Almond flour brownies are the best way to make gluten-free brownies. Rich, complex, and with an excellent texture, they’re a far cry from my breakfast brownies (also GF) that are sweetened only with dates – because even these are sweetened with coconut sugar, they have enough sugar to get that real brownie texture.
Despite these not being the healthiest recipe on OE, they won’t make you feel like your stomach is having a bit of a rest on the floor, either. A small square goes a long way. That being said, did I eat the whole batch in a day? Obviously, yes.
Even though I don’t follow a gluten free diet, every once in a while it’s nice to branch out from good old spelt. Almond flour and nut butters are often key to adding richness and a buttery flavour to dairy-free baking, and these dairy-free brownies are no exception.
Brownies should be fudgy, not cakey, but a good amount of sugar is what adds the proper texture. Even though I usually try to avoid too much added sugar and that’s reflected in the recipes here, you know, sometimes you just want a proper brownie and that’s fine.
For some more great gluten-free recipes using almond flour, try this edible vegan cookie dough, gluten-free pumpkin muffins, or no-bake almond date truffles.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Almond flour: substitute hazelnut meal in place of almond if preferred. I really like doing this.
- Oil: if you prefer a lighter taste, you might want to sub a very neutral oil for the olive oil. It can be solid at room temperature, but should be melted and cooled before adding in that case.
- Sugar: use cane sugar in place of the coconut sugar if you prefer, but they will be slightly less flavourful.
- Eggs: there is no good substitution for eggs in this recipe.
Recipe Notes
Quickly bring cold eggs up to room temperature by submerging them in a bowl of warm water for five minutes. This shouldn’t be hot water, just warm to the touch.
This is a pretty stiff batter/dough, so don’t worry if it’s not in a pourable state. That’s normal and a good thing for these brownies.
How to Store
Storage: keep in a sealed container at (cool) room temperature for up to three days. For slightly longer storage, keep them in the refrigerator. They are quite good cold.
Freezing: place cooled brownies in an airtight container and freeze for up to three months.
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Expert Tips
- Cool before slicing: gluten-free brownies are a little delicate when still warm, and it’s best to let them cool fully before slicing to get nice clean squares.
- Use dark chocolate: for the best texture and flavour, choose chocolate that is at least 60% cocoa solids, but better if it’s between 70-80%. This should not be chocolate chips, which have special add-ins to make them more stable when baking.
- Use room temperature eggs: cold eggs can cause the chocolate to seize when it’s added to the mixture, so it’s best to use room temperature if possible.
More Gluten-free Chocolate Recipes
Almond Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Tahini Chocolate Cookies
Dairy Free Hot Chocolate
Chocolate Hazelnut Tart
If you make these Almond Flour Brownies or any other vegetarian chocolate recipes on Occasionally Eggs, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more OE, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, purchase the Occasionally Eggs cookbook, or subscribe for new posts via email.
Almond Flour Brownies
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 180 ml olive oil*
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 150 grams coconut sugar**
- 50 grams dark chocolate melted
- 200 grams almond flour
- 50 grams cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 50 grams dark chocolate roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a 20 cm (8 inches) square tin with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until well mixed. Add in the olive oil and vanilla and mix until well combined.3 large eggs, 180 ml olive oil*, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Add the sugar and whisk until the sugar is mostly incorporated into the liquids and slightly lighter in colour, about 30 seconds.150 grams coconut sugar**
- Pour the melted chocolate into the bowl in a slow drizzle while mixing. Whisk until fully incorporated.50 grams dark chocolate
- Add the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt to the bowl. Use a wooden spoon to mix very well – don’t worry about over mixing, it’s not a problem with gluten free baking. The batter should be relatively stiff and very glossy looking.200 grams almond flour, 50 grams cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- Fold the chopped chocolate into the batter, then turn the batter out into the prepared baking tin. Use your hands to press it into an even layer.50 grams dark chocolate
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean when inserted into the middle of the brownies. The centre should still be slightly soft when the brownies come out of the oven.
- Cool the brownies fully on a rack before slicing and serving. They aren’t particularly delicate but will crumble slightly when still warm.
Notes
* For American cup measurements, please click the pink link text above the ingredient list that says ‘American’.
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
JHANITA JHUGOROO says
Hi – Can this be made ahead of time and freeze?
Alexandra says
Definitely!
Alex says
I only had 1 cup of almond flour so put another cup (equivalent in grams) of all-purpose flour and the brownies turned out more like a chocolate cake (still delicious just not the gooey brownie texture I was looking for). So if you are thinking of subbing some almond flour for regular flour either decrease the amount of regular flour, increase liquid, decrease cooking time, or just stick to the recipe! I will definitely be trying to make these again once I get more almond flour!
Janet says
Can recipe be doubled?
Alexandra | Occasionally Eggs says
Sure! Just make sure they’re baked in a larger dish.
Pat says
Good morning,
You list coconut oil and coconut milk in you description of “what the heck is in my brownies”. I do not see those ingredients listed in the recipe…..
Thank you
Pat
Alexandra | Occasionally Eggs says
Thanks for letting me know, Pat – the recipe is correct, it’s just a better version of the one I was originally going to share and I left that in the post by mistake! Corrected now.
Lauren says
Made these today and they were perfect. LOVED them. Thank you. Five stars.