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 traditional brownies that are butter and sugar-packed and not so healthy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- Made with everyday ingredients: The almond flour brownie batter comes together in one bowl in just a few minutes and uses only 7 simple ingredients, all of which are pantry staples.
- No different than a brownie made with regular flour: You won’t be able to detect any difference when it comes to taste and texture. Perfectly fudgy, almond flour brownies pack the same addictive chocolate flavor you’d expect from a brownie.
- Made with diet restrictions in mind: Like all of my almond flour recipes, compared to traditional baked goods made with all-purpose flour and butter, it uses a minimal amount of oil. It is also low-carb, grain-free (great for Passover), and paleo-friendly. Plus, thanks to the healthy fats in ground almonds, you can even count this as a healthy brownie recipe.
Ingredients:
The ingredient profile for this gluten-free almond flour fudge 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?)
In terms of ingredients, you will need:
- Blanched almond flour (affiliate link)
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – You can use cacao powder and cocoa powder interchangeably in this recipe.
- Melted coconut oil (cooled)
- Maple syrup
- Large eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Walnuts
Substitutions:
- Oil: If you don’t have coconut oil on hand, you can substitute another neutral oil like avocado oil.
- Almond Flour: If you cannot find it, you can make almond flour at home using a blender or food processor. This paleo brownie recipe can also be made with almond meal. However, almond meal brownies will be a tad bit 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.
- Keto Sweetener: If you are after keto almond brownies, I recommend sweetening with Keto Maple Syrup (affiliate link) sweetened with monk fruit. Liquid stevia can also be an acceptable substitute.
- Nuts: Feel free to swap the walnuts in this almond flour brownie recipe for whichever nuts you prefer. Pistachios, pecans, sliced almonds, and even unsweetened coconut would work beautifully here!
- Optional – Chocolate Drizzle: If you want to take this almond flour fudge brownies to the next level, I recommend drizzling them with chocolate. I prefer refined sugar free sweeteners like Enjoy Life or Lily’s dark chocolate chips (sugar free chocolate chips for the keto option) (affiliate links) for drizzling, but any of your favorite chocolate brand would work.
- Optional – Dried or fresh fruit: 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).
- Optional – Sea Salt: You can sprinkle it with sea salt or lightly salted nuts as well.
- Serve them with ice cream: I can’t imagine a better way to serve these than a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream made with maple syrup on top.
How To Make Brownies with Almond Flour?
The steps to making this easy almond flour brownie recipe have 6 folds:
- Prepare for baking: Preheat the Oven to 350 Degrees. Line an 8X8 square baking dish with parchment paper.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Whisk together almond flour and cocoa powder in a large bowl until homogeneous, and no lumps remain.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add coconut oil, maple syrup, eggs, and 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 raw 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 the prepared oven or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies 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. Serve with coffee, milk, or plant-based milks such as almond milk.
- Optional step: If you are like me, and enjoy extra chocolatey, gooey brownies, then I recommend drizzling them with melted chocolate. I think the easiest way to melt chocolate is in the microwave. To do so;
- 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 melted chocolate chips.
How To Store, Freeze and Thaw?
My favorite thing about these homemade almond flour brownies is that they get better as they sit. I recommend storing them in the refrigerator and warming them slightly before serving.
- Storage: 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.
- Freezing: To freeze, bring brownies to room temperature, individually wrap them with parchment paper, and store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a month.
- Thawing: To thaw, let it sit on the counter for 15 minutes and warm in a low-heat (300 degrees F) oven for 10-15 minutes and serve.
Expert Tips:
While this recipe for the most fudgy almond flour brownies you see below is pretty straightforward, there are a few things you can do to get the best results on your first try:
- Room temperature ingredients: As it is with most baked goods when making these brownies, we recommend using ingredients that are at room temperature.
- Wait for it to cool completely: We know it is hard to wait, but as it is with all almond flour desserts, these brownies need time to cool down. If you slice while they are still warm, the middle section will be (somewhat) wet, looking like it is not fully baked. Therefore, it is imperative to give them enough time to firm up.
FAQs:
You sure can. As a matter of fact, due to its high-fat content, brownies made with almond flour are just as fudgy, moist, and chocolate packed with a similar taste and texture to brownies made with traditional flour and butter.
This recipe will not work without eggs or egg replacers (i.e., flax eggs or chia 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 brownies recipe, I recommend checking out my Almond Butter Brownies recipe. It’s made with wholesome ingredients like nut butter, spelt flour, Medjool dates, coconut oil, and maple syrup.
This recipe makes 9 servings and each serving is 375 calories.
Other Almond Flour Recipes You Might Like:
If you are in need of creative and healthier gluten-free recipes made without the use of refined sugars (i.e., white sugar), you’ll like the recipes below:
- Almond Flour Apple Cake
- Banana Bread with Almond Flour
- Almond Flour Carrot Cake
- Waffles Made with Almond Flour
- Almond Flour Banana Muffins
This almond flour chocolate brownies recipe is adapted from Almond Flour Brownies at Allrecipes.com with changes.
If you try this for Almond Flour Brownies, please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. And if you took some pictures, be sure to share them on Instagram using #foolproofeats so I can share them on my stories.
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.
Video
Notes
- To Store leftovers: Place the leftover brownies in an airtight container after they come to room temperature. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also store them on your counter in the same fashion for a day as long as your kitchen stays fairly cool.
- Freezing: To freeze, bring brownies to room temperature, individually wrap them with parchment paper, and store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a month.
- Thawing: To thaw, let it sit on the counter for 15 minutes, warm in a low-heat (300 degrees F) oven for 10-15 minutes, and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi! would honey work instead of maple syrup? thank you!
Yes, it would but I would recommend using less honey (¾ cup to 1 cup) as it is sweeter.
Hope this helps.
I usually don’t ever leave reviews for recipes, but these brownies were SO good that I just have to leave a comment. I was not actually expecting these to be as good as they were, considering they are gluten free and have no butter or sugar. I’m not even gluten free and I loved these just as much as “normal” brownies.
They are perfectly fudgy and I am in love with the texture. I was a bit skeptical while making them since the batter was quite thin, but they turned out so perfect and I am incredibly pleased with this recipe.
The only thing I would warn other people about is that it’s not overly chocolately since it only contains cocoa powder and doesn’t have melted chocolate like traditional brownie recipes, but some people may prefer this. I added some chocolate chips and that definitely made the brownies more chocolatey. Next time I make these I will add in about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips/chopped chocolate and I think that will make it perfect.
Thanks for this through Natasha.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience Natasha. So happy to hear that you liked them.
I have made this over and over the past year and my kids 8 and 5yrs old absolutely love this.il I love how it’s so nutritious and healthy for them. Thank you !
These brownies are the best! Love the maple syrup (go real, natural maple syrup – not the store bought corn syrup based junk) and coconut oil use. Absolutely delicious!!
The batter is more on the liquid side, making it easy to pour into the pan and then it self levels, which is a lot easier than a heavier batter that needs to be spread manually to level it once it is in the pan. I used a 9×13 brownie pan and baked for about 22 minutes on 350F and they came out perfect.
YAY! Thanks so much for sharing your experience and taking the time to leave a review Scott.