Gooey Fudgy Paleo Brownies Recipe! This heathy dessert recipe is ready in 15 minutes flat and makes the best brownies EVER!
Have you ever hit recipe gold? I mean…you’ve created something and think, “this food is so good it could be used as currency.” Thats exactly how I feel about these Fudgy Paleo Brownies. They are fudgy, gooey, and oh so chocolatey.
These little bits of heaven are insanely delicious and are gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo AND vegan! Plus, they come together in 15 {yes, fifteen!} minutes FLAT! If you get.up.right.now. you seriously could be eating the best brownies in the world in 15 minutes. Ready…Set…Go! 🙂 Or wait…let’s chat about them a little more before you run to your kitchen…
These brownies were born out of my desire to make super fudgy paleo brownies that didn’t call for melted chocolate. I wanted to create cocoa-based brownies that were just as good as their melted-chocolate counterparts. And, as I said previously…gold.mine.
How to Make Fudgy Paleo Brownies
- EASY. Just like these paleo blondies, this recipe makes a small batch of fudy paleo brownies! If you’re like me and either a) don’t like taking risks with expensive ingredients or b) like to make a new dessert every other day…this is the perfect recipe for you! It’s so simple, mix the wet ingredients, add the dry and bake! Go ahead and lick that batter straight out of the bowl because it’s VEGAN (no eggs, no worries)!
- Pan size. Either an 8×4″ loaf pan. or a small 5″ Le Creuset baking dish can be used to bake these brownies! I know this is a unique size, but it’s really not that hard to find {click here}! I have one of the Le Creuset pans and three of the loaf pans and use them all.the.time. to make small-batch desserts and baking homemade bread!
- Fudge Factor. YOU determine your destiny with these beauties. Do you want brownies that are basically like eating gooey, warm brownie batter? Then bake for only 10 minutes. Do you prefer your brownies a little heartier? Then bake for 15 minutes (NO more)! If you like something in between, go for it! The sky’s the limit {well within a 5 minute window}! 😉 My favorite baking time is 11-12 minutes.
I have made this recipe an embarrassing amount of times (I HAD to make sure it was exactly perfect)! You really have nothing to lose! These healthy, delicious, OoOoey, gooey brownies won’t let you down. This might be my favorite recipe creation since these!!! No joke please make them! Please!
Fudgy Paleo Brownies: Substitutions
Ok these beauties are actually fairly versatile, so here are a few tried-and-true, delicious ways they can be slightly altered and still achieve the ultimate brownie perfection! Just be sure to choose ingredients that comply with your dietary needs.
- Almond butter. If you are allergic to almonds cashew butter is a phenomenal substitution int his recipe. Like out of this world good! I have used peanut butter {not paleo} but don’t prefer it to the other two choices.
- Coconut oil. Grass-fed butter or ghee can be used in place of coconut oil!
- Maple syrup. Honey is a delicious option to use in place of maple syrup!
- Almond milk. Any non-dairy or regular dairy milk can be used in this recipe!
- Almond flour. I do not recommend tampering with the flour in this recipe. However, I have heard some people have success with regular flour, all-purpose gluten-free flour and tapioca flour. Please {pretty please} do NOT, I repeat do NOT use coconut flour. It is not an acceptable substitution for almond flour.
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Fudgy Paleo Brownies
Ingredients
- ½ cup creamy almond butter or cashew butter
- 1 TBS coconut oil melted
- 2 TBS maple syrup (or honey
- 2 TBS unsweetened applesauce
- 2 TBS coconut sugar
- 1 TBS unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 TBS almond flour
- 2 TBS cocoa powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease an 8x4” loaf pan or a 5" baking pan** with coconut oil, set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside.
- In the microwave or on the stovetop gently warm almond butter and coconut oil until melted. Stir until combined.
- Add honey (or maple syrup), applesauce, coconut sugar, almond milk and vanilla. Stir well.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until well combined.
- Gently fold in mini chocolate chips.
- Spread batter in your prepared 8x4” loaf pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until just barely set. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you’re looking for more brownie recipes…{because there’s no such thing as too many…}
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Britt
Do you have to store these any certain way? Mine are incredibly gooey and delicious but I guess with them being so gooey I wasnt sure if they need to be in the fridge. Thanks!!
Laura
I usually store them in the refrigerator, and then just warm them up in the microwave when I’m ready to eat the leftovers!
Ashley
INCREDIBLE! I’ve been craving fudgy brownies for so long but every other recipe I tried came out more cakey than I was hoping for. These were everything I wanted. The serving size was perfect, it ensured we didn’t eat way too many in one day and good enough that my husband has requested me to make them every day since. Thank you!
Laura
Nothing beats a fudgy brownie! 😉 So glad they hit the spot for you!
Kathleen Ochipa
I made this recipe with a minor change…i knowww
I used an 8×8 pan and had to add 10 minutes to cooking time.
I doubled the recipe to fit the 8×8
I was short on almond flour. I had enough for 5tbs. I added 1 tbs of coconut flour but since the suggestions said that wouldn’t work, i also added 1tbs or flax seed meal.
I made it with honey and followed all other steps. It came out slightly crumbly like some people have said but otherwise super fudgy and it couldn’t be tastier–yum!!!
Katie
Hi, I made these brownies and they fell flat in the middle. I’m not sure what I did! I put them in for the full 15 minutes, and let them cool for 20, but they seemed a bit undercooked. However, I poked my finger in and they tasted AWESOME! But how do I fix the other stuff?
Laura
Hey Katie! These typically do fall in the middle. They puff during baking and then fall as they cool. They are extremely fudgy and don’t hold together well unless they are completely cooled. I usually eat them straight from the pan (LOL, but seriously). If you’re looking for a heartier paleo brownie that is still super fudgy try these: https://joyfoodsunshine.com/flourless-paleo-brownies/
Kendra
Looks so good! Can’t wait to try this 🙂 Are the nutrition facts for the entire batch?
Staley
Oh my gosh! Amazing! I didn’t have any applesauce so I substituted it with more Maple Syrup and I also added an Egg. Cooked 11 minutes to absolute perfection!
Laura
Thank you so much!
Alli
I just made these for the first time and thought they were great! I did not have any applesauce. Is its purpose to be a substitute for eggs? Seemed to be ok without it anyway.
Laura
Hey Alli! It adds extra natural sweetness and moisture! But it’s good to know that they turned out great without it!
Deb
How long do you cook the brownies if you double and use 8×8” pan?
Laura
Hello! I’d recommend testing them at 15 minutes, but a lot depends on your oven!
Boni
This recipe was amazing. Doesn’t feel Paleo at all. I had to combine almond and cashew because I didn’t have enough of either. Amazing. Also, I used only maple syrup because I was out of coconut sugar. It still worked. It was crumbly for me. I was wondering if an egg in it would keep it together. But crumbly was still amazing.
Ashley Etchart
Has anyone tried adding an egg? Mine were really dry/crumbly. Did I do something wrong?
Laura
Hey Ashley! Did you make any substitutions? I have never had these turn out dry! They are so fudgy and gooey they barely hold up when cut! 😉 So I’d love to help you troubleshoot! I have accidentally left out ingredients before (one time I had a pan of regular brownies in the oven for 20 minutes before I realized I forgot the eggs, whoops), so maybe you accidentally left out one of the wet ingredients?
Toni
Greetings,
Can I use wheat flour instead of almond flour? And is there a sub for coconut sugar, I do not like coconut.
Thanks
Laura
Yes you can, the texture may be slightly less fudgy though! Any granulated sugar works in place of coconut sugar!
Melissa
I can’t stand coconuts either. I only use organic refined coconut oil which has no flavor. I just wanted to comment that coconut sugar tastes like Brown sugar not like coconut. I haven’t tried these yet just found the recipe, can’t wait to.
Lorio
New-ish to a paleo diet (3 weeks in), and having insane cravings for baked sweets. This totally hit the mark and satiated my craving! Awesome gooey chocolatey goodness all baked up in a pan. Thank you! You saved me from a trip to the bakery and what would have been a major cheat on this diet!
Anne
Could I use dates as my sweetener or even banana instead of the maple syrup? Have you tried them with cassava flour?
Laura
I recommend making the recipe as written!
Marley
These look absolutely delicious but I was kind of bummed out to see that coconut flour is not an acceptable substitution. Just curious why one couldn’t use coconut flour? So many other vegan-gf-paleo brownies I have made use coconut flour and they are delicious.
Laura
Hey Marley! Coconut flour is not an acceptable substitution for almond flour because it absorbs significantly more liquid and would likely result in dry brownies!
Meagan
Amazing recipe and absolutely delicious brownies! I baked my 8×4 dish for 11 min and followed the recipe exactly as it called for.
Thank you for a such a tasty treat!!
Sarah
Do you think you can portion the mix into muffin tins and bake that way?
Mariah
I never post comments , but Oh my goodness. Probably the best brownie I’ve ever had in my life. We have a lot of weriod restrictions… And the fact that these brownies had none of the things we couldnt have I gave it a try… And ive made the recipe 4 times so far. Its the perfect tummies healthy alternative to brownies .. And I LOVE them. Thank you so much!!!!
Janet
I run a small cooking/recipe group on Facebook – I’m going to share your post with them for National Fritters Day. Thank you for sharing your recipes.. your work is very beautiful and easy to follow. Janet (the Cautious Foodie)
Ioana
I just want to thank you for this fantastic healthy recipe. I never thought that brownies could get this healthy. Thank you for sharing
Laura
Thank you Ioana! It’s one of my all-time favorites! 😉
Laina
These are truly amazing! I think this is my first time leaving a review for a recipe! I am newly GF but I love baking, and these are truly delicious, I have to step away from the pan! Other alternative flour recipes I’ve tried have kinda been a miss, even though I’ve wanted so hard to like them. So glad I found this recipe, I will surely be bringing these to gatherings to share with others!
Michaela Miller
I just made this for me, my boyfriend, and my parents. I cooked it 12 minutes and it was pretty gooey but perfect for like a brownie cobbler with a scoop of vanilla halo protein ice cream on top. It was heaven!!! Oh my gosh, my dad who doesn’t like anything but regular brownies and cookies and such and can always tell when I made a paleo treat couldn’t even tell it was non conventional. This is the best healthy brownie recipe I’ve found. Thank you!!! Oh try it a la mode with halo too!! So good!
E
Hello! Quick question: I have made these brownies a number of times, and the flavor is amazing! So good! However, I find that (cooking in an 8×4″ pan) the edges stay nice and risen while the middle always sinks. Still super yummy but any tips for making them not sink?? Thank you!
Laura
Hey! Yes these are sinking brownies. In all my trials I found these were my favorite even with the sinking. You could try adding some extra leavening agents (baking powder or soda) to see if that helps them hold the rise a little bit. But when I landed on this as the final recipe I decided taste over rise was more important! LOL! I make them like twice a week! I did find that baking them in a small cast iron skillet caused them to sink less!!
Jessica
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! No seriously, THANK YOU. I have been gf/df for 4 months now for weight loss purposes. I have been craving something gooey and chocolatey for months, but have had zero success with gluten free baking. Until now! This recipe is awesome. I used all purpose gf flour and added some coconut flakes. My craving is definitely satisfied! Now I think I may attempt freezing what’s left so I don’t sit and eat the entire pan!
Misty
These are amazing! Thank you! I’m curious if they will taste the same with an egg instead of applesauce? Thanks!