These are the Ultimate Gluten Free Fudge Brownies! This easy recipe makes incredibly fudgy, melt in your mouth chocolate brownies with an optional paleo chocolate frosting on top. This recipe is refined sugar free and Paleo-friendly.
**2017 Update** I’m back atcha with another recipe update today! These Ultimate Gluten Free Fudge Brownies have been a staple in my house and on this site since I first posted the recipe, but the photos needed a little love so I gave the post an update! I also added a new feature to this recipe: a lusciously smooth and creamy chocolate frosting.
The brownies don’t need the frosting, per se, but it amps up the chocolatey fudginess one more level. Only a few bites of one of these rich, chocolatey brownies will satisfy even the strongest of chocolate cravings. Hope you love this one as much as I do!
When I took the first bite of my first batch of these brownies a month or two ago, my first thought was I should totally sell these, because there’s NO WAY anyone will believe they’re gluten-free and refined sugar free.
I’ve made the recipe a few times since then, and played around with some of my other brownie recipes as well, switching out ingredients for gluten-free and refined sugar-free ones and seeing just how delicious I could get these Paleo-friendly brownies to be.
Let’s just say I’ve eaten so many really delicious chocolate fudge brownies recently that I’m starting to feel like a brownie. BUT – I think I got it!
These brownies are what all your fudgy brownie dreams are made of, and while I say “no one will know they’re gluten-free/sugar-free/Paleo!!!” all the darn time…I really mean it this time.
For those of you still giving me the side eye, these don’t have black beans or chickpeas or avocado or any of those other weird things that people are still trying to pass off as normal brownie ingredients. Beans are NOT for brownies.
These brownies are adapted from my favorite brownie recipe. A few simple swaps take these from full of sugar and flour to gluten-free and refined sugar-free. Almond flour swaps in for the AP flour, and in place of granulated sugar and brown sugar, I opted for coconut sugar. Coconut sugar is favorite refined sugar-free sugar substitute because I love that you can sub it in for sugar 1-to-1 without problems most of the time.
After sitting on this recipe for a little too long, I decided I needed to stop hogging it and share it with all of you – it’s too good to keep hostage! But a little forewarning: these brownies are NOT joking around. If you’re expecting a little bit of cakiness, forget it. I called these the ultimate gluten-free fudge brownies for a reason. These brownies are pure fudge brownies, and they are for the chocolate lovers.
Chocolate lovers, you are my people. Go forth and enjoy delicious gluten free fudge brownies. You deserve it.
If you’re a fan of these Ultimate Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownies, you’ll probably be a big fan of these brownies as well…
- These Paleo Chocolate Covered Strawberry Brownies are sweet, fresh, and irresistibly delicious.
- If you’re craving something mintier, how about these Paleo Mint Chocolate Chip Brownies?
- If you’re a coconut fan, these Paleo Almond Joy Brownies will knock your socks off.
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Remember to #bakerita if you try the recipe!
Ultimate Gluten Free Fudge Brownies
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup (2¾ oz.) blanched almond flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cacao powder
- 6 oz. dark chocolate coarsely chopped* (I used 72%)
- ½ cup (4 oz.) coconut oil
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips I used Enjoy Life
For the frosting
- 2 oz. dark chocolate
- 3 tablespoons almond butter
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons almond milk or non-dairy milk of choice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line with parchment and lightly grease an 8x8” baking pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the almond flour, salt, and cocoa powder together.
- Put the chocolate and coconut oil in a large glass bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, and repeat until the chocolate and coconut oil are completely melted and smooth. Add the coconut sugar. Whisk until completely combined. The mixture should be room temperature.
- Add 2 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.
- 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. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Bake in preheated oven for 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs attached. Don't over bake!! Cool brownies completely before frosting.
- For the frosting, combine the the dark chocolate, almond butter, and coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Let melt, stirring frequently. Once melted, whisk in the almond milk and vanilla extract until combined. Spread on top of cooled brownies and place in the refrigerator to set.
- Once chilled, cut brownies into 16 equal squares with a very sharp knife.
- Brownies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Recipe Notes
The darker your chocolate, the richer the brownie! I wouldn't use chocolate over 72% unless you want these super dark. 60% will result in a brownie that's a little sweeter.
To keep the chocolate chunks refined sugar free, trying making my Paleo Chocolate Chunks.
Medha (Whisk and Shout) says
These look delicious! Love that you used almond flour :) Pinning!
Meriem @ Culinary Couture says
Be still my beating heart!!! These look friggin amazing Rachel!
Rachel says
Thank you so much, Meriem!
fitfoodiele says
they look INCREDIBLE, rich, and decadent! Cannot wait to give them a try. THANK YOU!
le
Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
Mmmmmm, these brownies look so gorgeous and so deliocus. Love they are gluten-free too. Awesome share, Rachel.
Bella B says
These look so moist and rich!! :)
xoxoBella | http://xoxobella.com
Sam @ SugarSpunRun says
YAY for no beans in these brownies! These really do look ultimate, I have a few gluten free friends who I’m going to have to share this recipe with (of course I’ll be trying them out for myself, too!)!
Jess @ whatjessicabakednext says
These brownies look insane! So fudgy! I wouldn’t have even guessed they were gluten free. I’m definitely going to try these out! Thanks for sharing, Rachel!
Nicole @ Young, Broke and Hungry says
I can’t wait to make these brownies for my friend who is Gluten Free. As a chocolate lover, she will go nuts over them.
Bethany @ Athletic Avocado says
Holy cow these look so moist and fudgey! Just by looking at them (and probably tasting them) no one would ever guess that they are healthy!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
These look AMAZING. Oh my the gooey. The FUDGY!!!
Alyssa Dillon says
Can you substitute coconut flour for the almond flour? I am allergic to almonds.
Rachel says
I would use a different nut flour, or regular AP flour if you don’t have a gluten allergy. Coconut flour is much more absorbent than almond flour and the brownies would end up very dry. Hope this helps!
Laura @ Laura's Culinary Adventures says
These look so fudgy! Yum!
Stacey says
Yay, these are GF, so I can have these! They look so incredibly fudgy, I could die <3
jacquee | i sugar coat it! says
Chocolate lover over here!!! These look out of this world decadent!
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says
These look so decadent, fudgy and delicious! Yay for no beans – I love that they’re gluten free!
Kathi @ laughing spatula says
I agree, no beans in my brownies! Gluten or no, I’d eat these lovely brownies!
Claudia | The Brick Kitchen says
These look so incredibly fudgy, I love it!!! I can imagine the almond flour would be amazing in it too <3
Annie says
WOW!!! This is like the ultimate brownie recipe! They look so perfect and fudgey!
Catherine says
I am so excited to give these a try! They look magnificent! Pinning for later. xo, Catherine
Marit says
These brownies are amazing! My husband said ‘these aren’t one of your healthy recipes are they’ after devouring one in about a split second, he couldn’t believe it when I said it was ☺ made them with the paleo chocolate melted in and regular chocolate chips but my next effort will be full Paleo version. Hoping they don’t turn out too oily with all the coconut oil!
Rachel says
I’m so glad you liked them!! I got the same reaction from my friends who tried them :) I’ve found the paleo chocolate chips tend to hold their shape pretty well, so I think it would turn out well. Thanks for sharing your experience with me, Marit.
Marit says
Hi Rachel, made the full Paleo version last night and they turned out beautifully, not too much oil at all! I also made a vegan version at the same time by using a flax egg. I’ve got a couple of workmates who always miss out when there are morning tea treats so thought I’d try it. It looked like a disaster when I took them out of the oven as there was a large amount of liquid left but I left them on a paper towel overnight and they held together beautifully and my workmates thought they were amazing. Everyone keeps asking for my recipes so you are going to be famous in New Zealand before long :-)I love muesli(granola) in the morning and your peanut butter and chocolate is my go to at the moment.
Torrie says
I have made these twice in 2 weeks. Soo good. Easy recipe to follow.
Robyn Marquez says
Is there any way to find it what the carb count on these are?
Rachel says
Hi Robyn, you can calculate the nutrition info by clicking here and entering the ingredients :)
Jemma says
Hi what gluten free chocolate do you suggest please I’m in Australia . Thankyou
Rachel says
Hi Jemma. Most chocolate should be gluten-free, but to ensure GF chocolate I love the Enjoy Life brand.
Emma says
OMG!!! I made these earlier and just tried one, soooo good!! I used a chocolate with almonds in it and it was just amazing. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Rachel says
Hi Emma! So glad you liked the brownies :) thanks for letting me know they turned out well for you!
Alyssa says
Hi Rachel! This looks soo fudgy and rich – my dream brownie;) I really want to try this but don’t have almond flour, any substitutions or other recipes that are similar but don’t use almond flour? I have coconut flour and all purpose in hand. Thanks so much!
Rachel says
Hi Alyssa! You could sub in all purpose flour if the gluten-free part doesn’t matter to you. Enjoy :D
Robin says
Can I use your paleo dark chocolate chunks for both the melted chopped chocolate and the chocolate chips, or do you recommend using them for one or the other, if so which?
Rachel says
Hi Robin. I haven’t tried them as the base of the recipe, but I’m inclined to think it should work for both…I can’t guarantee it though since I haven’t tried. If you do give it a go, please let me know how it turns out!!
Robin says
Hi Rachel,
I just wanted to report back as I tried the recipe with your paleo chocolate chunks (btw, one batch of these is the perfect amount to split for melting and for the additional stirred in chunks). I found them to be more oily than when I used chocolate chips, so if I made them again using the paleo chunks I might decrease the amount of additional coconut oil (although my husband absolutely loved them and did not see any need for changes). Also, I found that the chunks melted into the brownies more so they did not give quite as much of a bite in the final brownie. We froze them the same day as baking them and have since finished off the entire batch as they got better and better over time in the freezer as most brownies do. This is a great recipe and I think next time I may try it with a darker chocolate. I like the idea of using the paleo chunks because I can use cacao and control the ingredients in the chocolate more. Any chance you could come up with a brownie recipe that uses more cacao in the base rather than chocolate chips?
Rachel says
Hi Robin – thanks so much for your feedback, it’s super helpful for me and other readers, I’m sure! You can definitely adjust the homemade chunks by using less sugar to have a darker chocolate. I’ve been meaning to make and post another paleo brownie recipe I have that is cocoa powder based – I used it for the base of these Chocolate Covered Strawberry Brownies, so you may want to try that recipe next just without the chocolate strawberry topping for plain brownies. Enjoy, and thanks again for the comment :)
Helena says
Hey, these look amazing! Just wondering if there’s anything I could sub in there for the coconut sugar, since I can’t seem to get it easily in the UK. Would regular sugar work (for a non-Paleo version)? Thanks!
Rachel says
Hi Helena, regular sugar would definitely work. I would use 3/4 cup white sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Enjoy!
Alex says
I don’t normally write reviews, but I couldn’t not for this recipe. These brownies are absolutely AMAZING. Best brownies i’ve made, even those with flour and butter. Try these out, you won’t be disappointed!!
Bethany says
These are great and are kid approved in our household. We opted for milk chocolate chips instead of dark but used dark chunks for the base. I got a hint of sour…any known reason for that? Maybe use of 2 different chocolates? Not sure…thanks so much for the recipe!
Rachel says
Hi Bethany. So glad you enjoy them. I’m not sure what could have caused the sour – I don’t think it would be from the two types of chocolate. That’s super odd and I haven’t ever had that happen with brownies before! Were all of the ingredients fresh?
KTC says
Might you know if Cassava or Coconut flour could be used instead of Almond flour. Nuts still don’t agree with me.
Rachel says
Hi KTC. I wouldn’t recommend coconut flour because it’s so absorbent, but cassava flour would probably work. I haven’t tried it so I can’t guarantee it, though!
Angie says
I know, I know, you’ll be blown away when I say this, but I have determined that I ahte coconut oil. (Whaaat?! Yes, seriously. NOT at all a neutral flavor to me.) But I am dairy-free as well as GF. Do you think I could use a melted DF “butter” spread, like Earth Balance? Or ghee?!
Angie says
Errr… *hate*
Rachel says
Hi Angie, ghee would probably work better than Earth Balance, but you should also look into refined coconut oil! It doesn’t taste or smell like coconut AT ALL – it’s just a neutral oil the same way canola or vegetable oil is. Here’s a link to the kind of refined coconut oil I have: http://amzn.to/2aXhed7. Hope this helps! :)
deborah pyle says
Hi Rachel, I love these brownies and I’m wondering how I could add zucchini to them. I have a ton of it in my garden and have looked at several gluten free zucchini brownie recipes but none of them look as fudgey and yummy as I know these are.
Rachel says
Hi Deborah. You know, I’ve never made zucchini brownies before but I’ve had zucchini brownies written down in my brainstorming notebook for weeks now! Unfortunately, I’m not sure exactly what parts of the recipe would need to be changed to incorporate zucchini so I can’t give a solid recommendation that wouldn’t end up with super gloopy brownies from the extra zucchini moisture. I would start with reducing the oil, but it’ll probably require some testing. Sorry I can’t help right now – I’ll bring it to the front of the docket though and try to come up with a recipe very soon :)
Liz says
Super crumbly. I mean, not at all like a fudgy brownie. I tried to under mix and I def under baked. But they came out like chocolate crumbs which did not taste bad. Just not what I expected.
Rachel says
That is so odd, Liz! You mean the brownies are dry? These brownies are always super moist for me, so I can’t imagine what went wrong. Did you make any changes to the recipe or anything? If I have more info, I can help you trouble-shoot.
McKenna says
Hey! Could I substitute a regular gf flour blend for the almond flour in this recipe? I don’t have just almond flour, I have robin hood gf flour blend. Is it too absorbent like coconut flour?
Rachel says
Hi McKenna. I haven’t tried these with a GF flour blend and I’ve never used Robin Hood GF flour so I can’t guarantee it will work, but this recipe is pretty versatile. My guess is that it would work, though!
Hanan says
What can i use instead of the almond flour? My GF cant have it
Rachel says
You can use a gluten-free all purpose flour instead!
Shashi at RunninSrilankan says
I have so gotta try these! They look like the perfect stack of extra fudgy brownies – and they are GF!!! Girl, you rock!
Kelly says
I love this recipe. I am going to make it for a part on Saturday. I want to make a double batch. Can I just double the recipe? What size dish should I use? 13X9 or 15X10
Rachel says
Glad you like it!! Use a 13×9″ pan if you’re going to double it. Enjoy, Kelly!
Katie says
I made these with organic 85% dark chocolate cocoa bar (4 oz) with some of the dark chocolate (dairy free) chocolate chips melted. Substituted 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce instead of 2 eggs since I can’t have eggs at the moment. They came out super moist and delicious, thinking of putting them in the fridge overnight to solidify them a little more. Thanks for this recipe!!
Rachel says
Glad to know your applesauce sub for the eggs worked out well! So glad you’re loving them Katie, thanks so much for your feedback.
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
Oh wow…these look AMAZING, Rachel! I am all about fudgy brownies and these look like the ultimate treat. And I always love finding gluten free desserts like this because I’m always surprised at how delicious they taste! And that frosting looks like the perfect addition, too. Wishing I had these babies for breakfast! :)
Rachel says
Thank you so very much, Gayle! These are seriously the fudgiest, most chocolatey brownies I’ve ever had!
Demeter | Beaming Baker says
I’m sitting here, seriously wishing these brownies were in front of me! :) Rachel, your photography continues to stun me! <3 Also… totally #bakergoals at Bakerita, all day, e'vryday.
Cara says
THESE LOOK INSANE! Wow
Sarah @Whole and Heavenly Oven says
So I’m pretty much in jaw-dropping awe over here because of how insanely fudgy these brownies look. I mean holy MOLY, Rachel!! I would never have guessed in a million years that these are paleo and gluten-free!
Albert Bevia | Spain on a Fork says
Im so glad you shared this recipe. Who doesn´t love a good brownie? but it looks like you have elevated this classic dish making it gluten-free using almond flour, which i love. Truly impressive and creative.
Rachel says
Thanks so much for your kind words, Albert!
mira says
These brownie look fantastic! So thick and delicious :) Pinning to try them asap!
Bethany says
That brownie stack looks awesome! Yum!!
Karly says
Droooool city! This looks so incredibly good. I need one (or 5) of these brownies in my life, STAT!
Pamela (BrooklynFarmGirl) says
They look so fudgy and irresistible! :)
Rachel says
Thanks so much Pamela!
Amy says
Any suggested substitutes for almond ingredients? Can’t do almonds
Rachel says
Hi Amy, you could use another nut flour for the almond flour, or a GF all-purpose flour blend. For the almond butter, any other nut butter will work. Enjoy!
Kami says
These look so good. Will Bob’s Red Mill almond flour/meal work? Does anyone know? Thanks in advance!
Rachel says
Hi Kami, I use Bob’s blanched almond flour a lot and it works perfectly. Enjoy!
Stacey says
Could you use erythritol instead of coconut sugar? Ratio the same?
Rachel says
Hi Stacey, I’m honestly not sure since I don’t use erythritol – sorry! I’d love to hear how it turns out if you do try it, though.
Michael L says
I am tracking my macros for weight gain (but also useful to know for weight loss). Here are the macros if you eat 1/8 of the batch.
Calories: 324g
Protein: 5.6g
Fat: 84.5g
Calcium: 2%
Carbs: 33g
Hinda says
Will this come out in A 9 by 13 size pan?
I need for a big crowd.
Thanks!
Rachel says
You can definitely double the recipe and make it in a 9×13″ pan! Enjoy.
SK says
I just made these Rachel, and good grief — they are heavenly!!! Once again, I’ve lost count of how many of your recipes I have made but I can say that every single one of them has been outstanding!! My Paleo-hating boyfriend was in shock after eating 3 of these to find out they were in fact Paleo and gluten-free! :) These are super rich and absolutely decadent! I used peanut butter in the frosting in place of the almond butter, and I shouldn’t have done that because it made these even more irresistible, and now the pan is empty. Thank you for yet another incredible recipe! Your talent knows no limits! :)
Rachel says
Thank you so so much for all your sweet words!! I’m so thrilled to hear you and your boyfriend loved the brownies – isn’t it the best when you can trick someone into thinking they’re super unhealthy? ;) love the peanut butter switch, so yummy. Thanks for your feedback!
Betty says
Great recipe!
Do you have the nutrition facts for those?
Thank you :)
Rachel says
Hi Betty, I just updated the post to include nutritional info. So glad you enjoy the recipe!
Angela says
This recipe is amazing! I made it today and am in love. I did have to make a couple changes, simply because I live in rural Africa and can’t always get these ingredients. I used a GF flour mix instead of almond flour and regular sugar (local, not super fine like is found in a grocery store). I also didn’t have chocolate chips to sprinkle in but the brownies still turned out super chocolatey. Thanks so much for recipe!
Rachel says
So glad you’re enjoying the recipe, Angela! Thanks so much for your feedback. :)
CassM says
Making these right now. 8×8 pan and at 40 min so far and still absolutely wet and not even close to baked! I made no substitutions so I’m baffled.
Rachel says
Hi Cass – how odd! How did they end up turning out? It’s hard for me to know what went wrong without any other info or being in the kitchen with you…
Lisa says
Hi! Is it cacao or cocoa powder? I noticed it said one in the ingredients and the other in the method. Just wanted to be sure. I have a package of each one. Thanks!
Rachel says
Hi Lisa, I believe I used cocoa in these, but honestly, either will work! Might want to use cocoa though and save the cacao for something unbaked so you retain the nutritional benefits :)
Shelby says
I just made these for the first time today for my father in law’s bday treat (as I’ve recently gone GF/DF) and I was nervous they wouldn’t turn out great (bc brownies are one of my FAVE desserts like the real, naughty brownies with all the sugar hehe) but I had to come back and leave a comment because these brownies were AMAZING. So chocolatey and delicious and the texture was so similar too. I mean, I was so impressed! So THANK YOU for this awesome recipe, I’ll use it time + time again!
Rachel says
That makes me so so happy to hear Shelby – I’m so happy you’re enjoying them and able to satisfy your brownie craving a little more healthily :)
Cait says
Hi Rachel! Have you tried using olive or avocado oil in this recipe in place of the coconut oil? Thank you!
Rachel says
I have not, avocado would be better than olive oil because it’s more neutrally flavored, but I’m not sure if it might get too oily since it’s always a liquid oil. Let me know how it turns out if you try it!
Tiffany says
Can we use bakers chocolate for the chunks?
Rachel says
Hi Tiffany, if you mean unsweetened chocolate, I wouldn’t recommend it, as it would be pretty bitter!
KB says
I made these brownies for the first time with full trust in how they would turn out- no recipe from your website has ever failed me and I am proud to say these didn’t either :) One day my family was having a dinner party but I was going to another one with friends on my own. I made these brownies beforehand, gave my sister hurried instructions on frosting them and left. When I came back, THERE WAS PRACTICALLY NOTHING LEFT!!! EVERYONE raved about how they were the absolute BEST brownies they had ever had in living memory. Even their better angels could not tempt them to leave a piece for me, haha!!! The one bite that I managed to steal was scrumptious. Will be making these again, without fail!
Rachel says
So so thrilled to hear they were such a success! Thanks so much for sharing the feedback with me KB – makes me so so happy to hear that!
Nadia says
Best GF brownies in the world. Made this twice in 10 days. My 3 batch is in the oven now. But just realised i dont know the time in the oven if i jabe doubled up the recipe.
Taste lile proper bad for you brownies but these are guilt free
Rachel says
So glad you’re enjoying them Nadia!! Thanks for the feedback :) the baking time for a double batch probably wouldn’t be too much longer – maybe an extra 5 to 8 minutes? I’d check on them at about 32 to 35 minutes and go from there!
Tay says
THE BEST BROWNIES IVE EVER HAD!!!! I added a spoonful of almond butter to the chocolate mixture just because I’m an almond butter freak and it turned out soooo perfect. Thank you so much for this awesome recipe!!!!
Rachel says
Yay so thrilled to hear you’re loving them, Tay! Thanks so much for the feedback :)
Megan says
Don’t the chocolate chips have can sugar in them? Can they be omitted or does it change the outcome enough to need them?
Rachel says
Hi Megan, I always use chocolate chips from either Santa Barbara Chocolate or Hu Kitchen, both of which are sweetened with coconut sugar, an unrefined sweetener. Hope this helps!