chop it roughly – no need for fine chops, as 1/2-inch pieces melt quickly at low heat.

Over-Baking

The number one brownie killer regardless of recipe. The moist-crumbs-on-the-skewer test is the reliable indicator for this specific recipe – a clean skewer at 35-40 minutes means the interior has dried out past fudgy into cakey. The brownies will firm further as they cool, so a slightly under-done skewer result at the time of baking often produces a perfectly fudgy brownie after cooling. When in doubt, pull slightly early rather than leaving in slightly late. An over-baked brownie cannot be rescued; a slightly under-done one finishes setting as it cools.

Slicing Before Fully Cooled

Warm brownies cut badly. The fudgy interior is still soft and somewhat liquid, and the cut edges crumble rather than hold their shape. The flat, clean-edged brownie squares that look perfect in photos are cut from a fully cooled slab – cold from the refrigerator overnight is even better than room temperature cooled. Patience is the most important skill in brownie baking, and it’s exercised entirely after the oven work is done.

Rushing The Sugar-Chocolate Whisk

The glossy top that distinguishes a well-made brownie from a matte, flat one depends on the sugar being adequately dissolved and distributed into the warm chocolate-fat mixture before the rest of the batter is assembled. A quick stir rather than a vigorous whisk for a full minute produces a grainier mixture and a less glossy surface. Take the minute, whisk until the mixture looks visibly smooth and shiny, and the brownie top will thank you.

Callie’s Kitchen Note: My husband had requested these specifically after eating them at a friend’s house – he described them as “the brownies that tasted like the ones from that place in town.” I made them twice before getting the texture quite right, the second time using a 75% bar rather than 70% and adding an extra tablespoon of ground almonds. The 75% bar produced a more intensely bitter-chocolate result that he said was “even better than the ones he remembered.” The extra almond made the crumb slightly more tender. Both changes were small but noticeable. The lesson: once you have a recipe that works, small chocolate percentage adjustments (70% vs 75% vs 85%) produce meaningfully different flavor profiles and are worth experimenting with when you want to fine-tune the result.

Storage

Room temperature: Store vegan cherry almond brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Separate layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Room-temperature storage produces a softer, slightly more yielding texture than refrigerator storage – good if you prefer your brownie at the softer end of the fudgy spectrum.

Refrigerator: For best texture and maximum flavor, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Remove from the fridge 15-20 minutes before serving – cold brownies are firm and dense; slightly tempered brownies have a more pleasant chew. This is my preferred approach, particularly in the first 24-48 hours when the refrigerator storage actually improves the texture and flavor as described in the Kitchen Note above.

Freezer: Wrap individual brownie squares in plastic wrap, then place in a zip-top freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours or overnight in the fridge. The brownies return to very close to their original texture after thawing – the glacé cherries hold up well through freezing and thawing, and the fudgy texture is mostly preserved. This is the best approach for making a large batch and having individually portioned brownies available on demand.

Reheating for the warm-brownie experience: Microwave individual room-temperature brownies for 10-15 seconds to restore a gooey, warm-from-the-oven quality. From the freezer: 20-25 seconds in the microwave. Warm brownies with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream is the specific serving suggestion that makes these genuinely special rather than just good.

Vegan Cherry Almond Brownie Variations

Classic Vegan Chocolate Brownies (No Cherry)

Omit the glacé cherries entirely for a clean, pure dark chocolate brownie with the ground almond richness as the only textural addition. Increase the vanilla extract to 2 teaspoons to compensate for the fruit flavor that the cherries would have provided. Add 50g of roughly chopped dark chocolate (in addition to the melted chocolate in the batter) for chocolate pieces throughout the crumb – the chocolate chunks produce pockets of extra-rich, slightly melted chocolate in each bite that the cherries would otherwise have provided as textural interest. This version is the most straightforward and the most universally crowd-pleasing of the variations.

Cherry Almond Brownies With Almond Extract

Add 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract to the wet mixture alongside the vanilla extract. The almond extract dramatically amplifies the almond flavor of the ground almonds, producing a brownie where the almond note is clearly present rather than subtle. It also intensifies the cherry flavor – almond and cherry share maraschino-adjacent flavor compounds (from benzaldehyde, the primary aroma compound in both bitter almonds and cherries) that reinforce each other. The combination produces a brownie that tastes distinctly of the classic British cherry-and-almond flavor pairing, more assertively than the original recipe. Use carefully – almond extract is potent and 3/4 teaspoon total (vanilla + almond) is the ceiling before it becomes overpowering.

Raspberry And Dark Chocolate Vegan Brownies

Replace the glacé cherries with 70g of fresh or frozen (un-thawed) raspberries. Fresh raspberries fold in cleanly and produce pockets of tart, jammy fruit throughout the baked brownie – slightly less sweet than the glacé cherry version, more sharply fruity. Frozen raspberries added directly without thawing keep their shape better during folding and produce a slightly more distinct raspberry piece in the finished brownie. The raspberry-dark chocolate combination is one of the great flavor pairings in baking, and it works as well in this vegan brownie context as it would in any egg-and-butter version.

Salted Caramel Swirl Vegan Brownies

Omit the glacé cherries. Make a quick vegan caramel by melting 50g of coconut sugar with 2 tablespoons of coconut cream and a generous pinch of flaky sea salt over medium heat until it thickens slightly. Swirl the caramel through the brownie batter after it has been spooned into the tin – use a knife or skewer to create a marbled pattern rather than fully incorporating it. The caramel will bake into slightly firm, slightly sticky pockets throughout the brownie. This variation is significantly sweeter than the original (add the flaky salt generously to keep it from being cloying) and produces a more dessert-forward brownie that is genuinely impressive for a special occasion.

Espresso Cherry Brownies

Increase the coffee granules from 1/2 teaspoon to 1.5 teaspoons for a version where the coffee flavor is distinctly present rather than just supportive. The espresso-cherry-dark chocolate combination is a classic Italian flavor triangle – the bitterness of the espresso, the sweetness of the cherry, the dark cocoa. These brownies taste genuinely grown-up and sophisticated, particularly alongside a shot of actual espresso. The glacé cherry stays the same; only the coffee quantity changes. This is the version to make for people who specifically love the coffee-chocolate combination and want it forward rather than hidden.

White Chocolate And Cherry Vegan Brownies

Replace the dark chocolate in the batter with good-quality vegan white chocolate (very few white chocolates are vegan – Enjoy Life makes a dairy-free white chocolate, as does iChoc). The white chocolate produces a much sweeter, paler, more vanilla-forward batter – technically these would be “blondies” rather than brownies, but the almond-cherry-white chocolate combination is genuinely compelling. Reduce the cocoa powder to 1 tablespoon (for a slight chocolate note without making them a proper dark brownie) and add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. The glacé cherries against the white chocolate base produce a beautiful visual effect – vivid red fruit against pale golden batter.

Nut-Free Vegan Brownies

Replace the ground almonds with an equal weight (70g / 3/4 cup) of oat flour (blended rolled oats) or fine-ground sunflower seed meal (blended sunflower seeds). The oat flour produces a slightly nuttier, more whole-grain texture that works well with the dark chocolate. The sunflower seed meal is the most direct functional substitute for ground almonds – similar fat content, similar moisture absorption, similarly neutral flavor. The finished texture is slightly less rich than the almond version but still properly fudgy. Both substitutions maintain the nut-free status of the recipe.

Serving Suggestions

The Classic Brownie Service

A square of brownie at room temperature on a small plate, dusted with a fine sifting of powdered sugar immediately before serving. Add a small scattering of sliced toasted almonds across the top of the plated square for visual texture and a crunchy contrast to the fudgy brownie. A few fresh cherries alongside (when in season) or a single glacé cherry centered on top echo the cherry inside and make the flavors visible before the first bite. This is the presentation for afternoon tea, a dinner party dessert, or a thoughtful casual gift in a box.

The Dessert Upgrade

• Warm brownie (10-15 seconds in the microwave) with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of warm dark chocolate ganache – the classic plated dessert combination that works for any brownie but is particularly good with this one because the almond and cherry flavors gain complexity against the cold vanilla
• Room-temperature brownie alongside a small glass of cherry liqueur or port – the concentrated cherry in the drink amplifies the glacé cherry in the brownie
• Crumbled over vegan vanilla yogurt as a breakfast or brunch element – the brownie crumble adds chocolate and cherry in every spoonful of the yogurt, which is a very good way to start a day

Occasion Ideas

• Potluck and gathering contribution – these travel well, serve at room temperature without any preparation, and are genuinely impressive to anyone who discovers they’re fully vegan after eating them
• Afternoon tea alongside a pot of Earl Grey – the bergamot in the tea is unexpectedly good against the dark chocolate and cherry
• Homemade gift in a box – individually wrapped in parchment and tied with ribbon, a box of six or eight of these makes a beautiful, genuinely personal food gift
• Holiday baking – add a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg to the dry ingredients for a warming festive version that fits into any Christmas cookie or brownie spread

Beverage Pairings

A strong cup of freshly brewed coffee or an Americano is the most natural pairing – the coffee amplifies the chocolate flavor in the brownie the same way the coffee granules in the batter do. A glass of robust red wine (Merlot, Pinot Noir, a syrah-forward blend) complements the bittersweet dark chocolate and the sweet cherry in a way that feels specifically intentional. Cherry Heering or another cherry liqueur alongside these brownies produces the most specifically themed pairing – cherry in the brownie, cherry in the glass, dark chocolate as the bridge. For a non-alcoholic option: cold cherry juice or a warm cherry herbal tea echoes the glacé cherry flavor in a completely different, lighter register.

Vegan Cherry Almond Brownies FAQ

Recipes You May Like

If these vegan cherry almond brownies have you excited about plant-based baking that doesn’t compromise on richness or flavor, here are three more recipes from the blog in the same spirit.

3-Ingredient Flourless Chocolate Cake – The companion recipe for anyone who wants intense dark chocolate in an even simpler format. No flour, no leavening, just dark chocolate, eggs (or aquafaba for a fully vegan version), and sugar. The flourless cake has the same deep, concentrated chocolate character as these brownies in a dramatically different texture – dense, molten-centered, almost truffle-like. Both recipes prioritize chocolate quality above everything else and both reward the use of the best dark chocolate you can find.

Caramel Heart Brownies – The special-occasion brownie for a romantic occasion – caramel-stuffed chocolate brownies shaped into hearts for two. Where the vegan cherry almond brownies are made to share with a crowd, the caramel heart brownies are an intimate, indulgent version for exactly two people. The caramel center is the opposite textural element from the glacé cherry – liquid and flowing against the dense fudgy brownie rather than the chewy, defined cherry pieces in this recipe. Both approaches to “brownies with something interesting inside” produce memorable results.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies – The chocolate cookie companion to these brownies for when you want the same deep dark chocolate satisfaction in a different format. Both recipes share the quality-dark-chocolate-as-the-star philosophy, both work in the fudgy-chewy texture register, and both are appropriate for potlucks, bake sales, and homemade gift boxes alongside each other. The cookies take half the time of the brownies and produce individual portions rather than a slab to slice – a practical complement to have in the baking rotation alongside these brownies.

Conclusion

These vegan cherry almond brownies are the recipe that converted my personal skepticism about plant-based brownies into genuine enthusiasm. Three of them eaten before I thought to ask about the ingredients. My husband’s “even better than the ones he remembered” after the fine-tuned second batch. The combination of dark chocolate quality, glacé cherry sweetness, and ground almond richness produces a brownie that doesn’t need eggs or dairy to justify itself – it’s genuinely good, full stop.

Make the flaxseed egg first. Use a chopped bar rather than chips. Whisk the sugar into the chocolate until glossy. Cool completely before slicing. Refrigerate overnight before serving if you can wait. Those five things are the recipe within the recipe – the specific practices that produce a brownie worth making again rather than once and then moving on from.

Tell me in the comments whether you used glacé cherries or tried dried tart cherries as a substitute, and whether the 70% or 75% bar was available to you. Save this to Pinterest for your next vegan baking project – and happy baking!

Happy baking! – Callie

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