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 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! Try one of my other favorite almond flour recipes next!
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.
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!
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.
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!
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!
Paleo Almond Flour Brownies
by: claire cary
Ingredients
Wet:
- 1 cup runny almond butter or other nut butter
- ½ cup coconut sugar can sub for brown sugar
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk I used almond
- 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil or butter melted
- 2 eggs or flax eggs see notes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry:
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ¾ cup blanched almond flour not almond meal
- 1/4-1 teaspoon baking powder see notes
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips optional
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.
Devi says
Hi Claire
These look amazing. Can I sub regular butter instead of almond butter? Do I use the same 1 cup, if so?
Claire Cary says
I don’t recommend that! I suggest sticking to some kind of nut butter. Nut butter and regular butter act differently in baked goods and these will be much too oily if you use all regular butter.
Niky says
Loved the recipe, it’s a big hit with everyone at home. Hi have made it a few times already
Claire Cary says
Thank you, Niky!
Samantha says
Could these be blondies if I left out the cocoa? Thanks
Claire Cary says
No, they would be too wet because the cocoa acts like a flour. I’d try my almond flour blondies instead!
Darla says
These are the best brownies ever. I’ve made them multiple times and they never disappoint.
They freeze really well too!
Claire Cary says
Makes me so happy! Thanks, Darla.
Debsy says
The BEST brownie recipe I’ve ever made – 10/10!!
Claire Cary says
Just made my day! Thanks, Debsy!
bo says
can I skip maple syrup? if I skip, do I have to add more coconut sugar?
Claire Cary says
I don’t recommend that since the maple syrup is a key wet ingredient and leaving it out or subbing with a granulated sugar will change the overall recipe quite a bit.
Sandy says
Can u substitute the almond butter with something else?
Claire Cary says
Any other nut or seed butter! Peanut, cashew, sunflower seed etc.
Eliza says
Well, I was sure I had all the ingredients when I set out to make them but I was wrong, so I made a few substitutions and they were fantastic! I used unsalted butter instead of the coconut oil and used Teddy crunchy peanut butter (a new jar with oil on top) instead of the runny almond butter. The peanut chunks were visible but they added a wonderful flavor and texture (and the top had a cute “freckly” look!) I dusted the top with powdered sugar once cooled. Highly recommend!!
Amanda T says
These are delicious! Thanks so much! I made them for a get together and even the people that arnt GF still enjoyed them. I love how simple the ingredients are as well. I’ll definitely be making them again!
Claire Cary says
Thank you Amanda! So happy you all enjoyed these.
Jess says
My boyfriend has an allergy to wheat and gluten and I am constantly trying new recipes that actually taste nice. This recipe is one of the nicest brownie recipes I have ever tried, I could not even tell that it was gluten free. I had to hide some slices for him before the rest of my family ate them all. I used two tablespoons of butter instead of the coconut oil and it came out splendidly. Thank you so much and I look forward to trying your other similar recipes!
Claire Cary says
Thank you Jess! So glad you found something you both enjoy!
Yasmine says
Can I add protein powder to the recipe? And can I use stevia as my sweetener instead of the maple syrup and coconut sugar?
Thank you 😊
Claire Cary says
No, protein powder nor stevia will work in this recipe. I do have a protein brownie recipe coming in March, so stay tuned for that!
Alyssa says
These turned out absolutely AMAZING! I used natural peanut butter from Whole Foods and baked for 22 min. They are the perfect fudgey rich brownie, but not overly sweet. Can’t wait to take them to my 4th of July BBQ (if they can make it!)
Claire Cary says
Perfect! I need to try these with peanut butter, sounds perfect!
Barbara Martin says
I made these brownies today. I substituted date syrup for the sugar and I used organic peanut butter instead of the almond butter. These came out so delicious 😋 very moist and chocolatey. Such a nice dessert with coffee. Will make these again.
Nish says
Hi, is there any substitute for maple syrup in this recipe?
Claire Cary says
You can try honey!
AK says
These may be the absolute best brownies I have ever had! I used a 6×6 pan and halved the recipe and baked for 25 mins and it was absolutely perfect – I used Tahini!
Claire Cary says
What a nice review! So happy you enjoyed these 🙂
Erica says
What about using coconut flour instead of almond? How would that compare?
Claire Cary says
Coconut flour is much more absorbent than almond so you would need a very different amount. I recommend sticking with almond for best results!
Donna says
By chance, could avocado oil be substituted for the coconut oil? Thanks!
Claire Cary says
Yes that will work!
JC says
Do you know what the Saturated Fat would be per brownie?
Claire Cary says
it depends on what kind of oil you use (coconut oil will have the most), but probably just a couple of grams!
J says
Is coconut sugar wet???
Claire Cary says
yes, granulated sugar is always added with wet ingredients!
Heather Stone says
Turned out great!! Not too rich/sweet, just right and 22min was perfect for me! I bought an almond flour brownie mix in the store recently and it doesn’t compare to the quality of ingredients in this at all! This recipe is incredible! 🙌🏼
Claire Cary says
You’re so sweet, thank you! I haven’t even tried boxed almond flour brownie mix, but good to know these are better 🙂
Alix Richardson says
Would a gluten free all purpose flour work for this recipe? Excited to try it either way!
Claire Cary says
I wouldn’t recommend it for these, almond flour is really different than all purpose flour so the ratios would totally change. I have a “regular” gluten free brownie recipe that uses GF all purpose which you can find here!
Sam says
I made mine with brown sugar but substituted cocoa powder for carob powder because we have a chocolate allergy in the house. The baking time for a clean toothpick is waaaaay longer than 25 minutes! That’s my only complaint.
Claire Cary says
That’s because of the carob, it absorbs ingredients very differently than cocoa powder which will result in a longer baking time to ensure the center is fully cooked!
Lisa says
Have you tried a different substitute for the sugar and maple syrup to adapt these to keto?
Claire Cary says
I haven’t! but I think if you use a keto granulated sweetener like monk fruit and a keto maple syrup equivalent, it’ll work. Just replace each 1:1.
Padma says
Hi what is the substitute for egg I would love to try this .. I have never used flaxeggs ? Will flax meal work in place of eggs if so how much of flax meal should I be using ??
Thank u
Claire Cary says
I explain this in the notes section of the recipe! Yes, you can definitely use flax meal. Just whisk together 2 tbsp of the flax plus 5 tbsp of water and let it set aside to thicken. Then just use that in place of the eggs in the recipe.
Sunanda says
The brownies turned out salty with half tsp salt! But for that consistency was great and it took me like 35 mins bake time to get a clean fork. Thanks.
Claire Cary says
Sorry they were too salty for you! Glad you still enjoyed them though!
Alesha Grant says
Make sure to use a high quality sea salt. If you use table salt (like small granular idodized morton’s) it will be too salty. Comparatively, sea salt inherently has less sodium in it and since it has larger granules, you actually add less volume-wise. Try that! Hope it helps.
Hiral says
Hi, what can I use instead of the Coconut sugar?
Claire Cary says
light brown sugar works just as well!
Ariane says
Really loved this recipe, it’s so easy to follow! It’s so chocolatey and fudgey, we couldn’t wait until it cooled completely to cut in!
Claire Cary says
That’s a good problem to have! So happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Salma says
can I sub oat flour for almond flour??
Claire Cary says
I haven’t tried that myself, but I do think it could work! Oat and almond flours have very different properties so I cannot guarantee the result, but let me know if you try it!
Bryn says
I have been searching for a good paleo dessert for quite a while and I am so glad I happened upon this recipe! The texture is so similar to regular brownies/chocolate cake and the flavor is the best I’ve tried yet. Highly recommended! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Claire Cary says
Thanks Bryn! So happy you enjoyed them. I have a paleo blondie recipe if you want to try those too 🙂
Bryn says
Yes please!!
Tara says
Ok, these are the BEST! They’re Cakey yet fudgey and hardly lasted 24 hours. Will be making again!
Claire Cary says
yay!! They hardly last 24 hours in my house too 🙂
Gretchen says
These were perfectly chewy and fudgey. 10/10