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These oat flour brownies are rich in chocolate flavor from a full cup of cocoa powder. They're chewy, fudgy, and have a light nutty flavor from whole grain oat flour. Plus, they're naturally gluten free!
Why I love this out flour brownies recipe
- Fudgy texture: Melting the butter and sugar first gives these brownies that super rich fudgy texture of the best brownies. You'd never know they weren't just “regular” brownies!
- Tons of chocolate flavor: With 1 full cup of cocoa powder, these brownies are so rich in chocolate flavor, to match that perfect brownie texture.
- Naturally gluten free: Made with just one naturally gluten free whole grain flour, rather than a blend of flours. That means they're easy to make if you're baking for a GF friend or you're new to a gluten free diet and don't have a fully stocked pantry.
Ingredient notes & substitution suggestions
Here are the ingredients you need to make these special oat flour brownies. Read carefully for notes on how to make some substitutions if you're avoiding other allergens, too:
- Butter: Adds flavor, richness, moisture and texture. If you're dairy-free, try Melt or Miyoko's Kitchen brand vegan butter. Avoid softened butters in the tub.
- Sugar: Adds tenderness and sweetness. Be sure to melt it fully so your brownies are smooth and fudgy.
- Eggs: Add rise, richness and tenderness. If you're egg-free, try 3 “chia eggs” (mix 3 tablespoons ground white chia seeds with 3 tablespoons lukewarm water).
- Vanilla: Adds depth of flavor. You can leave it out or replace it with half as much almond extract or your favorite flavor.
- Oat flour: Oats that have been ground into a fine powder. It forms the basic structure of these brownies. If you'd like to make these oat-free, I'd really recommend you use our classic gluten free brownie recipe. If you'd like to try to replace the oats, check out our post on how to substitute for oats in baking.
- Cocoa powder: Provides chocolate flavor and richness. I prefer Dutch-processed, but if you want to use natural cocoa powder, just add 1/8 teaspoon baking soda to the recipe to neutralize the acidity.
- Salt: Balances sweetness, enhances other flavors.
- Chocolate chips: Add more chocolate flavor and some texture; you can replace some or all of them with soft, chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans. Or try a different flavor chocolate chip.
How to make oat flour brownies
Melt the butter and sugar; combine with eggs
In a small saucepan, bring the butter and sugar to a gentle simmer, then let the mixture cool. Beat 3 eggs and vanilla until frothy, then beat in the melted butter and sugar once it's cooled.
Add the cocoa powder, oat flour, and chocolate chips
Add cocoa powder to the mixture, then the oat flour. First mix in the cocoa powder gently, then beat it in to combine fully. Then mix in the salt and oat flour by hand until just-combined and add chocolate chips.
Transfer to pan, and bake until done
Transfer the batter to a lined square metal baking pan, and spread into an even layer. Scatter a few more chocolate chips on top, and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 325°F to finish baking.
Recipe tips & tricks
Use finely ground oat flour
If you can, use a commercially-prepared oat flour in these brownies. Although I love to make homemade oat flour, you can't really get as fine a grind as packaged oat flour. I usually buy Gold Medal brand oat flour, which is gluten free. Bob's Red Mill brand oat flour is also good. Just be sure that you buy the package that is labeled “gluten free” if you need to be GF.
If you do grind your own oat flour for these brownies, run it through a sifter before measuring it out so you avoid any larger pieces of oats.
Don't overmix the batter
Oats have a tendency to get tough if you overmix them, and make ruin the tenderness of baked goods. To avoid this, beat all of the other ingredients into the brownie batter first, then mix in the oat flour last, and by hand. Stop mixing when it's just combined.
Don't try the “toothpick test” for doneness
The brownies are done baking when they appear set all the way to the center and don't glisten like they're wet. Also, if you shake the pan from side to side gently, the brownies won't jiggle. If you insert a toothpick into the center of the pan, it will seem wet long after they're done baking.
Chill before slicing
For clean slices, let the brownies cool, uncut, for 1 hour, and then refrigerate for 1 hour before slicing. Use a very sharp, large knife to cut the brownies into 9 squares in one swift motion of the knife per slice.
Storage and refreshing instructions
These brownies are really moist, tender and fudgy, and keep really well at room temperature, in the refrigerator, and in the freezer. Store them, covered, at room temperature for up to 5 days. Refrigerate them for another 5 days, covered well, and then freeze in a freezer-safe container or wrap for up to 3 months.
To refresh refrigerated brownies, let them come to room temperature (although I really love them cold). If you've frozen them, let them defrost at room temperature or in the refrigerator first. Check out my coconut flour brownies too while you're into it.
Frequently asked questions
If you use gluten free oat flour, these oat flour brownies are naturally gluten free.
If you used coarsely ground oat flour or overbaked your brownies, they may seem a bit crumbly. Next time, stop baking them a bit sooner.
No, you can't use all purpose flour or even all purpose gluten free flour in place of oat flour in this recipe. Oat flour is not a 1 to 1 substitute for all purpose flour or vice versa. If you'd like to use an all purpose gf flour, you'll absolutely love our classic gluten free brownies recipe.
You might be able to replace the granulated sugar with granulated coconut sugar, especially since you're melting the sugar with the butter. I haven't tried that swap, though, so you'd have to experiment.
Baking with oat flour
Are you interested in more oat flour recipes? You'd be amazed at what you can do with this single, whole grain flour. Here are some my other favorite oat flour recipes:
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Oat Flour Brownies Recipe
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Handheld mixer
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons (140 g) unsalted butter, chopped
- 1 ¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
- 3 (150 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (80 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, (I prefer Dutch-processed; if you use natural, just add 1/8 teaspoon baking soda)
- ⅞ cup (105 g) finely ground oat flour, gluten free if necessary
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 ounces semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch x 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil (either nonstick, or grease regular foil with cooking oil spray), and set it aside.
- In a small saucepan, place the chopped butter and granulated sugar. Place over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the butter melts and the mixture is gently simmering around the edges. Remove the mixture from the heat and set it aside to cool until it’s no longer hot to the touch.
- In a large mixing bowl, place the eggs and vanilla, and beat with a handheld mixer until the mixture is a bit foamy.
- Once the butter and sugar mixture is no longer hot to the touch, add it to the egg mixture and beat with the handheld mixer on medium speed until very smooth and well combined.
- Add the cocoa powder to the mixing bowl and, with the mixer off, manually whisk the cocoa powder in just until the wet ingredients have absorbed the powder. Cocoa powder resists combining, so if you turn on the mixer right away, the powder will scatter.
- Turn on the mixer to medium-high speed and beat until the batter very well-combined. It should be thick and glossy.
- Add the oat flour and salt, and mix using a mixing spoon or spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Add about 4 of the 5 ounces of the chocolate chips, and mix until the chips are evenly distributed throughout the brownie batter.
- The batter will be very sticky and thick. Scrape it into the prepared pan and smooth gently into an even layer with a slightly wet offset or silicone spatula.
- Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips evenly across the top of the batter, and press gently with your fingers to help the chips adhere to the batter.
- Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and continue to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until the brownies appear set all the way to the center. The brownies should not jiggle when you shake the pan gently from side to side.
- The toothpick test is not useful here, so you’ll have to judge doneness based on appearance.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow the brownies to cool in the pan for about 1 hour or until the pan is no longer hot to the touch. The brownies will sink a bit as they cool, but they should sink evenly across the whole top.
- Place the pan in the refrigerator to chill for about 1 hour or until very firm. Remove from the pan, slice with a sharp knife into 9 equal pieces and serve.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
can I double this recipe?
Hi, Kate, you can definitely double the recipe, but I don’t like baking brownies in a 13 x 9 tin, since they tend to burn on the bottom in the middle before they bake all the way through to the center. I’d recommend baking in 2 square pans.
Out of all the years of brownie making, and all the different types of recipes I’ve made this is hands-down the best! Made it for Thanksgiving last year and it was requested again this year. I’m really looking forward to it! My husband who isn’t a chocolate lover ate multiple servings, my six-year-old grandson loved them and my mother-in-law wanted to make sure that I was bringing them again! Better than wheat flour brownies. My guess is the butter sugar simmer is what sets these apart as amazing. So good!
I love that these are now your signature brownies! Simmering the butter with the sugar is key, for sure. And oat flour just sort of lends itself to brownies in a wonderful way. Thanks so much for sharing how much you and everyone in your family loved them!
when greasing the aluminum foil, does the grease side go down facing the pan or facing the batter?
Hi, Carolyn, the greased side is facing up. You line the pan with foil, then grease the foil so that the brownies don’t stick to it after baking. If you have nonstick foil, use that and be sure that the nonstick side is facing up (it will say on the foil which is the nonstick side, for that reason!).