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Almond Flour Brownies are an easy one-bowl dessert that is naturally gluten-free! They are so rich and fudgy, you’d never guess they are made with better-for-you ingredients.
Why You’ll Love Them
They’re gluten-free. Almond flour is naturally gluten-free, and a great low carb alternative to traditional flours. These gluten-free brownies are perfect for those following a grain-free or Paleo diet. They’re also dairy-free when you use coconut oil!
They taste delicious. This almond flour brownie recipe has a rich chocolate flavor that is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. (It tastes 100x better than a boxed mix!)
They are easy to make. All you need is 1 bowl to stir together this easy brownie batter, then they bake to perfection in less than 30 minutes.
They call for simple ingredients. If you already have almond flour on hand, you probably already have the rest of these ingredients in your pantry, too.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Be sure to use room temperature eggs, when possible, so that the melted coconut oil won’t harden when it touches cold eggs from the fridge. You can let them sit in a bowl of hot tap water for 10 minutes while you measure out everything else, to help remove the chill quickly.
Feel free to add dark chocolate chips to this gluten-free brownie recipe, for even more chocolate in each bite. You can also add up to 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, if you’d like that extra flavor.
Note: I tend to use cocoa powder and cacao powder interchangeably in recipes, so if you keep one or the other on hand, feel free to use whichever you prefer. Raw cacao powder tends to taste slightly more bitter, so the brownies will turn out a little sweeter if you use cocoa powder. For a darker chocolate flavor, increase the cacao powder to a 1/2 cup.
How to Make Almond Flour Brownies
1. Mix the dry ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper. (I like to spray the pan lightly with oil first, so that the parchment paper will stick in place.)
In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut sugar, cacao powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk well to help break up any clumps.
2. Stir in the wet ingredients.
Add in the eggs, coconut oil, and vanilla, then use a spatula to mix the batter well. It will be very thick and sticky, and not nearly as runny as traditional brownie batter.
Reserve 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips to sprinkle over the top, then stir the rest of them into the batter.
3. Bake.
Transfer the batter to the prepared 8-inch baking dish, then use a spatula (or use wet hands) to press the batter evenly into the bottom of the pan. It’s okay if it’s not perfectly smooth, because the batter will spread as it cooks.
Sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips over the top.
Bake at 350ºF until the edges of the brownies look dry and the center of the pan doesn’t jiggle too much, about 25 minutes. It’s normal for the brownies to puff up slightly in the oven, and then deflate slightly as they cool.
For brownies with a more gooey middle, pull them out of the oven when the center jiggles slightly, after 22 to 24 minutes. They will continue to firm up as they cool, and a toothpick should come out relatively clean when inserted into the center of the pan. (There may be a few crumbs that stick, but it shouldn’t look like raw batter.)
4. Enjoy!
Let the brownies cool for at least 1 hour before slicing them into 16 squares. Don’t be surprised if the brownies slightly stick to your knife as you cut them into squares. They are very fudgy! I recommend cleaning the knife after each cut, for the best results.
Serve these brownies at room temperature, or cold from the fridge. They are delicious either way, but are slightly chewier when chilled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Almond flour is a fancy name for finely ground almonds. In this case, we’re using blanched almond flour, which is made from blanched almonds (so their brown skins have been removed) that have been very finely ground into a powdery consistency. I have a tutorial on how to make almond flour, if you want to try making it at home. In theory, you could make flour out of other nuts, too!
Almond meal (ground with the almond skins) tends to produce more cake-like results, so you could experience a different texture if making that swap.
Yes, you can use 1 teaspoon of baking powder in this recipe to replace the baking soda, if you prefer.
This recipe was specifically developed for almond flour, which has a higher fat content compared to most other flours. Be sure to try Coconut Flour Brownies, Oat Flour Brownies, Avocado Brownies, or Almond Butter Brownies for some alternatives.
I don’t recommend using flax eggs in this recipe, as the results turn out too gooey (unless you like that) but you can make vegan brownies by using Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer. Use an extra egg replacement in that case, to help make them more sturdy.
I haven’t tested these brownies with a sugar-free substitute, like stevia or monk fruit. If you can find a 1:1 swap for granulated sugar, it might work, but please let me know if you experiment with it.
Looking for more almond flour recipes? Try Almond Flour Chocolate Cake, Almond Flour Pancakes, Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies, Sugar Cookies, and Gingerbread Cookies.
Ingredients
- 1 cup blanched almond flour
- 1 cup coconut sugar (or other granulated sugar)
- 1/3 cup raw cacao powder
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil (or butter)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper. (I like to spray the pan lightly with oil first, so that the parchment paper will stick in place.) In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut sugar, cacao, eggs, oil, baking soda, vanilla, and salt, and stir well to form a thick batter. It will be much thicker and stickier than a traditional brownie batter, so be sure to mix well and break up any lumps.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips to sprinkle over the top, then fold the rest of them into the batter. Transfer the batter to the prepared 8-inch pan, then use a spatula (or use wet hands) to press the batter evenly into the bottom of the pan. It's okay if it's not perfectly smooth, because the batter will spread as it cooks. Sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips over the top.
- Bake at 350ºF until the edges of the brownies look dry and the center of the pan doesn't jiggle too much, about 25 minutes. It's normal for the brownies to puff up slightly in the oven, and then deflate slightly as they cool. (For brownies with a more gooey middle, pull them out of the oven when the center jiggles slightly, after 22 to 23 minutes.)
- Let the brownies cool for 1 to 2 hours before slicing them into 16 squares. They probably won't last long before they are all eaten, but I recommend storing these in an airtight container in the fridge for the best shelf life. They should last in the fridge for up to 5 days, if you don't eat them all by then.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you try these almond flour brownies, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like them!
Hi! Thanks for this recipe! Could I use maple syrup, instead of granulated sugar?
Hi! Granulated sugar contributes to the texture, so these brownies will turn out more like cake if you use maple syrup. If you need to make the swap, I usually swap 1/2 cup maple syrup for 1 cup of coconut sugar, because the liquid sweetener is more concentrated. Let me know if you experiment with it!