Brownies are definitely not seasonal. I can eat them any time of year. So you might be thinking, how does one turn a brownie into something healthy? It's not hard, and for a treat, this recipe provides a great shot of protein and nutrients.
You can make it with almond butter, or another nut butter such as hazelnut butter, or cashew butter, or make it nut free using sunflower seed butter or pumpkin butter. Chocolate contains antioxidants, and better chocolate contains cocoa butter, a healthy source of fat, and no soy lecithin, so go for the best chocolate you can afford, or find.
I've updated this recipe to list the ingredients in the order of use, and added two brands I've been using for unsweetened chocolate I like (so simple, only cocoa bean and cocoa butter!), and cocoa powder (just cocoa powder).
You can refrigerate your brownies for a few weeks, or store them in a sealed container at room temperature for a few days.
Decadent Fudge Brownies {flourless}
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond butter 16 ounces, creamy, unsalted
- 2 large eggs or flaxseed eggs for an egg-free version
- 1 ½ cups maple syrup or honey
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 4 ounces unsweetened dark chocolate melted
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325° F.
- On a slow-speed mix, or by hand, combine the almond butter, eggs, honey, baking soda, salt, and vanilla. Mix until well blended.
- Add the melted chocolate and blend into the batter with a spatula.
- Add the cocoa powder and gently blend into the batter to avoid the development of a brown cloud of chocolate above your mixture.
- Add the batter to a 9 inches by 12 inches baking dish and spread it with a flexible spatula to distribute the batter evenly. The mixture is gooey, which is great for those who like to lick the bowl.
- Bake for 30 minutes and then check to see if a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. If still gooey, bake for another 5 to 10 minutes.
- Cool and enjoy! Cover and store at room temperature for a few days, or in the refrigerator for a several weeks.
Alexa says
For the flaxseed egg(s), is that 1 tbsp flaxseeds and 3 tbsp water for each egg - or do those quantities equal two eggs? Thank-you.
Hi Alexa, for the flaxseed eggs, each egg requires 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal and 3 tablespoons of water. So for two eggs you'll use 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal and 6 tablespoons of water. Note that I use a heaping tablespoon of flaxseed meal, which means a little extra on top.
Shannon says
These are my go-to brownies and have been a party hit for years! People tend to hang out by the dish when I make them 🙂 I’m about to make these again and don’t see the salt measurement, is it 1/2 tsp?
Erica says
Yes! Ugh, thanks for calling that out. Got lost in the conversion. It's been added. 🙂
lisa says
These are AMAZING! Just made my second batch today (first batch yesterday!) I would like to find a way to add less sweetener. Thank you!
Lindsay Campbell says
Hi,
I just wanted to let you know that I made a batch of these and they were FAB!!!
I found my honey a little over powering( but every batch of honey is a little different depending on what the bees have around them). I was wondering if anybody has tried making them with maple syrup or brown rice syrup? And if so did you use the same amount as called for the honey?
Lindsau
Erica says
Yes, I find it's best to bake with mild-flavored honey if possible, unless you're purposely trying to affect the flavor. I tend to use maple syrup with chocolate recipes and it works well. I usually add the same amount of honey and maple syrup, but sometimes a little less maple syrup works as well.
Lindsay Campbell says
I'll make another batch this weekend with maple syrup then and let you know how delish it is!!
Lindsay Campbell says
Yep, maple syrup was perfect!! I used 1 cup of maple syrup, 1 cup roasted almond butter,1/2 c. roasted haszelnut butter and 1/2 c macadamia nut butter and 2 tsp. of chocolate extract and a 100gr 71% bittersweet chocolate bar to make brownie heaven!!!
Erica says
awesome - yum!
shab says
Any idea on how many calories are in this?
Erica says
sorry, I don't.
Erica says
Finally updated the recipe format to show nutritional info. Whew, better late than...
Wendy says
This was lovely! I added a cup of roasted cocoa nibs, and the little bit of crunch with the gooeyness was fabulous! I think I'll make a batch of these to keep in the freezer for when the kids are invited to parties. Who could miss cake when there's a brownie like this to be had?!
Erica says
great idea, using nibs.
Debbie says
I usually use coconut flour for my brownies, these were even better! Love gooey brownies! I used cashew butter and 1 cup of honey with 1/2 cup erythritol (which probably made them a little less gooey, but that's alot of honey to me). Fantastic!
Amy says
OMG! These were the fudgiest most delicious brownies we have had in a long time! Oh, wait! I take that back! I think the last time I had a brownie this good was at my favorite 5-star restaurant! No JOKE! These were soooooo good! I missed the instruction of where to add the melted chocolate, but added it in after mixing in the cocoa. These were so yummy warm out of the oven! Thank you for sharing! My 9 yr. old son is now asking for more. 😉
Erica says
Wow - thanks for tipping me off to the missing ingredient in the instructions - and the most important ingredient! Glad they worked out!
Amy says
No problem, Erica! I had made similar brownies before, but I've never been able to get them as fudgy and tasty as these are! 🙂 I've been having fun trying all the yummy recipes on your blog here! We also love your eggplant parm! My son and I have food allergies (Wheat, Rye, Soy, Yeast, Corn, Mushrooms, Pecans) and follow an antifungal diet. Your recipes are a godsend! Thank you again for sharing! 🙂
Sophie says
Waw!! Your alternative almond butter brownies look just perfect & absolutely fabulous too!
I must try them!! Thanks so much for sharing!
Erica says
Great to know - thanks Ann!
Ann says
We tried your recipe substituting carob powder for cocoa powder, leaving out the chocolate and using 1 cup carob chips and it turned out delicious. We used half natural peanut butter and half raw cashew butter due to almond issues and it was delicious!!! Just wanted you to know. Thanks again for your great recipes. Just wanted to pass on for othes with chocolate sensitivities.
Erica says
Brandi, I use honey - not sure if that makes a difference, but whatever works for you - cheers!
Brandi says
I think it's interesting that you thought Elana's recipe was cake like. When I made it mine came out VERY fudgy- in fact, it was almost gooey. And while it was good the first day, it was even better the next!
Erica says
Michelle, great idea. Thanks for sharing this!
Michelle says
These are delicious. We made them last pm and substituted Bakers's unsweetened chocolate for bittersweet chocolate, adding two dropperfuls of liquid sweetleaf stevia clear. Also baked a few minutes longer, almost all of it is gone!!This way, we avoided any sugar.
Michelle says
Michelle-
When you added the stevia, did you also need to add any other liquid? If you are substituting 2 dropperfuls of stevia for 1 1/2 cups of honey, it seems you'd need some other liquid to make up for the amount of honey vs. the amount of stevia?
Thanks for posting that variation...I was hoping to be able to substitute stevia, as I have sugar issues...I'm so glad you've already tried it:)
Erica says
Hi Nida,
Yes, optionally, you can shave or chop chocolate into small pieces and add it to the batter instead of adding chips. I don't always add chips because I try to keep the sugar content a bit lower (and I avoid cane sugar as often as possible).
Nida says
can we use cooking chocolate in place of chocolate chips?
Erica says
M, I adjusted the honey to account for the addition of unsweetened chocolate as well as my desire to have a fudgy, slightly sweeter brownier.
~M says
I would rather use honey than agave, but am curious why you use more honey than Elana's original, agave-containing recipe? I thought the substitution was 1:1. Thanks for the cake and fudge like versions!
Erica says
Glad they worked out 🙂
Karen says
I tried these today and they were fabulous! The best brownie I have had in years! Thanks so much for the recipe.
Erica says
I know what you mean. I personally like a lighter brownie, but a rich, chocolatey brownie with some ice cream on top is so decadent. This can be made even richer by adding more melted chocolate and some butter or oil. I'll stop now though 🙂
Karen says
These look great and I can't wait to try them, personally I think a brownie should be fudgy, I mean if it's cake like isn't it cake?
Thanks for the recipe.