These homemade brownies with almond flour are so incredibly fudgy that you’d never know they were gluten-free! Sweetened with maple syrup, this extra chocolatey and easy gluten-free brownie recipe is guaranteed to be your next favorite recipe to bake when the chocolate cravings hit.
Like my Almond Flour Chocolate Cake and Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes recipes, this easy brownie recipe is easy to make. Plus, it is a great alternative to butter and sugar-packed brownie recipes that are not so healthy.
I love This Recipe Because, It:
- Comes together in one bowl in minutes.
- Uses only 7 ingredients (all pantry staples) + optional toppings
- Can also be made with almond meal
- Made with only half a cup of oil. Like all of my almond flour recipes, compared to traditional baked goods, it uses a minimal amount of oil. Thanks to the high (good) fat content of ground almonds.
Ingredients:
The ingredient profile for this almond flour brownies recipe is similar to that of my Almond Flour Chocolate Cake recipe and even my Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes recipe. (Can you tell I love almond flour desserts?)
You will need almond flour, cocoa powder, coconut oil (melted and cooled), maple syrup, large eggs, vanilla extract, and walnuts in terms of ingredients.
Substitutions:
- Oil: If you don’t have coconut oil on hand, you can substitute another light-tasting oil like avocado or grapeseed.
- Almond Flour: If you cannot find it, you can make almond flour at home using a blender or food processor. This recipe can also be made with almond meal. However, almond meal brownies will be a tidbit dense compared to brownies made with almond flour.
- Sweetener: You can swap agave nectar in place of maple syrup. You can also use honey, but I would recommend using less honey (¾ cup to 1 cup) as it is sweeter.
- Nuts: Feel free to swap the walnuts in this almond flour brownies recipe for whichever nuts you prefer. Pistachios, pecans, sliced almonds, and even unsweetened coconut would work beautifully here!
How To Make It?
Making brownies with almond flour has 6 folds:
- Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees: And line an 8X8 square baking pan with parchment paper.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Whisk together almond flour and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl until homogeneous, and no lumps remain.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add coconut oil, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla extract to the bowl of dry ingredients, and whisk until fully incorporated.
- Add the Nuts: Fold in half a cup of the nuts.
- Prepare to Bake: Transfer the batter into the prepared pan, and spread it out evenly using a spatula. Sprinkle it with the rest of the walnuts.
- Bake: Cook them for 35-40 minutes in your prepared oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (or with a few tiny crumbs). Allow the brownies to cool for 5 minutes, and remove them from the pan onto a wire rack. Let it cool to room temperature before slicing to avoid them falling apart.
At this point, your paleo chocolate brownies are ready to be sliced and enjoyed. However, if you want to take it to a whole other level, you can do a few other things.
How To Take It to the Next Level?
Drizzle it with melted chocolate:
If you are like me, enjoy extra chocolatey brownies, then I recommend drizzling them with melted chocolate.
I find that the easiest way to melt chocolate can be done in the microwave. In the article, How to Perfectly Melt Chocolate in the microwave, the folks over at The Kitchn recommend using chocolate chips and melting them in a glass bowl.
To melt chocolate in the microwave:
- Place 2 oz. of your favorite chocolate chips (both semi-sweetened and unsweetened would work) in a microwave-safe glass bowl.
- Microwave at high for 30 seconds. Give it a stir and then repeat in 30-second intervals until fully melted.
Slice your brownies and drizzle them with the melted chocolate.
Top it off with fruit or sea salt:
If you want to make it a little bit colorful, top it off with fresh berries or do what I do, sprinkle it with dried strawberries (affiliate link).
You can sprinkle it with sea salt or lightly salted nuts as well.
How To Store?
These gluten-free chocolate brownies will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge in an airtight container or plastic bag. You can also store them on your counter in the same fashion for a day as long as your kitchen stays fairly cool.
Can I make this recipe without eggs?
This recipe will not work without eggs or egg replacers (i.e. flax eggs). I find that when it comes to baking with almond flour eggs are crucial for making them rise and stay super fudgy.
If you need a vegan brownie recipe, I recommend checking out my Almond Butter Brownies recipe. It’s made with wholesome ingredients like spelt flour, Medjool dates, coconut oil, and maple syrup.
What Almond Flour and Cocoa Powder Do You Recommend Using?
- Almond flour: Having shared so many almond flour baked goods on my blog, people always ask me for my favorite almond flour brand. While there are so many good ones, I find that Blue Diamond flour (affiliate link) is a great brand that offers a neutral-tasting almond flour with compatible pricing.
- Cocoa Powder: My favorite brand for cocoa powder is Valrhona (affiliate link). Admittedly, it is more expensive than most household brands, but I think it is truly superior. Still, if I cannot get my hands on Valrhona, I use Hershey’s cocoa powder that is usually easy to find.
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This almond flour chocolate brownies recipe is adapted from Almond Flour Brownies at Allrecipes.com with changes.
Almond Flour Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups almond flour 6.3 oz.
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 2.3 oz.
- ½ cup coconut oil melted and cooled
- 1 ⅓ cups maple syrup at room temperature
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup walnuts or pecans chopped & divided
Chocolate Drizzle (Optional)
- 2 oz. chocolate chips i.e. Naturally sweetened Enjoy Life brand
- 1 tablespoon dried strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8X8 square baking pan with parchment paper.
- Mix together almond flour and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl until no lumps remain.
- Add in coconut oil, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla extract and whisk until fully incorporated.
- Fold in half a cup of the nuts.
- Transfer batter to the parchment lined pan and spread it throughout the pan using a spatula.
- Sprinkle it with the rest of the walnuts.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (or with a few tiny crumbs).
- Let it cool for 5 minutes and remove from the pan on to a wire rack. Let it cool before slicing.
- If you are using chocolate drizzle, place the chocolate chips in a glass bowl and melt in the microwave in 30-second intervals, mixing after each time until fully melted.
- Drizzle the melted chocolate over the brownie and sprinkle with dried strawberries.
- Slice & serve.
Aysegul Z.
OMG!!! This brownie is truly delicious. It turned out very moist and reminded me chocolate souffle or “sufle” I used to eat in Turkey. So instead of chocolate drizzle I poured some heavy whipping cream on top. Thank for sharing this recipe, Aysegul!
Aysegul Sanford
Hiya! This makes me so happy to hear. I love the idea of adding heavy cream on top. Thanks for coming by.