Flourless Brownies
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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.
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 partner. They never last long, and no one even knows they’re made without flour.
I’m experienced with flourless baking, and the trick is to use good-quality chocolate and enough eggs for structure. When testing this recipe, chopped chocolate baked so much better than chocolate chips (they didn’t always get the crackly tops). I also found that a little extra coconut oil or butter added the moisture and richness needed to compensate for the missing flour.
Table of Contents
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!
Key Ingredients
Here’s what goes into no flour brownies, along with my kitchen notes. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Coconut oil OR butter. Use refined coconut oil for zero coconut flavor. If not strictly dairy-free, I like using 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 (78% cocoa content) or semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Sugar. I use a 50/50 split of white and brown sugar. White sugar gives them crackly tops, brown sugar keeps the middles gooey.
- Eggs. Room-temperature eggs are essential because they mix easily into the batter and don’t cool the batter down.
- 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, I need the arrowroot powder to add stability. You can substitute this for cornstarch or tapioca flour.
How to make flourless brownies
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, then whisk in the eggs until combined.
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.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Don’t substitute the ingredients. This is a temperamental recipe, so only use what’s specifically listed. The egg ratio and chocolate type are all tweaked to work together. I’ve tested substitutions extensively, and they consistently produce inferior results.
- For gooey brownies, check them around the 25-minute mark. If the edges have set, they are done.
- For cakey brownies, bake for closer to 30-32 minutes.
- Doubling the recipe. Yes, it works, but I recommend baking in individual 8-inch pans rather than scaling up to a larger pan. I’ve quadrupled this recipe for parties, and it works best in separate batches. If you do want to use a larger pan, spread the batter across two large pans and increase the baking time by 5-6 minutes, or until the top is crackly. Jan in the comments needed 36 servings, and this approach worked well.
Variations
- Enhance the flavor. Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract, or sprinkle the brownies with sea salt for a salty-sweet flavor. My partner loves the addition of a pinch of salt.
- Add more chocolate. Fold in dark chocolate chips right before baking.
- Low-carb. Use sugar-free chocolate chips, allulose, and tapioca starch in place of arrowroot powder. These swaps keep net carbs around 4 each.
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 freeze for up to 6 months.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on which recipe you are making, but this recipe is 100% gluten-free. As it contains no flour or other gluten-containing ingredients, it is a safe dessert for celiacs.
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 the lack of flour, many flourless recipes 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.
Flourless Brownies
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
- 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
Nutrition
More easy brownies to try
- Peanut butter brownies– These are my partner’s favorite brownies, and it’s all because of the thick peanut butter layer.
- Nutella brownies– Just 3 ingredients and a jar of chocolate hazelnut spread.
- Air fryer brownies– I was going to gatekeep this recipe for my air fryer cookbook, but that would have been mean.
- Eggless brownies– A special brownie recipe developed for my readers requesting more egg-free baking.
Wow,super easy to make. moist and fudgy.thanks
I don’t have a chocolate bar. Would chocolate chips work? If so, how much do you think I would use?
Yes, of course and same amount
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!
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.
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!
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.
😀 LOVE IT!
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?
I forgot to rate this with FIVE stars!!!!! Again, just great!!!
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
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!
Thank you, Lesley!
Hey! can I double the recipe to make in a 9×13 pan? thank you!
I don’t see why not.
Can you double or triple the ingredients for a bigger batch?? Can liquid Steevia be used?
Thank you.
Do you use the same amount of cornstarch if you use it instead of arrowroot?
Yes 🙂
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!!!
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🧁🍪🥧🎂🍰🍫🍩🍡🍧🥮🍢🍨🍮🍪🥧🍰