Almond Flour Brownies
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This Gluten-Free Almond Flour Brownies recipe is so simple and produces fudgy and intensely chocolatey gluten-free brownies that are perfect for dessert.
Our gluten-free world can sometimes feel a little oversaturated with brownies since they are often the go-to gluten-free dessert. However, do you find that whenever you are offered a brownie for dessert it is often desert dry? Well, these gluten-free brownies are the total opposite and are perfect for dessert. They hold their own but are chewy at the edges and their fudgy interior is glorious with ice cream. They are such a simple recipe that you will want to make them anytime you have dinner guests and they certainly won't feel they are getting shortchanged by the 'gluten-free brownie option.'
I'll take you through the very simple steps including how to achieve that perfect shiny crust on top of your brownies and how to chill and cut your brownies so you can achieve the best results the first time you make them.
Why You’ll Love These Fudgy Almond Flour Brownies
- So easy with just 1 gluten-free flour and no xanthan gum.
- Quick to make.
- 8 simple ingredients.
- Rich chocolate flavour as this recipe uses both melted chocolate and cocoa powder.
- The best part is that these are the most moist, chocolatey and fudgy brownies with chewy edges and a light crisp top.
- Perfect for dessert with your favourite ice cream.
Ingredients Needed
Dark chocolate. This recipe uses 70% dark chocolate. It's quite a sweet brownie recipe so I don't recommend using a chocolate with a lesser percentage of cocoa solids.
Butter. Unsalted butter is the best choice here.
Caster sugar. This is a fine white sugar created especially for baking in the UK. If you can only get hold of granulated cane sugar then it is a good substitute.
Eggs. This recipe uses medium size, about 60g each with shell (50g each without shell). These are often classified as large eggs in the US. I recommend weighing your eggs to ensure the correct amount.
Almond flour. Made from blanched almonds which have then been ground to create a fine soft flour. Supermarkets in the UK label this as 'ground almonds.' If you want to know the difference between all the almond flours then go to >>> Almond Flour VS. Ground Almonds: What's the difference?
Best cocoa powder. Choose a high quality organic brand if possible. This recipe was tested with Dutch-processed cocoa powder (which is the more common type in the UK – but do check the labels) which means it has been treated with an alkalizing agent to neutralize its acidity, resulting in a smoother, milder flavour.
Vanilla extract. Use a good quality extract, I like Nielsen Massey.
Salt. I like to use kosher salt within the brownies themselves as it has a round gentle flavour. Then use flaky sea salt to sprinkle over the top of the baked brownies.
How To Make This Amazing Almond Flour Brownie Recipe
For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan assisted / gas mark 4 / 350°F. Line and grease an 8 inch square cake tin.
Melt the chocolate and butter together in a glass bowl set over a simmering pan of water (or the microwave). Then set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sugar and the eggs for 2 minutes until pale in colour and increased in size.
Mix in the vanilla extract and the salt.
Sift in the almond flour and cocoa powder and mix until the batter is thick and smooth.
Finally fold in the melted chocolate mixture until completely combined.
Pour the brownie batter into an 8-inch cake tin and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove the brownies from the oven and leave to cool in the tin before removing and cutting.
Expert Tips
To melt the chocolate you can either use a bain marie, the microwave or a large glass mixing bowl (or you can use a metal one) rested over a pan of simmering water (which is usually my go-to). If you are going down the latter route you want the bowl to drop just a little into the saucepan but nowhere near the water.
We don’t just use melted chocolate or cocoa powder in these brownies. We use both. The melted chocolate gives the brownie its fudgy texture and the cocoa powder gives the brownie its intense chocolate flavour.
Use room temperature ingredients, even the eggs, so the sugar can dissolve easily which helps with the shiny crust.
Whisk eggs and sugar until thickened. I set the timer for 2 minutes. This prolonged mixing allows the sugar to dissolve and this is what gives the brownies their shiny crust.
Once baked, leave the brownies in the tin to cool to room temperature then chill (still in the tin) in the refrigerator for at least four hours. This makes the brownies much easier to cut.
If you have any leftover brownies (sounds incongruous but you never know) then you can make this Chocolate Mousse Brownie Dessert.
FAQs
Use dairy-free dark chocolate and substitute coconut oil for the unsalted butter. To make the brownies refined sugar-free simply substitute the caster sugar for coconut sugar.
These brownies are very rich so I think they are are at their best in small portions and served for dessert. They are in fact one of my favourite gluten-free desserts to serve as they are so easy, you can make ahead, serve with ice cream or they are actually incredible served with creme fraiche as it offsets the sweet intensity of the brownie. They are always given amazing feedback.
I prefer to keep these brownies in the fridge in an airtight container. They will keep well for up to 5 days.
Place the brownies in the fridge to chill for 4 hours then cut and layer up in an airtight containers, placing a piece of parchment paper between each layer. Allow the brownies to thaw at room temperature for about an hour before serving.
More Gluten-Free Brownies You'll Love
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Almond Flour Brownies
Ingredients
- 200 g dark chocolate - 70%, broken into pieces
- 140 g unsalted butter
- 300 g caster sugar
- 3 eggs - medium size*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 150 g almond flour - (ground almonds in UK)
- 60 g cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon flaked sea salt - optional
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan assisted /gas mark 4 / 350°F.
- Line and grease an 8 inch (20cm) square cake tin.
- Place the chocolate and unsalted butter in a large glass or metal mixing bowl.
- Set the mixing bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water and melt the chocolate and butter.
- Once melted, removing the mixing bowl from the top of the saucepan and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk the sugar and the eggs for two minutes until pale in colour and increased in size.
- Mix in the vanilla extract and the salt.
- Sift the cocoa powder, the almond flour and the salt into the bowl and mix well until thick and smooth.
- Finally pour in the melted chocolate mixture and fold in until completely combined.
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared cake tin.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Remove the brownies from the oven and leave to cool to room temperature in the tin, then transfer the tin to the refrigerator to completely chill for 4 hours before removing the brownies from the tin and cutting.
- Allow the brownies to come to room temperature before serving.
Notes
- Eggs. The eggs used in this recipe are medium size, 60g with shell and 50g without shell. If you can't get hold of medium eggs I suggest you weigh the amount.
- This recipe calls for almond flour which is blanched and ground whole almonds (without their skin). In the UK this kind of flour is sold in most major UK supermarkets labelled 'ground almonds' in the baking aisle. To make sure you know which almond flour you are choosing then check against this article The Difference Between The Almond Flours.
- Whisk eggs and sugar until thickened. I set the timer for 2 minutes. This prolonged mixing allows the sugar to dissolve and this is what gives the brownies their shiny crust.
- Cooling the brownies still in the tin in the fridge helps the brownies to set properly and allows for easier cutting.
- Please note when you see ‘grams’ listed as opposed to ‘millilitres,’ or any other term of measurement, that is not incorrect. I weigh all of my ingredients, including liquids, for accuracy.
- US customary measurements for the ingredients provided are based on a conversion calculator. This recipe was tested with metric measurements and I recommend using a digital scale to weigh ingredients for the most accurate results. READ MORE >>> Why you should always weigh vs measuring with cups
This recipe works every time. I use a lot less sugar - 80 to 100g as I have been using 52% dark cooking chocolate. I also use 3 chia eggs as an egg substitute and the brownies still turn out very nicely. Thanks for the recipe!
You are so welcome - I'm so happy you like the brownies and it's great to hear that chia eggs work as a good substitute!
Hi Georgina
I am new to the gluten free world and stumbled on your page by accident. My family and I not gluten intolerant however have friends who are and have always struggled to cater.
Your informative insight into the gluten free world has made it so much easier to understand the why and explained in such a clear and concise manner - Thank you.
The brownie recipe is delicious. My go to brownie recipe now has a rival. I baked it a little longer than the suggested time frame, and it was less fudgy than described but that’s the way I was hoping it would turn out and it did not disappoint.
Anyone hesitant to give it a go, don’t ! You’ll love it 🙂
B
I appreciate you taking the time to give your feedback on the brownies. I'm so happy you like them and you are finding the gluten-free information useful!!
Oh my goodness, these are most definitely a fab brownie and being gluten free is an added bonus! I had hoped they wouldnt be dry like some gluten free cakes are, not a chance!
Thank you. They are exactly what they are called, a fudgy chocolate brownie!!
I'm so happy you enjoyed the brownies!!
Surely is tasty, but you can't go wrong with good quality chocolate and a buttload of butter and sugar...But, texture with refrigeration is in no way a brownie, more like a fudge, and on the counter is more of muddy chocolate stuff, so not a proper brownie recipe nor good use in my opinion of costly almond meal.
Ah, it depends on how you like your brownies doesn't it. I'm a fudgy brownie fanatic - otherwise I'd probably plump for chocolate cake. But almond flour will always produce a more fudgy brownie as it holds so much moisture. For a more cakey structure use half almond flour and half gluten-free flour (any shop bought).
My first attempt at this one. Gorgeous and very rich.
Next time i must be patient and leave it to cool in the fridge longer so I don’t finish up with a mess.
I'm so happy you enjoyed them! Yes that chilling time definitely makes them easier to cut.
Could you substitute the egg fir flaxseed “egg” or ypghurt?
Hi Pryana, I haven't tested the recipe with this substitution so I can't say for sure.
I'm ready to try this but I only have powdered cocoa (good quality though). Can I make this without the melted chocolate? If so, do I add more powdered cocoa or any more fats to compensate? Thanks!
Hi Angel, powdered cocoa is fine but I haven't made the brownies without the melted chocolate. They wouldn't have quite the same results or be as fudgy. I wouldn't like to say what alterations you would need to make to the other ingredients to compensate without testing it I'm afraid.
These brownies are AMAZING! So glad I found this recipe. Thank you. 🙂
You're most welcome! I'm happy you love them as much as me!!
So far so good the batter tastes nice , used a cherry and pistachio dark chocolate ( to use it up) used a sugar substitute so will be wondering if this comes out OK . Had to also use almond meal ( ground almonds) , so will be a bit nubby as was said . The batter was a bit stiff could I have used extra liquid of a sort?
This is a stiff batter but the brownies are so fudgey! I hope you had good results.
You are the Absolute Best. I have used this Recipe to make brownies countless of times. It's a Divine treat. I always leave it the freezer to harden and then cut to Serve. It's an absolute treat and so Delicious. You are simply the best
Hi Ola, thank you so much! So happy you love these brownies as much as I do!
These are incredible! Best brownie recipe I've ever done.
I used sweetener not sugar to Lower carb count as well.
Highly recommend to anyone to try.
Hi Amy - thank you so much for your feedback! I'm happy you enjoyed the brownies!
Hi Georgina, I made these again at the weekend for my mums "socially distanced 60th" and they were INCREDIBLE again... wow wow wow! Everyone loved them!
I made one change which was to use an electric whisk to mix the eggs and sugar and it produced a "crackley crust" so if people do want that, then I'd recommend trying this.
They were sensational. Best brownie recipe ever!
Hi Amy, oh yes - gotta love that crackly crust!! Thank you!
Absolutely beautiful, I used coconut sugar, which makes these brownies lower in carbs.
Thank you! Coconut sugar is a great idea!
Hi.i am making these gorgeous looking brownies now and after baking them for 20min it still looks pretty runny ..when I move my tin to the sides it kind of moves too does it mean I need to bake it a bit longer ( as my gas oven is not the best) or
it should be this way? And my brownies looks thicker in the tin the lan the ones in your picture. I'm using 20×20cm tin.
Thank you
So the brownies will still have a slight wobble to them when you take them out of the oven. This is normal for all brownies which usually require a bit of resting time before cutting and serving. The wobbliness is a signifier of a lovely fudgy brownie, if they are baked for too long they will dry out. I usually cool them in the tin in the fridge which means you can cut them so much easier. Let me know how they turned out!
I like the simplicity of the recipe. These look delicious too.
Yes they are so easy! Thank you!
These look utterly amazing!
Thank you!!
To determine if they are done, you don't use a toothpick in the center coming out dry?
I used a ceramic pan, to get close to the right size and read that glass is faster and ceramic is slower than metal. So first, I thought glass and ceramic were the same, but when I looked at about 15 minutes, they were really runny. Put them back for 5 more minutes, still the tester didn't come out clean and back again another 5 minutes, the tester still wasn't clean (not even close!) but then I had read all the comments and took it out of the oven. I found a quirk of my oven. The convection oven conversion to F is 320F, but my oven jumped it to 325F so I did the 356F without the fan and that worked. Waiting for them to cool enough to put in the refrigerator. Can't wait to try them!
Hi Cindy, for brownies you don't want the toothpick to come out clean. These brownies are especially fudgy too so I expect a wet toothpick even when they are ready to come out of the oven. I look forward to hearing what you think of them.