Meal Type » Desserts » Almond Flour Brownies

Almond Flour Brownies

April 11, 2023 / by Claire Cary

These healthy paleo almond flour brownies are your new favorite dessert. They’re easy, fudgy and so delicious. You’d have no idea they’re grain free, dairy free and refined sugar free!

almond flour brownies cut into squares on parchment paper

A big brownie with a scoop vanilla ice cream on top is one of my favorite desserts. Vanilla cupcakes with vanilla icing is my all time favorite, but brownies are definitely up there on my list!!

But then again I’d never be able to turn down my blondies, chocolate chunk cookies or fluffy pumpkin cookies. Ugh, how can I ever choose?!

I personally don’t like brownies that are too fudgy and gooey in the middle. Anyone else?! I like them somewhere between fudgey and cakey, and that’s exactly what these almond flour brownies are!

However, I’ve listed a few different options if you want to make them more fudgy or more cakey, depending on what you like!

They’re also paleo, gluten free and can easily be made vegan. The vegan version is just as good as the regular, but both have been tested more times than I care to count and are perfect every time!

Key ingredients

Nut butter. Nut butter makes up the base of the recipe and adds a deliciously moist texture. I used almond because it has a pretty neutral flavor, but you can use peanut butter, cashew butter, tahini etc.

Eggs. You can use either two eggs or two flax eggs in these almond flour brownies. Eggs will yield a more cakey (but still fudgy) texture, whereas flax eggs will yield a very fudgy and gooey texture.

Sugar. You can use any kind of granulated sugar you like here. Coconut, brown, white etc. plus a bit of maple syrup to balance it out.

Almond flour. These brownies are naturally gluten free and grain free thanks to the almond flour. It creates a rich and moist texture thanks to the fat content.

Cocoa. Cocoa powder adds a rich chocolate flavor even without chocolate chips!

How to make almond flour brownies

The best part about this recipe is how delicious they are, but the second best part is how easy they are to make. Follow these simple steps and you’ll have perfect healthy brownies in less than an hour!

In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond butter, coconut oil, eggs (or flax eggs), coconut sugar, maple syrup, vanilla and plant milk and whisk until well combined.

Make sure there are no chunks of anything and the batter is really smooth.

Add in all remaining ingredients and carefully fold together using a wooden spoon. Fold in the chocolate chips if using.

Transfer to an 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper or greased with oil. A 9×9 pan will also work, but the brownies will be spread pretty thin and will therefore be thin when they bake.

Bake for 22-28 minutes (will depend on your oven) or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool completely before slicing to prevent the brownies from getting really crumbly.

Brownies in a baking dish before going in the oven.

Almond flour vs. almond meal

In a lot of my recipes, you may notice I use a lot of almond flour. It’s a great flour to use when making gluten or grain free recipes since it adds such a moist and fluffy texture.

However, there is a big difference between blanched almond flour, and almond meal from whole almonds. If a recipe calls for one, do not sub for the other as this will completely change the recipe!

Almond flour is made from blanched almonds which have the skins removed and is made into a very fine flour.

Almond meal on the other hand, is made from whole almonds with the skins and has a slightly different texture. They will yield very different results in baking, so stick to the recipe!

angled view of the almond flour paleo brownies with sea salt on top

Make them vegan!

This recipe calls for 2 eggs. However, you can easily make these brownies vegan by subbing the eggs for flax eggs.

To make the two flax eggs, combine 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed with 5 tablespoons of water and let thicken.

Note: If you use flax eggs, the brownies will be a bit thinner and slightly more dense, but I promise they are still delicious!

How to store and freeze

Once prepared, these healthy almond flour brownies will keep for about 3-5 days at room temperature.

Store them in an air tight container or on a plate with aluminum foil on top to prevent them from drying out. You can also store them in the fridge for up to 1 week.

To freeze, allow the brownies to cool completely, then slice and wrap either in plastic wrap or a freezer safe ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 2 months and reheat in the oven at 300 until warm through the center.

one bite taken out of the almond flour brownie to show the fudgy texture

Variations & substitutions

I recommend using refined coconut oil in this recipe to make sure there is no coconut aftertaste. You can also use melted vegan butter or regular butter as well!

Regardless of the nut butter you use, make sure it is very runny. Otherwise, you may need to add an extra tablespoon of milk to make sure the batter isn’t too dry.

The almond butter can also be subbed with tahini. A runny peanut butter would also work and give a delicious chocolate peanut butter flavor. Leave a comment below if you try it and let us know how it turns out!

Almond flour brownies with chocolate chips on top

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