[pinit][pinit] I went for it. Things have been pretty healthy around here, what with all the back-to-school breakfast Paleo muffins and breakfast Paleo cookies. Today, we’re diving into the deep end. These are seriously fudgy gluten free brownies. They’re not cakey. Not at all. Let’s put it this way—I had them under a dome on a cake plate, each individually wrapped, and you could smell them in the next room when I lifted the dome. Now that’s chocolatey. And I can’t think of a better way to surprise my kids in their lunchboxes.
No, these are not an every day thing. But I leave moderation of your diet up to you. I do that … out of respect. I trust that you know what’s best for yourself and your family.
And, anyway, and here’s something to distract you from these gorgeous, thick and rich brownies of the decadent persuasion: a healthy gluten free brownie. Now everybody’s happy, right?
3/4 cup (60 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder (I use Rodelle brand)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (164 g) packed light brown sugar
2 eggs (120 g, out of shell) at room temperature, beaten
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch x 9-inch baking sheet, line with crisscrossed sheets of unbleached parchment paper, both sheets long enough to overhang the sides of the pan and greased in between. These will be the “handles” you use to lift the brownies out of the pan. Set the pan aside.
In a small, heat-safe bowl, place the chopped chocolate and butter, and place over a pan of simmering (not boiling) water. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove the bowl and set it aside to cool briefly.
In a large bowl, place the flour blend, cocoa powder, salt, and granulated sugar, and whisk to combine well. Add the brown sugar, and whisk again to combine, breaking up any lumps in the brown sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla, and mix to combine. Add the melted chocolate and butter mixture, and then the heavy cream, and mix again to combine. The batter should be thick but smooth. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer with a wet spatula.
Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake just until firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean (about 22 minutes). Allow to cool completely in the pan before lifting by the overhung parchment paper onto a cutting board. Slice into 9 or 16 squares.
Love, Nicole
P.S. Wanna know the best way to get ready for back-to-school, and all those lunches that must be made? Pre-order Gluten-Free on a Shoestring Bakes Bread, of course! Those sandwiches aren’t gonna make themselves…
Can I make this with gluten free flour that has the gum in it? Want this sooo bad!
Mare Masterson
August 21, 2013 at 3:24 PM
Seriously Nicole, do you have ESP? My son just requested on Monday night that I do a gluten free version of something he had over the weekend that was a layer of brownies and a layer of chocolate chip cookies – and you post this beautiful recipe that will have to be made as both brownies and as the foundation of the concoction my son asked for. This has happened more than once that you post what has been asked for, or is needed by me. Back to discussing the lusciousness you posted above. I have to say the brownies appear to be very close to what my mom achieved with her brownies–chocolatey, moist, fudgey, yummy, rich goodness, but these are gluten free and I can eat them. I cannot wait!!!!! Happy dancing!!!!
mary rowe
August 21, 2013 at 1:16 PM
Nicole, do you know, or is there any, baking difference between the Dutch Process cocoa and raw cacao powder?
Hi, Mary, Yes, there is. Cacao powder is not Dutched, which means that it is not alkalized. Substituting cacao powder for Dutched cocoa powder is akin to substituting natural cocoa powder for Dutched. If you want to make the substitution, you’ll have to experiment with adding a bit of baking soda to balance the acid in non-Dutched cocoa (or cacao). The fact that your powder is raw doesn’t really mean much. ;) xoxo Nicole
mary rowe
August 21, 2013 at 1:22 PM
Thanks! :-))
Melissa Carr
August 21, 2013 at 1:03 PM
Excited to try your version! With REALLY fudgy brownies, as these appear (yay!), I freeze them in smaller chunks, then when the time is right, they are “pop-able” for a quick bite! Maybe this is how I end up eating 2 without the guilt of knowing! LOL! Looking forward to having these in our snack bag on our mini vacation camping at the beach on the Pacific Coast! SOOO excited to go to sleep hearing the waves rushing on the shore!
Oooh these would be spectacular frozen in little bites, Melissa. Almost like those two-bite brownie things, but way way better and of course calorie-free. Enjoy your vacation! I’m terribly jealous that you can take a mini vacation on the Pacific. xoxo Nicole
Jennifer Sasse
August 21, 2013 at 11:21 AM
This looks fantastic but will have to wait awhile as I’m eating my way through the chocolate zucchini cake – yummy!!! thanks for another homerun recipe!
I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for interrupting you while you are enjoying that fabulous zucchini cake, Jennifer. Such important work really should not be interrupted. :) xoxo Nicole
Donia Robinson
August 21, 2013 at 8:36 AM
My favorite thing to do with a fudgy brownie is to heat it a tiny bit, and then eat it with or without ice cream.
The way I figure it, if I eat this instead of lunch (not WITH lunch), that makes it healthier for me. ;)
At first I read this to say that you “heat a tiny bit” of the brownie, instead of “heat it a tiny bit.” And I wanted to know what you did with the rest of the brownie, and if I could have it. ;) Eating it instead of lunch is nothing short of genius, Donia. Think of the calorie savings! xoxo Nicole
Donia Robinson
August 21, 2013 at 1:55 PM
Yeah, I don’t do “a tiny bit” of brownie. Or a tiny bit of any sort of chocolate dessert. I can say no to many other desserts!
[pinit] I went for it. Things have been pretty healthy around here, what with all the back-to-school breakfast Paleo muffins and breakfast Paleo cookies. Today, we’re diving into the deep end. These are seriously fudgy gluten free brownies. They’re not cakey. Not at all. Let’s put it this way—I had them under a dome on a cake plate, each individually wrapped, and you could smell them in the next room when I lifted the dome. Now that’s chocolatey. And I can’t think of a better way to surprise my kids in their lunchboxes.
HELLO! I’m Nicole! I make gluten-free food enjoyable & affordable. If they can make it with gluten, we can make it without. That’s a promise!
Comments are closed.
[…] Super fudgy brownies. […]
Can I make this with gluten free flour that has the gum in it? Want this sooo bad!
Seriously Nicole, do you have ESP? My son just requested on Monday night that I do a gluten free version of something he had over the weekend that was a layer of brownies and a layer of chocolate chip cookies – and you post this beautiful recipe that will have to be made as both brownies and as the foundation of the concoction my son asked for. This has happened more than once that you post what has been asked for, or is needed by me. Back to discussing the lusciousness you posted above. I have to say the brownies appear to be very close to what my mom achieved with her brownies–chocolatey, moist, fudgey, yummy, rich goodness, but these are gluten free and I can eat them. I cannot wait!!!!! Happy dancing!!!!
Nicole, do you know, or is there any, baking difference between the Dutch Process cocoa and raw cacao powder?
Hi, Mary,
Yes, there is. Cacao powder is not Dutched, which means that it is not alkalized. Substituting cacao powder for Dutched cocoa powder is akin to substituting natural cocoa powder for Dutched. If you want to make the substitution, you’ll have to experiment with adding a bit of baking soda to balance the acid in non-Dutched cocoa (or cacao). The fact that your powder is raw doesn’t really mean much. ;)
xoxo Nicole
Thanks! :-))
Excited to try your version! With REALLY fudgy brownies, as these appear (yay!), I freeze them in smaller chunks, then when the time is right, they are “pop-able” for a quick bite! Maybe this is how I end up eating 2 without the guilt of knowing! LOL! Looking forward to having these in our snack bag on our mini vacation camping at the beach on the Pacific Coast! SOOO excited to go to sleep hearing the waves rushing on the shore!
Oooh these would be spectacular frozen in little bites, Melissa. Almost like those two-bite brownie things, but way way better and of course calorie-free. Enjoy your vacation! I’m terribly jealous that you can take a mini vacation on the Pacific.
xoxo Nicole
This looks fantastic but will have to wait awhile as I’m eating my way through the chocolate zucchini cake – yummy!!! thanks for another homerun recipe!
I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for interrupting you while you are enjoying that fabulous zucchini cake, Jennifer. Such important work really should not be interrupted. :)
xoxo Nicole
My favorite thing to do with a fudgy brownie is to heat it a tiny bit, and then eat it with or without ice cream.
The way I figure it, if I eat this instead of lunch (not WITH lunch), that makes it healthier for me. ;)
At first I read this to say that you “heat a tiny bit” of the brownie, instead of “heat it a tiny bit.” And I wanted to know what you did with the rest of the brownie, and if I could have it. ;)
Eating it instead of lunch is nothing short of genius, Donia. Think of the calorie savings!
xoxo Nicole
Yeah, I don’t do “a tiny bit” of brownie. Or a tiny bit of any sort of chocolate dessert. I can say no to many other desserts!