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These rich and fudgy flourless brownies are made simply, with melted chocolate and cocoa powder, for maximum chocolate flavor. Naturally gluten free, with a Paleo option, too.
What makes these brownies so special
These amazingly simple, naturally gluten free flourless brownies are everything a chocolate-lover could hope for. They're rich and not too sweet, plus they're perfectly dense and fudgy.
This recipe has nothing more than melted chocolate, butter, sugar, eggs, and cocoa powder. Beating the butter first with the sugar and then the eggs helps give the brownies some lift, and helps create that beautiful crinkly meringue-like top. Don't be afraid to whip air into the batter.
A dash of salt helps balance the sweetness and bring out the other flavors. The flavor of the vanilla in these brownies isn't obvious on its own, but it provides depth. Both the vanilla and the salt could be omitted without affecting the success of the recipe.
Why bake without flour?
Let's first define baking without flour. If you're going to call something flourless it shouldn't have even a speck of an alternative flour (like almond flour or oat flour) or powdered starch (like cornstarch or tapioca).
I began developing flourless baking recipes years ago because, when you're new to baking gluten free, you don't have my favorite all purpose gluten free flour blends in the pantry. Since I want you to be successful early and often, I've developed many recipes that are truly flourless, even by the strictest definition.
Maybe you aren't gluten free but a beloved friend or family member is, and you want to be able to bake something for them without learning a whole new vocabulary of ingredients. Baking without flour will get you there immediately.
Maybe you're simply unable to run out to the store or the cupboards are suddenly and unexpectedly bare. You should be able to do some serious baking, even with limitations.
How this recipe works, even without flour
Every flourless recipe has something that holds it together, whether it's a nut butter, cooked quinoa, black beans in black bean brownies, or even mostly egg whites. In recipes like these flourless brownies, as in a flourless chocolate cake, the heavy-lifting ingredient is the melted chocolate.
I had been longing for a rich, flourless brownie with a fudgy, chewy texture, and didn't have a competing flavor like a nut butter brings. And I was determined to use only the simplest, most basic baking ingredients.
How to make flourless brownies
- Melt chopped chocolate, and let it sit briefly to cool while. You can melt the chocolate by microwaving it at no more than 70% power for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, or by using a double boiler and allowing the heat from the simmering water to melt the chocolate gently.
- Let the melted chocolate cool down briefly. We don't melt butter because we want to incorporate some air into it.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in 3 eggs, one at a time.
- Add cocoa powder to the butter/sugar/eggs mixture, and mix before beating because cocoa powder resists combining with wet ingredients.
- Pour in the melted chocolate, and beat well. The batter will be shiny and glossy.
- Add the (optional) semi sweet chocolate chips. Transfer the mixture to a lined, square baking pan.
- Bake until the center doesn’t jiggle loosely when the pan is shaken from side to side. A toothpick inserted in the center may not come out clean.
My Pro Tip
Recipe tips
Melt your chocolate carefully
Be sure to melt your chocolate very gently so it doesn't seize and clump in the batter. And your other ingredients must be at room temperature so they combine fully and don't shock the melted chocolate when it's added. That's what can result in
These brownies are not as solid as our more cake-like chewy gluten free brownies. But they're as close to fudge as you can get and still be a brownie!
Use good cocoa powder
Since there isn't any baking powder or baking soda in these brownies, I recommend using Dutch-processed cocoa powder, which has been processed to neutralize its acidity. It has a richer, deeper flavor, too, than natural cocoa powder.
If you don't have Dutch-processed (my favorite brand is Rodelle), just use natural cocoa powder and add a heaping 1/8 teaspoon baking soda to the recipe. That will neutralize the acid in your cocoa powder.
Substitutions
Ingredients & substitution suggestions
Whenever a recipe is as simple as this, making substitutions is risky. Each ingredient has a very specific function, and the more ingredients you replace, the farther away from the intended result you may find yourself. With that in mind, here are some suggestions.
Dairy free
Making these flourless brownies dairy free is the substitution that I feel most optimistic about. In place of the butter in the brownies, use virgin coconut oil. Be sure you're using dairy-free dark chocolate in the brownies and the topping.
In the topping, try canned full-fat coconut milk in place of the whipping cream. To help the ganache set up, though, try using 3 fluid ounces instead of 4 fluid ounces.
Egg-free?
I'm afraid I'm not really optimistic about making this recipe with an egg substitute. There are 3 whole eggs, which is beyond my limit for egg-replacing optimism.
If you try replacing them with a “chia egg” each (1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel), please share how it goes!
Sugar-free
To make these brownies sugar-free, make sure your dark chocolate is sugar-free, and try replacing the granulated sugar with Lankato brand monkfruit granulated sugar replacement. It tends to be drying, but that may not matter so much in this recipe and may just result in a firmer brownie.
To make the sugar Paleo without making it sugar-free, replace the granulated sugar 1 for 1 by weight with coconut palm sugar that's been ground into a somewhat finer consistency. Otherwise, it might not all dissolve in the brownies during baking and leave them a bit gritty.
FAQs
Flourless brownies don't have any gluten-containing grains in them, or they wouldn't be flourless, and they're gluten free as long as they don't have any other gluten-containing additives or sweeteners.
Did you let your melted chocolate cool before adding it to the other ingredients. That might cause the chocolate to seize and clump, making the brownies crumbly. There's not much you can do to fix seized melted chocolate.
The brownies are done baking when they're puffed in the middle and the center doesn’t jiggle when shaken gently from side to side. You won't be able to use the toothpick test, as they're so fudgy that the toothpick will probably only come out clean once the brownies are overbaked.
To make this recipe Paleo, you have to replace the granulated sugar and the butter with an unrefined sugar and a nondairy fat. I have made it Paleo by replacing granulated sugar with coconut palm sugar. It does tend to be quite grainy, so I recommend processing your palm sugar until it's finely ground in a food processor or blender first. In place of butter, I like to use virgin coconut oil (the type that's solid at room temperature). With those swaps, as long as you leave out the ganache topping and use Paleo-friendly chocolate chips or leave them out, your flourless brownies are Paleo.
Make ahead/leftovers
Storage instructions
Flourless chocolate brownies like these keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Although I doubt they'll stick around that long.
To freeze the bars
Yes, you can freeze these delicious flourless brownies. Once baked, let them cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. When you're ready, just let them sit on the kitchen counter to thaw for a few hours, then devour.
Flourless Brownies Recipe
Equipment
- Handheld mixer
Ingredients
For the brownies
- 10 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature (Paleo option: replace with virgin coconut oil)
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar, (Paleo option: replace with coconut palm sugar)
- 3 (150 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup (20 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, (preferably Dutch-processed)
- 3 ounces dark chocolate chips, for scattering (optional)
For the (optional) chocolate ganache
- 6 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
- ½ cup (4 fluid ounces) heavy whipping cream, (Paleo option: replace with coconut cream)
Instructions
Make the brownies.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and line an 8-inch square baking pan with unbleached parchment paper or nonstick aluminum foil that overhangs the sides of the pan, and set it aside.
- In a double boiler or a medium-sized microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate and until melted and smooth.
- To melt the chocolate in the microwave, heat in 30-second increments at 70% power, stirring in between intervals, taking care not to burn the chocolate. Set the melted chocolate aside to cool briefly.
- In a separate, large bowl, place the butter and beat with a handheld mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the sugar, and beat on high speed until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating very well in between additions.
- After the final egg, add the vanilla and salt, and beat on high speed until light and pillowy (about 1 minute).
- Add the cocoa powder and beat on low speed until the cocoa powder is absorbed (about 30 seconds to a minute).
- Add the melted chocolate and beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is smooth and glossy (2 to 3 minutes).
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan, spread it into an even layer and tap the pan on a flat surface to break any large air bubbles.
- Sprinkle the top evenly with the (optional) chocolate chips and press the chips into the batter to help them adhere.
- Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake until the brownies are puffed in the center and the center doesn’t jiggle when shaken gently from side to side (22 to 25 minutes). Do not overbake.
- Remove the pan from the oven, place it on a wire rack to cool completely in the pan.
- Once the brownies are nearly cool, if you’re not adding the ganache, place the pan in the refrigerator to chill until firm to the touch. This will make slicing much easier, but it’s not essential.
To make the (optional) ganache topping.
- If you’re adding the ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a medium-size, heat-safe bowl.
- Heat the heavy cream or coconut cream in a small, heavy-bottom saucepan just until it begins to simmer.
- Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and allow the mixture to sit for about 30 seconds, or until the chocolate beings to melt. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Pour the ganache over the top of the cooled brownies, still in the pan. Scatter with the (optional) chocolate chips, pressing them down gently to adhere. Refrigerate the brownies in the pan until the ganache is set (about an hour).
- Slice the chilled brownies into 9 or 12 equal pieces and serve. Without the ganache, they freeze amazingly well.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Awesome recipe, thank you! I made this for my GF 82 year old father and you’d have thought I handed him the moon on a platter. Suffice to say, I’ll be making them again. Oh, and I did reduce the sugar content to 1/2 cup and they were fabulous!
Aw, Jennie, that’s lovely. So glad he loved them, and that you got to give him the moon!
These were amazing and so easy to make!! Question, though- your brownies look so thick in the photos, but mine came out really flat. Is it because I probably over-mixed?
Thank you so much for this recipe!
Did you follow the instructions for how and how much to beat the butter, then the sugar, and eggs together? That’s essential to getting the crackle on top and the right brownie texture. Otherwise, you’ll end up with something a bit heavier and fudgier. Not altogether a bad thing, just different. Otherwise, did you use a pan that is larger than 8-inches square? That’s the only other thing I can think of, Alex!