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.
One bowl, quick, easy and impossible to stuff up!
Flourless Chocolate Brownies
I don’t think of these as gluten-free brownies. Rather, I tell people they are flourless chocolate brownies made with almond meal instead of flour, so they happen to be gluten-free.
And unlike regular brownies made with flour, these flourless brownies are virtually impossible to overcook to the point that you lose that desirable fudginess that we all know and love about brownies.
Win, win!
However, please note. If you ask me to choose between these flourless brownies and classic brownies, I’ll plead the fifth. There’s enough space in this world for both!! (A phrase I often use for competing food-love-interests).
What goes in gluten-free brownies
Here’s what you need to make these gluten-free brownies:
Almond meal / ground almonds (same thing) – this is finely blitzed raw, whole almonds in powder form, used in place of flour to add a beautifully nutty flavour to baked goods (like in this very popular Orange Cake and Flourless Chocolate Cake). It makes them ultra moist and also gluten-free.
Find it in the baking section, 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 a bit more cake-like (almond flour is made with blanched peeled almonds, no skin, and is finer) and a less pronounced almond flavour.
Rice flour – This is ground rice, widely available these days at everyday grocery stores. It takes the place of flour in this recipe to give the 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).
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!
Butter – No need to soften it as it is melted with the chocolate.
Large eggs – Use eggs sold in cartons labelled “large eggs” which are 55 – 60g / 2 oz each. This is an industry standard. If you don’t have eggs this size, crack eggs in a bowl, whisk then measure out 90 ml / 100 grams.
Sugar – I like to use brown sugar as it adds a bit of caramely flavour to the brownies. But white sugar works just fine here.
Vanilla – Extract is better quality and flavour than imitation vanilla.
Salt – Generally good practice in baking to include a touch of salt as it brings out the flavour of other ingredients. It doesn’t make these brownies salty!
How to make flourless chocolate brownies
Nice and easy – one bowl and just a wooden spoon!
Melt the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. I do this in the microwave – 3 x 30 second bursts on high, stirring in between, until melted and smooth.
Mix well until smooth, then let it cool for 5 minutes just to be sure we don’t accidentally cook the eggs!
Vanilla, sugar, eggs – Stir in the vanilla and sugar, then mix the eggs in until incorporated and the batter is smooth.
Add dry ingredients – Mix in the almond meal and rice flour.
Bake – Pour into the prepared pan, smooth the surface then bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean but still a bit wet. You want it to be moist because that means the brownie is still fudgy! Note however that flourless brownies are far more forgiving than brownies made with flour as the absence of flour makes it hard to overcook them to the point of drying out.
Cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before using the paper overhang to lift the brownie out of the pan. Then fully cool on a rack before cutting to serve.
Cutting / serving hot v cooled – Fudgy brownies are difficult to cut when warm as they are too gooey. It is best to fully cool to room temperature before slicing. Better yet, 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!
Also, close up proof that even though these are flourless brownies, you’ll get the signature crackly brownie surface that we all know and love:
And proof of fudgy insides:
YUM.
I see these fudgy beauties in your future. Very near future, in fact. Like – this weekend.
Then after you’ve made them, come back and tell me how much you loved them!!! 😇 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Flourless Chocolate Brownies (gluten free)
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
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 325°F (160°C fan-forced) with a rack in the lower third of the oven.
- 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.
- 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.
- Cool 5 minutes: Mix well to combine the chocolate and butter then leave to cool for 5 minutes.
- Add vanilla, sugar and eggs: Stir in the vanilla and sugar. Crack the eggs straight into the bowl, and stir until combined.
- Add dry: Add almond meal and rice flour, and mix very well until fully combined.
- 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!
- 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.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Recipe originally published May 2014. Updated with much needed new photos and a video, plus the all important Life of Dozer section! No change to recipe – perfect as is. 😇
Life of Dozer
Massage balls to work knots out of my back regularly go missing around here….
How to grind the almonds fine enough ? Delicious though.
I’ve been eyeing this big bag of almond meal… And now I think I have a good excuse to get it 😁
I’ve been making these for ages from your older post. It was a hidden treasure hiding among the recipes! Everyone who tries them likes them.
I made Brownie as first time. It was amazing and super easy!!! Thanks Nagi.
With a coeliac son I’m learning to look after I’m loving that your recipes extend to gluten free as well!! Thank you.
Can you add nuts to this recipe?
Macadamia’s for example? Or drizzle with some kind of salted caramel topping?
Try Tate’s gluten free cookies. They are readily available on the west coast. They are the bomb. They make them in regular type also.
Absolutely delicious and yummy recipes..
Easy and quick
Could regular plain flour be used as a substitute for the rice flour for those of us who do not require it to be gluten-free thank you so much.
Hi Nagi, This is just wonderful, I made it for some Gluten Free people, and everybody, including non Gluten Free people. LOVED it. Thank you so very very much.
Do you think this could be Frozen?
Thank you so very much Nagi. You have a gorgeous heart.
Nagi, Your recipes are the best! looking forward to buying your cookbook. I added some chopped walnuts on top of the brownies. Thanks for the delicious brownies recipe
Made the brownies yesterday and they were super delicious. Thank you Nagi.
Nagi brownies look great cannot wait to try them thanks for the recipe.what kind of baking chips should I use I’m from Dublin Ireland 🇮🇪 greeting from me to you
Got this recipe yesterday after making a really disappointing dry blondie two days ago the timing could not have been more perfect! Made it today and it was perfect! Family dinner approved, thanks Nagi!
Nagi, I’ve got a confession to make. Since receiving your email yesterday which included thia recipe, I’ve made this recipe twice. I made my first batch last night, we only had Lindt in the house, which thankfully you gave your blessings to use. It was phenomenal, and magically disappeared!
So of course I had to make another batch this evening, and went out to buy Lindt specifically, because it worked so well last time.
Every single recipe of yours I have made has been sensational. I’m so looking forward for your recipe book to be released.
I made this today and it turned out perfectly. So easy too. Thank you!
Hi Nagi,
I read this recipe last night & cooked them at 8.30 this morning!! SO easy & scrumptious. I took the still warm tin over to my family who devoured them. This will be another regular bake for me – thank you ❤️👏👏👏
Hi Nagi, I would like to make this recipe low carb. I’ll use a high percentage dark chocolate and substitute Natvia brown sweetener for the sugar. The only remaining problematic ingredient is the rice flour. Would it be best to use all almond flour or switch this for coconut flour? Or do you have another suggestion? Thank you.
Sadly, rice flour can’t be replaced with coconut flour…the latter is extremely absorbant so needs a lot of liquid. Personally I would add more almond flour.
Nagi brownies look great cannot wait to try them thanks for the recipe.what kind of baking chips should I use I’m from Dublin Ireland 🇮🇪 greeting from me to you
Don’t eat brownies
can we substitute equal amounts of regular flour for the gluten free recipe- flourless chocolate brownies
Good morning Nagi, I am a brownie lover but my favourite brownies have a large amount of walnuts. Do you think it would work to add walnuts to this recipe??? Love your blog!!
Did you use glutinous sweet rice flour like Mochiko- Koda Farms or Thai rice flour from Three ladies? I just made a Chinese dim sum-Woks of Life explained the differences in the recipe I used from them for the dim sum. Thank you.
Is the rice flour that you’re using mochiko?
Hi Nagi from hot NY. I signed up long ago but never received the 3 ckbks. But no big deal. I am waiting patiently for your new ckbk to be available on amazon. I am a big fan of you and Dozer. Glad to have you back!!!
Hi Pat! I might’ve ended up in your JUNK folder!!! All good, here they are -> https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rxxu3jtr18ejc66/AADwkxUEjn31tV_NiCNrKs6ma?dl=0