The fudgiest, most chocolatey Keto brownies ever. This simple low carb and sugar free recipe makes perfect brownies time after time. Gluten free and diabetic-friendly.
Do you know a person who’d say “Brownies? Nah, can’t stand them. Too chocolatey. Too happiness-inducing. Not for me, mate.”
This kind of person, as you know well yourself, does not exist. Why?
Because brownies are one of the most delicious, universally liked desserts ever invented.
Time to make a sugar free version. Hello, Keto brownies!
I’ve been experimenting with avocado in brownies last week – and I’ve got to say, whilst I LOVE my chocolate avocado ice cream, avocado brownies and I did not fall in love.
I went back to the drawing board – and back to to my favourite brownie recipe of old, which I adapted and made it keto & sugar free.
Regular brownies are a feast of chocolate, butter and indulgent sweetness. It’s the same with these low carb brownies – the only difference being that instead of sugar I used powdered erythritol and instead of flour my brownies contain almond flour. This way, they’re not only sugar free, low carb and diabetic-friendly (they’re 3.2g net carbs per portion), but also grain and gluten free.
Friends, these fudgy Keto brownies are the bomb. I really hope you’ll try them – I could seriously eat them every day.
(I’m saying this because I have, obviously – everyone is nibbling away at the stash in the freezer day after day!)
So. Let’s do a Keto brownie recipe deep dive.
The chocolate. Use the best quality you can get hold of. There’s a LOT of chocolate in this recipe – almost 2 bars – so you’ll be able to taste it. In the UK, Lindt is a popular quality brand and I went for their 90% dark chocolate. It contains only 7 grams of sugar per 100g, which is very low, and it’s widely available.
You could use unsweetened chocolate as well (in the UK there’s a brand called Montezuma which Sainsbury’s stocks, in the US Baker’s chocolate is a good option). In this case, you may want to increase the amount sweetener. If you decide to use sugar free chocolate such as Lily’s in the US or Balance in the UK, simply reduce the amount of sweetener you use.
The sweetener. I have made these low carb brownies twice – once with granulated erythritol and once with powdered erythritol. The texture is smoother with the powdered erythritol and I preferred it. If you only have granulated sweetener, try grinding it down to a powder before you use it. Erythritol does not melt like sugar does and it can re-crystallise when it cools down. In regular cake recipes granulated erythritol works absolutely fine. In dishes with a soft or fudgy texture, however, it’s better if you use powdered sweetener.
The flour. I’ve tried it – both almond flour and ground almonds work. I first used 100g / 1 cup and the second time reduced the amount to 80g / 3/4 cup, which made the brownies even softer and more fudgy.
The fat. As you might have guessed even before checking the nutrition facts, Keto brownies are a high fat dessert. They are filling! That’s why one batch makes 16 very satisfying portions. If you prefer, you can swap out the butter for coconut oil. If you do, make sure you use an extra virgin coconut oil – it’s unrefined and you’ll taste the difference.
Make sure you also check out the other healthy brownie recipes on my site.
I adore these pumpkin brownies – the recipe is just as simple, but they’re much lighter in texture. And when I first started Sugar Free Londoner, I created these sweet potato brownies. At the time I was concentrating on lowering my sugar intake only. Even though this recipe is not particularly low in carbohydrates due to the sweet potatoes, it’s still a MUCH healthier option than your regular sugary brownie recipes. It’s a very popular recipe and when I did take it down for a while I received so many emails asking for it that I ended up re-publishing it. One day I want to rework it to lower the carb content.
And last but not least – as a chocolate lover don’t miss this super indulgent chocolate lava cake!!
Made these Keto brownies? Give them a star rating below!
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Fabulously Fudgy Keto Brownies
The fudgiest, most chocolatey Keto brownies ever. This simple low carb and sugar free recipe makes perfect brownies time after time. Gluten free and diabetic-friendly.
Ingredients
- 175 g / 6.17 oz butter unsalted, softened
- 100 g / 1 cup powdered sweetener
- 3 eggs
- 40 g / 1/3 cup cocoa powder unsweetened
- 175 g / 6.17 oz dark chocolate at least 85% cocoa solids, melted
- 75 g / 3/4 cup almond flour
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 180 Celsius / 356 Fahrenheit
Melt the chocolate: Break the chocolate into squares and place in a small bowl. Place this bowl inside a larger bowl which you have filled with boiling water. The water will heat the walls of the small bowl and melt the chocolate. (see notes)
Blend the VERY soft (or melted) butter, powdered sweetener, eggs and cocoa with a blender or in a food processor.
Add the melted chocolate and almond flour and mix until you have a thick, smooth batter.
Line a rectangular baking tin or small casserole dish with baking / parchment paper. Cut the paper to size so that it covers the bottom and two sides of the dish. Grease the two remaining sides.
Fill the batter into the dish and smoothen the top. Bake 25 minutes or until the top is firm.
Let the brownies cool before you remove them from the baking tin. They will be VERY soft when warm, but firm up as they cool down.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
DON'T OVERHEAT your chocolate!!!!! Using a water bath is a fool-proof way of melting chocolate because it will never curdle or get hard. If you melt chocolate in the microwave, make sure you choose a low intensity and keep on checking you're not heating it up too much.
I used Lindt 90% chocolate. You can also use sugar free chocolate such as Lily's or unsweetened baker's chocolate. Adjust the amount of powdered sweetener accordingly.
If you want to add an icing try the one my friend Lisa from Low Carb Yum used for her chocolate iced coconut donuts. It's delicious.
I used a 5x9 inch loaf pan for this recipe.
Starting out on low carb? Find out all about my top 10 essential low carb kitchen gadgets!
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Sarah says
Hi can I use xylitol?
Katrin says
Yes, absolutely!
Jonathan Trierweiler says
This recipe didn’t work for me. I had to substitute a couple of things, which is probably why. I used coconut flour instead of almond flour, and granulated sweetener instead of powdered. The rest of the recipe, I followed to the letter.
The batter had a chocolatey flavor but the texture was thick and had the consistency of wet cat food. It wouldn’t spread in the pan at all. I gave up and threw it in the trash. I’m going to go with a premixed box of Pillsbury next time
Katrin says
Hi Jonathan, you cannot substitute the same amount of coconut flour for the almond flour. Coconut flour absorbs more liquid, therefore you can only use about half the amount stated for almond flour. That’s why your brownies were dry.
Jane says
I have problems with measurements. How much in tablespoons or cups is 6.17 oz?
Katrin says
No problem, happy to help! It’s a 3/4 cup.
Linda says
I’ve made these as per the directions and I get 15g if carbs per serving? What am I missing here? The original poster says 4.1 carbs per serving. That’s a big difference to a diabetic
Katrin says
Hi Linda, maybe you’re counting the carbs in the sweetener? I never count them as erythritol does not get absorbed by our body, it passes right through our system.
Kristy says
Oh my! These are amazing! Whenever I bake something there’s this unwritten tradition that my kids and I get to ‘sample’ the raw batter left in the bowl. Usually they think this is the best part, but they weren’t too fussed on the uncooked flavour – I loved it! But when they were cooked? They kept trying to come and steal some from the kitchen! Haha. Seriously to die for brownies! So happy I can enjoy these too! Thank you for sharing your fab recipes. Definitely one of my favourite sites!
Katrin says
Haha, sounds like a winner! And no one to fight with over the dough = more for you!
Cathy says
Hi. Really happy to find you and having a great Sunday afternoon going through all your recipes. Just wondering if you have any suggestions for alternative sweeteners. My daughter is allergic to all artificial sweeteners – even Stevia which is plant based causes an itching over her whole body. Any ideas what I can use instead which will work with your recipes? Thanks.
Katrin says
I’m glad you found my site Cathy! If your daughter cannot tolerate erythritol, xylitol or even stevia, maybe you could use coconut sugar and maple syrup/raw honey where I use sugar free syrups (I’d stay away from the regular supermarket honeys, they have little to do with “real” honey). Coconut sugar obviously not sugar free, but it has a lower glycemic index than table sugar.
Joan Miller says
Monkfruit is another non carb sweetener
Anja says
Oh thanks for this recipe! I made this yesterday and it is really delicious! its just perfect fudgy!
Thanks a lot!
I make a free digital magazine about low carb/keto eating. Can i use it? under your name ofcourse and i will link to your website!
the magazine is calded CarbGlossy.
Katrin says
Hi Anja, glad you like the recipe. You are very welcome to use an image of mine with your own text and a link to the recipe on my page. Just make sure you do not copy my ingredient list or method description. Thank you!
Debbie says
Can you tell me how many servings this makes? It isn’t listed with the other nutritional information. THANKS
Katrin says
Hi Debbie, the recipe makes 16 servings. Servings are always stated at the top of the recipe card.
Maximum says
I’d love to add raspberries to these. Do you think that would be ok? And how much do you think?
Thank you xx
Katrin says
That sounds like a great idea! I’d add a handful, so you’d get 2-3 per square/slice
Sanah Khan says
Love it! It comes out amazing every single time. Ok so a silly question.. can this be taken on a 7 day travel nad stya out if the refrigerator without going bad?
Thanks.
Katrin says
I think that depends on the temperature it’s being kept at. It contains a lot of butter, which can go rancid when it’s too hot. It’s fine in the fridge and I’d say it will keep if you store it somewhere fairly cool, in an airtight container. Take it along wherever you’re going and do a sniff test before enjoying 🙂
Kathy Graves says
You are certainly a very patient woman to answer our questions. Thank you. I used a whole avocado for half the butter. I didn’t have powdered sweetener, so I whomped it up in the blender. It looked pretty powdered to me, but we’ll see. I also didn’t have enough unsweetened chocolate, so I made up the difference with the equivalent formula on the baking cocoa package. (This is going to be a totally new recipe in a minute–I despise people who do that! ) I added sweetener to taste on top of what you did because the avocado flavor was too prominent. Then I added pecans and 75% chocolate chunks. (This was an emergency chocolate fix, I’m telling you!) I’m pretty sure I’m a true sugar addict, because I just couldn’t find that zing that sugar adds. So I, hopefully wisely, gave up on adding more sweetener. It’s in the oven now, and it smells chocolate-y. Fingers crossed! If it tastes yucky, I will repent and report to you my failings. XXXX
Katrin says
I’m soo interested to hear how this went! I’m getting into using avocado in chocolate recipes, though I have yet to try it in baking. I’ve just redone my chocolate avocado mousse and made it keto – I previously had it sweetened with banana. Using the avocado in place of the butter makes the recipe more nutrient-dense, it really is a great idea. I think the 75% chocolate in your recipe would have given some nice sweetness, too. Thanks for your detailed description!!!
Daria says
Can i use rice protein powder instead of almond flour?
Katrin says
I have never tried that’ but it’s an interesting idea. It could work – if you try it out let me know how it went!
Sky says
Hi, instead of using almond flour could I use coconut flour?
Katrin says
Hi there, you could try that but definitely use less coconut flour than almond flour. I suggest starting with 1/3 the amount. Wait a couple of minutes until the flour has absorbed all liquid and see if you think it’s enough. I think it should be. Definitely do not use more than 1/2 the amount or your brownies will become too dry.
TEE says
Can I use salted butter and equal gold sticks?
Katrin says
I think using salted butter might be interesting. Salted chocolate always tasted good! You might need to up the sweetener a bit so it’s not overpowering. I think equal is a sweetener brand? I have not used it. Check if it’s a 1:1 sugar replacement, ten you can use it in the same amounts as the erythritol
John James says
Please check out the safety of equal Canderell and all other artificial sweeteners. They upset your digestive system and make you put on weight. The changes can also encourage you to become type 2 diabetic. Avoid diet drinks and reduced sugar Ribeana etc. Only Stevia, erithritol, xylitol and other sugar alcohols are considered safe. Tesco and Sainsbury’s both sell sugar free dark chocolate.
Katrin says
Hi John, do you mean unsweetened dark chocolate? I have not come across a sugar free brand at Tesco or Sainsburys.
Ruthie says
I’m using Baker’s Unsweetened for my chocolate. Should I increase the amount of powdered erythritol I’m using?
Also, made these a few days ago but they turned out very dry and not sweet. I followed the measurements and ingredients exactly (switched my scale to grams for better accuracy, even 🙂 so I was surprised. After scouring the recipe and all the comments I think I have the answer: in the oldest comment you state you used a 14 x 23 cm pan. This is about the same as a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan. It’s rare to bake anything but bread in this size tin in the US unless specified in the directions. I used a “regular” (for here) 9″ x 13″ baking pan, which probably accounts for dryness and lack of sweetness because I’m sure they were burnt! Here goes a second try! 🙂
Katrin says
Hi Ruthie, thank you for your comment about the baking pan – I’ll add that into the post to clarify. It is possible that if your brownies were flatter than mine because your pan was larger they would turn out drier and maybe even burned a bit.
As for the chocolate, I’d say you probably need an additional 2 tbsp of sweetener if you use unsweetened chocolate. 90% chocolate contains 7g of sugar only and is actually not very sweet.
However, I’m not sure that that lack of sweetness you found was due to the pan / dryness. Maybe you just prefer your brownies a little sweeter than I do, we’re all different. Definitely taste your batter and add some more if you feel it needs it!
Ruthie says
Thank you! I made these again on Saturday and used 110g powdered Swerve instead of 100g. They are much better this time. A LOT more moist in the 9″ x 5″ pan – and sweeter than my first attempt, too. In comparison, I think I burnt the first batch badly! Only the center brownies in this pan are really “fudgy”, though. The edges of the outer pieces are still burnt, so I guess it’s just my oven?? Will just reduce baking time on next batch and maybe add a bit more sweetener… I love the batter so it’s strange. Practice, eh? 😀 Thank you for such a great recipe and awesome website! It’s an amazing resource.
Katrin says
That’s so good to hear Ruthie. Sounds like next time they will be perfect 🙂
Allie says
Can I use a 8 inch pan?
Katrin says
I’m sure that would work too. Your brownies will be a little thicker. I don’t think it would affect the oven time.
Lenka says
I only have granulated Xylitol. How much shall I use instead of the 100g powdered sweetener?
Katrin says
I’d start with 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp / or, if you have scales, stick with 100g.
Allison says
can you tell me the protein content per serving?
Katrin says
HI Allison, I’ve re-calculated the recipe and updated the protein – it’s 2.9g per serving.
Mason says
These are fab, stop you wanting that chocolate fix and super easy to make..
Katrin says
Great!!!! I’m glad they hit the spot!
Martin says
Hi, can you use coconut flour instead of almond flour? Thanks
Katrin says
Sure, you could try that – in that case I’d recommend to use 1/3 of the amount stated for almond flour.
Tina says
Loved them but they did not turn out fudgey, May have baked a little long.
Katrin says
Thanks for your comment Tina – oven temperatures can differ depending on make and age, so maybe that was the reason. If you try the recipe again, just take them out sooner.
Eileen Tietje says
I love these. I’ve made them several times. However they are very high in fat, as you state. Today I am trying them with avocado oil. Hope they are still yummy! Healthy and yummy! Cant beat that!
Katrin says
Let me know how they taste with avocado oil!
Sarah22K says
Hi,
I made this recipe as chocolate cake, last week. We added a tsp of melted almond butter on top with double cream. OMG! Chocolate cake heaven we frozen half of it and had the rest today. It freezes really well
Is by far the best cake on Keto that we have made so far, thank you for sharing recipes
Katrin says
That sounds delicious!!! What a great idea to make it as a cake
Mohit says
Overall the brownie turned out to be good in taste but somehow it was little dry and brittle and not fudgy. How do I make it more fudgier?
Katrin says
You could try using less almond flour or a shorter baking time
HF says
Hey. I am excited to try this out. I don’t think I will be able to find erythritol. I might be able to get a hold of liquid stevia or my only other option is using honey. Do you know if using either of those sweeteners would be possible?
Katrin says
I think stevia should work in the recipe in place of erythritol.
Gallerhea says
Amazon or Vitacost.com ate great places to find eryrhritol.
Jo says
Hi there, these are a fab low carb brownie. I have made a few times now but I just wondered What’s the fat content in these brownies?
Thanks
Katrin says
Hey Jo, I’m glad you like the brownies. The fat content is 19.5g – the nutrition facts are always at the bottom of the recipe card.
Julie c says
I just put these in the oven
Hope they come out good 🙂
Nicola says
These are so easy to make and super yummy. Hit the spot for the sugar I was craving after being on Keto for a couple of weeks! Thanks 🙂
Katrin says
Fantastic! Glad they did their job 🙂
Patti says
Hi,
What nutrition calculator do you use? I got 9 carbs per serving using all your same ingredients, except I used Baker’s brand 100 % cocoa unsweetened chocolate.
Thanks
Katrin says
Hi there, I use the free calculator on the website sparkrecipes
Sharon Scherbinski says
Made these for our Fathers Day picnic, Fabulous!!
Katrin says
Great! I’m glad they were a success 🙂
Donna says
Do you know any troubleshooting for this recipe? I followed it exactly (used Lindt 90% as well) but when it was cooking it had literally pools of bubbling liquid (I’m guessing the butter?) boiling all over so badly that I ended up taking it out of the oven and sopping them up with paper towels. Did yours ever do that (I definitely used the amount of butter recommended, not more) 🙁 They did turn out good even with the bubbles, but after that I decided to long, slow cook them and turn them into dense chocolate cookies, they were crunchy and yummy in that state.
Katrin says
Hm, not sure what happened, it’s always difficult to say when you weren’t there! If you used the same amount of butter/fat, maybe your oven temperature was too high? Some ovens can have a mind of their own… I’m glad to hear the brownies double up as chocolate cookies, I must try them crunchy one day! If you ever want to make chocolate cookies that are SUPPOSED to be chocolate cookies, you could try out this recipe!
Donna says
Thank you so much — my oven does behave oddly, I have to rotate everything half through cooking to make it cook evenly… and I will check out that other recipe! I love this site btw, use it constantly <3
Katrin says
Thank you Donna!! Comments like this one really make my day 🙂
Dianne says
I think that can happen if the butter is melted instead of just softened.
Katrin says
good to know 🙂 – thanks for your comment
Zana says
How long do you think they will last in an airtight container or should I freeze a good portion of them as I made double batch! I took second batch out at 18-20 min for a less dry effect than the first batch. Absolutely amazing.
Katrin says
Hi Zana, I think they should be fine in the fridge for about a week. Personally, I like freezing stuff, that way I don’t have to think about whether something might go off or not. My last brownie batch I cut into bitesize pieces before freezing. I had made it just for us, and it was great being able to grab a little treat to go with a cup of tea in the afternoons. They actually tasted great even frozen, though that might be just a personal preference 😉
Veronica says
If using Lily’s chocolate chips how much sugar should I use?
Katrin says
Hi, Lily’s dark chocolate chips contain stevia, so you would definitely need less sweetener than I used (the 90% dark chocolate is not sweet at all). I would try using half the amount of sweetener and definitely taste the dough to see if it’s good.
Klaudie says
Hmmmmm .. so yummy! Absolutely delicious 🙂 Thank you for the great recipe.
Katrin says
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!!!!
Linda says
I made these with the frosting and also added some pecans. What a treat!
Katrin says
What a good idea to add pecans! I think walnuts would also work really well.
Tina Romano says
can I incorporate a little coconut flour?
Katrin says
Of course you can. Be careful not to use too much though. Coconut flour is so much more absorbent – a good rule of thumb is 1/3 – max 1/2 cup of coconut flour as opposed to 1 cup or almond flour.
Gemma P says
These brownies are absolutely delicious! Thank you for a great recipe. Will be making them again for sure.
Katrin says
I’m glad they were a success! Thank you for your comment.
Georgie Beeman says
Can I make this with coconut flour instead? I don’t like almond flour.
Katrin says
You could definitely try that. I’d start with 1/3 cup of coconut flour instead of the almond flour. If you feel the mix is too liquid, add an extra 1-2 tbsp.
Linda says
What is the size of the baking pan you use? Thanks!
Katrin says
Hi Linda, it measured 14 x 23 cm at the base.