Indulge in a gluten-free treat with our delicious healthy almond flour brownies - the perfect healthier vegan alternative to traditional brownies. Made with high-quality, plant-based ingredients, our almond flour brownies are the perfect combination of chewy and fudgy, with a rich chocolate flavor that will satisfy any sweet tooth.
Plus, with almond flour as the main ingredient, they're a great source of protein and healthy fats. Whether you're following a vegan lifestyle or simply looking for a healthier dessert option, our almond flour brownies are the perfect choice.
So why wait? Try our vegan almond flour brownies today and discover the perfect balance of taste and nutrition!
These Healthy Almond Flour Brownies are the perfect healthy dessert recipe year-round! While we're more likely to make our delicious dairy-free brownies for a bake sale or potluck-style event, we like these healthy brownies most of the time at home and to share with other health-conscious friends.
We find that this refined sugar-free brownie recipe gives us less sugar spikes and an overall happier gut when we indulge a little too much! They make a great snack because they are packed with protein from the almond flour.
We often enjoy almond flour brownies alongside fruit for a healthy afternoon snack that is also gluten-free, vegan and fun to eat!
For more healthy almond flour baking recipes, check out our Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies, Almond Flour Pumpkin Muffins, Gluten-Free Mango Muffins, and Almond Flour Blondies.
If you like healthier dessert recipes, you also will enjoy our Coconut Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies. And our Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes made with almond butter are not to be missed by almond lovers!
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Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
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Almond Flour Brownies Ingredients
Almond Flour - Almond flour is the star of the show here! It's packed with healthy fats and protein and makes a super fudgy brownie recipe. We like blanched almond flour and find that most brands work just fine here.
Tapioca Flour - Tapioca flour is also sometimes called tapioca starch. You can substitute any all purpose flour, gluten-free flour, or cassava flour 1-to-1 for the tapioca flour. This ingredient makes a lighter brownie with a better texture than almond flour alone.
Chocolate chips - You can use any chocolate chips that fit your diet. Enjoy Life brand is my favorite and I find that mini chocolate chips are easier for making brownies because they melt better and distribute that chocolatey goodness more evenly.
Cocoa Powder - Cacao powder is a a fine substitute too. Either one works great.
Sugar - For a healthier paleo brownie that is refined sugar-free, use coconut sugar! Otherwise feel free to substitute brown sugar or white sugar. I like to use to use half and half of both when I don't use coconut sugar.
Maple Syrup - Maple syrup intensifies the rich double chocolate flavor in a really delightful way! Also, if you are making this recipe paleo with coconut sugar, it is necessary for a shiny top. Coconut sugar has too many impurities to create that shiny crackled top all by itself, so you need a more pure sugar in the mix. You can learn more about the shiny top in my no butter brownie recipe expert tips section.
Variations
Amazing brownie recipes are actually really hard to make, since we focus on so many factors. These include flavor, overall texture, fudgy vs chewy vs cakey brownies, and of course that signature crackle top. Because of this, I don't recommend making major changes to this recipe.
Here are variations that will work:
- Any type of oil - This recipe can be made with any type of neutral oil. Vegetable oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, olive oil, and even canola oil can be substituted into this recipe with great success. Please note that canola oil has a stronger flavor and should only be used if you are accustomed to the flavor.
- Sugar swap - You can substitute any granulated sugar for coconut sugar. This is best done by weight (in grams) rather than by volume, since white and brown sugars are more dense than coconut sugar. However, this recipe will work if you swap in sugar 1-to-1 by cups, and it's a little sweeter in that case.
- Honey instead of maple syrup - This is a fine swap 1-to-1.
- Any starchy flour in place of tapioca flour - All purpose flour, all purpose gluten-free flour, and cassava flour can all be used as a 1-to-1 replacement for tapioca flour in this recipe.
Here are changes I don't recommend:
- Using butter instead of oil - I have not personally tested this swap at this point, and cannot guarantee it's success. Butter is only 80% fat and oil is 100% fat, so your texture will be slightly different if you give this substitution a try.
- More coconut sugar instead of maple syrup - This variation will still taste good, but it will be less sweet and I also can't guarantee a shiny top brownie. Coconut sugar has more impurities that disrupt the crackle top created by dissolving the sugars. Maple syrup re-balances the dissolved sugar content and fixes the shiny top problem in paleo brownies with coconut sugar.
Brownie Recipe Requests?
I've done many trials of brownies recently (over 20!) and am excited to make new variations for anyone interested. Please leave any requests in the comment field at the end of this recipe post. These can include butter instead of oil, a recipe with eggs, or a different type of flour or flour combination.
And definitely check out our other brownies with oil recipe that has a luscious crackle top, is super shareable, and uses all purpose or gluten-free flour. It's the perfect classic fudgy brownie that is naturally non-dairy!
How to make brownies with almond flour
Be prepared for a super tasty and fudgy brownie with almond flour, chocolate, and natural sweeteners. Who needs dinner when you can just start with this almond-flour-based dessert? Just kidding... sort of 😉
Step 1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (160 C) and line a 9x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
Step 2. Dissolve the sugar: In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, add coconut oil, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and hot water. Whisk the mixture by hand or with an electric mixer with whisk attachment for 3 full minutes, or until you get a smooth sugar syrup. Dissolving the sugar is what creates the shiny crackle top on brownies, so you do not want to shorten the mixing time! If the sugar is not dissolving easily, pop the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, then whisk together. Microwave for additional 15 second increments (with whisking in between) as needed.
Step 3. Make a chocolate syrup: Add ⅓ cup chocolate chips and vanilla to the sugar mixture. Whisk until the chocolate chips have melted and the mixture is smooth. Follow the microwave instructions in the previous step if needed to melt the chocolate.
Step 4. Mix the dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add almond flour, cocoa powder, tapioca flour, salt, and baking soda. Whisk together.
Step 5. Make the batter: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Then add the remaining chocolate chips and mix until just combined.
Step 6. Bake: Spread the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few fudgy crumbs. In my oven, the ideal baking time is right at 40 minutes. The brownies may still be a little jiggly if the pan is shaken slightly and this us ok - they will solidify as they cool
Step 7. Cool: Allow to cool completely in the pan before removing the brownies in parchment paper and cutting into squares. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Lightly mix the batter. Over-mixed brownie batter can cause an extra bubbly batter in the oven and it will destroy your shiny top and traditional brownie texture. They will still taste nice, but these brownies will not look as traditional and the texture will be fudgier. Mix the brownies just until they are combined, with some small pea-sized flour lumps remaining.
- Measure the ingredients with a kitchen scale if possible. While these brownies will turn out great measuring by volume with cups and tablespoons, baked goods measured by weight in grams or ounces have less variability and are more likely to turn out just like our tried and true recipe!
- Use a metal baking pan. Metal baking pans encourage more even baking when making brownies and will give you the best result.
- These brownies are best on the second day and beyond! Because almond flour continues to absorb moisture and flavors after cooking, we find that these brownies are best on days two and three after baking.
FAQs
Almond flour brownies are more moist than traditional brownies. Therefore I recommend letting them sit out uncovered on the counter for up to 24 hours after baking. Afterward, store them in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Almond meal includes the skin of the almond, whereas almond flour has that skin removed. Therefore, the two flours behave slightly differently when used in baked goods. Almond flour will make fluffier baked goods and is the recommended choice for brownies.
A brownie can definitely be healthier when it's made with ingredients that have a low glycemic index like almond flour and coconut sugar. Because of the high sugar content, they would not be considered a healthy meal, but they definitely can qualify as a healthy dessert or reasonable healthy snack option in moderation.
More Almond Flour Recipes to consider...
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PrintHealthy Almond Flour Brownies - paleo
Healthy Almond Flour Brownies with cocoa powder, maple syrup, coconut sugar, coconut oil, and chocolate for a rich paleo treat!
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 16 brownies 1x
- Category: dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American, Paleo diet
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted (120 ml)
- 1 ¾ cups coconut sugar (255 grams)
- ¼ cup maple syrup (60 ml)
- ⅓ cup hot water (75 ml)
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (90 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup almond flour (175 grams)
- ½ cup cocoa powder (50 grams)
- ¼ cup tapioca flour (30 grams)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (90 grams)
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (160 C) and line a 9x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Dissolve the sugar: In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, add coconut oil, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and hot water. Whisk the mixture by hand or with an electric mixer with whisk attachment for 3 full minutes, or until you get a smooth sugar syrup. Dissolving the sugar is what creates the shiny crackle top on brownies, so you do not want to shorten the mixing time! If the sugar is not dissolving easily, pop the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, then whisk together. Microwave for additional 15 second increments (with whisking in between) as needed.
- Make a chocolate syrup: Add ⅓ cup chocolate chips and vanilla to the sugar mixture. Whisk until the chocolate chips have melted and the mixture is smooth. Follow the microwave instructions in the previous step if needed to melt the chocolate.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add almond flour, cocoa powder, tapioca flour, salt, and baking soda. Whisk together.
- Make the batter: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Then add the remaining chocolate chips and mix until just combined.
- Bake: Spread the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few fudgy crumbs. In my oven, the ideal baking time is right at 40 minutes. The brownies may still be a little jiggly if the pan is shaken slightly and this us ok - they will solidify as they cool
- Cool: Allow to cool completely in the pan before removing the brownies in parchment paper and cutting into squares. Enjoy!
Notes
Storage: Almond flour brownies are more moist than traditional brownies. Therefore I recommend letting them sit out uncovered on the counter for up to 24 hours after baking. Afterward, store them in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Metal vs. Glass baking pan for brownies: Metal baking pans encourage more even baking when making brownies and will give you the best result.
We think these brownies are best on the second day and beyond! Because almond flour continues to absorb moisture and flavors after cooking, we find that these brownies are best on days two and three after baking.
Janet C
Making them for Valentine's Day this time. The coconut whipped cream is a nice touch.
Tayler
I absolutely love this! Looks so amazing and decadent!
Celiac Sojourness
Thank you! I wish I could share - we have a snow day and brownies + me home alone... how will I stop myself? LOL.