These extra fudgy keto brownies are dense like fudge but moist like cake – just the way brownies should be. A tiny amount of coconut flour goes a long way in this recipe, ensuring your brownies don’t taste like coconut while still allowing the rich, chocolate flavor take center-stage. Your friends and family won’t believe you when you tell them these are keto brownies.
This nut-free recipe calls for only simple ingredients you most likely have on hand. We even created an easy-to-follow recipe video which walks you through the step-by-step process of how to make keto brownies. Check it out below!
Tips to Make the Best Fudgy Keto Brownies
If you are looking to make the most delicious sugar free and gluten free keto brownies you’ve come to the right place. We have a few tips to make the smoothest brownie batter so your dessert will come out perfect every time. And for only 3 net carbs per brownie this recipe is sure to make a weekly appearance in your keto diet.
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Use Coconut Flour
When we were first concocting this recipe, we experimented with both almond flour and coconut flour brownie recipes. To our surprise, the coconut flour brownies actually came out more fudgy and flavorful than the almond flour versions. Since coconut flour is more absorbent than almond flour(1), you need much less of it which allows for the dark chocolate flavor to really shine. Another benefit was that unlike almond flour keto brownies, these brownies are nut free. After testing so many different recipes we can confidently say this is the best fudgy keto brownies recipe you’ll ever find.
The Perfect Blend of Cocoa Powder and Baker’s Chocolate
The combination of cocoa powder and Baker’s Chocolate is going to maximize the overall fudge factor in these brownies. First, you melt Baker’s Chocolate into the batter and once the brownies bake and the chocolate cools, you are left with a dense, fudge like consistency – not a crumb in sight. This is because the cocoa powder adds a rich chocolate flavor, while the baker’s chocolate provides extra fat. The addition of extra fat helps to keep these brownies moist so the coconut flour holds together and they just melt in your mouth.
Mixing up Magic!
Keeping wet and dry ingredients separate is a standard practice when baking. (For more tips, take our Keto Baking Course!) You always want to mix the dry ingredients together in one bowl and the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, then combine the two. This would be extra important for recipes with baking leaveners. We chose to make this recipe extra simple and skip the baking powder so you don’t even have to worry about uneven baking powder clumps. This creates a more consistent mixture and even distribution of flavor… and chocolate.
Choosing the Right Keto Sweetener
Our sweetener of choice for this recipe is erythritol. If you’re new to keto sweeteners then you may want to read up on them a bit before you jump into the kitchen.
Erythritol is our preferred granular sweetener. We use it to replace both regular sugar, as well as things like agave or coconut sugar that you may see in most healthy brownie recipes. Stevia is our preferred liquid sweetener and can be added to this brownie recipe if you want to increase the sweetness. Most of the time, a combination of liquid stevia and granular erythritol will get you the most well rounded taste without any aftertaste.
Pro Tip: Find a combination of sweeteners you enjoy. Some people are very sensitive to the aftertaste that comes with stevia, while others can get bloated by using too much erythritol. Over time you will find what works best for you when making keto desserts. The benefit to all of these different sweeteners is that the net carb count is low enough they can be considered keto/ low carb.
Check the Brownie Batter Temperature
Be mindful of your batters temperature throughout the brownie-baking process. You want the chocolate to melt, not burn. A common mistake is trying to fully melt the chocolate in one go instead of periodically heating and stirring. The golden rule is usually any longer than 30 second in the microwave at a time and your chocolate will burn. An easier method to prevent burning is actually using a double broiler method which you can read about online. Another thing to watch for is making sure the entire brownie mixture doesn’t get too hot. If the batter is too hot the eggs might cook and scramble when you add them instead of properly combining together.
Don’t be Choco-LATE!- Avoid Over Baking Keto Brownies!
Keto baked goods can be tricky. We recommend taking these keto brownies out of the oven when they are a little bit underdone. As they cool, they will firm up. As a rule of thumb, always lean towards the side of under-cooking keto desserts.
How to Make the Best Keto Brownie Recipe
We’re going to go over ingredients and the steps in order to make the BEST easy keto brownies recipe. You learned the tips above, and now it’s just putting everything together!
Ingredients
Thankfully these gluten free and sugar free fudgy keto brownies don’t have any almond flour or nut butters. Even those with nut allergies can enjoy this tasty treat without worry. In order to make super fudgy brownies you need a few vital ingredients. Your best friends are going to be butter and chocolate in this recipe as they help to make a super dense and moist base. Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder– Make sure it is 100% unsweetened cocoa powder or you’ll get extra sugar that ups the carb count
- 2 tbsp Coconut flour– A nut-free alternative to almond flour that helps create a lovely dense texture.
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- 12 tbsp Butter– We love grass fed butter because it’s a super flavorful base perfect for adding a healthy source of fat to this recipe. You can use coconut oil, but note it won’t have the same rich buttery flavor.
- 1/2 cup Erythritol– Erythritol is a low carb/ keto friendly sweetener that acts as our sugar replacement
- 15-30 drops liquid stevia (Add if you prefer a sweeter brownie)- While optional, we love adding extra stevia for a decadent sweet chocolate bite
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract– A hint of vanilla really brings out and intensifies the chocolate flavor. Plus vanilla used in small amounts like this is low carb/ keto friendly
- Pink Himalayan Salt– Salt brings out the sweetness of baked goods which is perfect in this keto brownie recipe
- 2 oz Unsweetened Bakers Chocolate– A bitter and fatty chocolate that will create the perfect fudge base for keto recipes. It can be found in most grocery stores and really ups the fat content. All while easily sweetened by erythritol.
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees – I think it’s best to also prepare your pan now so you don’t have to worry about it later. There are two ways you can do this. Either grease a 8×4 loaf pan, or you can line the loaf pan with parchment paper which makes for easy clean up and removal.
- Combine cocoa powder, coconut flour, and salt, and set aside
- In a separate bowl, add eyrthritol, eggs, vanilla and mix with a hand mixer. Mix until the volume of the mixture has doubled in size. This should take about 3-5 minutes on high.
- In a 3rd bowl, melt together the butter (or coconut oil) and bakers chocolate. This can be done using a double boiler method, or by repeatedly microwaving for 20s and mixing. If using the microwave be careful not to burn the chocolate.
- Add the egg mixture to the butter/chocolate mixture in 3 parts, folding in each time. Make sure that the chocolate is not hot or it could scramble the eggs. Most of the erythritol will be at the bottom of the egg mixture, thats ok!
- Once the wet ingredients are all combined, begin adding the dry ingredients. Add 1/3 of the dry mixture and fold into the wet. Repeat this process 3 times until all of the dry mixture is used and a homogeneous brownie batter is formed.
- Pour into a greased 8×4 loaf pan or as said earlier feel free to line a baking pan with parchment paper.
- Place into a 325 degree oven for 50-55 minutes. Pull out the brownies just before they look done so that they have time to set as they cool.
Allow to Cool Completely
If you get impatient (which is understandable!) you may end up with a disaster on your hands. Keto brownies can be crumbly if you don’t wait for them to cool completely. Pro Tip: Put the finished brownies in the freezer to cool so you can eat them sooner. They take about 30 minutes to cool in the freezer. Plus if they’re too hot that delicious keto ice cream you want to add will turn to soup! 😉
Store Keto Brownies in the Fridge (or Freezer)
As with all keto baked goods, you’re going to want to store these in the fridge for up to 10 days. If you’re anything like us though, you may want to store these keto brownies in the freezer to extend their shelf-life for 1-2 months. Just wrap them in parchment paper and place individually wrapped squares into one large gallon ziplock bag. These make for the perfect after dinner dessert. (And if I’m being completely honest I’ve eaten these out of the freezer 6 months after we made them).
Is Chocolate Keto?
Depending on the chocolate you choose it can 100% be keto! You should aim to find the lowest carb and highest fiber chocolate in order to lower the net carbs. There are many different brands on the market but some big things to look for are:
- Low total carbs – Obviously to make keto brownies you will need low carb chocolate so be on the lookout for low carb bars in the store
- The higher the percentage the better! – We’re talking between 80% – 100% minimum as it will have more cacao rather than milk (aka keto goodness)
What to AVOID in chocolate:
- Anything labeled as “milk” chocolate that you would find the the grocery store. Some online brands like Choc Zero do have keto milk chocolate, however most often milk chocolate has too much sugar or worse, Maltitol.
- Low quality artificial sweeteners – If you want good keto brownie recipes that turn out amazing every time, avoid ingredients that will make you feel sick. Low quality and cheap sweeteners like IMO, sucralose, and Maltitol are used in most store brand sugar free products. These sweeteners are NOT keto friendly and often cause gut disruption as well as knock many people out of ketosis.
Chocolates that are A- Okay:
- 100% Baker’s Chocolate- It’s what we use in this recipe and find it is one of the best low carb chocolates for baking. It is only 4 total carbs, 3 fiber, 1 NET CARB per serving.
- 100% Lindtt chocolate- This is definitely more expensive than baker’s chocolate costing you about $3-4 a bar depending on the store. However it is one of the smoothest chocolates that has a much softer cacao note, unlike super bitter baking chocolate.
- Keto Chocolate Bars/Chips- There are many brands that make keto chocolate chips which is perfect if you want to make keto brownies. Just double check they have good sweeteners like erythritol and stevia or monk fruit.
Cocoa or Cacao?
For this recipe there really isn’t much difference in flavor. Both ingredients are rich, chocolatey, and bitter. Cacao is the raw form of processed cocoa. Often times it is much easier to find raw cacao powder with no sugar unlike cocoa powder which can commonly be confused with hot cocoa powder. So which should you use?
- Cocoa – Much more widely available and inexpensive. Most all grocery stores have some unsweetened variety that’s rich in fiber and sugar free
- Cacao – More expensive but said to have more nutrients. However, this is for RAW cacao not heat treated. As soon as you put this recipe in the oven you are cooking and breaking down some of the antioxidants.
In this recipe, and for those reasons we recommend cocoa powder. It will be cooked and it’s less expensive so we’re not really worried about missing a few extra antioxidants.
Are These the Best Keto Brownies?
Before we even started a keto blog, we tested out other brownie recipes online and nothing has satisfied cravings like these have. Some recipes were too dry, some were too oily, and some just didn’t taste like brownies at all. Matt even tried making avocado brownies, and needless to say, they were a no-go. Although, since writing this we have come up with a delicious avocado cookie recipe that you can take for a test drive.
Keto Brownie Add-ins
If you’re a lover of low carb brownies, but you want to add a little something extra to them I’ve got the perfect ideas for you! Chocolate brownies are good but add these mix-ins and it’s a whole new world!
Chocolate Chips – Did someone say double chocolate keto brownies?! Fudgy keto brownies with extra chunks of gooey chocolate chips melted inside. When you take the first bite you won’t believe this recipe is keto friendly!
Nuts – It’s no secret walnuts make the perfect addition to the best keto brownies recipe. However, There’s no need to limit the type of nuts you can add to chocolate brownies. We love walnuts, pecans, toasted almonds, and even a few crushed up hazelnuts sprinkled on top for a Nutella vibe.
Peanut Butter – For an extra fancy treat, melt and swirl a few tablespoons of natural peanut butter on top of the keto brownies before baking. I try to use peanut butter in as many keto recipes as possible and these being low carb/ keto brownies are no exception.
Cosmic Brownies – Are you in love with the childhood cosmic brownies? Try topping these brownies with homemade low carb/ keto chocolate buttercream for an extra rich treat.
Coffee – The best keto brownies recipe just got a little more addicting… Add 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of instant coffee mixed with 2 tbsp of hot water to the batter. Coffee will bring out the chocolate flavor and provide a nice mid day pick-me up.
Flakey Salt – Do not sleep on the idea of adding flakey salt. The best keto brownies recipe has a hefty sprinkle of flakey salt to really bring out the sweetness and add a lovely contrast of flavors.
This brownie recipe is great on it’s own, but add some extra mix-ins and it’s unstoppable!
Looking for More Nut-Free Keto Desserts?
Next time you want a great dessert that is nut-free, check out our other recipes that don’t use any almond flour:
- Low Carb Chocolate Muffins – These are not as intense in dark chocolate flavor as the brownies and are perfect with your morning coffee.
- Coconut Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies – A nice, soft chocolate chip cookie that is lower calorie than it’s almond flour counterpart.
- Low Carb Ice Cream – Chocolate Gelato – Everyone loves ice cream, but not every knows how easy it is to make at home. Plus with no almond flour it’s an affordable easy keto dessert option.
Want More Chocolate?
Looking for even more chocolate? We have just the recipe for you, check out our top fan favorites:
- Two Minute Chocolate Mug Cake – So quick and easy you could make a mug cake while waiting for these brownies to cook. Plus the moist chocolatey base pairs perfectly with keto friendly ice cream
- Keto Hot Chocolate – Creamy dairy free hot chocolate that will warm you up on cold winter nights!
- Keto Peanut Butter Cups – Looking for a low carb version of your childhood favorite? These ice cube peanut butter cups filled with gooey natural peanut butter are the perfect quick freezer treat!
Give these recipes a try and let us know how they stand up against these Fudgy Keto Brownies! We’re sure one of these treats will be your perfect after dinner dessert.
Recipe can be quickly added to MyFitnessPal – Search “KetoConnect – Keto Brownies”
Keto Brownies
What You Need:
- 8×4 Loaf Pan
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 2 tbsp Coconut flour
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- 12 tbsp Butter
- 1/2 cup erythritol
- 15-30 drops liquid stevia (Add if you prefer a sweeter brownie)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Pink Himalayan Salt
- 2 oz Unsweetened Bakers Chocolate
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees
- Combine coco powder, coconut flour, and salt, and set aside
- Add eyrthritol, eggs, vanilla and mix with a hand mixer. Mix until the volume of the mixture has tripled in size. This should take about 3-5 minutes on high.
- In a 3rd bowl, melt together butter and bakers chocolate. This can be done using a double boiler method, or by repeatedly microwaving for 20s and mixing. If using the microwave be careful not to burn the chocolate.
- Add egg mixture to the butter/chocolate mixture in 3 parts, folding in each time. Most of the erythritol will be at the bottom of the egg mixture, thats ok!
- Once the wet ingredients are all combined, begin adding the dry ingredients. Add 1/3 of the dry mixture and fold into the wet. Repeat this process 3 times until all of the dry mixture is used and a homogeneous brownie batter is formed.
- Pour into a greased 8×4 loaf pan.
- Place into a 325 degree oven for 50-55 minutes.
