These gluten free, paleo brownies are simply perfect: they’re fudgy and dense with a crunchy, crackly top and chewy edges. Not only that, they’re quick and easy to make! Made with almond and coconut flour, they’re grain free and dairy free, too. They’re topped with a sprinkle of flake salt for the perfect gourmet complement to these rich, delicious brownies.
Why These Perfect Paleo Brownies Are So Good
This is one recipe that I refused to quit testing until I thought it was just perfect. I made several batches before this ding-ding-ding winner, and none were just right beforehand.
I wanted these paleo brownies to be fudgy but not overly dense. These gluten free brownies needed them to have a crackly top, which seemed essentially impossible to eke out of a gluten free brownie. But, hey, spoiler alert: it’s absolutely possible! I needed them to have chewy edges with super rich middle pieces. And lastly, they needed to be fully brownies, not just a shorter or slightly denser cake.
They needed to be just as good as (or better than!) a regular, ol’ brownie that you’d find at bakery, not “good for being paleo” or “good for being gluten free”. Verdict: this recipe absolutely smashed that requirement.
- They’re everything I love in a brownie: fudgy, with a crackly, crunchy top, and chewy corners. They’re dense and rich and just sweet enough.
- These paleo brownies are actually quite easy to make and come together very quickly.
- This recipe is gluten free, grain free, and refined sugar free, too, making them much healthier than your average brownies.
- The little bit of liquid coffee used in this paleo brownies recipe enriches the chocolate flavor. Use whatever is leftover from breakfast! No need to go grab a cup at Starbucks, though, if you’re out. Water will be fine here.
- Pairing melted chocolate and cocoa creates a super rich complexity to the chocolate that you’ll just love.
- A little sprinkling of flake or sea salt before baking makes these super elegant. The salt enhances the rich chocolate in the best way!
I previewed this recipe on my Instagram Stories right when I made them, and my followers absolutely freaked out! I even gave away a sneak peek of the recipe to dozens of people, we were all so excited about these paleo brownies.
Chef’s Tips
- Make sure you whip the eggs and sugar until the color lightens and the mixture becomes fluffy and a bit sticky. This is what contributes to the crunchy, crackly top, and you won’t have it if you skip this part.
- The measurements must be exact. This is not an “eyeball it” recipe.
- Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the recipe: you’ll see moist crumbs on the toothpick when done, not brownie batter. You definitely want to err on the side of under-baking these, but not too much. If you underbake them, they won’t be as chewy and will be a little more saturated tasting than fudgy. Test often for those moist crumbs!
How to Get a Crackly, Crunchy Top on These Gluten Free, Paleo Brownies
The crackly, crunchy top on these gluten free brownies happens when you whip the eggs with the coconut sugar until the mixture becomes light in color, like a peanut butter frosting, fluffy, and a bit sticky. There will not be any “peaks” that form, but you will see the entire mixture increase in volume and change in texture.
This process creates a meringue layer on the very top of the gluten free brownies, allowing this crispy, air-filled layer to pull away from the fudgy base. It’s absolutely divine, so don’t skip it! In fact, I have not tested the recipe without beating the eggs with the coconut sugar. If you opt to skip this part, you’re on your own, friend! But let me know how it goes – I’d love to know!
Oh, and that sprinkle of flake salt or sea salt on top? Paired with the crunchy, meringue top, it’s sheer perfection.
Just look at that perfect, crunchy top layer!
Stocking a Paleo Pantry for Baking with Thrive Market
Let’s be real: the grocery store can be expensive, especially if you’re finding paleo ingredients. That’s where Thrive Market makes my life so much easier. Their inventory of 4,000+ products are categorized by any diet or lifestyle that you follow. Paleo? Check. Vegan? Yup. Sugar-free? Definitely. High fiber? You bet. And with prices that are 25-50% below traditional retail price, you’re saving money on all of the pantry staples that you need—all shipped right to your door. These are the pantry staples that I always order from Thrive Market that I use in these paleo brownies:
- EnjoyLife Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Chips
- Thrive Market Almond Flour
- Thrive Market Coconut Flour
- Simply Organic Vanilla Extract
- Thrive Market Coconut Sugar
- Thrive Market Refined Coconut Oil
Finding Paleo Chocolate Chips
If you’re pretty darn paleo, you can use Enjoy Life chocolate chips. These are dairy free but still contain a bit of processed sugar. If you’re very strictly paleo, try using 7 oz. of this paleo chocolate bar from Thrive Market. It’s sweetened with coconut sugar, making it totally paleo. How cool is that?! You’ll want to chop the bar into chocolate-chip-ish-sized pieces, but otherwise you can make the recipe as written. Use 7 ounces weighted, or about 1 cup of chopped chocolate.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
- Black Bean Brownies
- Gluten Free Sugar Cookies
- Vegan Cookie Dough
- Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls (Cinnabon Copycat)
- Paleo Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Turtle Bars Recipe (Paleo, Vegan)
- Gluten Free Red Velvet Cake
And if you’re looking for a classic version of perfect, fudgy brownies, this recipe from Erren’s Kitchen is lovely!
Hey – you’ve made it this far, and now we’re best friends! If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. Make sure you follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook, too!
Perfect Paleo Brownies (Fudgy, Crunchy Top, Gluten Free)
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- ⅓ cup almond flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder see Note 1
- 2 tablespoons prepared coffee cool or room temperature. Water is fine if coffee is not available.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup dairy-free chocolate chips or paleo chocolate, see Note 2. Divided
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325º F. In a medium bowl, combine eggs and coconut sugar. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat on high until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Mixture will have increased in volume and will be sticky, rather than thin or runny. Stir in almond flour, coconut flour, dark cocoa powder, cooled liquid coffee, and vanilla extract. Stir until combined.
- In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, combine 1 cup chocolate chips and coconut oil. Microwave in 60-seconds bursts, stirring very well in between each round, until the chocolate has just melted. Stir until completely smooth, then pour into the brownie batter. Stir well to combine.
- Fold in remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips.
- Line a 9×9" baking pan with parchment paper. Pour brownie batter into the prepared pan, making sure batter fills all corners evenly. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with moist crumbs. The toothpick should not be coated in batter, but it should not be clean, either. When you see moist crumbs, remove from the oven and let cool completely on the counter or on a wire rack. When cool, lift out of the baking pan using the sides of the parchment paper. Cut into 9 equal squares.
Video
Notes
- The measurements must be exact! This is not an “eyeball it” recipe.
- Note 1: I love dark cocoa powder in this recipe, as it produces a very rich taste and dark, dramatic look. You can use regular cocoa powder here with great results, and you can try black cocoa powder, too, for an even more dramatic brownie!
- Note 2: I use Enjoy Life semisweet dairy-free chocolate chips for most recipes. However, these contain a bit of processed sugar. If you strictly eat no processed sugar, try these paleo chocolate bars from Thrive Market. Chop them to be about chocolate chip size and use approximately 7 ounces by weight, or 1 cup volume. This will result in a darker, richer brownie, since the chocolate percentage is much higher than semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Nutrition
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Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She’s been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.
Cravingsbuthealth says
Honestly the best gluten free brownies I’ve ever made (and I have made plenty)! They actually had a crackly top just like regular brownies, I was shocked! I would use darker chocolate next time to reduce the sweetness, that’s the only change.
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
Dark chocolate is a great idea to reduce sweetness! Let us know how they turn out. Glad you enjoyed these brownies as much as we do!
Patti says
Hello,
I tried these for the first time and they are the best brownies ever. I followed the recipe to the tee. I was just looking at your pics of the brownies and yours look like they had risen higher than mine. Mine are flat about an inch high. They look great and taste even better so fudgey. I got the crackle look to. I’m just concerned that they did not rise. Where did I go wrong?
Patti
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
Patti, we’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe! It’s one of our all-time favorites. 🙂 We’re sorry they didn’t rise like you wanted. Everyone’s oven is different, but make sure your baking these brownies on the middle rack. Also, be careful not to over-mix your batter, mainly the eggs. Hope this helps!
Erika says
wow is all I can say. these are so good and i’ll be making them daily 🤣
Megan | 40 Aprons Team says
🤣 hey, no judgment here! So glad you love them, Erika!
mabel says
i just tried these and they are the best! i swapped out a lot of the ingredients for new ones and it still tasted amazing!
here’s what i did differently based on what i had:
instead of almond flour and coconut flour i used spelt flour and almond meal, and, i only used 1/4 of choc chips so i didn’t melt any chocolate into the coconut oil, instead i just added a little more cocoa! i also added a few raspberries and some buckwheat kernels for a little bit extra!
Cheryl Malik says
Awesome! Glad it worked out great for you 🙂
Cleo says
I have read ALL the great comments and am excited to try these. I also read the chef’s tip that the measurements must be exact, in which case I recommend that you provide weights for the ingredients that can be weighed (the flours, for example). There are some recipe sites which have the option to click a button and change the measurements from imperial to metric – very helpful! Just a tip in response to the tip 😀
Gwen says
I’ve made these once and everyone loved them. Thank you. I want to make them again, but we now have a few family members who have egg allergies. Do you think the egg subs work like flax egg or Bib’s Red Mill egg replacer?
Cheryl Malik says
Glad you all enjoyed them! Yes, the egg replacer should work fine with this recipe. Definitely let us know how it goes 🙂
Katie F says
Perfect brownies! I used stevia chocolate chips and the recipe turned out great! Will be a new staple in my recipe book.
Cheryl Malik says
Wonderful!
Brianna May says
I made these to bring to a BBQ today. Everyone raved about them. So good. I used white sugar instead of coconut and it worked great.
Cheryl Malik says
That’s awesome! Thanks for the great review.
Princess says
Hello! Can I use the Lakanto Sugar Free Chocolate Chips instead? Or if I use this, do I need to alter the other ingredients?
Cheryl Malik says
Hi! Yes, you sure can.
Meredith says
These are INCREDIBLE. Mine turned out very dense, in the best way. I topped them with homemade chocolate frosting (made with coconut oil) and it was so decadent. Making them again today for another celebration!
Cheryl Malik says
That’s wonderful! Thank you for the great review!
Lexi says
Would almond meal work the same as almond flour in this recipe?
Cheryl Malik says
Yes, you can substitute it with almond meal.
Hena says
Hi!
I want to make these using swerve – should I use the same amount as you use coconut sugar?
Thanks
Cheryl Malik says
Hi, yes!
ariana says
Super yummy and easy to make too! 🙂
Cheryl Malik says
Glad it was easy for you!
Sara says
Hi these look so yummy! Do you know if I can use a Keto sweetener that subs 1:1 with white sugar? It’s a stevia erythritol blend
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
We would start off with a little less, then work your way up from there!
Sasha says
I made these last night and they were absolutely amazing! Even my husband loved them! And he’s picky with his sweets! This will definitely be my go to for gluten free brownies. Thank you!
Cheryl Malik says
Wonderful, glad you enjoyed them!
Ruth says
Made these tonight – only substitute was sesame oil since I didn’t have coconut oil and I also used Lily’s chips. Cooked in an 8×8 glass pan for 40 minutes – perfect!!! Next time I will try Smart Balance instead of the oil to cut the calories.
Angela says
This is my second time making these! My 9 year old says they are the best!!! Whipping the eggs and sugar always makes me nervous haha. I never know if I should stop at 3 min or go to 5!!! I use chopped up unsweetened bakers bar chocolate to replace the chips but everything else exactly as written. I just learned be your recipes and often link to them on my blog. Thanks 🙂
P.S this batch are headed to our friend’s house. I’m so interested to see how they like them!
Hollie says
The most delicious paleo brownie recipe I’ve tried. They taste like the real thing. Delicious! Thank you!
Karlee buggs says
Just WOW!! These brownies are SUPER fudgey and rich!! I was a bit nervous because the batter was pretty liquidy (since the measurements were only 1/3 cup of almond flour), but these brownies couldn’t have come out more perfect! I did cook them for a total of 45 min instead of 35, simply because they were still a little runny in the center and then I refrigerated them after cooking to allow them to firm up a bit more. I substituted the coconut oil for I can’t believe it’s not butter, allowing each brownie to be a whopping 110 calories!! (Saaayyy whaaatttt?!) this will definitely be my new go to paleo brownie recipe!!!! MUST TRY!
ash says
hi!! i just made these and they look delicious however they have a very moist but crumbly texture, not fudgy. and they didn’t get a cracked top either :/ I followed all the instructions and times, anything i can try? or just improve for next time? thanks
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
We’re sorry to hear that! When exactly did you remove them from the oven? Was the toothpick clean and coated in batter when you tested the brownies?
Princess says
Mine’s like this, too. 🥺 How do I make these brownies cracked on top?
chris says
I don’t eat sugar. I just don’t. I opt in maple syrup or honey sometimes, but any recipe that calls for coconut, monk fruit, or some other synthetic sugar is just altered outright. What I have found to work, and with this recipe also, was that I use grated red beets for volume and texture and then add maple or honey. Since I don’t eat any other sugar it tastes sweet enough to me, and my 5 year old will eat it. Ask for it even, and she won’t eat but 4 other things. Ever. I also make my own chocolate from cocoa powder, butter, and coconut oil. SO since this recipe wants chocolate its easier to just put those ingredients in rather than construct chocolate only to deconstruct it in the oven. Like I said at the beginning, it worked out fine. Out of the oven it was much more like a cake, and I didn’t get that crunchy top. But I’ll give that up not to eat sugar. So it can be done.
Elizabeth says
I made these today. I however took a chance and made a few subs to make them a little more keto friendly. I used avocado oil instead of coconut oil, “brown sugar” swerve Instead of coconut sugar, I also replaced the chocolate chips with a Lily’s extreme dark chocolate bar melted with the avocado oil and the remainder of the bar chopped up and mixed in with the batter.. I also chopped some pecans and sprinkled them on the top.. the brownies came out perfect with cracked tops and super chewy/gooey in the center! Great recipe!
Puck says
Hi there,
These look amazing!
Would I be able to use granulated sugar instead of the coconut sugar? (I want to make them right now and the only thing I dont have is coconut sugar ;))
Thanks!
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
That’ll work! Keep in mind you need more coconut sugar than you need granulated refined sugar. 🙂