YOU GUYS, THESE BROWNIES ARE AMAZING. I finally have the perfect brownie and I'm so excited to share with you all. What makes these brownies the ultimate best? The CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM. It is smooth and buttery and compliments the brownie perfectly. These brownies aren't super rich the frosting adds the perfect touch. They just happen to be flourless, paleo and gluten free but you'd never know, regular eaters love them!
There are a million brownie recipes out there, but this one is made without flour.
The main ingredient in these paleo brownies is smooth almond butter. This gives them a nice moisture and gooeyness without any flour or any melted chocolate chips. They are made with just a few limited ingredients that you probably already have in your cabinets. They're the perfect paleo dessert and hey even a great gluten free snack. When I have brownies in the house, they count for every meal and type of in between meal. These are low FODMAP friendly!
These double chocolate brownies are made in ONE BOWL. AKA one less bowl to clean!
What is the difference between a soft cakey brownie and a fudge brownie:
A cakier brownie is made with a leavening like baking powder, allowing air bubbles into the mixture and giving them more of a rise and soft texture. Fudge brownies are made with no leavening, so they result in more rich and dense brownies. These can be considered a combination of the two. They are fudgey and rich but they aren't fudge -- they do have that iconic brownie crumb. If you are looking for full on fudge brownie I have this recipe too. But if we are being honest, I prefer this one.
These double chocolate paleo brownies are low carb, paleo, refined sugar free AND just divine! You will not be able to stop eating them.
As always these brownies are not made with refined sugar. I use coconut sugar here as with most of my recipes, it’s low glycemic and not too sweet. There is no flour needed, just 1 cup of runny almond butter as your base. The frosting is made with non-dairy butter and sweetened lightly with coconut sugar as well. These brownies are VERY low carb, but they can be made keto by swapping the coconut sugar for monkfruit.
INGREDIENTS IN DOUBLE CHOCOLATE PALEO BROWNIES:
Almond Butter: This is the main base of your brownies, I do not suggest substituting. The almond butter must be runny. I use Whole Foods 365 brand but Trader Joes also has a nice runny almond butter
Coconut Sugar: This is my go to in baking, it’s low glycemic, not too sweet and approved on most restricted diets. You can substitute organic cane sugar or any other natural granulated sweetener here (I haven’t tried monkfruit or any sugar replacements)
Vanilla: To add a little flavor depth to the brownies
Baking Soda: This adds a tiny bit of softness and rise to the brownies
Eggs: I have not tried an egg sub here, the eggs are what holds your brownies together without flour. You can try an aquafaba egg but it hasn’t been tested!
Cacao Powder: You can use a dark rich cocoa here as well, but I love cacao powder because of the health benefits and it’s very rich!
Olive Oil: This adds a nice flavor and compliments the chocolate well
Dairy Free Butter: For the buttercream frosting, any brand should work
Non-Dairy Milk: Just 2 tsp for the buttercream frosting, any brand should work
Powdered Coconut Sugar: This is for the icing, you can use any powdered sugar here. See notes
Flaky Sea Salt, optional: I love to sprinkle this on top! Who doesn’t love salty and sweet chocolate! I think it balances out the flavor of the dark chocolate nicely
FAQs
Are these double chocolate brownies low FODMAP?
For those following a FODMAP diet, these brownies are safe per the servings used via the Monash University App. However we are all different and some can tolerate certain foods better than others. These brownies have 1 cup of almond butter but it is split between 12-16 brownies (depending how large you cut them). All of my baking is FODMAP friendly because I have been on the low FODMAP diet, modified, for 5 years.
Are these paleo brownies easy to make?
They're made in one bowl, so yes! All the ingredients get mixed together and spread into a pan only to bake for 12 minutes! The buttercream frosting is only 4 ingredients and is also mixed together in a bowl by a hand mixer. What baking tools do I need for these paleo brownies?
A square baking dish, 8x8” for thicker brownies or 9”x9” for thinner brownies
A hand mixer or stand mixer for making the chocolate buttercream
How to store double chocolate paleo brownies :
Store on countertop for 1 day, then transfer to an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7. The frosting will harden more once cooled, so you may want to stack parchment or wax paper in between each brownie layer. You can also store these in a freezer bag, stasher bag, or container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How do I make my own unrefined powdered sugar for the frosting?
Place any granulated sweetener in a high speed blender for 30 seconds. I use my Vitamix and place the sugar in my dry container. I prefer to use coconut sugar because it is my go to low glycemic sweetener but you can use any granulated sugar, even monkfruit. Powdered sugar is great to have on hand for frostings, icings, and shortbread cookies so I like to make a bunch and store it for later.
Ingredients:
The brownies:
1 cup natural runny almond butter (ingredients just almonds/salt)
2 large eggs, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup of non-dairy milk
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup cacao powder or rich cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
Optional: Extra choc chips/chunks for mixing in + flaky sea salt for topping
The chocolate buttercream:
1 cup unrefined powdered sugar* see note above
1/2 cup non-dairy butter
2 tsp non-dairy milk
1/4 cup cacao powder, or rich cocoa powder
Make the brownies!
1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line square 8” or 9” baking pan with parchment paper, or spray well with cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the almond butter, eggs, vanilla, coconut sugar, milk and olive oil until smooth. Then add in the cacao power, baking soda and salt and mix well until a batter forms. It will be thick and sticky.
3. Carefully spread into the pan with a spatula, making as even as you can. It will be hard to spread because it's thick but do the best you can. Shake and tap the pan to help make it even.
4. Bake for 11-13 minutes until the edges are set, and a top crust has formed. You want the middle to be a little underbaked for that fudgey texture. They will firm up more when cooled. Wait until cool to cut so they don't crumble -- I know it's hard! Once cooled it's time for frosting them. This is what makes them sooo good, so I highly recommend not skipping out!
Make the chocolate buttercream and frost:
1. In a bowl, mix together the powdered sugar and non-dairy butter until it becomes creamy and smooth with a hand mixer or stand mixer. Then add in the milk and cacao powder and mix on high until a smooth frosting forms.
2. Spread the frosting over the cooled brownies, and enjoy!
3. These taste better the next day, and even better the next day in the fridge! The chocolate gets richer and the texture gets fudgier. Store on counter for a day, transfer to the fridge at night and store in an airtight container for up to 7 days. Can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Recipe notes:
Make sure the almond butter is runny. I like to use the 365 Whole Foods brand or Trader Joes has a good runny almond butter too. This will determine the texture of the brownies. And the ingredients should just be almonds or almonds and salt!
Be careful to not overbake or they will become dry
I haven't tried a sub for the eggs, so I cannot recommend. The best recommendation would be to use 6 tbsp aquafaba from a can of chickpeas, but again I haven't tried so you'd be experimenting for me!
Comments