Who doesn’t love Brownies? Unfortunately, most Brownies are off limits to those who avoid gluten and cane sugar.
But not these! these Brownies are paleo and gluten-free, and nut-free to boot!
Every time I post a baked goods recipe, I get asked about how to adapt it to be nut-free. My answer, sadly, is pretty much always “I really have no idea”. I’m not being snarky here, it’s just the nature of recipe development. I can only attest to the version that I tried, adjusted, tried again, tested, and then posted.
But all of these nut-free inquiries have made it abundantly clear that a lot of people are nut-free, and I have been promising for a while now that I would step it up with compliant recipes. So when I decided that I needed a perfectly fudgey, rich, grain-free brownie recipe, I went with a nut-free one.
I know, I know. I’m starting with the easy stuff… brownies are the easiest things to make grain-free, since they’re usually so low in flour to begin with. But as usual, I was going for perfect here. Perfect, to me, is a brownie that is dense, super chocolatey, and has a bit of chew to it. Bonus for that incredible crust on top. (These have that, but it fades away after a few hours) After a few trials and eating too many not-quite perfect batches of brownies, I think I finally got it.
I hope you love them, too, and my New Year resolution on this Rosh Hashanah is to post lots more nut-free recipes for you! Shana Tova!
In search of more nut-free desserts? My Clafoutis, Cinnamon-Ginger Scones, and my Chocolate Cupcakes all fit the bill!
Super Chocolatey Brownies
5 eggs, preferably pastured
1 cup coconut sugar, sifted
1/2 cup honey, preferably raw
1 cup cacao powder, sifted
1/2 cup chocolate chips
8 oz butter OR ghee OR coconut oil for dairy-free
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup tapioca OR arrowroot powder
1 tablespoon coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- Preheat your oven to 350 and grease a 9 x 13″ baking dish. (8×8 if you want thicker brownies, you’ll need to cook them a bit longer)
- Melt the butter (or other fat) with the chocolate chips and honey over low heat. Stir to combine.
- In a large bowl, or bowl to your stand mixer, beat the eggs until fluffy and light yellow.
- Add the remaining ingredients and beat for one more minute, or until well combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool before serving.
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pamela says
Oh! My! Those look great. If I didn’t have a chocolate cake about to come out of the oven, I’d be making them today.
Pam says
Makin’ these tonight for school lunch! You are the Bomb-Diggity!
zenbellyblog says
Bomb-Diggity! Woo-hoo! 😉
erinrosalita says
I’ll be making these for my husband’s birthday this month. He requested brownies and yours look perfect. Shana tova!
zenbellyblog says
Shana Tova! I hope your husband loves these for his birthday!
Christine says
Over the past few months, I’ve come to count on your excellent recipes. They always turn out. Today happens to be my birthday, and this brownie recipe makes a great present. Thanks so much. No one in my family dares try making me a cake anymore (because of my dietary restrictions) but my 8-year-old was more than happy to help me make these brownies. They’re in the oven right now and smell fantastic.
zenbellyblog says
Thanks Christine! I hope you had a fabulous birthday, and that these brownies were the perfect sweet celebration!
Runyan says
Accidentally bought cacao nibs instead of powder. Is it ok to just grind them up in the food processor?
zenbellyblog says
Ugh- I’ve totally done that! I’m not sure if you’ll get a fine enough powder in a food processor… Do you have a coffee grinder?
Runyan says
Yes I do. Claire actually suggested that. Will give it a shot and let you know how it goes!!
Runyan says
Update: pulverized the nibs in the coffee grinder and the brownies came out quite tasty. Will get the powder next time for sure.
zenbellyblog says
Oh yay! I’m glad it worked.
Kristin says
These are amazing! Thank you so much. I used cacao nibs instead of chocolate chips, and baked the brownies in a 9×9 inch pan for 35 minutes. Perfect. Much chocolate bliss. You are a genius, and I will pay close attention to every recipe you post.
zenbellyblog says
Thanks Kristin! Chocolate bliss is the goal 🙂
Christine Damm says
Just finished a batch of these and they rival my all-time favorite (pre-Paleo) brownie recipe for flavor and fast prep! And a perfect way to use up copious amounts of homeraised eggs. Definitely much chocolate bliss but I am going to add nuts next time.
zenbellyblog says
woot! Good call on the nuts… I used to always put them in brownies, but there’s a no nuts in baked goods rule in this house. Although if I broke it, I’d get all of the brownies… hmmmm 😉
Andrea says
This recipe is amazing! So delicious. I used half butter half coconut oil and they turned out really well!
zenbellyblog says
Yay! So glad you loved them.
Amber says
Absolutely love these! – I accidentally burnt them (don’t judge me) and they still taste amazing!!!going to make them again and give the non-burnt version a try!
Karen says
Thinking of baking them for Chanukah / thanksgiving .
Can’t wait to give them a try
Karen says
How many does this serve?
zenbellyblog says
They’re pretty rich, so you should be able to get 24 small(ish) squares out of a 13×9 pan.
Karen says
Thanks
Pete says
Simone, I have no idea why I just discovered this recipe! It looks amazing and I am super looking forward to your cookbook! Congrats! What do you think about browning the butter before adding it into the batter? Thanks! 🙂
zenbellyblog says
Thanks, Pete! I’m so glad you’re looking forward to the book 🙂 And I think browning the butter is always a good idea! I bet it would add great flavor. Let me know if you try it.
Diana says
These rocked my socks. Definitely a keeper! Thanks.
Ali says
Mmm, you can’t make me tell how many of these I ate today! While I do miss the chewiness of gluten-laden goods, the flavor of these is spectacular! I used half unsweetened chocolate, which I melted in with the honey and butter…the other half I kept chocolate chips and mixed those in with the batter rather than melted them, as I like chunks of something and am sharing with some nut-free friends. Baked in an 8×8 for 30 minutes (I have a compulsion to slightly under bake brownies) and these are great…I might even bake a few minutes less next time I make them – and there will definitely be a next time! Thanks for making this pregnant lady’s day with an easy, wonderful recipe!
zenbellyblog says
haha You get to eat too many brownies when you’re pregnant, right? 😉 I’m so glad you loved them!
Maureen says
These look so yummy! Question, Is the anything that could be substituted for coconut flour? My kids’ school is nut free, including coconut.
zenbellyblog says
coconut is so unique, it’s tough to find a cup for cup swap for it. Since it’s such a small amount, you could probably play with adding more tapioca or arrowroot. OR removing one of the eggs. It might take some trial and error, but hopefully the not-quite-perfect brownie test runs are still worth eating! 🙂 Let me know if you come up with a good swap!
paisleyteacup says
These are so good. My teenage daughter makes them and adds frosting. We found we like the texture better without the honey. My daughter forgot it one day and we like it better that way.
Aimee DiCicco-Ruhl says
Simone, how far ahead can I make these for an event if I dont cut and leave in pan? Thanks!
zenbellyblog says
they should be fine for a couple of days! Just wrap them really well so they don’t dry out. 🙂
Marcie says
I made them yesterday and nearly devoured the entire pan. They were super-tasty. Thank you.
Robin says
I make my own Paleo bars to use in place of chocolate chips. I found that I need to use maple syrup in these bars since honey causes the cacao and cacao butter to separate when melting. So now I’m thinking I would like to try making the brownies with maple syrup too. Have you (or anyone) tried this?
zenbelly says
I haven’t but in other recipes have found maple to work in recipes that call for honey
Robin says
Just thought of another question for you. Do you bring your eggs to room temp? My mother never did for her non-Paleo brownies which I always considered the gold standard before I went Paleo. But I often see recommendation for room temp eggs, especially when chocolate is involved. Thanks!
zenbelly says
I think room temp eggs are generally the preferred for most baking, but I’m usually too lazy unless I’m making something really special / finicky. Putting them in warm water is a good way to get them room temp fast.