Life Changing Paleo Brownies

Life Changing Paleo Brownies are here! These gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free brownies look and taste just like the real thing with crispy edges, crackly tops, and a dense-but-airy texture. You need just 8 ingredients, and one hour. Let’s do it!

Jump to:

• Tips for Perfect Paleo Brownies
• How to Make Paleo Brownies
• Recipe

I went there. Yep, I sure did and I have zero regrets. Less than zero. None, nope, nada.

LIFE-CHANGING PALEO BROWNIES that look and taste just like the real thing. BUT BETTER.

Better because they’re dense and fudgy, chewy but crispy, and 100% gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar-free. Double chocolate, crispy, gooey, decadent bars of pure amazing.

Still not convinced? Okay fine. I also swirled in a mess of almond butter and topped them with flaky sea salt for that perfect bite somewhere in between “I can die a happy lady” and “Please never let me leave this earth so I can eat these paleo brownies forever, and ever, and ever, please and thank you”.

Seriously, these babies are THAT good. So good that my 8-year old, a world-renowned sugar aficionado and lover of all things chocolate, declared them “Seriously, the best brownies ever Mommy…even better than Grandma’s.” Friends, you can’t get a better endorsement than that (sorry Mom).

Life-changing (and giving) paleo brownies are ready in under an hour (including time to cool off) and require only 8 ingredients (and in some cases just 6!).

Tips for Perfect Paleo Brownies

Ground rules – here we go!

• DO use the best quality ingredients that you can afford. Farm fresh eggs, high-quality coconut oil and chocolates, and all natural almond butter. There are arguable nutritional benefits to all, but we’re not talking healthy here friends, we’re talking flavor.
• DON’T over-mix the batter. Lumps for the win!
• DO use room temperature eggs. To quickly bring cold eggs to room temperature, set them into a bowl of tepid water for about 10 minutes.
• DON’T overheat the coconut oil and chocolate. You’ve been warned.
• DON’T overcook. Check ’em early. Jiggly in the center with crispy edges is best.
• DO allow the brownies a sufficient cooling off period (20 minutes) for best texture.
• DO share with loved (and liked) ones. Sharing is caring y’all.

How to Make Paleo Brownies

Now that our house-keeping is finished, let’s get to the good stuff.

Start by measuring out your coconut oil. Liquid vs. solid doesn’t matter all that much here, as the change in volume between the two states is negligible for coconut oil. I actually tested this with liquid measuring in one batch and solid in another, and there was no difference in the final product.

Warm up the coconut oil and the chocolate chips. Microwave first for 30 seconds, then in 15 second intervals, whisking in between until the chocolate is completely melted into the oil. You can also heat both on the stove over medium heat. I used Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Chips, but use whatever paleo chocolate is your preference, the darker the better.

Batter time. Whisk the eggs and coconut sugar together until frothy and thick, then add the vanilla extract and whisk. Pour in the chocolate mixture a little bit at a time and whisk until fully incorporated. At this point, the batter will still be a bit thin and will pour off the whisk in long ribbons.

Next, using a rubber spatula FOLD in the cocoa powder and coconut flour, then just barely fold in the almond butter. You want discernible streaks of almond butter throughout the batter, and doing so will also prevent you from over-mixing. You can omit the almond butter without compromising anything in the final product (other than ridiculous extra flavor, but I digress…), or substitute it with another nut butter or even tahini.

Folding these ingredients isn’t just an excuse to dirty another utensil, it’s to nail the texture. Air and volume were created when the eggs and sugar were whisked. You want to preserve that air at this stage by folding in the remaining ingredients to achieve that delicate-but-dense final texture.

I tested this recipe with and without the coconut flour and decided to keep it. It lends the final texture some added crunch on top and lightness throughout. If you prefer a fudgier, denser finished brownie, you can omit it with any further substitutions.

Line an 8″ x 8″ baking dish with parchment paper, then pour the batter into the dish. You don’t need to grease the paper (there’s enough oil to keep them from sticking), but if you want to, go for it. I like the coconut oil cooking spray from Trader Joe’s, or just a touch of melted coconut oil brushed on with a pastry brush.

If you have larger baking dishes, or dishes of different sizes, know that your brownies will likely be thinner than the ones pictured and the baking time may be affected.

Paleo brownies need a slightly longer bake at a slightly lower temperature than their standard counterparts. Bake at 325* until the edges are firm and the center is still jiggly, 22-25 minutes (or so). Oven temperatures vary like woah, so (1) know your oven and (2) check your work.

Test for doneness around the 20-minute mark by giving the baking dish a little jiggle and inspecting the edges. If the center is just barely set and the edges are crispy, it’s done. If not, keep it going a little longer. These might puff up a bit in the center, but they’ll deflate during the cooling off period.

Remove the brownies from the oven, dust with flaky sea salt to taste, and then cool IN THE PAN for about 5 minutes. Yeah, you can skip the salt, but then we can’t be friends anymore. J/K. While the salt is optional, it helps cut through the chocolate for a multi-faceted final flavor that truly makes these life-changing. So do it. Doooooo it!!

Last step – pull up the brownies by the edges of the parchment paper and set the whole thing on a wire rack to further cool for at least 10, and up to 20 more minutes. Please, do restrain yourself. I swear your patience will be amply rewarded!

I slice my brownies using a serrated knife and wipe it off after each cut for clean edges. These are best enjoyed within 24 hours, but will keep in an airtight container at room temperate for about 48 hours or in the fridge for up to 5 days. But really, good luck with that.

Did you make these Paleo Brownies? I’d love to know how they turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.

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Recipe

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