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Brownies! Such a classic dessert, but one I’ve had a lot of trouble getting right when creating a keto version! I think I’ve finally landed on something that’s as close to perfect as I’m going to get! These easy keto brownies are totally fudgy with just the right amount of chewiness and intense dark chocolate flavor.
I have been working on this recipe for a long time, you guys.
I’ve made many different keto brownie recipes floating around the internet. Many of them were fine, but all left me wanting something more. And so many of them I swear used pictures of boxed brownies because mine looked nothing like the photos.
It seems pretty easy to make a keto brownie that’s fudgy. But texturally every recipe I tried lacked in bite. They were a little too soft and fell apart when I bit them in a way that didn’t feel like traditional brownies.
So I played around. A lot. I can’t tell you how many batches I’ve made. Many were decent. At least one we threw straight into the trash. And one the kids liked but was way too sweet for our tastebuds.
You guys, I’m pretty happy with these brownies. Are they exactly like the real deal? No. One thing I can’t make keto brownies have are the slightly crispy, chewy edges. But everything else is pretty darn close with this recipe.
Let’s get to it, shall we?
Easy Keto Brownies
Unsurprisingly, the brownies’ success depends on specific ingredients. Let’s discuss.
Ingredients:
- Butter. A brownie staple. I used unsalted. It needs to be melted and still quite warm.
- Sweetener. I experimented with different sweeteners, and I like allulose
best here. Erythritol-based sweeteners really do not perform well here at all, honestly. The other option is to use xylitol. Xylitol has the advantage of being cheaper than allulose, but it has a much higher glycemic index, which means it will still impact your blood sugar. Xylitol is also highly toxic to pets. If you use it in this recipe, you’ll need to powder it after you measure it. I’ve had good success powdering it in both my Blendtec blender and a coffee grinder. Allulose and xylitol give very similar results in taste and texture, so use whichever you prefer. - Cocoa. Get yourself a good cocoa powder. I used this one.
- Eggs. It’s imperative that the eggs be room temperature. If you forgot to take your eggs out, you can put whole eggs (still in the shell) in a bowl of warm water to speed up the process. Just make sure it’s not too hot.
- Almond Flour. I don’t like coconut flour in brownies. Coconut flour makes for a cakey texture and I have never enjoyed cakey brownies.
- Gelatin. Yes, gelatin. This is the secret ingredient. Adding a little bit of gelatin to the brownies really gives them the perfect amount of chewiness that is usually lacking without the gluten in wheat flour. You could leave it out and they’ll still bake fine, but the texture will not be as good.
best here. Erythritol-based sweeteners really do not perform well here at all, honestly. The other option is to use 
. Xylitol has the advantage of being cheaper than allulose, but it has a much higher glycemic index, which means it will still impact your blood sugar. Xylitol is also highly toxic to pets. If you use it in this recipe, you’ll need to powder it after you measure it. I’ve had good success powdering it in both my 
and a coffee grinder. Allulose and xylitol give very similar results in taste and texture, so use whichever you prefer.
. I don’t like coconut flour in brownies. Coconut flour makes for a cakey texture and I have never enjoyed cakey brownies.
. Yes, gelatin. This is the secret ingredient. Adding a little bit of gelatin to the brownies really gives them the perfect amount of chewiness that is usually lacking without the gluten in wheat flour. You could leave it out and they’ll still bake fine, but the texture will not be as good.I highly recommend measuring your ingredients by weight for best results. Especially things like cocoa– depending on how packed it is in your container, you can get very different amounts if measuring by volume. That being said, I’ve included volume measurements as well.
I’ve had this kitchen scale for years and it’s held up well
.
Technique
There are some important things to note while making this recipe. First, your butter needs to be melted and pretty warm when you start. You don’t want your butter/sweetener/cocoa mixture to be so hot that it scrambles your eggs when you put them in, but it needs to be quite warm.
If you mix your cocoa mixture together and find that it’s gotten too cool, you can pop it into the microwave for 30 seconds (if you’re not using a metal bowl!) or stick it over pan of simmering water to warm it up a little.
This is important because of the next step.
Next we add the eggs.
The eggs really need to be room temperature. If they’re cold, it’ll make this whole mixture firm up and get really hard to spread your pan.
When you add the eggs, add the first one and just beat enough to mix it in. Then add the second. Then you need to beat it on medium high with your electric mixer
for one minute. Set a timer. You can see above what mine looked like after mixing in the picture above.
This is important because it incorporates just the right amount of air into the batter. If you skip this part, you’ll have ultra dense brownies. They’re actually really similar to the fudge brownie pieces you find in ice cream. It’s great for ice cream, but they’re less like regular brownies this way.
If you mix them for longer, you’ll get cakier brownies. And if you find that after mixing them for a minute, the mixture is light in color and fluffier, it means your butter mixture wasn’t warm enough. It’ll still bake ok, but it’ll be more difficult to spread.
After that, it’s just pouring it into the pan and baking.
I recommend using two pieces of parchment paper
in an x shape in the bottom of the pan. This gives you handles to lift it out after it cools so you can cut it easier.
As far as baking goes, I bake mine at 325°F. If your oven runs cool, you could turn it up to 350° but you definitely don’t want to have it be too hot or your edges will burn before the middle sets.
I start checking the brownies at about 15 minutes, but these baked at 20. Because ovens vary, it’s important to watch carefully. You want to take them out as soon as they’re set so they don’t overbake.
If you like, sprinkle the brownies with some flakey sea salt
right after they come out of the oven. Dark chocolate plus salt is one of my favorite combinations, but feel free to skip if it’s not your thing.
After that, just cool and slice! This recipe makes 16 brownies.
These have the perfect combination of soft, chewy, and fudgy consistency, IMHO. My husband said these are super close to regular brownies as far as he’s concerned.
I’ll call that a win.
And if you’re feeling really indulgent…
Top a warm brownie with some homemade ice cream and keto fudge sauce!
Easy keto brownies for the win!
Easy Keto Brownies
Super chewy, fudgy keto brownies that are super easy to make!
Ingredients
- 130g (9 Tbsp) butter, melted
- 185g (1 cup) allulose (or xylitol-- see note)
- 80g (14 Tbsp) cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 75g (3/4 cup) almond flour
- 1 Tbsp gelatin powder
- flaky sea salt for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C) Line an 8x8 pan with two pieces of parchment, overhanging the edges.
- Beat together melted butter, allulose, cocoa powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer. Mixture should be warm, but not hot.
- Beat in one egg just until mixed. Add second egg and beat on medium-high speed for one minute.
- Whisk together almond flour and gelatin. Add to the cocoa mixture and mix until just combined.
- Bake just until set, checking at 15 minutes. It may take 20-25 minutes depending on your oven.
- Allow to cool in the pan, then remove using parchement overhang as handles, and slice into 16 squares.
Notes
The allulose can be substituted with the same amount (by weight) of xylitol, but it will need to be powdered (as it does not dissolve well otherwise.) Xylitol has a higher glycemic index than allulose, so the overall net carb count will be higher. Please also keep xylitol and baked goods made with it away from pets as it is highly toxic to them.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1 brownieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 108Total Fat: 10.2gSaturated Fat: 4.8gSodium: 85mgCarbohydrates: 3.8gNet Carbohydrates: 1.5gFiber: 2.3gSugar: 0.3gProtein: 3.4g
