These delicious Paleo Brownies are gluten-free, fudgy, chocolatey, and are an indulgent treat you can feel good about. Made with natural and wholesome ingredients, these brownies are simple to make so you can whip up a batch fast!
Try my fudgy Coconut Oil Brownies, Bean Brownies, and Egg White Souffle, next for a tasty dessert!
Enjoy a delicious treat that doesn't sacrifice taste for nutrition. These paleo brownies are made with only the highest quality ingredients, a combination of almond flour and Dutch processed cocoa powder, making them both gluten-free and Paleo-friendly.
They are also full of rich sweetness without using processed sugars like our vegan black bean brownies and paleo pumpkin bread without almond flour. With our easy-to-follow recipe, you can make your own paleo brownies quickly and easily!
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Why these are the best grain-free brownies
- Grain-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free brownie recipe! This is a favorite brownie recipe that caters to 3 major food allergies.
- Ultra fudgy center! What makes a brownie fudgy? High fat content compared to the ratio of flour in brownies makes them fudgy rather than cake-like. These satisfying brownies are decadent like coconut oil brownies that simply melt in your mouth!
- Healthy sweet treats so you can feel good about dessert time! Our paleo brownie recipe is made with natural sugars like maple syrup and coconut sugar that have a lower glycemic index than white sugar.
Paleo brownie mix of ingredients
See recipe card for ingredient quantities.
- pumpkin puree
- maple syrup
- coconut sugar
- eggs
- olive oil
- vanilla extract
- almond meal flour
- Dutch processed cocoa powder
- vegan chocolate chips
How to make these brownies with almond flour
See full recipe instructions in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Prep the pan and preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, sized to fit.
Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, maple syrup, sugar, eggs, olive oil, and vanilla until well mixed.
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients. Add the almond meal and cocoa powder and mix well then fold in the chocolate chips.
Step 4: Bake the brownies. Pour the gluten-free brownie mixture into the lined baking pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool for about 20-30 minutes before slicing and handling so it sets.
Recipe tips
This recipe is pretty simple to throw together at moments notice. But here are a few tips so the brownies turn out perfectly every time.
- Use parchment paper to line the baking dish to easily remove the brownies after they are out of the oven and have cooled.
- Cook them until they are set at the top and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Do not cut the brownies until they are cooled completely. If you cut them too soon the brownie batter sticks to the knife and runs into the next brownie. Wait until they are cool before slicing them into squares.
Substitutions
Although I have not tried these substitutions myself in this recipe there are certain variations that tend to work in baked goods. If maple syrup needs an alternative you can try our maple syrup substitute or swap it out for agave syrup. You can use honey but it will give the brownies a more chewy and sticky consistency.
How to store brownies
Storing at room temperature and the refrigerator: Store brownies in an airtight container on the counter. They can also be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container and will last longer when chilled. In the fridge they last about 1 week and on the counter at room temperature they last up to 4 days.
To freeze brownies: Pre-slice the brownies before freezing them then wrap the batch of brownies together in wax paper or parchment paper and carefully place them in a sealed freezer bag. Remove as much of the air as possible to prevent freezer burn before sealing closed. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Why eat paleo
Did you know that gluten, found in many grains, has increased 80% in the last 40 years?
Gluten gives baked goods the elasticity it needs to be fluffy but it eats away at the human body's gut allowing more autoimmunity disorders to kick-in, like Celiac Disease.
Today there are more than 200,000 more cases of Celiac Disease diagnosed per year. A culprit is that grains are not processed the same way they were when our ancestors were around. And if you go way back to cavemen there were no grains.
Cavemen grazed off the land eating only nuts, meat, berries, fruits and vegetables. They were taller, leaner and had more energy than the majority of humans today. That is some major food for thought to think about when choosing what to eat!
Nutrients
These paleo brownies meet all the essential needs that food should have. Almond meal for protein, olive oil for healthy fat, maple syrup which comes from trees, and cocoa powder and pumpkin grown direct from the earth.
FAQs
What makes a brownie fudgy and another brownie more like cake? It is all due to the fat to flour ratio and sugars within the recipe. High fat content comes from butter and oil in baked goods. For a more cake consistency use less butter and oil and for a fudgy consistency use lots of oil, butter, and brown sugar. These paleo brownies are made with almond flour, which has a high fat content and makes this recipe fudgy.
Paleo brownies are made without flour and can sometimes be associated with flourless brownies. In place of flour, almond meal and cocoa powder are combined with wet ingredients.
Butter, extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, and sometimes coconut oil are used as a substitute for vegetable oil in brownies. Vegetable oil is commonly used in brownies, cakes, muffins, and other baked goods since it is light. For a healthier brownie, use avocado oil, olive oil, or melted coconut oil.
Final thoughts
A great read to educate on is The Paleo Diet. I have been doing a cleanse away from grains for a bit to detox and heal my gut. Well I ate these flourless brownies for breakfast the other day and did not even blink because when food is rich in nutrients, plant based, and natural it should not matter at all what time of the day you eat it:-) - right?
So go ahead and enjoy these treats any time of the day! No joke these brownies are so moist, grain free, and take only a few minutes to mix the basic brownie ingredients together. Get ready to be addicted to these guys, but it is ok because they are delicious and healthy!
More healthy brownies and desserts to love
I hope you enjoy this healthy Paleo Brownie Recipe! Follow along with me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for a feature and more recipe inspiration! And don't forget to rate the recipe in the recipe area and leave a comment below!
📖 Recipe
Paleo Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ coconut sugar
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup almond meal flour
- ⅔ cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, sized to fit.
- In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, maple syrup, sugar, eggs, olive oil, and vanilla until well mixed.
- Add the almond meal and cocoa powder and mix well then fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the gluten-free brownie mixture over the parchment paper lined baking pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center is set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let it cool for about 20-30 minutes before slicing into squares and handling so it sets.
Notes
Nutrition
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Ailsa @ Food to Feel Good says
Just made these with coconut nectar instead of maple syrup, super yummy! Didn't come out as thick as yours, but I live at a very high elevation so I'm assuming that's why. Have been craving a fudgey brownie and this healthy version definitely did the trick 🙂
Danielle @ Delightful Mom Food says
Alisa, so glad you made these paleo brownies! Great idea to swap out maple syrup for coconut nectar and honey would work too.