Best Easy Paleo Brownies
These are the ultimate fudgy paleo brownies! They’re so easy to make and they turn out so gooey and fudgy. To keep them gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free, I used ingredients like almond butter and just a little bit of coconut flour.
Servings: 12 brownies
Equipment
- 1 8x8-inch metal baking pan (Note 1)
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups (213g; 7.5 ounces) dairy-free dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate plus more for topping (Note 2)
- 1/2 cup (108g) refined coconut oil
- 1/2 cup (120g) creamy almond butter or cashew butter (Note 3 Nut-Free)
- 1 1/4 cups (213g) coconut sugar
- 3 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (33g) cocoa powder
- 2 Tablespoons (9g) coconut flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Flaky sea salt for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a square 8x8 inch metal baking pan with parchment paper.
- Place the coconut oil and chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high heat in 30-second increments until melted and smooth, stirring between each. Allow it to cool slightly.
- While it’s cooling, add the eggs and sugar to a large bowl or to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat them together on high heat for 3 minutes until it’s lighter and ribbon-thick. It won’t be really light because the coconut sugar is dark. Beat in the vanilla extract.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently stir in the cooled oil and chocolate mixture. Fold in the cocoa powder, coconut flour, and kosher salt until just combined and no lumps remain. The batter will be thick.
- Transfer the brownie batter to the prepared baking pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 28-32 minutes. Do not overbake. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with a little batter still on the stick. They’ll continue to bake slightly as they cool. Let them cool completely to room temperature before slicing.
Video
Notes
Note 1. Metal Pan. Glass or ceramic pans take longer to heat up and can prevent the center from cooking before the outsides are over-baked. This is my favorite pan to use for brownies.
Note 2. Chocolate. My two favorite paleo-approved chocolate brands are Hu Kitchen and Lily's.
Note 3. Nut-Free. Use Tahini or sun butter instead of almond butter.
This recipe was updated on Sept 27, 2023. While the original recipe was rich and delicious, we really wanted a more fudgy brownie with a crackly top. Because of that, we changed the process to make them. The ingredients you need are mostly the same, but the amounts and techniques are different. To get extra fudgy brownies, we melted the chocolate and added it directly into the batter. And to get that classic crinkly top, we are beating the sugar and eggs together. We learned both of these techniques from this ultimate brownie recipe.
Cutting the brownies: For a perfect cut, use an 8-inch sharp chef’s knife and run it under hot water to heat the knife. Rinse under hot water and wipe it clean between each cut.
Low-carb. Substitute the coconut sugar 1/3 cup of your favorite low-carb sugar (i.e. stevia or erythritol). There are 33 carbs in these paleo brownies. If you want to make the keto version, there are 15 approximately net carbs.
Freezing brownies. cut the brownies then place on a baking sheet in the freezer until frozen solid (1-2 hours). Wrap the brownies individually then place them in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1brownie | Calories: 345kcal | Carbohydrates: 32.7g | Protein: 4.4g | Fat: 22.7g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 258mg | Fiber: 3.1g | Sugar: 27.1g | Vitamin A: 13IU