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4.9 from 129 votes

Flourless Chocolate Brownies (gluten free)

Recipe video above. Like my flourless chocolate cake, I make these Flourless Chocolate Brownies even when I’m not after a gluten free dessert because they’re that good! Using almond meal instead of flour adds lovely undertones of nuttiness as well as guaranteeing they'll be fudgy and moist.Very easy, forgiving recipe, hard to stuff up. See note for scaling up. See all my gluten free recipe here.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 16 pieces
Calories: 190 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips or melts / semi-sweet chocolate (Note 1)
  • 85 g / 6 tbsp unsalted butter , cut into 1 cm / 1/2" cubes
  • 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar (sub white)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs (55-60g / 2 oz each)
  • 2/3 cup almond meal / ground almonds (or almond flour, Note 2)
  • 1/3 cup rice flour (Note 3)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 325°F (160°C fan-forced) with a rack in the lower third of the oven.
  2. Preparation: Grease and line a 20cm / 8" square pan with baking paper (parchment paper) with excess overhang so it's easy to lift out the brownie when cooked.
  3. Melt butter and chocolate: Place chocolate, butter and salt in a heatproof bowl. Microwave in 3 x 30 second bursts on high, mixing in between, until melted and smooth. You could also do this over simmering water on the stove.
  4. Cool 5 minutes: Mix well to combine the chocolate and butter then leave to cool for 5 minutes.
  5. Add vanilla, sugar and eggs: Stir in the vanilla and sugar. Crack the eggs straight into the bowl, and stir until combined.
  6. Add dry: Add almond meal and rice flour, and mix very well until fully combined.
  7. Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 25 minutes or until the brownies are slightly puffed all over and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out moist but clean. You want it to be moist!
  8. Cool and serve: Cool brownies for at least 30 minutes in the pan. Remove the brownie by holding the edges of the baking paper, fully cool on a rack. Then cut into squares (3 x 3 for gigantic ones, 4 x 4 for sensible ones). See Note 4 for more cutting tips.

Notes

  • Chocolate - Use cooking chocolate chips from the baking section of the supermarket, not eating chocolate. Though actually, Lindt chocolate bars work great, not all eating chocolate does so that's why I generally don't recommend it!
  • Almond meal / ground almonds (same thing) - finely blitzed raw, whole almonds in powder form. Find it in the dried fruit and nut section or health food section of grocery stores. Making your own: Blitz whole, raw unsalted almonds until powdered.
  • Almond flour is slightly different but can be used. Brownie texture will probably be slightly more fine (almond flour is made with blanched peeled almonds, no skin). 
  • Rice flour - Ground rice, widely available these days at everyday grocery stores. Gives these brownies a bit of much needed structure compared to using just almond meal. Note however that some brands (like McKenzie's in Australia) are not fully ground into a fine powder and sometimes have a tiny bit of a grit in them. Not a big deal in this recipe, but I prefer using Asian brands as they never seem to have this problem (Asian aisle, Harris Farms in Australia, Asian stores)
  • Cutting - Fudgy brownies are difficult to cut when warm as they are too gooey. Best to cool to room temp before slicing. For best results, refrigerate so it firms up, slice when cold so you get neat squares. Then allow to fully come to room temperature before serving. This way, you get perfect neat slices but the same gooey eating experience!
  • Cutting - Fudgy brownies are difficult to cut when warm as they are too gooey. Best to cool to room temp before slicing. For best results, refrigerate so it firms up, slice when cold so you get neat squares. Then allow to fully come to room temperature before serving. This way, you get perfect neat slices but the same gooey eating experience!
  • To scale up, use multiple pans. Don't try to cook a big batch in a larger pan than an 20cm/8" square pan otherwise the sides will overcook while the middle will be undercooked (as I found out first hand!).
  • To scale up, use multiple pans. Don't try to cook a big batch in a larger pan than an 20cm/8" square pan otherwise the sides will overcook while the middle will be undercooked (as I found out first hand!).
  • Storage - Keeps in an airtight container for 5 days, though if it's quite warm where you are, best to keep in the fridge and bring to room temp before eating.
  • Nutrition per slice.

Nutrition Information

Calories 190cal (10%) Carbohydrates 20g (7%) Protein 3g (6%) Fat 11g (17%) Saturated Fat 6g (30%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 3g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 33mg (11%) Sodium 85mg (4%) Potassium 89mg (3%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 14g (28%) Vitamin A 168IU (3%) Calcium 30mg (3%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16pieces

Amount Per Serving

Calories 190

% Daily Value*

Calories 190cal 10%
Carbohydrates 20g 7%
Protein 3g 6%
Fat 11g 17%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 3g 15%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 33mg 11%
Sodium 85mg 4%
Potassium 89mg 2%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 14g 28%
Vitamin A 168IU 3%
Calcium 30mg 3%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.