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
Hello! Has anyone tried adding pecans? Does this affect baking at all?
Def add pecans! Won’t affect baking time xo!
“slightly undercook them and chill them in the fridge before cutting”
Are you putting them in the fridge hot/pretty much straight from oven??
No let them cool first! Xo
Hi can I use cashew flour instead almond flour?
I have made this twice, each time the centre was uncooked (some batter stuck to the wax paper, used stainless tray) the rest was cooked, what went wrong? I used crystralised palm sugar and coconut oil. I live in a tropical country, does it affect the batter? Hope to fix this problem, thanks
I made these today and they are delicious!! I used powdered xylitol for my sweetener. Baked 22 mins. They have a shiny, cake, dense spongy feel. I was really hoping it would get the crackly crusted top like your photos. I love a good crunchy corner browny with a chewy center. Any suggestions to get that crispy top?
These brownies made my bum cry stinky tears :(. They taste good, but my body is all “NOOOOOOOES”!!
Oh dear…! If you used a corn derived xylitol or erythritol that could be the reason (think NOW brand) 😉
Very yummy! I used erythritol (not powdered) and they were still great! Went by your recipe and they did not taste bitter, texture wasn’t fudgy per say but more dense…still a win for me! Yay! I will be making these again.
Would allulose be acceptable as a replacement for xylitol without altering the taste of this recipe? If so, how much should be used? I am making these brownies for my keto father and low carb husband’s birthdays this weekend and hoping they will be a hit!
I am dairy free keto so trying to find a birthday cake & icing that was compliant with my diet and survive a long car transport was just too hard (I imagine the coconut oil vs butter may not hold up well without refrigeration…). I would love if you experimented with making an easy dairy free cake and dairy free icing! I appreciate your help and am so thankful to have found your site
Hihi!! I am thinking of making the brownies in Wilton’s 24 cavity molds. So was wondering, should I reduce the baking time to about 8mins – 10mins? I’m using the Lakanto monkfruit sweetener and read through the comments that we should reduce baking time by 5mins? Thanks for your help!
Hi Pam! Yeah definitely reduce baking time (tbh I cannot tell you exactly how much!). But I do think your guess sounds right (they should be just set in the center!). You can always do a trial baking time with one if you’re keen 😉 xo!
Thanks Paola! Will definitely give it a try and update my results 😀
How long do you think you could keep the batter in the fridge before baking it?
Probably 3 days?
Really sad that this one is out for those of us with nut allergies! 🙁
Make them with sunflower seed flour (SO many readers with nut allergies report back that it works awesome in place of almond in most recipes 😉 xo!)
I just recently started keto and your site is amazing. I know you recommend weighing ingredients but I appreciate the conversion at the recipe.
It’s my pleasure Alisha! Welcome to keto 😉
Mine came out super bitter, not sweet at all. Maybe I should have used the full cup vs the 2/3 cup of powdered Erythritol. 😫
Sweet taste buds begin to vary A LOT the more you go into keto- so yes, for more traditional sweetness you need to go for 1 cup 😉 xo!
Amazing
I followed the recipe exactly, using the ingredients called out for in the recipe with no substitutions and these are by FAR the best brownies I’ve ever had. Since starting my keto lifestyle I’ve been wanting a chocolate fix. I think one of the main things for me is taking my time with the water bath. Whisking constantly. It did take a good 5 minutes to get everything melted together. But wow the result.
I love that at the end of the recipe is the nutritional facts, but I’m wondering how big is a serving size? I tend to go overboard, so for me, it’s important. I bought a scale so can easily convert from grams to ounces.
Super awesome to hear Cindy! The nutrition facts are per brownie (assuming you cut them up in 16). So say, if you divide them up in 8, they would come out to about 2g net carbs. xo!
This recipe is absolutely amazing! The texture of the batter is perfect and then the brownie turns out delicious. Even makes great cookies if you bake a thin layer, adding salt to the batter and making the batter into cookies remind me of oreo. Amazing! Thanks for such a great blog! I have the summer cookbook and will definitely buy more.
So awesome to hear! And thank you Sheila for your ongoing support- means A LOT! 😉
😀
Can I use truvia sugar? I don’t have any xylitol.
Do you refrigerate these (after they are baked, I mean)? I refrigerated them before cutting and they are pretty firm, so I would prefer to store them on the counter and hope they soften, but I also don’t want them to spoil. Thanks!
Well, you must really not like this question, since you didn’t answer the person who asked the same thing previously either…but you replied to a comment made after mine 😕
Seriously Marie? I get over 100 comments, questions etc a day.. can you give me a break if I miss one ;)? Just keep them in the counter in an airtight container xo!
Btw it’s Sunday… 😉
Thanks for your reply. Btw, it’s also September, and someone else asked this back in March 😉 so you’ll have to forgive me if I felt like you ignored the question.
Hello,
So I must have gone wrong somewhere but I read and reread everything so I am so confused. I put the coco powder, butter, and xylitol over a water bath. My xylitol never melted and everything turned clumpy. Some liquid was released. It is weird! What do you think?
What about when you added the eggs? Did it dissolve then?
I really do need United States measurements or I am completely lost, can anyone please help me don’t understand the grams
Just click on US Cups below the ingredients Chris!
Jazz, Americans have a problem with everything that came out of their world. Million ways to convert measurements out there. Go out your comfort zone and put your brain to work.
Thanks for the initiative and patience Paola.
where do you find grass fed butter?? and the powdered sweetener??
I use kerrygold butter (grocery store) and swerve confectioners from amazon
Btw: made this recipe for the first time today (added Lilly’s chocolate chips) and they are So good!
Great idea to powder Erythritol; I’ll try that next time. Thanks!
My pleasure! Erythritol is a funny ingredient, tends to crystalize back (which works great for crunchy cookies)- but kinda sucks for brownies, ice creams etc that need to be smooth
I used Erythritol, and it never seemed to completely dissolve. What did I do wrong?
Hi Tammy! The post has tips and tricks for working with erythritol as it doesn’t behave like xylitol (cue, you need to powder it!) xo 😉
I read that xylitol isn’t very keto friendly, as it does have significant carbs in it. Is it safely keto? lol
Everything is ready to go, and naturally I don’t have any parchment paper. Can I spray the pan and do without?
Yup! But they make get stick a bit. So grease and lightly dust with cocoa
Any chance I could sub a lesser amount of coconut flour? I can’t tolerate almonds.
Can you tolerate any other nuts? Or sunflower seed flour?
Unfortunately coconut flour just isn’t a great sub here
Made these last night! They were so good for having such little ingredients and carbs! Will definitely be making these again. Your site is amazing. Keep doing what you’re doing!
So happy to hear you’re enjoying Shianne! Thank you
I am wondering can I change the coco powder to melted chocolate instead?
Unfortunately no Justina, this recipe is for cocoa powder xo
Should I use unsweetened cocoa powder?
Yes!
Can’t wait to make this recipe! I’m unsure about what xylitol to purchase though. In the directions I believe it says powdered but the link is granules. Which should I buy?
You can use the xylitol straight as granules, it’s erythritol that I mostly suggest to be powdered ahead of time. xo!
Hello! I’ve started keto a month ago and I feel great. I really like your recipes and this one caught my eye! One question: can I substitute almond flour for coconut flour? I’ve run out of almond f. and would like to try this recipe. Thanks!
Awesome to hear Lucia! Regarding this one, you really want a nut flour for them to work (almond, hazelnut etc) xo!