Today I’m excited to share one of our family’s favorite Instant Pot desserts: Instant Pot brownie cake (pressure cooker vegan chocolate brownies). These brownies are simple to make with common pantry ingredients and turn out fudgy and intensely chocolatey. I make them from scratch—not from a boxed mix—and I often add toasted walnuts for extra texture. If you enjoy using your Instant Pot or pressure cooker, try baking in it, especially when you’d rather not heat up the kitchen on hot summer days. This recipe is egg-free and dairy-free, making it an ideal treat for vegans and for those with egg, soy, or dairy allergies. Non-vegans also approve!
I baked this version in a 6-quart Instant Pot that doesn’t have a cake button, so you don’t need a special baking function to get great results. We like to warm a slice briefly and serve it with a scoop of ice cream and extra chocolate sauce—utterly heavenly.
I’ve received wonderful feedback on my Instant Pot chocolate cake post, and many readers have successfully tried that recipe. If you haven’t seen it yet, I recommend checking out that post for background on my Instant Pot baking experiments and tips.
I love baking, and my family enjoys sweets—cakes, brownies, and cookies are regular indulgences. When I moved to the United States ten years ago, I discovered that egg-free desserts can be difficult to find in many bakeries and restaurants. Back in India, egg-free and dairy-free options were common at most bakeries, so I started baking at home to satisfy cravings. Baking quickly became therapeutic for me, and after many trials I developed reliable recipes that I now share so others don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
Baking in a pressure cooker is not new to me—many households in India have long used stovetop pressure cookers for cakes. My aunt used to make delicious cakes that way, and I’ve baked cakes and brownies in stove-top cookers as well as in my Instant Pot. The Instant Pot method is easy and produces consistently tasty results.
About these vegan chocolate walnut brownies: they are fudgy, dense, and packed with chocolate flavor. A splash of coffee in the batter helps deepen the chocolate notes. One limitation of Instant Pot brownies is that they don’t develop a crisp, flaky crust; if you prefer crusty edges, bake them in a conventional oven instead.
I use applesauce in this recipe to keep the brownies moist; you can substitute non-dairy yogurt or a flaxseed meal mixture if you prefer. Below are links to other brownie recipes that you might like (links preserved as original references in the recipe section).
Below you’ll find a short pictorial description in the original post on how to prepare a pan for baking in the Instant Pot.
I hope you enjoy this Instant Pot brownie cake / pressure cooker vegan chocolate brownies recipe—please give it a try and let me know how it turns out. If you enjoy my recipes, consider subscribing to get new posts delivered to your inbox. If you try any recipe, I welcome feedback in the comments or via social media.
Print recipe
Instant Pot brownie cake / pressure cooker vegan chocolate brownies
Ingredients
For preparing coffee
- 2 teaspoon instant coffee
- ⅓ cup almond milk or milk of your choice
For preparing the add on
- ½ cup toasted walnuts
- ½ teaspoon all purpose flour for coating the walnuts
Dry ingredients
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon vegan granulated sugar
Liquid ingredients
- ⅓ cup oil or melted butter
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
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Prepare the pan: use a 6″ metal pan or one that fits comfortably inside your Instant Pot. Grease the base and sides with oil, dust with flour, and line the bottom with a round piece of parchment paper.
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Make a foil sling for easy removal: tear a 24″ strip of foil and fold it lengthwise twice to create a wide belt. Also prepare a foil cover to prevent water dripping onto the pan.
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Mix coffee: dissolve coffee granules in almond milk by microwaving for 1 minute or warming gently on the stovetop. Set aside.
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Coat walnuts: toss the toasted walnuts with 1 teaspoon of flour and set aside.
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Sift dry ingredients: in a medium bowl sift together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
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Combine wet ingredients: in another bowl mix the sugar, applesauce, hot coffee, vanilla, and oil until the sugar is mostly dissolved.
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Combine batter: pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold gently with a spoon until smooth and lump-free—about 45–50 strokes. Don’t overmix.
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Fold in walnuts and transfer the thick brownie batter to the prepared pan. Level the top and tap the pan twice on the counter to release air bubbles.
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Add 1.5 cups of water to the Instant Pot inner pot, place the trivet, and lower the pan onto the trivet using the foil sling. Cover the pan with foil.
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Close the Instant Pot and set the valve to SEALING. Cook on Manual / High pressure for 30 minutes.
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When the cook time ends, allow a natural pressure release (NPR) for 15 minutes, then quick-release any remaining pressure if needed. Open the lid carefully and lift the pan out using the sling.
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Uncover and test doneness with a toothpick; the brownies are done when they pull away from the sides, the top feels dry to the touch, and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
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Cool the brownies in the pan for 10 minutes, run a knife around the edges, and invert onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before slicing. For neat, clean edges, chill covered in the refrigerator for 4–5 hours or overnight before cutting.
Notes
Omit salt if using salted butter. Substitute applesauce with flaxseed meal egg replacement or non-dairy yogurt if desired.
For a 10-quart Instant Pot you may use a 9″ round pan and double the recipe.
If you are lacto-vegetarian, you may use dairy products in place of vegan options.
Nutrition
Stovetop pressure cooker method (for a 6″ pan)
Use the same ingredients and follow instructions through mixing the batter. To prepare the cooker, remove the gasket and whistle. Preheat the cooker by placing ½ cup of salt in the base, then add a trivet and cover with the lid. Preheat on high for 15 minutes. Place the cake pan on the trivet, cover the cooker without the whistle or gasket (or use a steel lid), and bake on low flame for 28–30 minutes. Check at 28 minutes with a toothpick—if it comes out with a few crumbs, it’s done. For stovetop baking, a foil cover or sling is not required; use a pot holder to place or remove the cake pan.
Oven method
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Bake the batter in a 7″ square pan (double-lined) for 28–35 minutes, checking at 28 minutes; a toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs. For details on preparing the pan for oven baking, refer to the brownie post mentioned earlier.
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