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 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!)
Time for 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 fine 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. 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
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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Starting out on low carb? Find out all about my top 10 essential low carb kitchen gadgets!
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Lina says
Brilliant, as good as the real thing. My kids love it. I will be adding pine nuts or walnuts next time as a variation.
Katrin Nürnberger says
That should be yummy. Or try adding raspberries or a swirl of caramel sauce
Sue says
As I am allergic to nuts, I usually use coconut flour. I have been considering grinding up a mix of chia, flax, coconut and hemp seed to a fine flour. What I haven’t figured out is how that mixture comes out when baking or the equivalent amounts for a recipe. Any hints you know are much appreciated.
Katrin Nürnberger says
I would think that hemp seed probably behaves quite similar to almond flour. Both chia and flax soak up a lot of liquid, as does coconut flour. Have you tried to use a mix of sunflower and sesame seeds? If you grind that to a fine flour, you can replace it 1:1 with almond flour.
Christine says
This looks like a great recipe. However, I find that using this quantity of erythritol makes them way too sweet. When i try to cut down the amount of sweetener the recipe always turns out crumbly. Do you know what else I could adjust to help ensure they stick together with a lower amount of sweetener?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Christine, I think with the amount of fat and eggs in the recipe there really should be enough to stick the brownies together, even if you use less sweetener. Maybe it has to to with the baking time? If you reduced the baking time or baked on a low shelf you should end up with a softer brownie. Just don’t attempt to cut whilst it is still warm. I hope this helps.
Uschi says
My boyfriend loved them. He said they are perfect 🙂 Sharing my pinterest pic. Saw the nutrition specification. Does anyone know to what amount they can be counted? Is it 192 kcal/100 grams, or per piece? Just asking out of curiosity – no diet reason 😀
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Uschi, glad they were a success! I always calculate the nutrition per portion 🙂
Kate says
These are – in a word – bangin’. I used Guittard unsweetened chocolate, Ghiradelli cocoa powder, and ultra fine almond flour. Since I used Swerve, I shortened the baking time by ten minutes. In my experience using erythritol causes baked goods to cook a bit faster and I didn’t want them to over-bake. To make them really over the top I threw in some Lily’s chips – though they are totally not necessary and these are excellent as-is. I ended up adding extra sweetener to suit my husband’s taste and the recipe adapted really well. This is a keeper!
Katrin Nürnberger says
Wonderful! So glad you liked them!!!!
Martin says
Will these freeze well?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Yes, they do!!
Veronika says
Hi Katrin,
Can I replace the eggs? I’m intolerant.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Veronika, I have not tried it in this recipe, but I think it’s possible. Brownies do not need much of a rise, which is what eggs do in a regular cake – to provide that fluffiness. They also help to hold things together, but in this recipe you have a lot of fat, which does that job already. You could try using aquafaba instead. I have experimented a little with it recently and made a good banana bread. Basically, it’s the water from a chickpea can which is whipped until stiff – it looks like egg white. 3 tablespoons of aquafaba is equivalent to 1 egg. Fold it in last, so you keep the air bubbles.
Would love to hear how they turn out!
Rhiannon says
I’m going to try these on Thursday as potential Christmas presents but I’m wondering if you ever added any flavours to them? I’m thinking maybe salted caramel or spices (cinnamon or the like) to make them a bit more Christmassy!
Thanks,
Rhiannon
Katrin Nürnberger says
I think these would be lovely with a salted caramel swirl. And if you added a bit of nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom to the batter you’d get that Christmas kick you’re looking for 🙂
Rhiannon says
So I made them tonight. They are a touch bitter for me but the main issue is, as I’ve cut them up the top crust has come off on a lot of the pieces. Has anything else found this happening, or any hints for how I can rectify it for the next batch?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi, it sounds like the top was a bit too browned and became dry. This may also be the reason why you find them bitter. Try reducing the oven temperature by 10C or baking on a lower shelf, towards the bottom of the oven. That should sort the problem!
Larry Mayer says
I made my first batch today. Although I followed the recipe nearly exactly, I did use a granulated sugar sweetener swerve which is erythritol but not in powder or confectioners form. I wonder if that had anything to do with the crumbliness. Big-time was 25 minutes at 360.
Leah Aspris says
What size baking dish would you recommend?
Katrin Nürnberger says
I used a 5×9 inch pan for this recipe 🙂
Leah says
Thanks they turned out delicious, my three children and husband enjoyed them. Are they ok to store in an airtight container at room temperature? I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes such as the almond bread and tortilla crisps!
Katrin Nürnberger says
I think storing them at room temperature is ok for a day or so. After that I always keep them in the fridge. But it also depends how warm your rooms are! 🙂
Alice Davey says
omigod Katrin! made this tonight and it was glorious. you are now in charge of pancakes and brownies in this house. thank you for you delicious recipes that are easy to follow. hugs, Alice
Katrin says
Hi Alice, what a wonderful comment to start the week on! I appreciate your kind words and I’m so happy you like the recipes.
Julie-Ann Hind says
Hi I have made this recipe twice. The texture is fabulous, especially if put in the fridge for a few hours
I would like it to be a bit sweeter. I’m making these for a diabetic friend so I need to be careful.
I live in Australia and could only find Stevia or Natvia. I used the Natvia which is Natviarol sweetener (Erythritol, organic Steviol Glycosides(0.56%)). 100gms was only 2/3 of a cup. Should I add more so it is a level cup? Would that be ok for diabetics?
Thanks
Katrin says
Sure, if you prefer more sweetness you can definitely add more Natvia. It’s 0 net carbs so so problem there!
Bharat says
Could you tell us alternatives to dark chocolate in your recipes? Dark chocolate is costly but many of us have cocoa powder. So coconut oil+cocoa powder combo be used. If yes, how much?
Katrin says
Hi Bharat, I have made my own chocolate with a mix of 50g cacao butter and 3 tbsp cocoa powder. I’m assuming that a similar ration would apply to coconut oil and cocoa powder. I don’t think that this recipe would be ideal for a replacement like this. It relies on good quality chocolate for taste. I fell it would be simply too much coconut oil and I don’t want you to spend time and effort making something you don’t love in the end. I think a better starting point for brownies without chocolate would be my chocolate cupcakes recipe. I’d use 1-2 eggs less to stop it from getting too fluffy and increase the butter / coconut oil content and maybe also add a bit more cocoa powder.
Michelle says
Made these today. Great recipe, good texture and flavour. i had just one issue and it’s a warning to anyone who uses Splenda. 100g is more than 2 cups of this! I always follow the gram measurements for accuracy but it backfired today. Fortunately I realised it was too much sweetener before I combined everything so managed to remove a cup of it. Still turned out way too sweet for my tastes, and I used 100% chocolate which is bitter. I will measure the Splenda next time and provide an update but I suspect it’s more like 30g in a cup.
Thanks again for another great recipe.
Katrin says
Hi Michelle, I’ve never used Splenda, so it’s good to know how much it differs in weight. I’m glad you noticed before adding it to the mix. Thank you for your comment, that’s very helpful for others and for me going forward!
Cheylene says
Made these last night, have to keep reminding myself how good they are for my low carb diet they taste amazing!! Especially with a bit of cream.
Low carb diets always make me struggle with not having sugar so this is a perfect fix!
Thank you
Katrin says
Great news! Glad you like them 🙂
Amber says
Hey I just made these, but my local supermarket didn’t have almond flour so I used coconut flour instead. They came out really dry and crumbly 🙁 do you think it was the flour?
Katrin says
Yes, I think you used too much. You cannot replace almond flour with coconut flour – the rule of thumb is to use no more than half the amount of coconut flour as it is much more absorbent. Hope you’ll give it another go!
Ann Howard says
Hi Can you use cacao nibs instead of chocolate ?
Katrin says
Yes, of course! That would work well.
Courtney says
Hi! I’m making these for an extremely diabetic friend of mine. Do you know if these make your blood sugar spike? I’m having a hard time finding something to make her that won’t make her sugar go up. May I have the exact amount of sugar/carbs per serving/brownie if you know it?
Katrin says
Hi Courtney,
I use a free online calculator on the website sparkrecipes.com and I try to be as accurate as possible. I have calculated the carbs and sugar content per brownie, but cannot guarantee it’s 100 % accurate for medical needs. Different brands have slightly different nutritional profiles, so your results might differ slightly.
What I would say is to use a dark chocolate with 90% cocoa solids (such as Lindt) and increase the erythritol if needed or even a sugar free chocolate (Lily’s) if you can source it – it’s sweetened with stevia, which is carb free.
Colin says
Hey this is my second time using this recipe. The first time I had all ingredients except dark chocolate so I used 75g milk chocolate instead and the brownies turned out amazing by far the best healthy brownie recipe I have found. But then I got Lindt 90% dark chocolate to try the recipe again its turned out very bitter (due to the dark chocolate) Is there a way to make it taste more like milk chocolate without using milk as i’m trying to keep the carbs down(Keto). I was thinking heavy cream?
Many Thanks
Katrin says
Yes, you could definitely try adding a bit of heavy cream. But I’m thinking that maybe you could also try adding more sweetener when you use the 90% chocolate. Milk chocolate does have a bit of milk (powder) in it, but the biggest difference is that it contains about 50% sugar whereas the 90&% chocolate only has 7 grams per 100g.
Anita McGrew says
I have the same problem with the keto brownie recipes. They are so bitter all I can taste is bitterness and can’t get it out of my mouth, So there;s no way to have a better brownie without the bitter taste?
Katrin says
Hi Anita, I really don’t think these brownies are bitter. But I guess it’s all subjective. I think you may want to experiment with adding more sweetness, that could solve the issue. Or add a little heavy cream.
Keith says
Hi Katrin
I work these brownies out to be more than 4g carbs per slice.
Am I calculating wrong?
I’m literally adding all the carbs and dividing by 16.
The sugar sub is 100g carbs per 100g
Katrin says
Hi Keith, I don’t count the carbs in sugar alcohols such as erythritol because they are not absorbed by our system. They pass right through and as such are “carb free”.
DAVID A. WILDENHAIN, JR says
I so often see the ingredient “sweetener”. What are you using?
Katrin says
I use a natural sugar replacement called erythritol. It looks like sugar (you can get it powdered and granulated), but it does not get absorbed by our bodies. You can read more about it here
Tammy says
Is 3/4c almond flour correct? I was looking at the butter ans dark chocolate amounts and they are 3/4 also but your almond flour has 75g/3/4cup….
Katrin says
That’s because almond flour is lighter in weight than the chocolate, which is denser and therefore a lot heavier. It’s correct 🙂
Emma says
Hi, how many brownies should this recipe make please, for 4g carbs per brownie? Sorry if it says it here somewhere I may have missed it!
Katrin says
Hi Emma, the recipe makes 16 brownies 🙂
Sharmila says
Hello, it’s my fourth time making these brownies and they taste amazing. Today I tried using 100% chocolate so fingers crossed.
The only issue I have had is that the brownies don’t turn out fudgy as in the video. Mine get a bit crumbly and it’s hard to cut them into proper portions. I’m unsure what I’ve done wrong as I’ve followed the recipe to the letter. Should I cook them for less time? Thank you x
Katrin says
Ye, I’d try taking them out of the oven earlier. Maybe your oven is on the hot side 🙂
William Heller says
Hi. I’m going to try these tomorrow. I have a question tho, -when using coconut flour in a recipe, is there a way to make the finished desert less mealy/ dry? I love the taste of Coconut flour, but almond cookies I made tasted good, but the texture was course and mealy. Of course, I finished them all!
Katrin says
When you replace almond flour with coconut flour, you should only use half the amount. Coconut flour absorbs more liquid than almond flour. Good luck with the brownies!
Janet Ohanis says
Hi! Love your Almond Flour Bread so thought I’d try your brownies 🙂 What are the measurements of the rectangle pan you’re using? Thanks~
Katrin says
Hi Janet, I used a 9 x 5 inch casserole dish.
Melanie Hunter says
This a fantastic receipe!! Foul proof and delicious. Thank you so much. Do you think I could freeze it would freeze ok? Loving your site
Katrin says
Hi Melanie, glad you like it!! Yes, these brownies freeze well. They even taste good froze (though maybe that’s just me) 😉
Julie says
Made these exactly to the recipe using ground almonds. Have tried a few other recipes before this but these are my favourite by far! Melt in the mouth, taste more like a ganache. SO good. I made them for my daughter who is doing Keto but we’ve all ended up eating some!!! Thank you! Will defo make again.
Katrin says
Glad it was a winner with even the sugar-eating part of the family 🙂
Khadija says
Hi, If i am using Spelt organic wholemeal flour, what quantity should I be using? Also for Stevia do I still use 100 g / 1 cup? Thanks!
Katrin says
Hi Khadija, I’d use 2/3 the amount stated. Spelt has a stronger taste than almond flour . As for the stevia sweetener, I am assuming you’re using a granulated sweetener and not liquid stevia. Read on the pack whether it’s a 1:1 replacement for sugar. Some stevia sweeteners are twice as sweet as sugar, in which case you’ll have to use half the amount. Good luck with the recipe!