Easy recipe for gluten free brownies with almond flour, producing the fudgiest, gooey brownies ever, made from scratch. Healthier with lower sugar and more flavour, nuts are sprinkled as an afterthought and toast while baking.
Just made these for my son's bake sale at school, as was tempted that they're gluten free. They were a hit! I didn’t expect them to come out so moist.
Thank you for a super recipe - will be making these again! - Terry
Easy Gluten Free Brownies - What I Love About the Recipe
These gluten free brownies are inspired by the 100% gluten-free bakery in Paris, Chambelland. They're one of the best I've tasted in Paris and so was excited to see their recipe in the French 'Fou de Pâtisserie' magazine.
I love how the whole or slivered nuts are scattered on top of the batter before baking. It's almost an after-thought, as they're not mixed in the batter. This lazy addition means they come out of the oven toasted without any extra steps! Toasted nuts always bring out their best flavour.
Although I still often make these using rice flour, I adapted their recipe simply as I don't always have it in my larder. Instead I make them with almond flour and add salt (or coffee) to bring out the chocolate's flavour. I also reduced the sugar so they're not too sweet. They're so gooey, but not with a runny centre like lava cakes - more like a French chocolate cake (fondant) - except this one is gluten free.
How do you Keep Gluten-Free Brownies from Falling Apart?
The secret to making the best brownies without flour means they don't fall apart. Here are my tips to stop them from crumbling:
- Ensure you don't over-bake them.
- Rather than use cocoa powder, use good quality bittersweet or dark chocolate. The higher the amount of cacao, the less sugar is added. The result is the taste of the chocolate shines, making the best, fudgiest brownies ever!
- To cut them cleanly without crumbs, cool them first. They will be difficult to cut if they're hot or very warm, as they are particularly gooey.
Use Good Quality Ingredients
From our French supermarkets, I usually bake with Nestlé's Corsé dark chocolate ('chocolat noir') with a minimum of 64% cacao. Otherwise, use high quality brands such as Barry from specialist baking shops.
Likewise for nuts - use the best quality nuts that are unsalted and without any oils. You'll find them in health food sections of supermarkets or in specialist stores selling organic produce. If you're looking for the top, la crème de la crème, go for the best Italian nuts such as Sicilian pistachios or Piemonte hazelnuts.
What Flour is Best for Gluten-Free Brownies?
The best wheat flour substitutes for these gluten free brownies, are almond flour or rice flour in my opinion. They're so light, it's hard to tell they're gluten free!
I strongly suggest you use almond or rice flour for this recipe. Rice flour gives an extra smooth fudginess to the brownies and there's no need to sift.
Although they can be replaced by coconut flour, I find the result has a slightly crumbly and grainy texture.
Will Gluten Free Flour Work?
As I don't follow a strict gluten-free diet, I don't bake using specialist gluten free flour. That's why I tend to use nut flours.
If you love almonds in a chocolate cake, then try this Reine de Saba cake with a rum glaze - ideal for the holidays or birthday cakes.
Does Gluten Free Reduce Calories?
While rice flour makes these brownies gluten free, it doesn't reduce the calories compared to normal wheat flour.
For example, for 90g of rice flour, the same weight of all-purpose or cake flour with gluten has exactly the same amount of calories (306 calories).
Likewise, if we used gluten free buckwheat flour, it's also the same calorie count (298 calories). On the other hand, nut flours contain double the calories. So gluten free recipes using nut flours doesn't mean that it's lower in calories.
Conclusion: to reduce calories in gluten free brownies, use rice flour rather than almond flour in this recipe.
How to Make Gooey Gluten Free Brownies
First measure out ingredients using a kitchen scale. Believe me, it makes all the difference. Let me convince you by reading why you need digital scales.
Prepare the Bain-Marie (double boiler): boil about a cup of water in a saucepan, then turn down the heat to simmering. Place a heatproof bowl of the measured chocolate (chopped or broken into bits), cubed butter over it and stir occasionally.
When nearly completely melted, turn off the heat.
Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs with the sugar.
I use regular granulated ('sucre en poudre' in France - see FAQ). Some say they need superfine/caster for extra gooey brownies but I honestly don't see any difference.
Add the melted chocolate and butter to the eggs and sugar. Gradually add and mix in the almond flour and salt (or half teaspoon of coffee powder if you prefer).
Pour the batter into the lined brownie tin and evenly spread with a spatula.
Sprinkle with slivered almonds. Alternatively top with pistachios, broken hazelnuts, macademias, pecans or walnuts. To crush nuts quickly, place in a bag and roll or thump moderately with a rolling pin.
Bake the brownies for no more than 30 minutes. Overbaked, they will be too crumbly. For the fudgiest, set the timer and stick to it.
Leave to cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes then cut into squares when cool. They're ready to party later today or tomorrow.
Just one of the handy make-ahead recipes to prep in advance.
More healthy chocolate recipes.
How Long Can They Keep?
They can be kept in an airtight tin for up to 5 days. Brownies taste great (if not better) next day, so it's a handy recipe that can be made the day before. Although they freeze well, as they last so long, I prefer eating them fresh.
As a result, they're perfect for school bake sales, taking them into the office for teatime, or just being organised in advance for parties.
How to Serve
Serve at room temperature to appreciate the brownies' precious chocolate flavours or slightly warmed for dessert.
Heat gently for a few seconds in the microwave and serve with chestnut ice cream or pistachio ice cream for the fudgiest, gooey gluten free brownie bliss!
Gluten Free Brownies
Equipment
- 25 x 25cm (9 inch) tin or glass pyrex dish
Ingredients
- 400 g (14oz) bittersweet cooking chocolate good quality (min. 60% cacao)
- 190 g (6¾oz/ ¾ cup) unsalted butter cubed
- 130 g (4½oz/ ⅔ cup) granulated sugar
- 4 eggs organic
- 90 g (3oz/ ¾ cup) almond flour hazelnut or rice flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt (fleur de sel) Maldon or Celtic sea salt
- 30 g (2 tbsp) slivered almonds or pistachios, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, broken
Instructions
- Line the brownie tin with baking/parchment paper or use a pyrex dish. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan/Gas 4).
- Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water (bain-marie), ensuring that the water doesn't touch the chocolate.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs lightly until the sugar has dissolved.
- Immediately add the melted chocolate/butter to the eggs, add the almond flour (rice or hazelnut flour), salt and combine together using a spatula.
- Pour the batter into the tin and even out the surface with the spatula. Scatter over the slivered almonds (or broken nuts).
- Bake for 30 minutes. Leave to cool for 20 minutes in the tin then cut into small squares.
Notes
This recipe was first published June 19, 2016 but is now completely updated and now possible to leave your rated review below.
Viva
Will the brownie recipe work with white chocolate as its sweeter than dark chocolate?
Jill Colonna
Hi Viva,
No, please don't substitute dark chocolate for white - it's not just sweeter but has a much lower cacao content and so - even although I haven't tried it, I know it won't work the same. Is this why you given it 4 stars? Please try the recipe first with dark chocolate and follow it to the letter and let me know if you make it. Thanks! J x
Terry
Just made these for my son's bake sale at school, as was tempted that they're gluten free.
They were a hit! I didn’t expect them to come out so moist.
Thank you for a super recipe - will be making these again!
Jill Colonna
Thrilled to hear this. Thanks for popping back to leave a review, Terry. Here's to many more GF brownies!
William Cleek
Hi Jill,
In your recipe you call for dark cooking chocolate. Is this unsweetened chocolate?
Jill Colonna
Hi William,
Unsweetened chocolate is 100% cacao - this is using a dark chocolate for cooking that's at least 50% so in American terms it will be Bittersweet chocolate. Thanks for pointing this out - have updated the recipe for you over the pond!
David
These look fantastic, Jill, will be making them even though I have no one GF in my life now!
Jill Colonna
You're like me, David. No need for GF right now but these are really so worth making! Thanks for popping by.
Christina | Christina's Cucina
I will have to make these for my 2 friends and neighbors who are both on a GF diet! They look absolutely, lush, Jill! We'll see how they go, but I think I should probably just make a double batch and save myself some time! 😉
Jill Colonna
Great that you can have this recipe handy for your gluten-free friends. And yes, the double quantity may be good, especially if the neighbours start to talk about them!
Jill Colonna
Hi Tonio - let's just say we made a few batches of it the past week, as it's completely addictive!
tonio
And on top of that it must be absolutely yummy !
Jill Colonna
Hi Jackie, let me know how you get on. They're pretty addictive...
Jackie Brown
Omg I have to make these! I've been searching for a good gluten free cake. Thank you so much for sharing this 🙂