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.
I love these brownies they are the best, no one knows they are gluten free. My only brownie recipe for the last year.
My question is. . .if I make a double batch I don’t get the crinkly top, I have mix by hand and by mixer with whisk attachment. The top of my brownies are dull and matte unless I make a single batch at a time. What am I doing wrong? I assumed that the shiny tops were by making sure all the sugar was mixed in well and that is why I used the mixer but still had matte dull top. Thank you.
Hi Susan- that is so odd- Although overmixing sounds like the issue. Mix everything until just combined and not with a mixer 🙂
Absolute heaven!
Very yummy 😋 very tasty recipe. I think this recipe is so underrated. I’ve trust issues with online recipes but this one is the best brownie recipe I’ve tried. Keep up the good work ☺️👍
Hello, I noticed your nutritional breakdown doesn’t show the Sugar content, and Carbs do not reflect the amount of sugar in the recipe. Can you update this please?
Yes we can!
Fabulous
Family, neighbors, and our church members love them!
Giving it 5 stars because it makes a yummy gooey brownie, but I recommend using butter if you’re able to! Mine still had a coconut oil taste, which I didn’t love. I also wish this note had been in the main recipe, as they’re a little too gooey for me: “If you are a fan of cakey and chewier brownies, remove them from the oven around the 30-32 minute mark (and when the brownies puff up in the center).”
These are my favorites now! Thank you!
Oh my…so good…many requests for more…everyone loves them! Had to start doubling the recipe!! Thanks for this wonderfully delight easy ‘goo to’ recipe
This recipe is the best. I accidentally bought milk chocolate chips they were perfect. I can’t eat any white flour products, so this was the best for my sweet tooth
Due to various allergies I subbed vegan butter for coconut oil and used dairy free chocolate chips. I was skeptical how they would turn out because the ingredients were so minimal but WOW! They tasted like a true fudgey brownie! I was worried about over baking them and they ended up a bit under baked in the middle but zero people minded and they were devoured in moments
Can I use granular monkfruit i stead of sugar? Thank you!
No but you can use allulose
Could you use glucomann in place of arrowroot? I don’t have that and I follow a low carb lifestyle, so don’t use cornstarch.
Haven’t tried it myself.
I want to make these but how many ounces or grams of chocolate bar do I use? Can you update the recipe with this information? Thanks.
Do you think these would work to form into balls after done baking and cover them in chocolate for brownie truffles?
These are absolutely fantastic. I have made this recipe probably 10x now and it has never failed me. I LOVE it with butter but I also love it with refined coconut oil (vs the unrefined oil). This recipe’s texture is perfect, with a slightly crunchy top, and an absolutely fudgy and decadent middle. I won’t make anything else. Thank you!