Paleo Fudgy Brownies
These brownies are seriously dangerous. They’re too good. I swear, neither one of us could tell the difference between these and “conventional” brownies–except for the fact these don’t make you feel like poo after you eat them. I made 2 batches in two days and….they’re all gone. Oops.
Besides the fact that these are completely gluten free; you could leave out the sugar in the brownies and be almost 100% Paleo. Try and find chocolate chips with the highest percentage of cocoa. The higher the percentage the less sugar in the chocolate. If you can’t find a good quality chocolate chip, you could always chop up a chocolate bar instead.
Ingredients
- 1 c almond butter
- 1/2 c canned coconut milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 t vanilla extract
- 1/4 t salt
- 1/3 c cocoa powder
- 1/4 c sugar (optional or sweetener of choice)
- 1/3 c chocolate chips (use the highest % cocoa you can find, around 70% is good)
- 1/3 c chopped nuts
Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 x 8 baking dish.
In a bowl whisk together the almond butter, coconut milk, eggs, vanilla extract and salt. Then add the cocoa powder, sugar, and chocolate chips.
Pour into the prepared baking dish and top with chopped nuts.
Bake for approx. 18 minutes.
Made the brownies twice already this week! Really good recipe and definitely better the second time around but I couldn’t even tell you what I did differently. The chocolate chips I used were Ghirardelli’s 60% cocoa which were very very good and rich so I didn’t feel the need to eat multiple brownies. Refrigerate for more fudge-like or leave room temperature for more cake like. I added some cocoa roasted almonds in the second batch, delish! Thanks Megan and Brandon.
i like to freeze them too! a. i don’t eat them all in one sitting and b. b/c they get fudgy to the max! glad you enjoyed!
Brownies = LOVE, I dont even have to try them I know they will be good
Brownies complete! Those are seriously good, now on to roasted sweet potatoes with rains and goat cheese! can’t wait.
we made these with 100% cocoa which were good but a tad bitter, what percentage do y’all suggest? maybe 70%?
all cocoa is 100% b/c it’s just straight powdered cacao beans. the chocolate chips we used were probably somewhere around 60-70%, maybe you used bittersweet?
your right it was 100% chocolate chips we had used the first time, that’s probably why. We made them again last night using 60%, much better.
OMG these look awesome, I am going to make some maybe over the weekend (putting my body into ketosis right now)
Do you have to use sugar? Would honey work as well?
you don’t have to use sugar, but i would recommend using a chocolate chip that’s around 70%–don’t go bittersweet. the bitterness is almost unpalatable without any sweetness. never tried honey, might make the batter a little too wet. let me know if it works.
I was wondering the same thing (re: honey)
sugar and honey are chemically very similar, so…
OK so I just made these and they are awesome, I used sugar like in the recipe. I don’t have a baking dish that size so I decided to use my large muffin tin and bake them for 15 minutes instead. New favourite thing!! Thanks
Just curious as to the nutritional info:
calories?
fat?
carbs/sugar?
protein?
Are these listed anywhere?
I made them and they are delish!
Thanks
glad you liked them! i google-d a recipe nutrition calculator, but because i don’t know if you used sugar (we don’t) or what type of chocolate chips you used (and you don’t get an option with the calculator), i had to make some assumptions.
here’s my recipe assumption:
12 servings
1 cup almond butter
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs
1/3 cup chocolate chips
Calories
196
Total Fat
17.1g
Total Carbohydrates
9.1g
Sugars
2.8g
Protein
5.1g
i think the carbs may be a bit less, since i couldn’t choose the type of chocolate chip used.
These look amazing! I tried your cheesecake swirl variation, and it was pretty awesome, but I think for our second round of Christmas I’m going to go for the original. Thanks for sharing!
i hope you enjoy. thanks liz!
I made these last night without using sugar, and they just didn’t work for me. Maybe it was because I only had the reduced-fat coconut milk in the house, but they didn’t turn out very moist at all. Without sugar, the taste was very similar to baking chocolate. Perhaps I just need to adapt my tastebuds to reduced sugar. In the meantime, I look forward to trying some of the other dessert recipes. (I want to find something I can bring to a CrossFit party and not get hassled about!)
Agreed…they were a great texture, but yucky without sugar. Admittedly, I also left out the chips because I am trying to avoid allvsugar except whole fruits. However, being a person who hates to waste food, I froze them and add one to a blender with almond milk and half a banana for a chocolate shake. Pretty yummy.
yeah, cocoa powder and raw almond butter are pretty gross without some sweetness to offset the extreme bitterness.
yeah…substitutions with baking are really tricky. one small change and you end up with a puddle of goo or brittle cement. this is why meg is in charge of the “baking department” here at health-bent.
i don’t like to measure and such so i’ve made some pretty comical things.
New to paleo and I feel like your website is a goldmine! Thank you for providing these recipes!
I have a quick question. I cannot tolerate eggs. Do you have any suggestions on what would be best as an egg substitute?
Thank you!
thanks kalee!
back in the day, i toyed around with veg*n dessert recipes and a lot of them used applesauce as a egg replacement.
Are egg whites all right, or do they have to be whole eggs (yolk and all)?
hard to say..probably, but don’t get mad at me if it doesn’t work.
why can’t you use the yolks?
That’s an interesting problem, because it’s the coagulating action of the albumen in egg whites that sets the brownie in this recipe. I don’t what besides eggs would work–aside from gluten!
fyi – Most people with an allergy to chicken eggs can eat duck eggs just fine. You get them at the Asian market. They are higher in fat than chicken eggs which makes them perfect for baking.
just made these and they are delicious! my boys and husband loved them too! thanks!!
you are very welcome. thank you michele!
made these last night as well! i used ghiradelli 60% chips and organic white sugar. i subbed organic whole milk for the coconut milk. they were great, especially after sitting in the fridge all night. i think next time i would cut down a bit on the cocoa powder…they are quite strong but go down well with a glass of milk handy : ) this is a really great low carb/low sugar treat.
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This recipe looks AMAZING!
I’ll have to try it soon. I know several of your recipes use nut butter, which is good and dandy, but I don’t like eating TOO much nut butter. Have you guys ever tried baking with coconut butter? I have a little bit on hand, so I might try this recipe soon with that substitution and see how it works.
i hear ya on the nut butter. i haven’t tried coconut butter, just b/c i can’t find it cheap enough in order to use it in such large quantities. i’d love to hear how this turns out for you.
Only had about 1/2 cup of almond butter so I replaced the rest with some aging coconut butter I had laying around. Still delicious, though it “sticks” a bit more going down. Also I like my brownies a bit more cakey so I whisk the eggs really well first before adding other ingredients.
Yum! I can’t wait to try these! I will be substituting stevia for the sugar…I’ll let you know how they come out.
i’m very interested to hear how that works out.
It didn’t. It was WAY too bitter, I find that sometimes happens when I use stevia with chocolate. I made them again today and used 1/2 cup sunbutter and 1/2 cup almond butter along with 1/4 cup palm sugar…delish! I prefer the straight almond butter recipe but my dad really likes sunbutter…most people say it tastes more like peanut butter but I really don’t think so…he loved them!!!
Excellent recipe. I made them as directed and I really liked how they turned out. My husband the brownie connoisseur even liked them, but they weren’t really sweet enough for him. I think I’d add more chocolate chips, since the bites with a chip in them are considerably sweeter. Or just do like he did and put a spoonful of chocolate ice cream on top.
These are so amazing—I’m glad you exist! I’ve made them three times now, and this last time I swapped the sweetener for a banana and a half, and it turned out great if you like your chocolate with a little banana-y-ness.
Thank you!
So freakin good! Thanks!!!
Tried these – they are delicious! I used xylitol instead of sugar and it worked really well
good to know. thanks carrie!
OMG!!! It was all I could do to not eat all the batter before they got in the oven!!!! I put in a little less almond butter and added some pureed persimmons (they are in season here in Korea) and 2 tbs of almond flour and almost ate the whole pan! THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!
hahaha, you’re very welcome qiana!
These were excellent! I subbed in honey instead of sugar and they worked out fine. I used 68% dark chocolate chopped up and it was perfect. Also, as suggested, these are excellent from the fridge and get a nice fudgey texture. Just had a slice with my morning Americano.
Note: if you haven’t been following a Paleo or Primal, no refined sugars, low sugar diet these brownies probably won’t wow you. I am on day 20 of a Paleo clean eating challenge. My palette is now attuned to a lot less sugar/sweet so these brownies were plenty sweet for me.
Thanks for the recipe! I will be back for more.
glad you enjoyed rachel. it’s true, our palates have become so sensitive to sugar, that treats often taste of overwhelming sweetness and tend to lack real, actual flavor.
we try not to use more than 1/4-1/3 c sugar in our recipes, b/c as i’m sure you know, sugar is sugar, no matter how ‘healthy’ or unprocessed it is.
WOW! These were spectacular! I used 1/4 cup coconut sugar and 70% baking chips and the cocoa / sugar balance was perfect! I honestly think these are the best brownies I’ve ever had — even better than the “regular” brownies I used to make before going paleo. Thanks so much for a most delicious dessert tonight!
I am going to make these
!!
Can you use almond milk instead of the Coconut milk??
Can’t wait to try them
this is canned coconut milk so it’s the really thick stuff…substituting it with almond milk (thinner – no fat) might be OK but i don’t think it will come out exactly the same.
[...] decided yet. I'm going to bake some cookies with almond flour and I found a really yummy looking brownie recipe that I'm going to try as well – I will do it before then, just to make sure its good. I also [...]
So, I’ve tried a bunch of HB recipes and wow! I’ve bought most of the paleo cook books and I like the recipes in this site the best. These brownies are great! Each brownie I have, it tastes better. I used Whole Foods brand 70% dark chocolate chunks and used sugar. I have a batch of prepackaged gluten free brownies made up just before these and I’m going to throw those in the trash. Keep it up!
drey–thank you so, so, so much. one of the best and most touching comments i’ve read. the feedback is much appreciated!
I really want to make these right now, but sadly I only have almond milk and no coconut milk. Would that be an okay substitute?
we have tried making these with the carton variety of coconut milk and they do NOT turn out the same. so i’d venture to say that it may not be the best sub, but it shouldn’t turn into anything you’d have to toss out.
Can the chocolate chips be left out of this recipe?
sure–but i caution, you need some sweetness as cocoa powder on it’s on is quite bitter.
Wow, I just made these right now. I substituted the sugar with agave syrup and some stevia. They came out AMAZING! I have to refrain from eating them all
glad you enjoyed sneha!
Hey Brandon,
I appreciate you taking the time to address our members. There was certainly no intention to attack you or your site, I think a little context would be helpful.
We’re starting next week a nutrition challenge, as we’ve done several times in the past. As a challenge, it’s essentially 60 days of a something most would recognize as Paleo. Each time, we have folks who instead of making the jump to mostly lean meats, vegetables and the like, spend their days eating Paleo replacements of typical foods. And sadly, they ultimately don’t the gains others do and are disappointed by their progress.
As you said, it’s a treat, and I couldn’t agree more. But, many of our members will be trying to establish (or reestablish) good habits, which isn’t made easier if you’re falling back to “treat” foods routinely.
Thanks again,
Jake
did you read my links? (orange)
i’m very familiar with challenges and the like. we personally try to shy away from dogmatic rules in favor of awareness and education for folks to make up their own minds/figure out how to make it practical for the long haul. there are arugments to be made for both and i’ve written about both approaches. but that’s exactly the problem i’m having. it seems you have singled us out as something that would derail people’s success without acknowledging that we have put much effort into trying to shine a new light on other methods that might make (more) sense. we have done so to justify and stand behind our approach and terminology. so again, we don’t have to agree…but if you choose to use us as an example, i would appreciate the courtesy of you being fully informed on us before you assume (or allude to your members) we are someone out there too naive to know that abusing treats is unhealthy…or what is and is not “paleo”.
I’ve tried a few Paleo brownie recipes, but these are the best!! I use agave syrup vs sugar, almond vs coconut milk, & usually skip the chocolate chips. YUMMY!! Thank you for helping me stay on the Paleo path!!
oh my gosh. thanks pam! watch out for that agave, it’s no bueno. http://www.health-bent.com/blog/crash-course-on-sugar
I’m a little paleo baby and this is the first almost fully paleo treat I cook. It’s less sweet than usual, which is good, because my palate is beginning to think stuff are too sweet sometimes. (Even apples :O ) I was really dubious of how it would gain consistency until I tasted it. I’m gonna put in on the fridge and wait for tomorrow to eat more!
And it definitely doesn’t need that much butter (but it’s really good like that!)
Where do you find almond butter?
you can buy it online or if your grocery store has a bulk section, the freshly ground stuff is usually the cheapest and best to use in recipes in like this.
Would peanut butter be absolutefuly a NO for this recipe? I know it’s not Paleo but it’s all I’ve got on hand right now…
i would say wait and make this until you have something else…
Hey I plan to make these tomorrow, but I wanted to ask if you have tried making them without any chocolate and using coconut oil+cocoa powder and I plan to use stevia extract. I’m wondering your thoughts, either way I know these will be amazing, thanks!!!!!
i have not. i’m interested to hear how this turns out though…
Just wanted to say that I tried these brownies tonight and brought them to a family gathering. They were a huge hit!
I did substitute palm sugar for regular sugar and they tasted great. Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipes!
i love hearing this! so glad y’all enjoyed. thanks alexis!
I just made these brownies for friends and they were SO GOOD. So very rich and sweet and full of taste. Our friends were amazed that they were Paleo (they are skeptical of the lifestyle choice)…
I made them with honey instead of sugar, we chose to use chopped hazelnuts and 60% dark chocolate chips (i doubled the amount of nuts and chips. I love chunky brownies).
They were PERFECT!!!! I served them with kiwi, strawberries and blueberries and a small scoop of So Delicious Coconut Ice Cream. A little bit of a cheat but totally worth it. I have a feeling I will dream about these brownies tonight. yummmmmmmmm…
These brownies look amazing. I wonder if I could use Coconut sugar instead? You didn’t mention it, but I’ve been using coconut sugar on and off, so am going to try.
should work out perfectly.
http://realfoodforager.com/recipe-cocoa-butter-cupcakes-scdgaps-paleoprimal/
I used 1/3 cup maple syrup instead of sugar and added probably a tablespoon of coconut flour to help the consistency (it looked too wet with the syrup) and they were beautiful thankyou.
glad you enjoyed jo. thanks!
I made these tonight with the sugar, but subbed hazelnut butter for the almond butter = nearly Paleo Nutella brownies! Fantastic! Thanks!
Your recipes really reflect the philosophy I have when it comes to food choices. I’ve moved my family into a grain-free world, but we aren’t 100% Paleo. The labels bother me from time to time, because it can make it seem like an exclusive club. I just want to make sure I raise my babes on nutrient dense food, but still enable them to savor flavor, texture and taste. I love food, and your approach enables me to keep loving it without beating myself up over labels. And yes, i recognize these as a treat. Thanks!
word!!!!!!!!!!!! power to the normal people! thanks nicole!
After researching for some hazelnut butter (Nutella brownies sound AMAZING), I wondered if maybe I could substitute the almond butter for tahini? I know sesame seeds aren’t nuts, but the texture is similar. Any thoughts?
personally, i think the sesame would be way too overpowering to use it full force, 100%. perhaps a 75/25 or 50/50 mix?