Brownies
One of my favorite readers, Courtney, requested this brownie recipe in a comment last week.
Here is what she said, "Can we have another VOTE?? Every post I am hopeful that I might open it up to find your recipe for scrumptious dark chocolate brownies... I am NEVER disappointed by your posts, but I am still hopeful that I may experience this recipe in the future..."
Now that is just too cute. How could I say no to this sweet request? Courtney lives in Tennessee and I was fortunate enough to meet her at one of my cooking classes here in Boulder, Colorado. She has a great website with all kinds of interesting natural products on it.
Furthermore, this is my older son's favorite treat. Whenever I ask him what he would like me to bake for him, he says, "brownies." He loves packing these higher-protein treats in his lunch for dessert.
So, there you have it, everyone! Brownies.
1 (16) ounce jar salted almond butter, smooth roasted
2 eggs
1 ¼ cups agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup cocoa powder
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup dark chocolate 73%
- In a large bowl, blend almond butter until smooth with a hand blender
- Blend in eggs, then blend in agave and vanilla
- Blend in cocoa, salt and baking soda, then fold in chocolate chips
- Grease a 9 x 13 pyrex baking dish
- Pour batter into dish
- Bake at 325° for 35-40 minutes
Makes about 24 brownies
Last spring, I discovered this great recipe from celiacchicks.com which gave me the idea to make treats out of nut butters. When I coached my son's little league team, I brought either these nourishing brownies, or blondies to just about every baseball game.
I recently discovered a fun website called Flavorista.com. Low and behold, I checked it out this morning and saw a fantastic write up on gluten-free by the site's author, Barr. What I liked best about her take on this timely topic, is that she is one of the few mainstream chefs to offer an "outsider's" perspective on the world of gluten-free. Very refreshing, witty and informative. Thanks Barr!
Welcome to Elana's Pantry!
If you enjoyed the recipe above please take a moment to look at the rest of my gluten free recipes.You can also read more about me, peruse my forums or subscribe to Elana's Pantry below and receive an email anytime I post a recipe. Thanks!
Posted on February 24, 2009 in desserts by Elana
you might also like: Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
or Chocolate Chip Cookies
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107 comments
Brownies with just almond butter and cocoa? Wow, your creativity never ceases to amaze me Elana. Bet they taste as good as they look! As soon as I can get to the store for almond butter, I will definitely be giving these a shot. :) They are just beautiful!
Looks scrummy! Presumably these can be done without the choc chips too?
I've been looking for a healthier brownie recipe, preferably one that's high in protein rather than starches. Thanks! I bet this will be a favorite...
I love almond butter... these look and sound great. Might have to try these.
These look fantastic! I have a couple silly questions. How do these end up looking so flour-based without any flour? Also, do you think pb would work in a pinch? Aside from flavor differences, I am curious if there would be a texture issue at all. Thanks!
I am amazed at the ingredient list for these brownies of yours. I can't wait to try them out, thanks as always!
They looked good until I saw the 1 cup of cocoa powder. Then they looked amazing! I myself have been wanting a good brownie recipe. I am going to start experimenting with coconut flour! In the meantime, I am going to try these :) Love your recipes Elena, as always.
DAMN those brownies look sensational.
ok, i am SOOOO going to have to try this with carob! you are sooo cruel to those allergic to chocolate! =+P
just finished eating a salad with your green goddess dressing... AMAZING!
oh, do you have any recipes for making tortillas? i have been craving tortilla filled foods lol.
thank you again for making such an amazing blog!
This is so timely.
I was looking at your Almond Blondie recipe last night trying to figure out how I could modify it to make brownies.
And now the work is done for me :)
Will definitely be making these next.
They look so yummy!
These look amazing! And we just tried your lemon poppy seed muffins, and they were gone in no time! Thanks so much!
Thanks Elana!
Such a treat. Even though I can't eat these because of the sugar in the chips, I just might have to torture myself and make them for my husband because they just look too darn good!
I wonder if I subbed the choc chips for something else if they'd still work? Then they wouldn't be brownies then though... hmm. I could leave the choc chips out altogether maybe? Or do you think that wouldn't work? Not sure...
Anyway, these look great. Hope you are well! :-)
With my recent discovery and love of Barney Butter (www.barneybutter.com), I will try these for sure. Also been loving and using agave lately.
Hi Elana,
I've used quite a few of your recipes before. I'm diabetic and, needless to say, am very health concious these days. In particularly Carbs, Total & Saturated fat, Sodium, & Cholesterol. You make such incredible looking foods. Would you stat including the nutritional values in your recipes?
Thank you,
Patrick N.
HOLY MOLY! Just the title of this post made me lift from my chair... and then I read on and a huge smile came across my face. THANK YOU!
As a little girl, Dad and I made brownies one of the food groups. Since engaging in a wheat and dairy-free lifestyle, "brownie-time" no longer fit into an enjoyable experience. Once again, Elana, you have found a way to Bake Joy back into my life. I am grateful and very appreciative :)
These are sooo delicious-definitely the tastiest and easiest GF brownie recipe I have ever tried! I love not having to measure several different kinds of GF flours. I also added flaked coconut and might try dried cranberries next time too. Yum!
Wow! Great looking recipe!
Wow, these look amazing. I especially love the use of almond butter, surely my favorite! I'll be using this recipe for inspiration in the near future!
Hi Elana, it's my first time here. I came from Tastespotting. I was in such a surprise after going through the ingredients list. I was wondering if I missed anything seeing that it uses only almond butter and cocoa. I used to think that gluten free baking is difficult because it requires ingredients like xanathan gum etc, which you don't find in the regular grocery store. This is a very good recipe, I have to think of some suitable egg substitute though.
Lauren B -Yup. I like to keep it simple :-) Thanks for your sweet comment!
Mandy -Thanks! I think it's worth a try without the chocolate chips; please let us know how they turn out.
sara kay -It sounds like this just might be the brownie recipe for you! I hope you like it.
The Wind Attack -Almond butter is a favorite of mine too.
Alisa -Thank you! I have a hunch that these would be amazing with peanut butter; if you do decide to experiment, please let us know how they turn out.
Hayley -Thanks, hope you like 'em!
Meagan -You had me a little worried with that first sentence! Then I saw the second sentence and was delightfully relieved :-) Thanks! I think you will love experimenting with coconut flour.
VeggieGirl -Thanks!
april -Please let us know how these turn out with carob. I'm glad you like my Green Goddess Dressing :-) I'm working on a tortilla recipe.
Beth -What a lovely coincidence! Glad I could preemptively do that conversion work for you :-)
Derj -Thanks! Glad you are enjoying these recipes.
Emily -You're welcome! These are very yummy and I'm sure your husband will enjoy them, especially since they were made by you :-) These might turn out just fine without the chips; if you decide to experiment, please let us know how it turns out.
Katrina -That's great! Thanks for stopping my.
Patrick -Thank you for your comment. I'm glad you're enjoying my recipes. Please see my FAQ regarding regarding nutrition information.
Courtney -You are so very welcome. I'm happy to oblige one of my favorite readers!
Stacie K -Thank you very much! Love your ingredient additions. Yum!
Hannah -Thanks!
Jodye -Awesome! Great looking recipes you have on your blog.
Madhuram -Welcome! You're right, you didn't miss anything. That's really the recipe. I hope you enjoy it. These brownies are easy to make, tasty and high in protein to boot.
Looks DELICIOUS! I've been meaning to thank you, Elana, for your recipes and your website which has become my latest obsession. I've tried only two of your recipes so far: your chocolate chip cookies and your double chocolate mocha cookies - both of which are now at the top of my list of favorites! I want to try these but I, as well, need some sort of egg substitute. If anyone has any suggestions, or tries the recipe with something in place of eggs, please post your report! :)
Thanks again, Elana!
Hi,
I'm always checking your website but I have never commented before. My daughter just made these brownies and cannot stop going on and on about how 'real' they taste! The texture is like regular brownies and they are soooo good! Thanks so much for an amazing recipe!
OMG...I skimmed this the other day, and Kim actually made your brownies and just brought one to my desk! I didn't notice the shout out to me! Thanks! And wow, am I ever glad I inspired you!!! These are even more gorgeous than you can imagine. And unbelievably good for you! AMAZING! Bravo, Elana!
The perfect Friday breakfast! ;)
I just stumbled across your site while googling for flourless recipes! I have been here well over an hour and enjoyed every minute! I have recently been on a "greener", healthier journey and am excited to add your site to my list! Cindee
How amazing. No flour at all in this recipe. Delicious. Made em last nite. Easy and sooooo tasty. I will add walnuts next time. The texture was just great. TY Elana you clever cook you! BTW I am working on the German Chocolate Cake as I write! Can't wait to eat it up yum.
These brownies are FABULOUS. You must try them! All four of my kids and their friends loved them. They rise beautifully. No one could identify the mystery ingredient ~~ almond butter! I was worried because I used a cheapie store brand almond butter, also I was short 1/4 c. agave. I substituted molasses and honey. They were still amazing.
Elana. Seriously. These are amazing! I had been making the PB version for years... jar of PB, cup of agave, 2 eggs, baking soda... but the addition of the cocoa powder... it was like a DUH moment! LOL! I over-did my almond butter brownie indulgence one time and have not craved them for quite some time, but these are in the oven as we speak and they smell delicious! I licked the bowl... yum! Actually, I drove to the store in the snow to get a new jar of almond butter just to make these! How's that for powerful cravings! LOL! Thanks again and again... you always have just what I am looking for! (Except crepes... I thought you had a crepe recipe? Am I losing my mind?)
Elana,
I know I've said thank you in the past but I'm in the middle of my pre-passover hunting, and your website has given me hope that one can do Passover and still have all the flavor like normal. I'm making the Blondies recipe you did last year, and this one as well.
Tzvi
Thanks everyone! Yes, this is an easy flourless dessert recipe, I agree. Love all of the substitution suggestions and the addition of other ingredients such as walnuts, YUM!
I made these and they are great! The texture is so surprising - people couldn't believe it didn't have flour.
Although I cooked them at 325 for 35 mins, they burned... I think my oven is off, too hot. I think they would have been so much better had I not burnt them! :)
Thank you for sharing as always Elana.
I had to make these for a dear friend of mine who loves baked goods. I did half sunflower butter and half almond butter. Did not have any chocolate chips on hand so we omitted the chocolate chips. They came out sooo good. The hubs loves a good brownie especially ones that come out of a box. ::shudders:: He can tell that was was GF, but ate 4 pieces with some warm soy milk. He was happy. My friend thought they were sensational.
if you use unsalted almond butter, which is what i have, how much salt would you add?
Oh.My.Word. These are amazing!! I did half a recipe, used an 8 x 8 glass dish and baked for 25 minutes. Oh, and I used a roasted cashew butter (it was all I had at the moment). I know my husband will love these - darn, that means less for me!! Oh well.. the things we do for the people we love!!
Note to readers (and other impatient people...)...
You don't have to wait till these cool to get them out of the pan if you have a cheap plastic knife laying around! You know... the basically useless one that comes in the box of assorted picnic table ware... works wonders for cutting brownies and keeping them pretty!!
Mine were delicious!! Thanks again for a great recipe!
I'm so glad Magda used Cashew Butter because that and Tahini are all I have and I must eat these today. Or... cashew blondies? Mmmmmm.
Elana thank you for all the wonderful ideas and for sharing them. You probably have no idea how much the rest of us appreciate it.
these turned out amazing!!! although i took out the chips and added chopped pecans and used carob instead of cocoa. so if you are allergic to chocolate, just sub carob powder and enjoy!!!
Thanks everyone! I really appreciate hearing about all of your creative substitutions for this recipe and I am glad you enjoyed the brownies. If you have a question be sure to stop by my faq's for a quick answer.
I loved making these brownies! And I wanted to see if my chia seed egg substitution would work. And.... drum role please.......(really, at this moment, my husband is down in his basement office practicing on his djembe!!!! :^) A corporate guy on the djembe.)
The brownies turned out great! The first batch disappeared really fast and so I made a second batch the next day, since my goal was to treat our Park City drum circle to brownies that night. The second batch was a bit different because I purchased a different brand of almond butter and found out while cleaning the jar, that it had a few extra ingredients (flax seed, palm fruit oil, agave). So the brownies were just a bit firmer due to this. Still good and still gooey.
Thank you thank you for such a good recipe! I needed a good GF low carb brownie fix.
I will post my changes to this amazing recipe with chia seed substitution for the eggs on my blog.
http://earthheartsong.blogspot.com/
and of course with full credit to Elana! Brownie mana from heaven Queen!
Cool, gluten and dairy free. I have been looking for a recipe for someone who is not allowed these ingredients.
http://www.digitalcameraphotographynews.com
I wanted to post one more variation: I made 1/2 of this recipe (using my other half of cashew butter) but I added 2 eggs instead of 1. I got brownies that were more cake-like but still had a bit of gooiness. Very yummy.
[...] pecans, almonds, or walnuts as a base for flourless baked goods (chocolate or otherwise) such as Elana’s Almond Chocolate Chip Brownies. Walnuts are a special favorite of mine for their omega-3 fatty acids, but they also contain some [...]
Those brownies look delicious! I make my own almond butter and buy the almonds bulk, so it would be quite economical that way. I like to make a similar recipe with cocoa and ground hazelnuts (see http://quirkycooking.blogspot.com/2009/01/maple-pecan-hazlenut-chocolate.html )
Your blog is great!
Elana, you've saved my life. I have just started being gluten-free (also refined sugar-free, preservatives free, etc.) about two weeks ago because of Dr. Frank Lipman's Spent program. I have always grown up eating everything out of a box or frozen foods, especially cookies and baked goods. I thought this change in my life would be so difficult and was already worried I may let it become just a fad for me, but finding your website has made it possible to imagine this as a permanent life change. Thank you for all of your recipes, stories, and advice. I tried your brownies the very night I found the recipe and wrote about it on my new blog wwww.emtestkitchen.wordpress.com talking about eating on Spent (linking to your recipe of course). They were fantastic and made a great bday present for my diabetic friend.
Best wishes!
Elana--made these last night and yummm! I had waited a month to get more Dagoba chocodrops and these were the first thing I made after they arrived. I'm having so much fun baking with your recipes. And since I've been off dairy, wheat and sugar for the last two months I've lost about 25 pounds. I love the I can have great treats like these and feel healthy too.
I've made these brownies twice now with homemade macadamia nut butter. Moist and yummy! This recipe is my new favorite for brownies. Thanks!
I have made these twice now and loved them. My kids can't eat eggs (unfortunately!) so I make them with flax seed gel. The first time they sank quite a bit so this time I added a small mashed sweet potatoes and baked them in individual portions. They held their shape better this time and I was able to cut the agave a bit since the sweet potato added moisture and sweetness to it.
I can't believe it: legal brownies! The texture is amazingly close to "real" brownies and the taste is superb! Thanks so much for this recipe. The whole family loves these brownies.
Hi Elana!
Thanks so much for this fab recipe! My friend and I made it today and we are STILL astonished that we don't actually need flour to yield amazing brownies! Thank you sooooooooo much! Keep cooking!
love,
Eirene
I'm so glad I found your site! I try to follow a low glycemic diet, and my daughter needs to avoid wheat and dairy, so your recipes are right up our alley. Anyhow, I made these brownies today, and they were amazing! My family of four all loved them, and my son said they were just as good, if not better, than any other "regular" brownie. Nobody would ever guess they don't contain any type of flour. My local market was out of creamy almond butter, so I was forced to use crunchy, and they still turned out great. So delicious...thanks for sharing!
We are having a family get together this weekend and I'm making the brownies and chocolate chip cookies to share. I love them both plus it will give me some treats that I can eat at the party.
Also, do you have any go-to foods that you use for traveling? I'm doing some traveling over the next few months and I've thought the power bars and the granola might be good options but I wondered if you had any thoughts.
Hi... sorry, Baby is trying to pound my keyboard so I must be quick... I LOVE LOVE LOVE your website. Thank you so much for being you.
I want to make these for Friday night dinner... it's Tuesday. Must do things in advance, given babe. Will these keep for 3 days?
Thanks
Sara
Sara,
Yes, they will keep. They probably lasted as long as almost a week. I didn't refrigerate them, either.
Sara -Will keep for at least 3 days...if they last that long (and aren't eaten first)!
I wanted to thank you again, Elana, for all your wonderful work. I just served my family a late Passover dinner, with your brownies, carrot cake and sesame cookies to top it off. They were all absolutely amazed that Passover sweets could actually taste great. (Though I was told by a cousin that technically baking soda is not supposed to be used, as it is a leavening agent... no one seemed to care.) Anyway, just thanks. And thank you for everything you believe in, and everything you share. You are inspiring.
Re: baking powder on Pesach. Gefen makes a Kosher-for-Passover baking powder using potato starch instead of cornstarch...but this is one of those things that you should ask your Rabbi about.
[...] ingredients will be unfamiliar but start small, and make any recipe that seems appealing. Hell, start with health(ier) brownies. That always [...]
Nice recipe, thanks for sharing! I think I overbaked mine a bit as they were a bit dry but that's also personal preference as my guests loved them. Great flavor and texture - like real brownies! I used cocoa nibs instead of chocolate chips (no refined sugar) and they added a great crunch.
These brownies are fantastic! They are a nice treat for my daughter who has a dairy sensitivity! I have made them twice and everyone has loved them. The second time I made them with organic peanut butter as I didn't have any almond butter on hand, and the substitution worked out beautifully.
Sara -Thanks for your comment. According to my rabbi, baking soda is kosher for passover as it is not chametz. I think you can find this online too. Anyway, I'm glad you all enjoyed the brownies!
Jess -LOVE the idea of using cocoa nibs instead of chocolate chips! Great and thanks for sharing :-)
Jill -What a fabulous substitution, I bet they were amazing with peanut butter! Yum.
I've just started to experiment with baking gluten free, and these brownies were my first experiment. They are amazing! I can't believe how almond butter turns out so light! They were chocolaty and not too sweet - I loved them!
Thanks for the recipes! I found your site last week, and there's so many things I want to try!
I made these yesterday for a Mother's day cookout. My almond butter was unsalted so I upped the salt to 1 tsp. I cut the sweetener back to 1 cup, using about half a c. agave with a quarter c. each of brown rice syrup and yacon syrup. My chips were Sunspire grain-sweetened.
The only problem I had was the brownies became well-done around the edges of the pan(after 40 min at 325) but they were definitely too underdone in the middle, so I could only serve the outside edge pieces to my company.
The edge pieces were wonderful in taste, seeming to lose the almond butter flavor so you could not tell what the base was - not so with the underdone center.
Would using another type of pan besides pyrex make a difference in the end baking result?
diane300 -So glad you liked them, these are a fave in my house :-)
Karen -We make these weekly over here (even my children bake them) and we haven't encountered this problem. I would try the regular recipe without the substitutions, it works without the burning problems you mention in your comment. Good luck and let me know how it goes!
This is my first time on your website and I really like it. I was just wondering about one thing. You use celtic sea salt a lot. Is that necessary or is that because you prefer it to 'normal' salt? Can the sea salt be substituted with normal salt?
Thanks in advance!
Kiki
Kiki, thanks for stopping by! Since I only cook with celtic sea salt, I'm not sure how the recipes would turn out with a substitution. Sounds like you've got a good experiment on your hands. Please let us know how it goes :-)
I ate one of these at my nutritionist's office after I had just completed a 23 day detox diet---it was FABULOUS! I will make these and serve them to my husband who will not be able to tell the difference from a regular brownie. VERY impressive for a flourless recipe! Thanks for your website!
When trying this recipe again, I realized the problem. My current almond butter is in a 9 lb. tub (Once Again Raw Almond Butter) so I measured it in cups, and used 2 cups the first time, which caused an overly mooshy middle.
The second time I used the proper equivalent: 16 oz. jar = 1 3/4 c. (according to peanutbutter.com) and the result was much better, though still a tad soft in the center.
All in all, I've purchased 4 different brands of almond butter and noticed a difference in how thick their textures are due to varying oil content, so this probably has some effect on the final texture of the brownie.
sami congrats on your 23 day detox and I'm so glad you enjoyed the brownies. Hope the husband was fooled!
Karen -Thanks for your comment, I don't think the problem is the measurements so much as the fact that you are using raw almond butter (the recipe calls for roasted). Either way, I hope you are enjoying them :-)
Thanks for your feedback, Elana. Once I finish off all this raw butter, I'll look for the roasted, but it's good to know the recipe will still work with what I have on hand.
I certainly did enjoy the ONE single brownie I had. Hubby gobbled down the rest of the pan himself, and pronounced them the best he's ever had!
Glad you (and he) liked them!
These are the most amazingly delicious brownies I've ever tasted. I took half with me to a friends' home and the rest I put in the freezer. Trust me, eating them frozen is just as yummy!!
Ooooooh, I'll have to try freezing them, sounds yummy!
It's great to know that these freeze well...my husband and I should not have a lasagna sized pyrex of brownies to ourselves!
Elana,
These are amazing! Thank you once again for satisfying our sweet tooth without using gluten or sugar! We love you!!!
Jennifer & Audrey (26 months, who is currently saying "more brownies").
Awww, that's one of the sweetest comments I've ever received. Thanks so much, Jennifer!
Dear Elana,
THANK YOU SO MUCH for saving my life. I am not necessarily a person who suffers from CD, but I am someone who has had a life long addiction to sugar that had been affecting my health in many ways. Just recently...April 26th to be exact...I began fasting unhealthy sugars/sweeteners and have been using agave nectar instead. I cannot tell you how great I feel! With the change in my diet...from eating organic, low-no processed foods, and adding 100% therapeutic grade essential oils into my life, I feel better than I ever have. You have given us some of THE MOST AMAZING desserts that I have ever put into my mouth. I couldn't belive how moist, chewy and ganache-ey your brownies were. I am eternally thankful to you for your research, resourcefulness and all of your hard work for those of us who want to live healthier lives. What a blessing that you are to so many of us!!
ooops...I forgot to mention that your recipes being sugar free are what drew me to your website, although, my father-in-law has CD and I can use these recipes for him as well as share them with the family. All of the food is delicious!! You really don't even miss the "other" stuff!!
That's all...You are such a gift!! I thank G-d for you!!
Kisha, thank you so much for your comments above! They are so very sweet and I really appreciate them. I am so glad that you are enjoying my website. I love what I do and knowing that I am able to be of help to others makes it even better! Keep me posted on how all of your cleansing goes. xoxo
I've had great results making this into fudge-like brownies and I use honey. This is a great recipe! I finally posted my fudge-version. Thanks once again, Elana!
I love, love, love this recipe! I like them better than conventional brownies. I live with POTS and am very sensitive to grains, so it's great to have an occasional sweet treat that doesn't leave me with brain fog and vision loss. Thank you so much!
Just wanted to share a substitution I make, for those who do not use agave. I replace the agave nectar with an equal amount of applesauce and then add a little stevia to taste. I have made it several times this way and it always turns out moist and delicious. It also bakes up a little faster with these changes, I think (though it could just be that I prefer my brownies underdone). I took my last batch out after about 20 minutes.
YUMMY!!
I just made these. I didn't have almond butter so I substituted Cashew butter. They are wonderful!! I will have to take some to my brothers house or I fear I will eat the entire pan. Thanks Elana!!!
Hi Elana,
These are in the oven now! Finally! I used my Kitchenaid immersion blender and it shorted out on me! Even my electrical engineer husband couldn't repair it. :(
I checked to see whether your Amazon store included a hand/immersion blender and it did...but it's unavailable. I then walked to the store and found a Cuisinart model, only to see that 1) it's not powerful enough to mix this batter and 2) the thin plastic coating on the power button is flaking off. Gross! So that needs to get returned. Ultimately, I ended up using an electric mixer, which worked fine. But I'm wondering if 1) you have another source for the Braun hand blender you recommended or another model that you would recommend and 2) what made you decide to use a hand blender and not, say, a Cuisinart food processor or electric mixer? Thanks!
Elana- I made these brownies last week, and they were soooo good! They're already gone! I was really thrown when I saw how much almond butter to use (I used peanut butter), but they turned out fabulously! I also used grain-sweetened chocolate chips. I would recommend to people wishing to try this to chill them in the refrigerator before trying to cut into them (i.e. right out of the oven = crumbly mess). Thanks so much for a delicious gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, worry-free recipe! =)
whoops, i guess grain-sweetened chocolate chips wouldn't be gluten-free, huh? just realized that...
Hi Elana,
Costco no longer carries Maranatha roasted almond butter; the new kind they stock includes egg whites and wheat germ so it's not gluten-free (or pure almond butter).
Where have you found to be the most economical store for almond butter, and what brand do you buy? Thanks!
M, The first time I made these the organic almond butter was on sale for less than half the price it usually sells for. Now that it's back to full price, the next time I make them, I will use Organic Sunbutter (sunflower seed butter, but only organic has no other ingredients added) because I can't afford the price of the almond butter these days.
Wow! A fellow GF client brought these yummy treats in and I was amazed! They are so chewy and rich. I haven't had anything like this since going GF. I can't wait to make them for my 4 year old! Thanks...
This recipe satisfies my chocolate cravings in a healthy way. THANK YOU ELANA! I have made this recipe several times. I have had everyone try it, from kids to grandmothers and they can't believe there is no flour and is low in sugar. One time I coarsely chopped up dark chocolate disks since I was out of chips. I suppose they are to be melted down for candies. I was thrilled with the result: big chunks of chocolate gooey goodness. I will continue to rave about your recipes for my friends, family and readers. Good luck with your cookbook. I can't wait to see it in the stores!
These brownies are beyond terrific!!! I made them exactly as you posted and I just can't get over how insanely delicious they are! What a brilliant recipe! Thank you so much for sharing.
Would you happen to have the nutritional value of this recipe? I'm on WW and would like to know how many points this contains.
Just made these.....omg....so yummy..
I used maple syrup instead of agave with fabulous results!! I halved the recipe and baked in a 9x9 pyrex pan at 325 for 25 min..and they are perfect.
With no chocolate chips the nutritional breakdown is (assuming 16 Brownies for the half batch)
Cal: 116
Fat: 7.4g
Protein: 3.25
Carb: 10
this will be different if you chose to use the agave.
Hi Elana. First of all, I love your recipes and their simplicity! Thanks so much for sharing them with us. I made these brownies this weekend for a friend who is Diabetic. I modified the recipe to make them sugar free. I made my own chocolate chunks by melting two unsweetened 4 oz chocolate bars and adding about a half of cup of agave. I poured it into a parchment lined pan and put it in the freezer. Then I broke it up into chunks and added it to the brownies. They turned out amazing and everyone was impressed! Just thought other sugar free people might want to know. Thanks again!
Okay..Elana these brownies were fabulous! I shared some with my father who is diabetic. The cranberry bars were soooo good too..I am not sure which I liked better! Thanks for sharing your creations!
Hi,
I made the brownies, but had a little difficulty. After I mixed the 365 brand (whole foods) almond butter with eggs, it became very thick and I could not mix the rest of the ingredients easily. I was expecting a cake batter consistency (or close to that) but at the end, it was clumpy and I patted the batter with my hands. The brownies are dry and I heat them up when I want to eat to make it a little softer and browny-like. Do you have an idea what was wrong?
the batter is VERY thick (consistency of almond butter) and needs to be worked on thoroughly so there are no lumps left, otherwise it will not have a good consistency as you mentioned.
This recipe probably won't work if you don't use a hand blender as specified in the directions. I make this all the time and it is one of my favorites.
Good luck!
Gina- maybe your almond butter wasn't completely mixed with its oil? If unmixed, your almond butter will be dry and hard to mix with other ingredients. I've made this recipe a dozen times and it always comes out moist and delicious. Good luck!
i have to say these were the best brownies i have ever tasted, ever made. husband loved them as well. they are sexy, dark and never again will i ever have a store bought or someone else's brownie again. it's so not worth it to me. if i'm going to have a brownie, it'll be this recipe. IMPRESSIVE!
This is very innovative recipe for making low-carbohydrate brownies! I think I'm going to give it a try with stevia extract to see if I can make it lower in simple sugars. This is a great place to start, though. Thanks Elena!
I made these earlier in the week; they were very delicous. I think I will cut back a bit on the agave nectar next time because I think they would still be totally delicious with a little less sweetness (and also less imposing on my blood sugar). Thanks! I can't wait to try more recipes.
Sorry, I hate to be a "negative Nelly", but while these are OK I'll keep looking for a better recipe. I know it's probably my tastes as there was nothing wrong with the recipe, it came out fine. I love almonds, just not almond butter. I taste the almond butter above everything else in this recipe. I can barely taste the chocolate and the sweetness is just an after taste to me even though I added 1/4 cup extra because I wasn't using the chips. I used maple syrup since it seems agave doesn't agree with me. The texture for me, is too much like a cake and nothing like I expect a brownie to be.
They won't go to waste though because hubby loves the almond butter and will probably gobble these right down.
My advice for anyone else considering making these who is not a "fan" of almond butter is to not bother with it and use a different nut butter for your batch.
wow... really? these are the BEST GF brownies i've ever had, and i've tried a few...
but then again you didn't follow the recipe and use the recommended ingredients -- so that's probably why yours turned out unexpected...
also, if you do not like almond butter, and since it is a main ingredient, why did you think you would like the brownies in the first place?
sorry if this sounds like an attack, just curious!
jessica, doesn't sound like an attack to me. All's well there.
I tried them because I was hoping the cocolate would be enough to cover the almond butter taste as it does with almond flour. Not that I have a problem with almond flour. It has a mild taste to me. No matter, now I know I need a different recipe for this item.
Sorry but I can't use the agave nectar or the sugared chocolate chips for my body. The results are not pretty.
By the way Elana, my hubby loved this brownie recipe. He said they were just right on the chocolate taste. Not bitter to him like most brownies and he ate 4 right away. He rarely eats more than one because he doesn't care for the dark chocolate taste of brownies.
Perhaps adding a little instant coffee powder will help? I personally love these brownies, but couldn't stand the raw batter because of the almond butter. Many chocolate desserts use coffee to help bring out the flavor more, so I thought why not? Good luck!
These are the BEST gluten-free baked goods that I have ever ever tried/made!
Seriously, I just ate 2 (out of 24), and I'm having an extremely hard time resisting a 3rd, 4th, and 5th =).
They are THAT good... trust me, best 15$ I have ever spent on food! (10 for the almond butter and 5 for the agave nectar).
I only put in 1 cup of agave nectar, and they turned out amazing!
<3 Melissa
PS The batter for these brownies has to be one of the best I've ever eaten :D
Laura, thanks for that info. Unfortunately, coffee is one of my allergies. Appreciate the thought tho. Did you get them to work for you? If so how?
bakingfool
These brownies did work for me, with the coffee. I like to use big chocolate chips and keep them in freezer. This way they don't melt as fast as they bake and you bite into nice chocolate bits. I also get the giant bottle of almond butter from costco and guesstimate the 16oz - I use about two heaping cups. Maybe I'm not using as much almond butter as required. I also slightly under-bake the brownies so they are more moist.
If you can't use coffee, maybe add more vanilla, or some peppermint extract (if you like the chocolate-mint combination). I thought I read someone using a Splenda or Stevia syrup instead of agave nectar.....
Laura, sorry, I went back and reread all your posts above. I guess your posts didn't sink in the first time, I misunderstood you.
I got the taste worked out for me. I used fresh ground pecan butter and added melted unsweetened chocolate and more maple sugar.
The texture is still not what I was looking for but the taste is right on now. I have a freezer full of choclate-y treats!
Thanks for all the help!
bakingfool
wow...these are absolutely amazing!! I just about ate half the pan by myself! :D Are these really healthier than normal brownies calorie wise? I know they have proteins and vitamins, but are they ok to eat throughout the day as a small snack or should I be careful because these pack a lot of calories? :D Just curious if I need to make these only when guests are over so I don't eat as many! Thanks for the recipe though!!!! Brownies were my favorite dessert before going GF, so i was so excited when these turned out just like the real thing. Thank you Elana for another great dessert recipe! You're awesome!
I made these last night, I forgot the baking soda woops! i used carob chips instead too. the still came up pretty yummy especially when you microwave them for a bit.
wondering though, i would like to use less agave next time. could coconut oil work in this too?
These brownies are AMAZING!!! We enjoyed them with some coconut ice-cream tonight! I received your almond flour cookbook as a gift for Christmas and was thrilled to read you have a website as well! It's hard to find good gluten-free recipes that are easy and delicious. Not only am I gluten-free but my boyfriend and I also follow a "paleo" diet (inspired by my brother). So, it's wonderful that you use almond flour and agave and other ingredients that are paleo-friendly! Thanks so much for your hard work, I'm so happy to get to cook and bake and be healthy too! :)