These fudgy flourless brownies are naturally gluten free, SO easy to make and have gorgeous crackly, paper thin crusts. They’re rich and chocolatey, and the perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Fudgy, naturally gluten free, no fancy or weird ingredients like black beans or avocados, just good old fashioned shiny crust flourless brownies! I’m obsessed with these.
They’re made with just 8 simple ingredients (including salt!), and you most likely have all of them in your pantry already.
Even though they’re gluten free brownies, I promise they taste (and look) just like your favorite boxed brownies with loads of butter, gluten and sugar.
These brownies are definitely fudgy rather than cakey because of the lack of flour and leavening like baking soda.
However, you can easily make the middle less gooey by simply baking them for longer! Even a few minutes will allow the centers to set really nicely, just depends on what you prefer.

How to make flourless brownies
PREHEAT. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
MELT CHOCOLATE. Add 1 cup of chocolate chips to a bowl with the coconut oil. Melt in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring between each. let cool for a few minutes.
MIX WET. Meanwhile, beat together the eggs, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer. Beat in the chocolate once it has melted and cooled slightly.
ADD DRY. Fold in the cocoa, tapioca and salt until well combined. Fold in the remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.

ADD TO PAN. Transfer to an 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper.
BAKE. Bake for 22-28 minutes. I usually do 25 minutes, but the longer you do the more set/well done the center will be if that’s what you prefer.
SERVE. Let cool, then slice around the edge so the parchment will easily lift out of the pan. Cut into 16 squares and enjoy!

Why this recipe works
Baking without flour might seem like something you’d only do when you’re out of flour and can’t run to the grocery store, but after you try these flourless brownies, you’ll be hooked on the idea!
In traditional brownies, flour works to bind everything together and add bulk. In these brownies, we’ll be using melted chocolate, eggs and a bit of tapioca or corn starch for binding.
The crackly top comes from whipping together the eggs, sugar and melted chocolate, which creates a meringue like top as the brownies bake.
For best results, as soon as the batter is ready, get it into the pan and into the oven as fast as possible! Once the batter settles, you’re less likely to have crackly tops.
The best chocolate for brownies
You need two forms of chocolate for this recipe, chocolate chips and cocoa powder. For the cocoa, I like dutch processed since there is no baking soda or baking powder in the brownies.
For the chips, I like semi-sweet because they have just the right amount of sweetness that pairs well with the other sugar in the recipe.

Variations and Substitutions
Eggs. Unfortunately, there is not a good substitute for eggs in this recipe.
Since we need three whole eggs, replacing with flax eggs, applesauce or any other egg replacer just won’t work. If you need a vegan recipe, try these vegan brownies!
Sugar. Any kind of granulated sugar will work here! I used regular old cane sugar, but coconut or light brown will also work. I do not recommend a liquid sweetener since the recipe is flourless and there wouldn’t be anything to absorb that excess moisture.
However, white granulated sugar will give the brownies the shiniest/most crackly top. Other types of sugar won’t do this as well.
Tapioca Starch. Because these are flourless, we do need a bit of starch just to ensure the brownies aren’t totally mushy. You can use tapioca, arrowroot, or cornstarch.
Coconut oil. I always suggest refined coconut oil to prevent any strong coconut flavor from lingering in.
You can use vegan butter or regular butter instead, but I find coconut oil yields a shinier/more crackly crust than butter in brownies!
How to store & freeze
These flourless brownies will keep at room temperature for about 3-5 days. I suggest storing them in an air tight container once they have cooled completely.
They will store for a bit longer in the fridge and you can just reheat them in the microwave so they’re good as new!
I have not tried this, but I do think these brownies would freeze well. Let them cool, slice, then transfer to a freezer safe bag. You can pop them right into the oven to defrost until warm through the center.

More desserts you’ll love!
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Flourless Brownies
by: claire cary
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups semi sweet chocolate chips divided
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ⅓ cup refined coconut oil
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp tapioca starch see notes for subs
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add 1 cup of chocolate chips to a bowl with the coconut oil. Melt in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring between each. let cool for a few minutes.
- Meanwhile, beat together the eggs, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer. Beat in the chocolate once it has melted and cooled slightly.
- Fold in the cocoa, tapioca and salt until well combined.
- Fold in the remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.
- Transfer to an 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 22-28 minutes. I usually do 25 minutes, but the longer you do the more set/well done the center will be if that's what you prefer.
- Let cool, then slice around the edge so the parchment will easily lift out of the pan. Cut into 16 squares and enjoy!
Courtney says
These brownies are perfect! Just the flavor and consistency I was going for. Used unrefined coconut oil because it’s all I had and they were great. Can’t wait to make them again!
STElla says
I love how flexible this recipe is and easy to make too. It’s flourless and that makes it the best in the world. Thank you so much
God bless
Xx
Amy says
I’m always interested in trying a flourless recipe – and I am so happy with this one. Fudge-y, full-flavored and freakin’ delish. It completely fulfilled my chocolate craving with a small piece. Right out of the oven – yum … and later a quick microwave heat with a little whip on top – totally yum!
I liked the simplicity of the recipe too. My not-quite-three year old kept attention long enough to get the batter in the oven.
Claire Cary says
Thank you Amy! These are such a favorite of mine 🙂
Rhi says
These are some of the best brownies I’ve ever had! I’m not even gluten-free. I just wanted to try less ingredients and have a flourless recipe on hand in the future because I rarely have AP flour anymore. These were AMAZING. I tried a little after they finished baking to be sure they were done and then I inhaled my dinner so we could get to dessert! After thry finished baking, I put the oven on 275 and left them in there to stay warm and they didn’t overcook. They stayed nice and gooey… ready for the ice cream we put on top. SO SO SO GOOD! Make this recipe! P.S. I only had cornstarch at home and it still worked out perfectly!
Claire Cary says
Yum! A brownie and ice cream is truly the best combo!
Christina says
These are the best brownies I have ever had in my life. Seriously. I ate them straight out of the pan! Then I ate topped with vanilla ice cream. I have never met a brownie that didn’t need frosting until now. Thank you. These are outstanding. AND gluten free,!?! I made as stated. I checked my coconut oil and it was unrefined so went the butter route. I will never make another brownie recipe again. Thank you a million times over.
Claire Cary says
Thank you so much Christina! Just made my day 🙂
Kelly Opedal says
I made a batch of these an hour ago and they’re already half gone (from just my boyfriend and I). They’re soooo perfect. Especially if you’re like me and don’t want dairy or gluten. I love that it’s made without any flour subs either- just delicious and wholesome ingredients. Now excuse me while I go indulge some more!
Geraldine Chew says
Hi! Can I replace the arrowroot powder with grounded almonds or buckwheat flour instead? How about using melted butter as opposed to coconut oil? Thanks a lot! 😊
Claire Cary says
You can use butter in place of oil, but the arrowroot can’t be subbed for almond flour. You will need some kind of starch like tapioca to ensure the brownies are well binded.
Lindsey says
I used brown sugar and opted for avocado oil, since it’s what I had on hand. These turned out great, I’ll definitely be making them again!
Claire Cary says
Good to know those subs worked! So happy you enjoyed them!
Faye says
Hi! Does cacao powder here?
Claire Cary says
You can use cacao powder! But it is much more bitter than cocoa powder so the brownies may reflect that
Ashley says
Can I use Potato starch as sub for tapioca?
Claire Cary says
I would recommend arrowroot over potato starch! You can use potato starch if that’s all you have, but it has a heavier consistency and may result in denser brownies.
Brittany says
Better than box brownies!! Easy to make for homemade brownies. These by far are the best thing I’ve ever made! I used coconut sugar, cacao powder and arrowroot and they were super fudgy and crackly just like Clare describes!
Claire Cary says
Thank you Brittany! So happy you enjoyed them!
Adam says
So simple to make yet so AMAZING to eat 🤤👌
Claire Cary says
Thanks Adam! Totally agree 🙂