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 and allulose (use the higher amount as its less sweet1) have 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 my taste buds here, but I’ve noticed that stevia-based sweeteners (such as Pyure) don’t work so great when chocolate is involved as the aftertaste is accentuated. So I 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! 🐕
And… the video story!
(1g net carb!) Suuuper Fudgy Keto Brownies
Ingredients
- 130 g unsalted grass-fed butter or 8 TBS coconut oil + 1 TBS coconut cream if paleo
- 140-200 g xylitol allulose (use higher amount), 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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.
I hesitate to try xylitol as when I drank tea with erythritol I had cramping and diarrhea for a day after half a bottle. I am not sure if I want to try them. Especially since some are toxic to pets!
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 🙂
I just made these, and OMG Paola! These are fantastic. SUPER SUPER delicious! <3 I actually made a double batch with family coming into town this week and my 6 year is gobbling them up! I fear there won't be any left for the weekend!
I used xylitol the exact brand you recommended and it worked like a charm <3 This house loves you!
I bought swerve as I don’t care for xylitol and added an extra egg, I also added about a 1/2 c Lily’s milk choc chips into the batter and baked for about 17 min. These are delicious. Literally can’t get enough.
Wow!! I was so skeptical about making these, I had to totally look at the reviews first and look at others mistakes and then follow your exact instructions…at least about 4 times LOL. Anywho, these are really tasty! I’m shocked! Maybe because I was so used to using Duncan Hines brownie mix in my non Keto day life. All in all, thank you so much for the ingredients. I’ts fantastic! 🙂
I really don’t get how anyone could mess this up! I really appreciate your detailed instruction. So easy. I did the microwave method with the butter. I made these in a crappy RV oven and I actually did use powdered swerve because that’s what I had. Let’s just say that now I am up late trolling all your recipes, because these are LEGIT! THANK YOU🔥💯❤️
Super delicious – even my non-keto, non-chocolate eating son loved them (I had to resort to hiding a few!).
Question: When melting the xylitol with the butter and cocoa, there was a point when a lot of liquid seemed to be released into the mixture. I was able to reincorporate it with a lot of whisking, and it didn’t impact the final results, but is this normal? Is it the melting xylitol, or is it the butter separating from the mixture which causes this effect?
Thank you for this great recipe! Has brought even more value to my Keto life <3
Omgosh……soooooo delicious, thank you so much i used the xylitol and also added a wee bit of full cream to the end mixture. spinkled some sliced almond museli…. delish…..
I made these the other day and I chose to melt it all in the microwave. Because mine is older, I did 10sec bursts at first and then lengthened to 30sec eventually as it wasn’t melting. The next minute I took it out and it has basically solidified!! I freaked out thinking I was going to have to waste it all but I managed to salvage it:
Scooped it into the mixer with the blade attachment on and slowly started adding little bits of boiling water, mixing between each addition.
Eventually it became moist again so I added a teeny bit more Erythritol & Stevia blend and set in the fridge overnight.
The next morning I baked them and 15min later I had delicious brownies!!
Thanks so much for the recipe!
I’ve made these twice now and they are the bomb! I love them cold and I love them warm with sugar free ice cream. I used my own erythritol/monk fruit blend that I mix and use 2 jumbo eggs rather than regular size and they are perfect! Luckily in Australia the store brand of butter in Woolworths is grass fed and their store brand cocoa powder is super dark and rich… winning!
I love all of your recipes Paola and is the first website I check now when looking for a Keto friendly recipe. Thank you.
These turned out way better than I expected!! Used monk fruit, sifted the almond flour and cocoa. Used cups for measurements. Measured on the conservative side too. Baked for 17 minutes. Next time I’m adding some Keto chocolate chips or cream cheese.
I made these today with coconut sugar (19 teaspoons) and they were delicious, soft and chewy. Great recipe and very easy to make!
Love the tips and the recipe. I used Erythritol so I added extra 1 egg. And reduce the Erythritol to around 120gram. Brownies tastes a bit bitter but I love it. To eat with no sugar peanut butter!!! Definitely be making again.
I am guessing it is not recommended to use Lily’s brand chocolate chips instead of cocoa powder… because the chips are sweetened with Stevia, correct?
Great taste, but they burned the back of my throat while eating them…not because they were hot. Would that be because xylitol is an alcohol sugar?
They taste amazing, just a bit too much cocoa for me, I’ll reduce it next time. With some milk over it, it tastes just like a soufle! <3
Not sure what happened, but these were to most disgusting thing I’ve ever made – keto or not. I am a pretty advanced baker in terms of skill, and I followed this recipe exactly, and by weight for the measurements. I even added the extra egg because I used Erythritol and they were super dry, super bitter and maybe ¼” tall at the most. I was looking for a sweet treat in the 150 cal range and this looked like it would fit the bill, but unfortunately the whole batch went right into the bin.
Hi Marcie! I’m sorry these didn’t work out for you… and trust me, keto baking is NOTHING like regular baking (remember no gluten OR sugar!).
But I definitely know why they failed for you- its the erythritol! When it cools down it crystalizes = dry brownies (IMO Swerve leads to the driest of them all). Otherwise anything with stevia will also mean a super bitter after taste… so what sweetener did you use love?
So I would suggest switching to allulose or xylitol as your sweeteners… or I know some readers who love erythritol give their baked goods a quick blast in the microwave to get them gooey again.
xo! And please note that I’ve noticed that sometimes great bakers are the ones that fail at keto baking because they’re expecting batters to behave like they used to… and they really don’t! PLUS! Ingredients vary sooooo much from brand to brand that you gotta shop around a bit to find what suits your palate.
I agree, I made these with Xylitol the first 3 times and they turned out the exact same and AMAZING! I even did the cheesecake version. Then I tried them ONCE with Erythritol and they were inedible. I threw the entire pan out. I tried them with Lakanto Monkfruit and they were not good either. I’m very careful with my Xylitol because we have a tiny dog, but i won’t use any other sweetener ever again!
I used Swerve and mine turned out ooey gooey goodness! I only cooked 15 minutes and the toothpick test was still gooey in the middle. But once they cooled they were amazing!!
Hi Paola, I’ve just made these Brownies today for the first time. They taste absolutely delicious! They are everything one looks for in a brownie, dark , fudgy, indulgent and so chocolaty!
Thank you so much for the amazing recipes you’ve created, what a difference they make daily, to my Keto experience.
How wonderful to hear Claire! Thanks for taking the time to write 😉 xo!
Hi there,
I tried this recipe with Swerve sweetener and it did not work well. I know you said not to use Stevia, but I think this should be added to the list too. Next time I will make it exactly as you suggest- I’ve learned my lesson lol
Loooool…. yeah, I mean I feel bad speaking about certain brands…. but Swerve really does lead to dry weird baked goods IMO. Particularly if we’re taking chocolate. :-S
Clearly its time I write a note about this, thanks Stephanie!
These fudgy cocoa brownies are stunning. I’m not a talented baker, but I would love to give these a try! Thanks, Paola
Help! I followed the recipe exactly except used Splenda (the only sweetener I currently have) and as my brownies are baking, a white frothy foam is starting to cover the top as if the eggs have separated from the mixture. I have a pic but don’t know how to post. Please help! What did I do wrong??
Hi Paola, thank you for your recipe! I now can make these keto brownies for my boyfriend. Just wondering, I’m using an oven with fan bake, should I reduce the temperature when baking?
Thank you,
Anne
I followed the recipe EXACTLY and these came out amazing!!
I used powdered erythritol (swerve) and to my surprise, the batter wasn’t too thick (I used a little less than 1 cup). I also used butter as the fat and 2 room temp eggs. I baked in a glass baking dish for 15min (I was scared of over baking). Next time, I think I’ll do 17min just to have the middle a bit more set. The edge pieces right now are a winner for me!
My butter was salted and I did add salt as the recipe recommends in the batter and on top. Next time I’ll cool it with the added salt to make up for my salted butter.
Thanks for helping me with my sugar cravings!!!
Good Lord, these were fantastic! I bought Xylitol specially for the recipe and they turned out amazing.
I tried a similar version of this recipe, which replaced the almond flour with almond butter, and it was much better – in texture and even taste. The rest of my family loved the taste of your recipe, but not the texture. Thanks for all the hard work you put into making great recipes.
pssst! When something doesn’t work Ranata, it helps if you describe what went wrong with the texture so I can help diagnose. Most often crumbly texture is the result of erythitrol sweeteners for instance xo!
It was grainy, almost dry, and we did use erythritol. I think it was Lakanto, which is monk fruit and erythritol. My husband’s stomach can’t take xylitol. I think I even tried the extra egg the second time, but it didn’t really help.
Erythitrol sometimes does this Ranata, and I know many readers report back that they reheat them slightly to get them fudgy again. Allulose and xylitol work most like sugar in this type of recipe (allulose is a rare sugar and people rarely report back any gastric distress) xo!
Thanks! I’ll try again.
I honestly swear by allulose now- behaves so close to sugar its nuts! 😉
Grainy, tasted like dirt. Was fudgey but no sweetness at all. Used Stevia as xylitol and erithritol are expensive here however batter tasted good but cooked it was yuck.
Ahem!! I CLEARLY state that you cannot use stevia lol…. so now you know why you ought to follow the actual recipe 😉 xo!
I am very confused how the net carbs have been calculated. 1 cup of xylitol powdered erythritol has 192 carbs divided by 16 is 15.5 carbs – what am I doing wrong? Even if I go with the 2/3 cup sugar it’s well over 7 carbs.
Lindsey sugar alcohols aren’t regular carbs (common practice to substract as you do fiber!) xo
Made these tonight with pyure sweetener because I didn’t want to open my monk fruit until this was gone. Just tasted them and oh wow! They are the best brownies ever! Amazing! I will have to hide them from my kids I do not want to share! This is now my go to recipe for brownies! So far everything I’ve made from your site is incredible thank you!!!
Hannah did you use the liquid or powdered?