Rich, thick and extra fudgy, these Almond Flour Brownies require just 8 simple ingredients and have a decadent chocolate flavor thanks to the addition of cocoa and melted dark chocolate. They're also gluten-free and easily made dairy-free. Enjoy them on their own, or with a scoop of ice cream, like my no churn s'mores ice cream. If you're feeling extra, they'd also be delicious with my chocolate sour cream frosting layered on top!
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Quick Look: Almond Flour Brownies
- ⏱ Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 👩🏻🍳 Bake Time: 25 minutes
- 🆒 Cooling Time: 1 hour
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- 🍫 Servings: 16 brownies
- ⚡ Calories: 238 per brownie
- 🍽 Diet: gluten-free and easily made dairy-free.
- 🔥 Flavor/texture: Thick and fudgy with a rich and decadent chocolate flavor.
- 👌 Difficulty: Easy, but an electric mixer is required.
- ❤️ Why you'll love: Only 8 ingredients needed and you can't tell they're made with almond flour!
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Behind the recipe: Creating ultra fudgy brownies with almond flour
What's the secret to these rich and fudgy brownies? Lots of trial and error!
As with many of my almond flour recipes, these brownies went through multiple rounds of testing. I wanted a thick, fudgy and decadent gluten-free brownie without resorting to any other specialty flours - just almond flour. Most importantly, I was determined to get that iconic shiny crust on top.
So, how did they turn out? Amazing! All of my taste testers loved them, including my friend's 8-year old daughter, who gave them 10 stars out of 5!
Here's why you'll love them too:
- Thick and fudgy: Almond flour adds moisture, while four eggs, melted chocolate and oil guarantee a dense, moist, fudgy crumb.
- Glossy, thin crust: Whipping the eggs and sugar together for a full three minutes creates a perfectly shiny top.
- Intense chocolate flavor: A combination of dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao) and Dutch-processed cocoa creates a deep, chocolatey, decadent brownie.
Table of Contents
Ingredient notes
- Almond flour - Using fine blanched almond flour for this recipe is a must in order to achieve a fudgy texture that isn't grainy. I would avoid using almond meal or homemade almond flour.
- Cocoa - I used Dutch-processed cocoa as it adds a rich, intense chocolate flavor to these brownies. (It's usually my go-to cocoa for chocolate desserts like my almond flour chocolate cupcakes and my chocolate blossom cookies).
- Chocolate - I used dark chocolate chips (70% cacao) to pair with the Dutch-processed cocoa to create an ultra chocolatey brownie.
- Sugar - Granulated sugar works best to help achieve the thin brownie crust.
- Eggs - You'll need 4 large eggs, which will add some rise to the brownies but also adds moisture and structure.
- Oil - I tested this recipe with oil and butter to see which fat added the best, fudgy texture. Oil was definitely the winner. I used olive oil, but canola, vegetable or avocado oil would all work as well.
How to make gluten-free brownies with almond flour
Step 1: In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the almond flour, cocoa and salt.
Step 2: In a microwave-safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and oil. Microwave on two 30-second intervals, stirring in between and after, until smooth. Let cool for 5 minutes.
Step 3: Add the eggs, sugar and vanilla to a large bowl and use an electric mixer to beat on high.
Step 4: Keep mixing for 3 minutes, until the mixture is thick and pale, but not quite at the ribbon stage.
Step 5: Add the slightly cooled melted chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and mix until combined.
Step 6: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Switch to a spatula and stir until the dry ingredients are just mixed in. Don't overmix.
Step 7: Spread the batter out into your prepared baking pan.
Step 8: Bake for 25-28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with some wet crumbs on it.
Measuring your ingredients
For convenience, US cup measurements are included in the recipe card for this recipe. To ensure greater accuracy, however, weight and volume measurements are also provided. So, if you see grams (g), you'll want to use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients, and if you see milliliters (ml), you'll want to use a liquid measuring cup. Smaller quantities of ingredients are provided in teaspoons and tablespoons.
Expert tips
- Beat eggs and sugar until thick and pale. This will take some patience. I usually set a timer for 3 minutes. In that time, the mixture will thicker, but you'll want to stop before it hits the ribbon stage.
- Sift dry ingredients together. I usually just whisk together dry ingredients for recipes, but when using cocoa, I like to sift it together with the other ingredients to eliminate any lumps.
- Let the melted chocolate mixture cool. It doesn't need to cool completely, but leaving it for 5-10 minutes while you pull together the other ingredients will ensure the hot chocolate mixture doesn't cook the egg mixture.
- Don't overmix. This is very important. Over mixed brownie batter may cause the brownies to sink in the middle. Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, put the electric mixer aside and switch to a spatula.
- Make the brownies dairy-free. Just replace the chocolate chips with plant-based chocolate chips.
Almond flour brownies FAQs
This is likely because the eggs and sugar weren't beaten together long enough. Be sure to beat on high with an electric mixer until thick and pale (about 3 minutes).
I haven't tested this and I'm not sure an egg replacement would work. The recipe calls for 4 eggs, which are important for structure and moisture.
I haven't tested this specific recipe with a replacement for the almond flour. But, if you're looking for a gluten-free brownie made with another type of flour, try my oat flour brownies!
These are super fudgy, so they're definitely going to be difficult to cut neatly. My advice is to use a large chef's knife and run it under hot water to heat up the blade to cut through the fudginess. Then, in between cuts, you'll also want to clean the knife with hot water and a paper towel. (I use a similar technique with other types of bars too, like my almond flour blondies).
Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature and they will last for 3-4 days. (The almond flour keeps them moist and fudgy).
Other recommended brownie recipes
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📖 Recipe
Almond Flour Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (156 g) fine blanched almond flour
- â…“ cup (35 g) Dutch-processed cocoa
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup (135 g) dark chocolate chips, 70% cacao
- ½ cup (120 ml) olive oil
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (220 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F. Grease and line an 8-inch square baking pan with overhanging parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the almond flour, cocoa and salt.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and oil. Microwave on two 30-second intervals, stirring in between and after, until smooth. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs, sugar and vanilla to a large bowl and use an electric mixer to beat on high for 3 minutes. The mixture will be thick and pale, but not quite at the ribbon stage.
- Add the slightly cooled melted chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Switch to a spatula and stir until the dry ingredients are just mixed in. Don't overmix.
- Spread the batter out into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 25-28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with some wet crumbs on it. (It's better to underbake, than overbake brownies).
- Let cool for 15-20 minutes in the pan. Then, use the edges of the parchment paper to lift the brownies out of the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, cut into squares and store in a sealed container at room temperature.
Notes
- Beat eggs and sugar until thick and pale. This will take some patience. I usually set a timer for 3 minutes. In that time, the mixture will thicker, but you'll want to stop before it hits the ribbon stage.
- Sift dry ingredients together. I usually just whisk together dry ingredients for recipes, but when using cocoa, I like to sift it together with the other ingredients to eliminate any lumps.
- Let the melted chocolate mixture cool. It doesn't need to cool completely, but leaving it for 5-10 minutes while you pull together the other ingredients will ensure the hot chocolate mixture doesn't cook the egg mixture.
- Don't overmix. This is very important. Over mixed brownie batter may cause the brownies to sink in the middle. Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, put the electric mixer aside and switch to a spatula.
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Nutrition Facts per Serving
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is an estimate only and will vary depending on the substitutions made and the brands used.
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