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.
Wonderful cross between a traditional brownie and actual fudge candy. My hubby insists on having them on hand and he prefers them to the ones made with flour. I am finding they are still very soft even when a toothpick comes out clean. Really too much so. I am still playing with the oven temp and timing on my new countertop oven so I can get them a bit firmer. My last batch in the little oven never firmed up at room temp so I actually rebaked in small time intervals at 325. Finally got them to an acceptable point. We do refrigerate on the second day. Perhaps I should use more cornstarch?? I had to increase the time in my conventional oven. Once I get this kink smoothed out I’ll have a real winner
OH-EM-GEEE!!! These are AMAZING! Thank you for developing & posting this. I haven’t had brownies in almost two years. I almost cried with my first bite. No joke.
These are the best fudgy brownies ever. No one will know it has no flour!
It sounds really good. I’m excited to try it!
I sent this to my mum-she did it next day. She was delighted.
These are very good! I make them when we have a brownie emergency at my mom’s house. She does not eat gluten, and these brownies are the ones I go to over and over! If need be, you can freeze these after cutting into small squares. When you need a brownie bite, just pull one out and it will be like cold fudge. So good!
Arman, these are truly better than any box mix available. Yum Yum!
Thanks for the lovely feedback and star rating, Candice!
Very good recipe
Thank you Maria! Glad you enjoyed this one.
I cannot believe this nice recipe dorsnt contain any flour. Very good really. Thanks.
Do you know where could i buy arrowroot powder? Does each shop have it?
Best flourless brownies I’ve ever made!
I changed the amount of servings to 18 which is doubling the recipe. All the ingredients changed exactly double except the butter. The butter went from fourth cup plus 2 tablespoons to half a cup plus 2 tablespoons. Wouldn’t it be three fourths of a cup, half plus 4 tablespoons? I I makes these often, they are the best and usually double everything but today I changed the quantity and wonder if I am doing it right doubling the butter as well as everything else. No one knows they are gluten free . Thanks for the recipe!
I was “scared” to make this with flour. But brownies turned out great!!
Easy, fast, and delicious! Thank you!
These were better than any boxed mix- sensational!
The best fudgy brownies–no icing needed! I cut the sweetener to 1/2 cup and they are perfect. I actually used only 150 g of a dark chocolate bar chopped up (slightly less than the recipe calls for) and they were still richly fudgy. Thanks Arman!