Salted Almond Butter Brownies (Dairy-Free)

Salted Almond Butter Brownies are everything you want in a brownie – sweet and salty, rich and decadent, and super chewy with crispy edges. You won’t be able to stop eating these dairy free brownies!

Happy Valentine’s Day! I couldn’t let the day go by without sharing something sweet and chocolatey. So here I am, at the last minute, sharing the best brownie recipe I’ve ever made!

Who knew an almond butter swirl and sea salt could take brownies up a notch?! Well, they do. And these brownies are seriously next level delicious!

They’re rich and decadent, but also include some wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour, coconut sugar, extra virgin olive oil and almond butter. They’re also made without butter, so they’re completely dairy-free.

Why you’ll love these Salted Almond Butter Brownies too:

• They’re a nice balance of sweet and salty.
• They have the best texture – chewy with crispy edges.
• No mixer required – just a few bowls, a whisk and a baking pan.
• The recipe easily transforms into a skillet brownie. (Top with some DF ice cream and just hand out the spoons!)

What’s in these dairy-free brownies:

• Dairy-free dark chocolate chips
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Almond butter
• Cane sugar
• Coconut sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• Whole wheat flour
• Baking powder and salt
• Sea salt

How to make almond butter brownies:

• Melt together the chocolate chips, oil and almond butter
• Whisk in the sugars, eggs and vanilla.
• Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt.
• Pour into your prepared pan.
• Add dollops of almond butter to the top of the batter and swirl around with a knife. Sprinkle on some sea salt.
• Bake, let cool and cut into squares!

Frequently Asked Questions:

• How long do you bake brownies for? These brownies should be baked for about 31-35 minutes. If you prefer your brownies on the gooey side, aim for 31 minutes. If you like them firmer, go for 35 minutes. Don’t over bake them as they will dry out. I find 33 minutes is the sweet spot. They have a slight fudginess but they’re not gooey.

• How do you store almond butter brownies? Store them in an airtight container at room temperature.

• How long will these brownies last for? If stored properly, they’ll last for 2-3 days. After that, they will start to go stale.

• Can you freeze almond butter brownies? You sure can! Just let them cool completely, cut into squares and arrange in a single layer in an airtight container. If storing in layers, just place parchment or wax paper in between the layers.  They should last in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, defrost at room temperature.

Additional recipe tips and suggestions:

• For this recipe, I prefer to use smooth natural almond butter. If you use chunky, it will change the texture of the brownies and you’ll have trouble swirling the almond butter into the batter.

• You can use peanut butter in place of almond butter. Just make sure it’s natural and smooth.

• I used unsalted almond butter. If you’re nut butter is salted, you may wish to reduce the amount of salt you add to the brownies.

• Letting your nut butter rest at room temperature will make it easier to melt into the chocolate mixture and swirl into the top of the brownie batter.

• If you don’t have coconut sugar and cane sugar, you can use a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar.

• These brownies were made in a 9-inch square pan. You can also use an 8-inch square pan, but you will need to increase the bake time by about 8-10 minutes as the brownies will be thicker. Be sure to check for doneness with a toothpick.

• I’ve also made this recipe as a skillet brownie. Just use a 10-inch cast iron skillet (or an oven-safe skillet) and bake for the same time range as the recipe calls for.

• Sea salt is more of a finishing salt, so I don’t recommend substituting table salt to sprinkle on top of the brownies.

Other chocolate treats you might enjoy:

• Sweet Potato Cake with Chocolate Coconut Frosting is a super moist cake, spiced with cinnamon and topped with a dairy-free coconut whip.

• Chocolate Chai Spice Crumble Bars have a rich and fudgy chocolate filling with layers of oats, coconut and warming chai spices.

• Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Chocolate Avocado Icing is rich and decadent, but believe it or not, it’s made with all sorts of ‘good-for-you’ ingredients!

If you make these Salted Almond Butter Brownies, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!

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Salted Almond Butter Brownies (Dairy-Free)

★★★★★

5 from 7 reviews

Salted Almond Butter Brownies are everything you want in a brownie – sweet and salty, rich and decadent, and super chewy with crispy edges. You won’t be able to stop eating these dairy free brownies!

• Author: Leanne
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 35
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 16 brownies 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: Dairy-free

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 cup dairy-free dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 + 1/4 cup natural almond butter, room temperature (divided)
• 3/4 cup cane sugar
• 3/4 cup coconut sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

• Pre-heat oven to 350F. Spray a 9-inch square pan with cooking spray and then line it with parchment paper.
• In a large microwave-safe bowl, add the chocolate chips, oil and 1/4 cup of almond butter. Microwave on two 30-second intervals, stirring after each one. The mixture should be smooth and runny.
• Add in the sugars and whisk until combined. The mixture will be gritty.
• Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
• Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and whisk (or stir with a spoon) until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.
• Pour into the prepared pan. The batter will be thick so you might need to spread it out with a spoon.
• Add dollops of the remaining 1/4 cup of almond butter to the top of the batter (space out about an inch). Use a knife to swirl the almond butter around. Sprinkle on the sea salt.
• Bake for 31-35 minutes (see note), or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few crumbs on it.
• Let cool and cut into squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy within 2-3 days.

Notes

1. If you prefer your brownies on the gooey side, aim for 31 minutes. If you like them firmer, bake for 35 minutes. Don’t over bake the brownies as they will dry out. I find 33 minutes is the sweet spot. They have a slight fudginess but not gooey.
2. Be sure to read the Tips and Substitutions section above for more detailed advice and suggestions for variations on the recipe.

This recipe was adapted from NYT Cooking.

Keywords: almond butter brownies, dairy-free brownies