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These easy Strawberry Brownies are gluten-free and made with almond flour. Baked in an 8-by-8-inch baking pan, the brownies are topped with diced, fresh strawberries and a deliciously smooth chocolate layer made from coconut oil, cocoa powder, and maple syrup. For best results, refrigerate the brownies for 1 hour before serving. Paleo-friendly.
I remember when my sister first asked me to try baking healthier gluten-free dessert recipes for her. When I was first learning how to bake eight years ago, it coincided with her discovering her intolerance to gluten. She would come into the kitchen and scoff at me for putting sugar and all-purpose flour into something. She was constantly begging me to please figure out how to make things delicious without all the sugar and gluten that I normally used. I heavily resisted, and for a long while, I held on to skepticism. Finally, my dad decided to try going gluten-free, and I acquiesced. So, the experiments began!
My first trials were definitely not successful. It took a lot of trial and error to figure out which flours I preferred to work with and their idiosyncrasies. Turns out, lots of gluten-free flours just bake differently than working with traditional all-purpose flour. I realized that my favorites in the gluten-free flour world – almond, coconut, and tapioca – are all Paleo-friendly as well!
As I experimented, I became genuinely surprised by how close I could get the taste of old faves into gluten-free + refined sugar-free versions. These Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies and Vegan and Gluten-Free Brownies have become staples in my home. I love to make them for my family, but they’re also recipes I can make for a crowd of people who normally eat gluten and not have one person complain (or really even notice) that they “taste healthy.” So, I started making all sorts of easy paleo recipes!
Even though I know exactly what goes into each of my recipes, sometimes I take a bite of a healthier gluten-free/refined sugar-free/paleo treat and I surprise myself! That totally happened with these chocolate-covered strawberry brownies. Who knew I would end up writing an entire cookbook of gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free recipes! Now, let’s get into some commonly asked questions about gluten-free brownies, and what makes these particular brownies so dang good.
Are boxed brownie mixes gluten-free?
Unfortunately, most boxed brownie mixes we know and love, like the Ghiradelli brownie mixes, are not gluten-free. Making a good gluten-free brownie can be tricky, but this one has all the things we want in a good brownie: rich, chocolatey, and fudgy, and thankfully, they’re not too hard to make either!
How do you make brownies moist?
It’s all in the chemistry! To make these gluten-free brownies moist, we make them with only 1/2 cup of almond flour. This keeps them from becoming overly dry because the almond flour has fat in it, which helps keep the gluten-free brownies nice and soft. If you follow the recipe, you’ll have perfectly moist and fudgy almond flour brownies.
What else makes these paleo brownies great?
We sweeten them with coconut sugar, keeping them refined sugar-free and bringing in the delicious caramelly taste that coconut sugar adds. Also, these brownies only use cacao powder for their rich chocolate flavor! There is no need to search for low sugar/high cocoa chocolate.
As for that gorgeous chocolate strawberry topping? We sprinkle fresh strawberries over the baked brownies. Then, we top that off with a mixture of coconut oil, cocoa powder, and maple syrup. After refrigerating, it firms up to create a deliciously smooth chocolate layer. It makes for the most fabulous strawberry brownies you’ve ever tried!
You’ve got to try these chocolate-covered strawberry brownies! They’re seriously perfect as a Valentine’s Day dessert, or whenever you have some gorgeous strawberries to use up. They’re so fudgy, and the freshness of the strawberries is the perfect thing to cut through the richness of the chocolate. You won’t believe these are gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and Paleo – promise! Enjoy :)
Want more delicious brownie recipes?
- Salted Almond Brownies
- The Best Fudgy Vegan Brownies
- Cookie Dough Brownies
- Ultimate Gluten-Free Fudge Brownies
Craving more strawberry recipes?
- Strawberry Chocolate Tart
- No-Bake Strawberry Lemonade Tarts
- Strawberry Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Bars
- Chocolate Strawberry Fudge
Gluten-Free Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Brownies
Ingredients
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons, 130g coconut oil
- 1¼ cups (212g) coconut sugar
- ¾ cups + 2 tablespoons, 70g unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup (48g) blanched almond flour
- 1 cup 6 ounces dark chocolate chunks, optional
For the chocolate topping
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, diced
- ⅓ cup 67g coconut oil
- ⅓ cup 28g cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons 42g maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325ºF. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil leaving overhang on the sides, spray with cooking spray; set pan aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine coconut oil, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and heat on high power to melt, about 45 seconds. Stop to stir, and heat in 10-second bursts until mixture has melted and can be stirred smooth (mine took 45 seconds + 15 seconds). Whisk for about 30 seconds to help dissolve the coconut sugar into the oil.
- Add the vanilla, eggs, and stir vigorously until batter is thick, shiny, and well blended. Add the almond flour and stir until combined. Stir in the chocolate chunks. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Bake until a toothpick in the center emerges slightly moist with batter, about 22-25 minutes. Check with a toothpick – it should come out with moist crumbs attached. Don’t over bake! Let brownies cool completely.
- Spread the strawberries evenly over the brownies. In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, cocoa powder, and maple syrup. Pour evenly over the strawberries. Refrigerate for at least 1 hours before cutting into 16 squares.
- Brownies will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Thanks for introducing me to coconut sugar…I’ve never heard of it. These are so sweet looking, Rachel! A perfect Valentine’s Day treat! I love your dedication to your family, my friend… beautiful!
Wow, that looks simply ridiculous, especially the strawberries on top, they add an amazingly gorgeous touch! Never seen anything like it before. Would like to make that soon.
One point though, since you are adding coconut sugar, I don’t think you can call it refined sugar free or paleo. If you were adding honey or pure unrefined coconut sap/nectar, sure, but coconut sugar is still a processed industrial product/sugar. People in the paleo era would have used coconut sap if they came across it, but they wouldn’t have made sugar out of it.
Another counterpoint is that weight by weight, coconut sugar has the same amount of sugar/calories as refined white sugar. Yes, it has some minerals, but only in trace quantities. Actually coconut sugar is analogous to unrefined cane sugar (turbinado, demerara, sucanat), as they are both dried plant juices. And if unrefined cane sugar is *not paleo* and is nutritionally considered a “refined sugar”, so is the case with coconut sugar, maple sugar, or other crystallized plant juices or saps.
Would appreciate your thoughts.
You sound like a fun person to have at parties
coconut sugar is Paleo, you can look it up.
I need these brownies like yesterday!! I love the combo of chocolate and fresh strawberries and these are healthy so I can eat the whole pan by myself :) Well, I guess I can share since I’ll make them for Valentines Day for me and Hubby.
Man oh man those brownies look amazing. And you make paleo look so easy. I need to try these asap! Love all that gooey chocolate-ness. Yum!
These are SO beautiful, Rachel! I love that your family inspired you to make healthier treats :) My niece & sister-in-law found out they were gluten intolerant 5 years ago and it inspired me to learn more about gf baking then too. These would be a hit with everyone though! I love the strawberries!
This looks just amazing. I love a good healthy brownie recipe. Especially ones that look as moist as this one. I will have to get some strawberries and try this.
First of all, what the hell is “paleo”. Secondly i’m annoyed that buzzfeed shared this because it looks great, but to make it I’m required to go buy a bunch of weird gluten free ingredients that definitely won’t be at my local store, instead of just using stuff I already have in my cupboard. Guess i’ll have to look elsewhere for something similar.
Hi Charlie, Paleo is a specific type of diet that eliminates grains and refined sugars (as well as a bunch of other stuff, but it get’s complicated so I won’t get into it). If you want to make these brownies in their full chocolatey caloric form, you can use your favorite brownie recipe and just do the strawberry/chocolate topping – you’ll get the same delicious chocolate covered strawberry flavor! I’m leaving my favorite brownie recipe with the chocolate strawberry topping added below in case you want to try that. Enjoy!
6 oz. dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ cup (4 oz.) unsalted butter
¾ cup (5¼ oz.) granulated sugar
¼ cup (2 oz.) light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
⅔ cup (2¾ oz.) all-purpose flour
For the chocolate strawberry topping
1 cup fresh strawberries, diced
⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
⅓ cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line with parchment and lightly grease an 8×8” baking pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and cocoa powder together.
Put the chocolate and butter in a large glass bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, and repeat until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined.
Add 2 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth. Add the vanilla and stir.
Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible. Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs attached. Let cool.
Spread the strawberries evenly over the brownies. In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, cocoa powder, and maple syrup. Pour evenly over the strawberries. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cutting into 16 squares.
Can the coconut oil be substituted for any other vegetable oils?
Hi Miriam, I’d recommend butter instead of coconut oil if you’re going to substitute – I haven’t tried it with vegetable oil so I’m not sure if it’d work.
Yes, I’m curious if anyone has tried butter/trans-fat free margarine. As a dietitian, I cannot hop on board the coconut oil fad since 14 of the 15 grams per serving are saturated and therefore, not heart healthy.
Hi Jamie, you could definitely use butter instead of the coconut oil if you prefer.
Ha Charlie is a hoot! I was kind of wondering the same thing. I only wrote down the topping, I figured I would my own brownie mix.
Rachel, you must have a lot of patience! LOL have a great day.
I know this is getting lots of compliments on looks but I tried to make this 2 times with just the paleo ingredients and came out completely different. What did you use to make it rise? The second time I made this it was with baking soda and that has little effect. Both times it came out oily and I didn’t even use the 2 tlbs added to the 1/2 C.
Hi Jessica, sorry you’re having trouble! I usually don’t use leaveners in my brownie recipes because it keeps them fudgy. These are definitely fudge brownies, if you’re looking for something cakey these aren’t for you. How did they come out differently each time? Did you use different brands of ingredients? Unfortunately, because I wasn’t in the kitchen with you, it’s hard for my to say why it didn’t work. Feel free to send me an email if you want to discuss further!
Love how the strawberries look on the chocolate. I just had my daughter look over my shoulder saying, “I want these, I want these”!!! So they’re a hit here I guess! :)
I’m not sure what I did wrong, but my brownies came out really oily on top? It’s like the coconut oil didn’t completely mix in?? Any help??
How odd! Did the oil seem fully incorporated when you mixed it in, or did the batter seem oily? I’ve made these brownies a number of times and haven’t anything similar to that happen. Unfortunately without being there with you, it’s hard to say what went wrong. The oil should have incorporated smoothly into the batter when you mixed in the eggs.
I just made them and mine also came out swimming in the oil. They have cooled now and I have put them in the fridge to solidify further. I think next time I will use less coconut oil and coconut flour instead of almond.
Hi Carol – sorry to hear you had issues! I’ll do more testing with this recipe to see if I can replicate the problem and see what’s causing it.