Triple Fudgy Paleo Brownies

If you love rich fudgy brownies, you need to try these triple fudgy paleo brownies with 3 kinds of chocolate! Gluten-free and dairy-free, they’re quick and easy to whip up and indulge.

If there was ever a recipe to make you famous among your neighbors, at your husband’s work party, or at your church potluck, these paleo brownies will do it.

I personally ADORE my Black Bean Brownies and send them to school with my kids for classroom parties. And my Pumpkin Black Bean Brownies are what I look forward to most when the leaves start to fall.

But add in the fact that my husband ate nearly half the pan the first time I made these paleo triple fudgy brownies, and I can’t deny that they’ll give your go-to chocolate brownie recipes a run for their money!

PALEO FUDGY BROWNIES

These homemade brownies are perfect for anyone who:

• Loves chocolate
• Loves brownies
• Doesn’t like to do dishes (hello ONE bowl goodness!)
• Likes a sweet treat without being in a sugar coma
• Needs an allergy-friendly dessert recipe – these are gluten free dairy free brownies (and you can make them vegan with one simple swap!)
• Wants brownies that are moist and perfectly dense without being chewy
• Is Paleo / dairy-free / coming off Whole30 and wants to indulge (a little bit) on a Friday (or Tuesday) night
• Is NOT following any particular diet and just wants to eat an amazingly fudgy brownie (holla!)

It’s hard to describe the awesomeness of these brownies without saying “amazing” or “awesome” or “chocolate” or “indulgent” or “fudgy” over and over again, so bear with me as I share this recipe with you.

And despite the recipe being all those things (amazing, awesome, indulgent, etc.), they’re actually reasonably HEALTHY too.

FUDGY CHOCOLATE BROWNIES RECIPE INGREDIENTS

Here’s what you need for this triple fudgy chocolate brownies recipe.

• Bittersweet baking chocolate
• Natural cocoa powder or cacao powder
• Chocolate chips
• Almond butter
• Coconut oil
• Maple syrup
• Granulated sugar (I use Turbinado)
• Almond flour
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• Baking soda
• Salt

I don’t want to be blamed for the drool covering your keyboard, but let’s talk about what makes this the best recipe for chocolate brownies.

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE FOR FUDGY BROWNIES

I say these are triple fudgy brownies, and I’m not kidding. This triple whammy of bittersweet chocolate, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips completely satisfies the worst chocolate craving you’ve ever had, in the best way possible.

I don’t bake with bittersweet baking chocolate much, but I found it on clearance at Kroger. I added it to my test batch on a whim, and I’m so glad I did! It lends such richness that you normally don’t get from chocolate.

Cacao powder is the upgraded, healthier version of cocoa powder. Feel free to use whichever you have in the pantry. Dutch process cocoa powder is good too!

Since neither bittersweet chocolate nor cacao/cocoa powder has any sugar, you can control the sugar in the brownie recipe by choosing the type of chocolate that your family would like best for the chocolate chips.

• Milk chocolate = most sugar
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips = less sugar
• Dark chocolate = even less sugar
• (Bittersweet baking chocolate = no sugar)

If you’re used to eating super-sweet desserts, I’d recommend going with milk chocolate.

If you’ve been working on quitting sugar, either semi-sweet or dark chocolate would be best. (Semi-sweet complements the bittersweet chocolate flavor in the brownie well.) And if you need dairy-free brownies, stick with dairy-free chocolate chips (I like these).

ALMOND BUTTER + COCONUT OIL + MAPLE SYRUP

These three wet ingredients are the reason why these brownies are so fudgy.

Almond butter has a very muted flavor, especially when you’re used to peanut butter, but that’s why it’s so good in this recipe. It gives the brownie a softer, gooey texture without taking away from the chocolate factor.

You can substitute peanut butter for almond butter if you’d like, but the peanut flavor will be noticeable (which might not be a bad thing?). Stick with natural peanut butter, where the ingredients are “peanuts, palm oil (optional), and salt.”

Not only is this healthier than the peanut butter with hydrogenated oils (YUCK!), but it has a closer consistency to almond butter (which is on the oily side).

I use unrefined organic virgin coconut oil in all my baking recipes, which is solid at cooler temperatures, and that’s partly what makes these Paleo brownies fudgy.

If you can’t do coconut oil, I’d recommend palm oil or butter. I haven’t tested either one of these options, but they both bake well and are solid at cooler temperatures.

I’ve been baking with maple syrup for quite a while and prefer it to honey in most recipes where I don’t want to taste honey. You can substitute honey for maple syrup in these fudgy brownies, but it will change the flavor of the fudgy brownies.

SUGAR FOR BROWNIES

I switched to Turbinado sugar a couple of years ago, which is one step less refined than your typical white granulated sugar. The granule of the sugar is also larger, so cup for cup, there is physically less sugar in your recipe versus using white granulated sugar. This is great for our goal of eliminating white sugar, but it makes baked goods less sweet.

If you normally use Turbinado sugar or any other granulated sugar BESIDES white granulated sugar, you’ll be fine. If you use granulated sugar, consider using just ¼ cup. Otherwise, these brownies could easily become too sweet.

ALMOND FLOUR BROWNIES

Almond flour isn’t something I kept in the pantry until we did the Whole30, so I understand if you don’t have any.

There’s no need to rush out and buy some for this recipe. You can use oat flour (here’s how to make it) or you can use all-purpose flour.

Both oat flour and all-purpose flour absorb liquid, but we’re using such a small amount AND we have plenty of extra wet going on, so it shouldn’t be a problem. However, using almond flour makes this a great gluten free brownies recipe!

EGGS OR EGG SUBSTITUTES

I generally don’t use egg substitutes very often unless I’m running out of eggs before shopping day, but I did test out a batch with flax eggs instead of regular eggs, and it worked great! Make this swap for vegan gluten-free brownies.

BASIC BROWNIE INGREDIENTS

The rest of the players are what you usually find in brownie recipes – vanilla, salt, and baking soda.

Psst! Want to kick these fudgy brownies up a notch? Try finishing this recipe with a pinch of finishing salt! I love Ava Jane’s Kitchen because it doesn’t have microplastics (gross, right?) and it’s SO GOOD! Just add a pinch when you pull the brownies from the oven and try not to drool as you wait for them to cool! You can get a free 8-oz. bag of sea salt here (just pay shipping and handling!)

HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES FUDGY

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8×8 or 9×9 glass baking dish with parchment paper.

Step 2. In a large mixing bowl, measure the coconut oil and baking chocolate. Place in the microwave and cook on high in 10-second intervals, stirring well in between each one, until the chocolate is completely melted. Alternatively, you can melt the coconut oil and chocolate in a double boiler.

Step 3. Add the maple syrup, granulated sugar, vanilla, and almond butter to the melted chocolate mixture. Mix well until everything is incorporated.

Step 4. Add the eggs, again mixing until everything is well incorporated.

Step 5. Add the dry ingredients: almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well until everything is incorporated.

Step 6. Finally, fold in the chocolate chips. The brownie batter will be very, very thick.

Step 7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the center of the pan is cooked through and a toothpick inserted near the center of the pan comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. It should have a slightly crinkly top.

Step 8. Allow the fudgy brownies to cool to room temperature before you slice.

Step 9. If you want a chocolate drizzle, melt the additional chocolate chips in the microwave in 10-second intervals, stirring in between each interval. When the chocolate is melted, drizzle it over the baked brownies.

FUDGE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES RECIPE TIPS

• For best results, allow the brownies to chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.
  • The ingredients that make the paleo chocolate brownies fudgy also make the fresh-out-of-the-oven brownies a bit on the crumbly side.
  • They taste fine, but it’s best to make these brownies and let them chill in the fridge. I like to make these at night after dinner so they can chill while I’m sleeping.
  • Plus, this way I don’t have to see them every time I open the fridge, knowing I can’t eat them yet.
• I also recommend storing them in the fridge in an airtight container.
• You can freeze these brownies if you wrap them well (follow my freezer guide for baked goods here).

CAN REAL FOODIES EAT PALEO BROWNIES?

Can you still enjoy paleo fudgy brownies if you’re trying to reach specific food goals? Yes! And these fudgy brownies are perfect for those trying to eat less sugar or lower carbs.

Just like most of my recipes for treats, I’ve made this a better version of classic brownie recipes by using less sugar and less processed ingredients while still keeping that rich, fudgy flavor.

If you’re tracking your macros, these brownies will give you a higher percentage of fat from the almond butter and coconut oil, as well as some carbohydrates from the sweeteners, and a bit of protein from the almond flour and almond butter. Treat them as you would any other treat and accurately track your portion.

Eating well doesn’t have to exclude treats!

GLUTEN FREE BROWNIES FAQS

MORE YUMMY CHOCOLATE DESSERT RECIPES

• No Bake Brownie Bites
• 5 Minute Chocolate Hummus
• Avocado Chocolate Mousse
• Chocolate & Peanut Butter Cake
• Healthy Homemade Chocolate Pie