These paleo and keto brownies are extra fudgy, super easy, just 5 ingredients and 1g net carb a pop! Now that’s what we call the ideal low carb chocolate dessert! The recipe was first published on January 8th ’18, and has been updated to provide more info on various sweeteners.
The Ultimate Paleo & Keto Brownies 🍫
Suuuper Fudgy!
Ridiculously decadent, suuuper fudgy and intensely chocolatey, these keto brownies are one indulgent low carb chocolate treat. Plus, they’re suuuper easy and with staple (grain-free) pantry ingredients.
And guess what? Just 1g net carb per brownie. (Drumroll please!) 🥁
p.s. these are very chocolatey, as in proper chocolate! So ideal for you dark-chocolate-lovers out there.
Oh, and if you’re into brownies and cheesecake (who isn’t?!), do check out our keto cheesecake brownies based off these guys.
The Origins 🔍
This recipe happens to be a keto adaptation based off Alice Medrich’s famous cocoa brownies, incidentally one of the most popular brownie recipes on the web. And the keto result varies little from the original, albeit perhaps a little less chewy and more melt-in-your-mouth sorta thing (courtesy of the lack of gluten).
Fun fact: Medrich’s original recipe called for beating vigorously with 40 strokes (exactly!) to incorporate the batter. Now that’s what we call precision.
A Couple (Very Simple!) Rules
We’ll start with the most important one: do not over-bake the brownies! Timing might just be the most important rule when making any type of brownie, so you don’t end up with a dry and crumbly mess. Keep an eye out for them, and take them out once the center is set and a toothpick inserted comes out moist (but not drenching).
We even prefer to slightly undercook them and chill them in the fridge before cutting. That’s the secret for extra fudgy brownies.
I’ve also noticed that when using powdered erythritol rather than xylitol (my favorite), you also need to decrease the baking time by about 5 minutes as they cook faster.
You’ll also want to use eggs at room temp. Reason being that if your cocoa/butter mixture is not hot enough (and your eggs are very cold), they’ll solidify the butter and your batter will be too thick (doesn’t affect the end results, just annoying to spoon rather than pour!).
And if possible, refrigerate the batter overnight. This is an old Medrich rule, but it does work a charm to get a richer texture (as the flavors have had a chance to mingle). Though if not possible, honestly don’t sweat it– we’ve done them either way multiple times. Just keep in mind that your batter will solidify in the fridge (as the butter sets), totally normal and just pop the baking dish in the oven as is.
The Chocolate 🍫
Cocoa brownies are generally regarded as second best to their ‘molten chocolate bar’ counterparts, given that they’re generally more cake-like than fudgy. But that’s most definitely not the case here, as these are some of the fudgiest brownies you’ll ever make.
Albeit ‘healthier‘, as you can control the chocolate and fat input completely, so no added refined sugars, preservatives etc. And of course, cocoa powder is much less expensive than chocolate bars (particularly keto ones!). So think of these keto brownies as wallet-friendly too.
Cocoa or cacao? Both work great, just know that quality really matters here. Our favorite will forever be the Dutch-processed alkaline cocoa Valrhona, known to be one of (if not the) best cocoas in the world. But feel free to use a raw cacao powder (arguably more nutritional perks here), though keep in mind that your brownies will be lighter in color and more reddish in hue. Both are well and good, as long as they’re unsweetened.
p.s. a lightly sprinkle of flakey sea salt works wonders to cut through the chocolate in these guys! And Maldon flakes are the undisputed best, by a mile.
The Flours
This recipe uses almond flour only (💥💃🎆!!). Yup, that’s it! Having said that, you can always sub half of the almond for hazelnut flour (think Nutella), if you wanna spiff things up a notch or give them a little twist.
In terms of brands, for the almond either Anthony’s or WellBees work great. Both are super fine grinds.
The Sweetener 🍯
You’ve got a couple options here. Xylitol has become my top choice (no aftertaste, best and chewier texture), Lakanto (barely any aftertaste, and many of you also love the Golden version), and powdered Swerve (some cooling sensation, but still great). Xylitol takes (much) longer to dry out though so your brownies will be extra delicate (think gooey) right after baking.
If using erythritol in any form, because it needs a little extra help to dissolve than xylitol (and they vary so much from brand to brand because of different fillers and so on!), you’ll want to be sure to use a powdered form. If you only have granular on hand, don’t sweat it, and simply blend it in your (very dry!) bullet or blender until powdered. Easy-peasy!
And one more thing to keep in mind, is that a few of you who have used erythritol (Swerve in particular) report back periodically that your batter ends up thick. This seems to be improved by microwaving rather than using a water bath, and using powdered rather than regular. Though there seems to be no hard rule here. Doesn’t seem to affect much the taste in the end, so just spread the batter rather than pour it in. But if you’re finding your brownies feel too thick, simply add in an extra egg (just don’t over-whisk or they could become more cakey).
Fun fact: it might also be our taste buds here, but we’ve noticed that stevia-based sweeteners (such as Pyure) don’t work so great when chocolate is involved as the aftertaste is accentuated. So we cannot recommend enough that you don’t use stevia-based sweeteners here.
Oh, and if just paleo or gluten free (or not restricted by sugars), simply sub 1-to-1 with coconut or regular sugar.
And if using xylitol, make sure to be careful if you have a pup (or kitty!) around the house, as it’s highly toxic to the little guys! 🐕
The Recipe Video
Suuuper Fudgy Paleo & Keto Brownies
These paleo and keto brownies are extra fudgy, super easy, just 5 ingredients and 1g net carb a pop! Now that's what we call an ideal low carb chocolate dessert!
Oh, and if baking with cups rather than grams is your thing, just click on US Cups for an instant conversion.
Ingredients
- 130 g unsalted grass-fed butter or 8 TBS coconut oil + 1 TBS coconut cream if paleo
- 140-200 g xylitol powdered erythritol or coconut sugar if paleo*
- 80 g cocoa powder **
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 eggs at room temperature***
- 70 g almond flour
To garnish
- flakey sea salt optional (but highly suggested!)
Serving suggestions
- unsweetened macadamia milk nice 'n cold!
Instructions
See recipe video for guidance!
Position a rack in the lower third of your oven and preheat to 350°F/180°C. Line with parchment paper the bottom and sides of a 8x8-inch baking pan. Set aside.
Add butter, sweetener, cocoa powder and salt to a medium heatproof bowl. Melt over a water bath whisking constantly (or use the microwave, in small increments). You'll want to heat it up until most of the sweetener has melted and the mixture is well incorporated (note that erythritol, unlike xylitol, won't dissolve much at this point). Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.
Add one egg at a time, whisking well after each one until completely incorporated. The texture should appear smooth, with all the sweetener dissolving into the mixture. And if using erythritol, and your batter ends up too thick, you may want to add an extra egg. Just be sure not to over-whisk, or your brownies could end up more cakey rather than fudgy.
Add the almond flour, whisking vigorously until fully blended (about a minute).
Bake for 15-25 minutes (we do about 23 with xylitol and 17 with erythritol), or until the center is just set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out moist. This really does vary (a lot!!) from oven to oven (think convection etc), so give them a check from minute 15 the first time around, and remember that you'll brownies will continue to cook while they cool.
Sprinkle with flakey sea salt (optional) and allow to cool completely on a rack. Lift brownies using the edges of the parchment paper and cut into desired size (we do 16!). To get extra clean edges, place in the freezer for 10 minutes prior to cutting.
Recipe Notes
*Please see section on sweeteners for deets and possible substitutions (very important, as various sweeteners behave very differently here!). Just keep in mind that stevia doesn't work (at all!) for these!
And if using powdered erythritol, and your batter ends up too thick, you may want to add an extra egg. Just be sure not to over-whisk, or your brownies could end up more cakey rather than fudgy.
**If measuring the cocoa with tablespoons rather than grams, be mindful of how you scoop as you can end up with a lot more cocoa powder than needed. Drop the cocoa powder into the tablespoon and level it, rather than scooping it out of the bag with the tablespoon (which can lead to overpacked tablespoons!).
**Use eggs at room temp. Reason being that if your cocoa/butter mixture is not hot enough (and your eggs are very cold), they'll solidify the butter and your batter will be too thick once you add in the almond flour (doesn't affect the end results, just annoying to spoon rather than pour!).
I swear I’m not a troll or a hater but it upsetting to be so deceived on a recipient. Kudos for the enthusiasm though.
I am a chef, not much into deserts but love to find new great recipients online that are low carb and delish. This is neither. Unless your standard is low. Gritty, pretty tasteless/bland and not worth the carbs you are consuming. But mostly, a waste of time.
Sorry.
As a chef you should know that the ingredients you use matter, particularly with keto (and remember that sugar free baking isn’t standardized).
That said, it sounds like you used an erythritol sweetener, when once cooled turned grainy and dry. If you want them to taste like sugar, I suggest allulose (i.e. please read the post next time, as I explain different ingredients thoroughly) xo!
This website gave me diabetes.
That’s literally impossible, everything is keto 😉
Easy to make! Awesome! Chewy! Delicious!
This recipe rocks!
These are amazing!!! I’m a recently diagnosed diabetic and have been craving for sugar free treats that actually taste good! And this, by far, is the best brownie recipe I’ve ever made! Thank you for letting me satisfy my sweet tooth!!! Loved every bit of it!!!
I used Erythritol and it did make my batter thicker and so I added another egg!!! Added a few morsels of sugar-free chocolate chip and they are bomb!!!
Awesome to hear Joy!! Xo!
Can’t believe lots of commenters were complaining that it is dry and grainy lol they could’ve just microwaved it. I think it’s because the erythritol crystallizes when cooled in the fridge. It happened to me but nothing microwave can’t fix 💞💞
You nailed it Con! I need to add this comment to the notes, you guys have recommended it a bunch (its the same thing with muffins etc made with erythritol, always best if you warm them up a bit to get them soft again) xo!
How many days can is store the brownies?
I made these using powdered Swerve sweetener and baked for 15 minutes. I used a pizza cutter to cut them into perfect “two bite” brownie squares. I ate one warm with a couple spoonfuls of Rebel Vanilla ice cream and was doing a little food dance in the kitchen….so yummy!!!
The recipe says 140-200g for sweetener. I’ll be trying these tonight and will be using xylitol. So how much do I put in? Thanks
I knew it was too good to be true.
I was excited to find such a low carb recipe. I mean one gram net carb? Come on.
It is NOT one carb per piece. I started to be doubtful as I was making it.
I just made them and put them in the oven. Then I uploaded the recipe to Carb Manager, which takes the ingredient amounts and the number of servings (16) and calculates the totals.
I don’t know what you used but here ya go!
11 g total carbs
2 g fiber
9 g net carbs
10 g fat (with butter)
3 g protein
131 calories
NINE CARBS per piece! 😠😠😠
Before getting this angry, may I suggest you do some reading next time? Its common practice to subtract sugar alcohols as you do fiber, as they’re not regular carbs 😉 so they are 1g net carb a piece. xo!
I’m not sure what I did wrong but you could really taste the almond flour they were fudgey but I used coconut sugar to sweeten
Don’t normally rate recipes, but these are so brilliant.
Dense and rich and wonderful.
Thanks for taking the time, love hearing from you guys 😉
Hi Paola, love your recipes and looked forward to making this one. I thought I followed the recipe to the letter, including using xylitol and weighing out my ingredients but the brownies turned out dry and crumbly. One thing I noted, like another reader posted, used granulated instead of powdered xylitol. Would this have caused the brownies to be dry and crumbly? Or possibly over baked them?
Just want to say that these brownies are really good. Very filling and yet you don’t feel weighted down. I’m just curious on a couple things. 1) I used 3 eggs and the batter was a little thick . They still came out great, but was hard to lay out . And another was how do I make them more like standard brownies? Meaning less dark chocolatey and maybe a little sweeter? I really liked them, but my wife and my 2 daughters like more milk chocolatey styled brownies . Great job ! I had 3 failed recipes in years past that used Stevia
I just made these and they are SO Good!!! I used xylitol, doubled the batch and used a 9×13 pan instead of 8×8. I added some sugar free Lilly’s milk chocolate chips. Best dessert I’ve made yet. Moist and fudgy. Baked for 24 min (they were thicker based on my modifications) and they were perfectly fudgy and delicious.
I made these about a week ago and honestly they were kinda gross. They weren’t moist at all and turned hard almost immediately after they cooled.
Hi Gabriela! Them going hard is because of the sweetener you used (there are plenty of threads in the comments about this!). Some erythritol seeeteners do that unfortunately xo!
I used monk fruit…
If you used pure monk fruit it explains why too… but Lakanto lonk fruit has erythritol too xo!
Can someone tell me if they have had any success with Swerve (powdered)? I cannot use xylitol it kills my stomach!!!! I have used Swerve in other keto recipes and they have come out perfectly. Thank you in advance.
I agree. I hate erythritol. I love baking with xylitol and these were so moist and fudgy.
Is the Xylitol measurement correct? Seems a lot for the carb content (4g of Carbs per 4g of Xylitol?)
what size is the baking tin for this recipe?
I’ve made these twice and they were amazing both times. First time I used a monk fruit/erythritol sweetner and the second time I used swerve powdered sweetner. I do love the dark chocolate, lightly sweetened taste. Since I gave up sugar abt 6 mos ago, my sweet taste is very mild. Thank you so much for my favorite low carb recipe to date!!!
My pleasure Deborah! Thank you for sharing in detail, always much appreciated 🙂