Flourless Brownies

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5 from 1102 votes
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My one bowl flourless brownies are fudgy and soft, with chewy edges and crinkly tops. They’re easy to make and need only 6 ingredients!

Need more flourless desserts? You’ve got to try my chocolate flourless cake, flourless cookies, or flourless muffins next.

flourless brownies

When it comes to flourless desserts, you don’t just go all willy-nilly getting rid of flour. It takes some practice. 

Thankfully, I’ve made more than my fair share of flourless desserts. My favorite? Hard to say, but my brownies are always a hit with my friends and family. They never last long, and no one even knows they’re made without flour!

Table of Contents
  1. Why I love this recipe
  2. Ingredients needed
  3. How to make flourless brownies
  4. Arman’s recipe tips
  5. Storage instructions
  6. Frequently asked questions
  7. More easy brownies to try
  8. Flourless Brownies (Recipe Card)

Why I love this recipe

  • Gluten-free brownies. Because they’re made without flour OR grains. 
  • Simple ingredients. And none of them are niche, expensive, or hard to find. 
  • Crinkly tops and chewy edges. So long as you use white and brown sugar, you’ll be rewarded with the perfect chewy, fudgy texture every time. 
  • One bowl! And we know what that means… clean-up and prep time are a breeze!

Ingredients needed

  • Coconut oil OR butter. Use refined coconut oil for zero coconut flavor. If not strictly dairy-free, I prefer unsalted butter. 
  • Baking chocolate OR chocolate chips. I prefer baker’s chocolate, as it melts better than chocolate chips. Be sure to use a good-quality chocolate bar or semi-sweet chocolate chips.
  • Sugar. Use a mix of white and brown sugar. White sugar gives us those crinkly tops, while brown sugar adds moisture and makes for a fudgy brownie. 
  • Eggs. Room temperature eggs are essential as they mix easily into the batter. 
  • Cocoa powder. Be sure to use Dutch processed, natural cocoa powder. I recommend using a high-quality cocoa powder to enhance the chocolate flavor.
  • Arrowroot powder. Since there’s no baking powder or baking soda, we need the arrowroot powder to add stability. You can substitute this for cornstarch or tapioca flour. 

How to make flourless brownies

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven and line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. Grease it with cooking spray. 

Step 2- Melt chocolate. Melt chocolate and oil in the microwave or a saucepan on the stovetop until smooth. 

Step 3- Mix. Add sugar to the chocolate mixture, followed by eggs, and whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients and continue mixing until the batter is smooth. 

Step 4- Bake. Pour the brownie batter into the pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Let the brownies cool completely before slicing. 

flourless brownie recipe

Arman’s recipe tips

  • Don’t substitute the ingredients. This is a temperamental recipe, so only use what’s specifically listed. I personally tested these ingredients to ensure they yield the best brownies possible. 
  • Prefer gooey brownies? Check them around the 25-minute mark. If the edges are done, they can be removed from the oven. 
  • Prefer cakey brownies? Leave them in the oven for closer to 30-32 minutes. 

Variations

  • Enhance the flavor. Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract, or sprinkle the brownies with sea salt for a salty-sweet flavor. 
  • Add more chocolate. Fold in dark chocolate chips right before baking. 
  • Low-carb. Use sugar-free chocolate chips, sugar-free sweeteners, and tapioca starch in place of arrowroot powder. 

Storage instructions

To store: Leftover brownies should be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. 

To freeze: Wrap brownies in foil and place in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

flourless chocolate brownies

Frequently asked questions

Are flourless brownies gluten-free?

It depends on which recipe you are making, but this recipe is 100% gluten-free. As it uses no flour and no other ingredients containing gluten, it is a safe dessert for celiacs.

Are flourless brownies healthier than normal brownies?

It’s often assumed that flourless brownies, or flourless desserts, in general, are healthier than their counterpart. This isn’t always the case. To compensate for no flour, many flourless recipes tend to use extra butter, sugar, oils, and fats instead.
My recipe is generally healthier than traditional brownies, without compromising on taste. If you’d like healthier ones, try healthy brownies

More easy brownies to try

flourless brownies

Flourless Brownies

5 from 1102 votes
These flourless brownies are made in one bowl and need just 6 ingredients! No flour or grains needed, they have chewy edges, gooey middles, and crinkle tops!
Servings: 9 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes

Ingredients 
 

  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons coconut oil or butter
  • 1 cup chocolate chopped * See notes
  • 3/4 cup Sugar ** See notes
  • 2 large eggs *** See notes for vegan substitutes
  • 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 3 tablespoon arrowroot powder can substitute for corn starch or tapioca starch

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line an 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper or tin foil, with some overlay for easy removal. Grease it lightly and set aside.
  • In a microwave safe bowl or stovetop, combine your chopped chocolate with coconut oil and melt together. Once just combined, remove from the heat.
  • Add the sugar of choice and whisk into the chocolate mixture. Then, add the eggs one at a time, and whisk in. Add your cocoa powder and arrowroot powder and whisk VERY well, until the batter is no longer grainy and smooth.
  • Transfer the brownie batter to the lined baking tray. Bake the brownies for 20-25 minutes, or until the centre just comes out clean. Do not over bake.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan completely. Once cool, slice into 9 pieces.

Notes

Do not over bake- Brownies may not look ‘cooked’ but once cooled, they will firm up.
Brownies can be kept for up to 5 days in the fridge and are freezer friendly.
* I used a semi sweet chocolate bar (78% cocoa content). Be sure the chocolate bar is finely chopped
** White sugar or coconut palm sugar works best. To keep it sugar-free, use allulose. 
*** To substitute the eggs, use egg replacer- NOT flax eggs or chia eggs. 
TO STORE: Brownies will keep at room temperature, covered, for up to 3 days. If you’d like the brownies to keep longer (and be extra chewy!), store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. 
TO FREEZE: Place leftovers in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months. Let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying them. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 180kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 4gFat: 18gSodium: 20mgPotassium: 155mgFiber: 3gVitamin A: 60IUCalcium: 23mgIron: 3mgNET CARBS: 4g
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, photographer, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    O M G !!
    These are seriously the BEST brownies I’ve ever had! I may have added some milk caramels to the melting chocolate/butter mixture, and WOW!! They’re super moist, great flavor, and I subbed in potato starch for the arrowroot to make them Kosher for Passover!
    Thanks for this, and all of your recipes…it’s really fabulous!

  2. A GREAT recipe. I made this and they were gone in less than a day.
    I am going to try this recipe using chocolate chips and decreasing the sugar. When I did this recipe, I cut the sugar by 1/4 of a cup. It was perfect.
    The crust was great. Thank you so much for this recipe.

  3. There is no unsweetened chocolate available here…Do you have any idea how much sweetener could be used in combination with sweetened baking chocolate? These look SO good: I would love to try them. Thanks in advance!

  4. Omg. These look so fudgy. Just what my tastebuds crave. I’m a sweet addict. Searched for monkfruit sweetener and got it. Your an answer to my cravings. Such delectable recipes just made your cheesecake recipe. Impatient wait to firm up in fridge.

  5. 5 stars
    I made these for my family last night and they were a huge hit! I’m hoping to make a double batch and freeze half. Would that effect the outcome of the brownies at all?

  6. Way better than boxed brownies! Me and my toddler really enjoy these. I’m making my second batch two weeks after the first. This is a great recipe. Thank you

  7. I have been baking gluten-free for more than 10 years now and I’ve tried many brownie recipes. This is the best one yet! I have never thought to try cornstarch in place of flour. Thank you!

  8. Can you double or triple the ingredients for a bigger batch?? Can liquid Steevia be used?
    Thank you.

  9. I figured out why Jenna’s cane out of oven in a hot, bubbling liquid form! I had the same thing occur and when I placed in oven, it seemed like the batter was too moist and shiny. So I took it out of the oven after 15 minute or so and realized I needed to add more dry ingredients because the actual written recipe measurements were not the same as the video’s measurements which was very evident. Being a very resourceful and experienced baker, I added some coconut flour and some gf all purpose flour mainly made from rice and tapioca starch. Mind you I used two flax seed/water eggs and arrowroot starch from the get go. Well, they ended up so good I almost ate the entire pan they were sooooo heavenly!! Next time, I will add more arrowroot starch as well as unsweetened cocoa powder until batter looks thicker and not as raw. Loved these and will keep on making them. Thank you!!!

  10. You’re my 20th Century go to for every dessert I can possibly think of. Thank you for all that do and provide for my sweet tooth Maaaate!! You seem so nice 👍 Great Job🧁🍪🥧🎂🍰🍫🍩🍡🍧🥮🍢🍨🍮🍪🥧🍰