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Listen, I try to not label recipes “the best this or that”. It seems a little presumptuous given the limitless scope of recipes on the interwebs. But let me tell you, as an avid chocolate lover I have made my share of brownie recipes. I’ve made your standard “best brownie ever” recipes with white flour, copious amounts of white sugar, etc. I just find them too sweet and impractical to my “healthy lifestyle” given the, ummm… daily intake I prefer to consume. So, in the “healthy” recipe genre (typically I look for gluten, dairy, and refined sugar free), I’ve made black bean brownies, banana brownies, zucchini brownies, peanut butter brownies, salted caramel brownies, oat flour brownies, no bake brownies… wow, I’ve made even more than I thought, come to think of it! They’ve all been good in their own right and no brownie has ever gone to waste around here, trust me. But I was still on the hunt for the perfect brownie. No gimmicks, no hybrid recipes, no cake masquerading as a brownie; just a truly fudgey, crackly top, chewy, intensely chocolate flavoured brownie. Well, it is with much joy I am here to tell you that I have found it! The perfect brownie, healthy or not, the only brownie recipe I will ever need. It’s just that good, so I’m calling it like it is. The Best Brownies.

It seems like an absolute bonus that these brownies happen to be gluten, dairy, and refined sugar free. Instead of the typical white flour, these brownies are made with almond flour, which is my favourite gluten free flour for baked goods. Blanched almond flour has a nice fine, light texture so it works perfectly in baked goods. I find whole grain flour too heavy and wheat-y tasting in my desserts. Almond flour strikes the perfect balance. I also love that it’s not really a specialty ingredient you need to go out and hunt for, given that you can easily make it yourself simply by blitzing up some sliced blanched almonds in the food processor. I personally buy my almond flour at Costco, since the price is cheaper than I can ever find sliced blanched almonds for in the first place.

For fat, we’re using coconut oil. I’ve mentioned on the blog before that I find coconut oil does not performs as well as butter. But I have to say, in these brownies I actually prefer the coconut oil. It is very conducive to the fudgey, chewy texture we’re going for.

Coconut sugar is the sweetener of choice. I love using coconut sugar in my baking because it substitutes 1:1 for white sugar and is virtually undetectable, with no aftertaste. I would say it tastes most like brown sugar. It is also the lowest on the glycemic index of the 1:1 sugar substitutes, with about 1/3 of the impact on your blood sugar, compared with white sugar. I use coconut sugar in place of white sugar unilaterally, it is so versatile and reliable.

I found the recipe for these brownies from One Lovely Life, and have only slightly adapted it to my taste (doubled the recipe, added espresso powder, upped the salt, and added walnuts). The addition of espresso powder (or instant coffee) and a slightly higher measurement of sea salt are both tricks I’ve learned from the great Ina Garten. They really serve to bring out the deep, rich flavour of the chocolate and I’ve come to add espresso powder and a good dose of sea salt to anything chocolate I make. If you find your chocolate recipes lacking in depth of flavour, try adding espresso powder and an extra pinch of sea salt – it really does the trick. 

Whew, well I’ve probably rambled on longer than I should’ve, sorry about that. I am passionate about my chocolate! I will leave you with this gem of a recipe, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Let me know in the comments how it goes for you and tag me on instagram with your photos if you do end up making them – I love seeing your guys’ creations! Talk to you soon 🙂

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The Best Brownies (Gluten, Dairy, and Refined Sugar Free)

My search for the best brownie recipe is over. These brownies are intensely fudgy with a crackly top and rich dark chocolate flavour. No one would ever guess they are gluten, dairy, and refined sugar free!

Course Dessert

Keyword brownies, chocolate, Dairy free, dessert, gluten free, healthy baking, healthy treat, refined sugar free

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 26 minutes

Servings 32 squares

Author Garnish At Home, adapted from One Lovely Life

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups dairy free semi-sweet chocolate chips or 70% dark chocolate
• 10 tbsp coconut oil (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp)
• 1 tsp espresso powder optional
• 1 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cup blanched almond flour
• 4 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp sea salt

Mix in:

• 2/3 cup dairy free semi-sweet chocolate chips or 70% dark chocolate
• 2/3 cup walnuts, roughly chopped optional, sub more chocolate chips if not using

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9X13" pan with parchment paper.
• In a small saucepan over low heat, or in 30 second increments in the microwave, gently melt the chocolate, coconut oil, and espresso powder until chocolate is mostly melted but not all the way. Remove from the heat and stir until chocolate melts completely – you do not want to overheat the chocolate or it will seize up on you. Set aside to cool.
• Whisk the eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl until they turn lighter in colour and pass the ribbon test (the mixture should stream down in smooth ribbons from the whisk, no gloppy chunks). This step is crucial to getting the nice fudgy teture and crackly top to the brownies so do not rush it!
  
• In a small bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
• The chocolate should be cool enough to combine with the eggs by this point (dip your finger in and make sure it is not hot to the touch, slighly warm is fine). With the mixer running or a whisk in one had, slowly pour the chocolate into the egg mixture and whisk vigourously to combine. Start with a few drops at a time at first to make sure you don't get a scrambled egg situation, and then pour the rest in steadily once you see it combining well, whisking constantly until well combined.
  
• Whisk in the dry ingredients until just combined – do not over mix.
• Fold in the mix ins.
  
• Pour batter into prepared pan and tilt the pan around to spread it evenly. Give it a few taps onto the countertop to elimnate any air bubbles.
  
• Bake at 350F for 26-28 minutes, or until the edges are set, the top is crackly, and the middle is just slightly underdone (it will set as it cools).
• Let cool completely before sllicing and serving. Keep them stored in the fridge, they get an even fudgier texture after being in there for a day or so!
  
• These brownies are perfect on their own, or serve with whipped coconut cream and strawberries for an extra special treat.
  

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This post includes affiliate links, meaning I made a small commission at no extra cost to you, should you decide to click through the links and purchase anything. These are my honest opinions and I would never recommend anything to you I didn’t absolutely love and use on a regular basis. Hope you find these lists helpful!

Yupik Coconut Sugar – Coconut sugar is my go to dry sweetener. It has about half as high of an impact on the Glycemic Index (how much it spikes your blood sugar) compared with table sugar, and contains many beneficial nutrients derived from the coconut palm. I don’t notice any sacrifice in taste or texture when I use coconut sugar in my baking. This brand is a great price and they have excellent customer service. One time I received a bag that had ripped open in the box and spilled everywhere and they sent a new one out right away, no questions asked.

Almond Flour – This is my favourite gluten free flour for baking. It is low in carbs and high in protein and fats, making it a great choice for low carb baking. I’ve always had great success baking with it, it doesn’t act up on me like the notorious coconut flour. I either like to buy the Kirkland brand from Costco, or the Yupik brand from Amazon. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s made with blanched almonds, that’ll give you the lightest texture!

Espresso Powder – this is my favourite trick to make any of my chocolate recipes have a super rich, deep chocolate flavour, as per Ina Garten’s advice, I add espresso powder! It really makes my brownies absolutely perfect. I add it to chocolate ganache, my fav choco-latte peanut butter banana smoothie, and any chocolate themed baking.

Dairy-Free Chocolate Chips– I love the Kirkland chocolate chips because they are dairy free and they taste just as good (if not better) than the most popular brand. If I’m making a small batch of something or really want to watch my sugar I’ll spring for a more expensive dark chocolate chip or 70-85% dark chocolate chopped up, but for my everyday baking I prefer something affordable like these.

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