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.
Been making your flourless brownies for years, and always gets rave reviews. Seriously, the number of people who would have come here after trying them. No notes. No complaints. Amazing every time.
Aw, thank you so much! This is one of the first recipes I ever shared here, and to this day, it’s still one of my most popular 🙂 I’m so glad others enjoy them too!
Thanks so much for all the great recipes! 🤩. Im just checking to make sure there were no oversites on the brownies… It says 4 net carb per serving but its with regular and brown sugar! How is that possible? Just dont want to throw my carbs off inadvertently 😬. Thanks!!
Hi Sue- thanks for bringing that to my attention. I’ll update the macros, they originally calculated it using sugar free chocolate and allulose 🙂
Wow, that’s 8 g of saturated fat per brownie… isn’t that a lot for cholesterol and heart health?
Hi there- I’m not sure! I developed this recipe using those specific ingredients, not for these to be healthy brownies. I do have recipes for those if that is what you are after.
Hi, do you have a recommended ratio of white to brown sugar to use? Thanks!
I always recommend a 50/50 split- the white sugar keeps the edges nice and crisp and the brown sugar keeps the middles gooey. Let me know how you go, Rebecca!
hi what if i use virgin coconut oil instead
Hi Jon! That’s absolutely fine. I’ve made these with virgin coconut oil before.
I love these brownies and all your recipes! Thank you for sharing healthy foods.
You are so welcome, Brown. I’m so glad you enjoyed these brownies. I appreciate your readership 🙂
You have great tasting and healthy recipes. I appreciate that they’re gluten free.
You are so welcome, Holly. I’m so glad you enjoyed the flourless brownies- they are one of my favorite naturally gluten-free desserts.
OMG! This is by far the best brownies I ever had !!! Thanks for sharing this delicious chocolate recipe !!!
Aw, Isabelle- I love to hear that. Thanks for your kind words and for your lovely star rating!
This recipe sounds wonderful! Sometimes doubling a recipe results in disappointment, butI need to serve 36. Can I successfully double the recipe for one 9 X 13 pan and then make two batches? Thank you!
Hi Jan- okay, so this is my go-to brownie recipe and I’ve had to make it for parties and events where I double, triple, and even quadruple the recipe. In all my testing, I found it’s best to just bake each one in individual 8-inch pans. I have baked 4 batches at the same time (I have a big oven, thank goodness!) and that worked out much, much better than using a bigger pan and increasing the time. If you do want to do that, I’d suggest spreading it over two large pans and increasing the baking time by about 5-6 minutes, or until crackly on top.
What can I use in place of Corn starch , arrow root powder & tapioca.? I don’t eat any of those things but want to make this recipe.
Hi Annette, you could try using an additional egg instead or a perhaps a tablespoon of coconut flour. Both of these options should help give the brownies some structure without the starch.
I made these for the first time and they were devoured by my chocolate loving brother and niece. They requested the recipe. I used a combo of a 100% chocolate bar and semi sweet chocolate chips, tapioca flour, butter, and 1/2 cup white sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar. This recipe is a keeper. Just out of curiosity, I’m going to try part butter and part coconut oil next time. Thank you!
One question: for the chocolate measurement, is there a weight or anything more specific than a cup of chopped chocolate?
Hi Rebecca, that’s so nice to hear and thanks for taking the time to share your experience. It’s always the risk with these, that someone is going to sneak along and devour them! A US standard cup of chopped chocolate should weigh around 6oz (170g). The more chocolate, the more dense your brownies will be but if you nailed a perfect texture the first time around, you shouldn’t have any trouble!
I will try these brownies
Please do, Gail- these are so easy!