Healthy Almond Flour Brownies

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!

A big brownie with a scoop vanilla icecream 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!

Instructions

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.

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.

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!

Can I make them vegan?

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

See the recipe notes for how to do this! If you use flax eggs, the brownies will be a bit thinner and slightly more dense, but I promise they are still delicious!

Do they keep?

Once prepared, these healthy almond flour brownies will be good for about 5 days at room temp, though I doubt they’ll last that long!

Store them in an air tight container or on a plate with aluminum foil on top to prevent them from drying out.

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 plant milk to make sure the batter isn’t too dry.

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

Try these desserts next!

• Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
• Chocolate Chunk Cookies
• Vegan Brownies
• Tahini Brownies
• Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Lastly, if you want more recipes straight to your inbox, be sure to subscribe to my email list. As always, tag me on instagram if you make this recipe so I can see your creation!

4.91 from 11 votes

Healthy Almond Flour Brownies

by: claire cary

These paleo almond flour brownies are going to be your new favorite dessert. They’re easy, fudgey yet cakey and SO DELICIOUS. You’d have no idea they’re grain free, dairy free, and can be made vegan! Let’s get baking.

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Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Total: 40 mins

16

1x2x3x

Ingredients

Wet:

• ▢ 1 cup runny almond butter
• ▢ ½ cup coconut sugar can sub for brown sugar
• ▢ ⅓ cup maple syrup
• ▢ 2 tbsp non-dairy milk I used almond
• ▢ 2 tbsp refined coconut oil melted
• ▢ 2 eggs or flax eggs works well either way
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla extract

Dry:

• ▢ ½ cup cocoa powder
• ▢ ¾ cup blanched almond flour not almond meal
• ▢ 1/4-1 tsp baking powder see notes
• ▢ ¼ tsp salt
• ▢ ½ cup chocolate chips optional

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
• In a large bowl, combine all wet ingredients.
• Whisk together until well combined. 
• Add in all remaining dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon. The batter will be on the thicker side. Be sure to spoon and level the flour, don’t scoop straight from the bag.
• Add the batter to an 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper. Spread evenly to cover all sides of the pan. It helps to use a rubber spatula for this step.
• Bake for 22-28 minutes (it will depend on your oven) 25 minutes is perfect in my oven. A toothpick should come out with a few crumbs and and a bit of fudge if you like fudgy brownies, it won't be clean. If you prefer fudgier brownies, bake for closer to 22 minutes, for more well done brownies, bake closer to 28.
• Let cool completely before slicing. They tend to fall apart if you cut them prematurely, so really try to wait at least 30 minutes before slicing (though longer is even better)! They hold up really well as long as they're cool when sliced 🙂 You can always heat them up in the microwave after they're sliced if you want to enjoy them warm.

Notes

The eggs can be subbed for 2 flax eggs. To make, combine 1 tbsp ground flax seeds (for every 1 egg and you need 2 for this recipe) with 2.5 tbsp of water. Combine and let sit for 10 minutes to thicken. The brownies will be a bit denser with flax eggs, but still delicious!

If you prefer fudgy brownies, I suggest a low amount of baking powder (1/4-1/2 tsp). If you prefer them more cakey, go with 1/2 – 1 teaspoon. For photo reference, I used 1/4 tsp and real eggs, which make them a bit fluffier than flax eggs.

The almond butter can also be subbed with tahini or any nut butter. I imagine a runny peanut butter would also work! Leave a comment below if you try it and let us know how it turns out!

The very best almond butter is the raw almond butter from Trader Joe’s. It has the best flavor and consistency for baking and works really well in this recipe. 

Do you ever cut into a brownie and have the top part start to crumble as you pull the knife away? Well, a good trick to prevent this is to use a slightly damp knife to cut the brownies. It sounds weird, but I promise it works and won’t mess up the brownies! The key is to wipe the knife in between each slice if you want perfectly clean edges and ensure the knife is just damp, not really wet.

Serving: 1brownie / Calories: 252kcal / Carbohydrates: 22g / Protein: 6g / Fat: 15g / Fiber: 3.7g / Sugar: 18g

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