Paleo Almond Flour Brownies (Gluten-free)
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Super fudgy Paleo Almond Flour Brownies made with dark chocolate, almond flour, espresso powder and coconut flour. Gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free and dairy-free.
For real! This Paleo almond flour brownies recipe is one you’ll find yourself making on repeat all-year-round because they’re the best!
Why you will love these Paleo Almond Flour Brownies:
- They’re quick to make with few ingredients and the most crowd-pleasing healthy dessert ever.
- This easy paleo brownies recipe is also gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free and dairy-free.
- These are seriously dense, fudgy and ooey-gooey thanks to the combination of almond flour and no baking soda. Yum! Feel free to add 1/4 tsp. of baking soda if you like your brownies more cake-like or up the amount of coconut flour.
- While many brownie recipes use cocoa powder only, I use a mix of melted dark chocolate and coconut oil and found it really boosts the fudge factor of these paleo brownies considerably.
- The addition of espresso powder, vanilla, salt, and chili really brings out the chocolate flavor and turns these into a chocoholic’s dessert dream.
These Fudgy Paleo Almond Flour Brownies make for the best sweet afternoon treat. Especially now in fall when you crave a little more comforting sweetness. Bring them to a dinner party, movie night or potluck, make them for the holidays. Really, is there any occasion where brownies wouldn’t be welcome?
Fudgy Almond Flour Paleo Brownies are truly the best edible love declaration and I just know that they will become a go-to recipe of yours!
And for an extra special treat, I like to top them with a scoop of dairy-free ice cream! Oh my.
Is dark chocolate paleo?
Short answer: YES! The cocoa bean has powerful health-promoting properties: it’s a source of healthy fat and antioxidants and minerals. Needless to say that it should be more of a special treat than a staple but enjoyed occasionally, it fits perfectly well within the Paleo framework.
To make chocolate part of your paleo lifestyle, you want to maximize the amount of actual cocoa bean products by picking a high-quality brand first and foremost. Be prepared to spend a bit more – cheap chocolate brands use all kinds of tricks to cut down on the cocoa content as much as possible.
Here is a rundown of your paleo-approved chocolate choices:
Unsweetened cocoa powder: this is just the cocoa solids – no butter. All in all, a very healthy ingredient to use in dessert recipes or for homemade hot cocoa.
Unsweetened baking chocolate: a combination of cocoa solids and cocoa butter. It has no sugar, just the healthy parts of the cocoa bean.
Dark chocolate: dark chocolate has both cocoa solids and cocoa butter while having a pretty small amount of sugar! Less sugar than many pieces of fruit actually!
For these paleo chocolate brownies, I used a mix of unsweetened chocolate and dark chocolate.
Why I love baking with almond flour:
Almond flour is my favorite ingredient for baking healthy cakes, cookies, muffins, and bread. It is lower in carbohydrates than wheat flour and contains no gluten. Furthermore, it is high in protein and a good source of vitamin E, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and healthy monounsaturated fats.
The texture it lends to baked goods comes super to those made with all-purpose flour. You can substitute it for wheat flour at a 1:1 ratio which makes tweaking recipes so easy.
Almond flour is moister than wheat flour, so when adapting a recipe, you should maybe reduce the amount of liquid and fat and add a starch like coconut flour.
Almond flour burns more easily than wheat flour. Covering your paleo chocolate brownies with aluminum foil is the most straightforward way to keep the tops from burning and allow for them to bake evenly.
Don’t overmix batters or doughs made with almond flour. The nut flour releases its natural oils during the mixing process, and overmixing can make your bakes wet and oily.
Tips for making Paleo Almond Flour Brownies:
- Make sure your oven is not too hot. Almond flour tends to burn at higher temps, and you want these to stay moist and fudgy.
- For extra chocolatey and fudgy paleo brownies, I like to use a mix of unsweetened chocolate and dark chocolate.
- 1 tablespoon of coconut flour seems like little but it’s still worth buying some to use in this brownies recipe. I’ve also made the brownie recipe without it, and they are not quite as yummy. Just buy a small bag of coconut flour and keep it in the refrigerator. Do not use more than the amount indicated or your brownies will be pretty cake as opposed to fudgy.
- Let the melted chocolate cool down before adding to the egg mixture or the mix will get hard.
- Keep a close watch on the brownies as they bake and made sure you don’t bake them too long. 18-20 minutes is the perfect length of time.
- Don’t overmix the batter! You do not want any air trapped in the batter. I like to use a silicone spatula for stirring.
- For the cleanest slices, chill the almond flour brownies before slicing.
- Want Paleo Mexican Chocolate Brownies? Add 3/4 tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon and 1/4 tsp chili powder to the brownie batter.
If you love these fudgy paleo brownies, you might also want to give my Vegan Black Bean Brownies, Healthy Pumpkin Bars or my Chickpea Blondies recipe a try.
★ Did you make and love this paleo almond flour brownies recipe? Give it your review below! And make sure to share your creations by tagging me on Instagram!
Paleo Almond Flour Brownies
Super fudgy Paleo Almond Flour Brownies made with dark chocolate, almond flour, espresso powder and coconut flour. Gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free and dairy-free.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or morsels
- 1/4 cup unrefined virgin coconut oil
- 2 whole eggs
- 1/3 cup maple syrup or raw honey
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract such as Simply Organic
- 1 tsp instant espresso powder
- 2/3 cup almond flour
- 1 Tbsp. coconut flour
- 4 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder Dutch processed or natural
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- 2 big pinch chili powder
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips optional
- 1/2 cup almonds for topping
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line a 9×9-inch pan with some parchment paper.
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Place a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips and virgin coconut oil to the pan. Melt , stirring occasionally and remove from heat once liquid. Don't heat the mixture too much.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, maple syrup, espresso powder, and vanilla.
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Add the almond flour,1 tbsp of coconut flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, salt and chili powder to the bowl and stir until just combined.
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Slowly add the melted chocolate mixture to the batter while you continue to stir. Mix until just combined.
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Fold in the remaining chocolate chips if using. Alternatively, add some chopped nuts. Transfer the brownie batter to the parchment-lined pan. Smack the bottom of the pan on the counter a couple of times to break any air bubbles trapped inside and bake for 18 minutes.
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After baking allow for the brownies to cool for at least 5 minutes.
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Remove the paleo brownies from the baking pan by grabbing onto the edges of parchment paper.
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Cut into squares and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Make sure your oven is not too hot. Almond flour tends to burn at higher temps, and you want these to stay moist and fudgy.
- I like to use a mix of unsweetened chocolate and dark chocolate for this paleo brownies recipe.
- 1 tablespoon of coconut flour seems like little but it’s still worth buying some to use in this brownies recipe. I’ve also made the brownie recipe without it, and they are not quite as yummy. Just buy a small bag of coconut flour and keep it in the refrigerator. Do not use more than the amount indicated or your brownies will be pretty cake as opposed to fudgy.
- Keep a close watch on the brownies as they bake and made sure you don't bake them too long. 18-20 minutes is the perfect length of time.
- For the cleanest slices, chill the almond flour brownies before slicing.