Fudgy Paleo Brownies

Name: Fudgy Paleo Brownies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ½ cup coconut oil; 1 cup dark chocolate chips, divided; 3 large eggs, room temperature; 1 cup coconut sugar; ⅓ cup almond flour; ¼ cup tapioca flour; ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder; ¼ teaspoon sea salt; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; Sprinkle of sea salt flakes, for garnish (optional)

By: Noelle Tarr, NTP, CPT47 Comments Posted: 1/26/21 Updated: 9/9/22

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These fudgy paleo brownies are supremely chocolaty and have a crackly top. They’re better than box brownies! The recipe mixes up in one bowl and they bake up in under 30 minutes. Grab a whisk, your world’s about to change!

Three fudgy paleo brownies stacked on top of each other with a drizzle of melted chocolate.

Before I began the very challenging work of developing the best fudgy paleo brownies on the planet, I spent years making brownies that were just good enough. Most paleo brownie recipes came out a little too wet and gooey, and completely missed the chewy texture.

Truth be told, brownies are actually my favorite dessert, right alongside paleo chocolate cake. What can I say, I’m a sucker for chocolate. Brownies are technically a baked confection that can be either cakey or fudgy. For me, it’s all about the dense, chewy brownie. And that’s exactly what you’ll get with this recipe.

I’m not exaggerating when I say these are better than box brownies! And yes, they have a crackly top! Brownies often have a glossy “skin” on their upper crust, but it can be very hard to achieve with gluten free flours. The secret? It’s all about how you combine the ingredients!

And best of all, this recipe mixes up in one bowl and they bake up in under 30 minutes. Who’s ready to bake?

Jump to:

Ingredient Notes

There are just a few simple ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe. Here are my notes:

Dark chocolate chips – While I like using dark chocolate chips, you can use semi sweet chocolate chips too!
Eggs – Make sure these are room temperature so they mix evenly and don’t harden the coconut oil.
Almond flour – A fine, blanched almond flour works best
Cocoa powder – Use an unsweetened cocoa powder with no additives.
Sea salt flakes – Flakes or coarse sea salt will work

Substitutions

While you won’t get the same consistent results if you vary from the original recipe, you can absolutely make swaps if needed. Here are my suggestions:

Dark Chocolate Chips: You can use semi-sweet chocolate chips, too.
Almond flour: You can use another nut flour, like cashew flour.
Tapioca flour: Use arrowroot flour. Note: this will change the texture slightly as arrowroot is a little more gummy.
Coconut sugar: You can swap this any kind of other granulated sugar, including cane sugar. For more info, check out my favorite coconut sugar substitutes.
Cocoa Powder: You can use cacao powder.

How to Make Fudgy Paleo Brownies

Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper or grease it with coconut oil.
Melt the chocolate: Place the coconut oil and ⅔ cup of the dark chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in 10-second intervals in the microwave, stirring in between each interval, until the chocolate mixture is completely melted and combined. Set aside.
Whisk: In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and coconut sugar together on high for 3-5 minutes until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and turns the color of peanut butter. Use a hand or stand mixer for this. The mixture will expand, but won’t firm up. Don’t skip this step, as it helps create the crackly top!
Mix the batter: Add the almond flour, tapioca flour, cacao powder, and salt to the mixing bowl and gently stir until the mixture is combined and no clumps remain. Stir in the vanilla extract and chocolate mixture until combined. Fold in the remaining ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips.
Transfer to pan: Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth out the top so it sits evenly in the pan.
Bake: Bake for 27-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. Let the brownies cool for 15-20 minutes before cutting into squares and removing them from the pan. The top will become more crackly as it cools. Serve with a sprinkle of sea salt flakes.

Tips For Crackly Top

A whisk mixing the coconut sugar and eggs.

While I’ve tested a bunch of different methods, the easiest way to get a glossy “skin” on the upper crust is to whisk your eggs and sugar together until the mixture becomes light, airy, and resembles the color of peanut butter (see photo). It generally will take about 3-5 minutes of whisking.

The texture won’t change much, but you will notice a lot more air bubbles in the mixture. After whisking, the mixture will expand and almost becomes sticky.

Whisking the eggs and sugar creates a meringue top layer. Air pockets form and separate the light and crackly top layer, while the base remains super fudgy and chewy. It’s everything your brownies need, and it’s why this fudgy paleo brownie recipe is the best there is!

Once you whisk the eggs and sugar together, gently fold in the rest of the ingredients with a spatula. If you over-mix or whisk the batter, it will become too airy and bubbly and you won’t get as much crackle on your brownie tops.

The brownies cut up with a sprinkle of sea salt on top.

Recipe FAQs

Are paleo brownies healthy?

Paleo desserts are free of refined sugar, dairy, and grains. Because these are made with quality ingredients, they are better-for-you-brownies. But don’t be fooled, it’s still dessert. Eat it as such.

Are these gluten free?

Yes! All paleo flours, including almond flour, tapioca flour, and cassava flour are gluten free.

How do you make brownies fudgy?

Fudgy brownies typically have less flour, and more fat like coconut oil or butter. If you are struggling with crumbly gluten free or paleo brownies, it’s because it’s got too much flour and not enough liquid.

Can I add in mix ins?

Sure can! While I have you mix-in chocolate chips, you can also fold in dried cranberries or chopped nuts!

Baking Tips

Heat the chocolate in 10-second intervals in the microwave. Chocolate is sensitive to burning, so keep it short!
For these fudgy paleo brownies to have the most perfect crackly top, you need to whisk the eggs and sugar together for at least 3-5 minutes. While you can do this by hand, it’s best to do this with a stand or hand mixer and the whisk attachment.
After whisking the eggs and coconut sugar together, gently stir in the remaining ingredients with a spatula. Don’t over-mix the batter, or it will become to airy and bubbly and your tops won’t crackle as much.
To check for doneness, use a toothpick right at about 27 minutes. The toothpick won’t come out fully clean. The top should be crackly and completely cooked, but you should see moist crumbs on the toothpick.

Close up of what the texture looks like inside the brownie.

Storage and Freezing

TO STORE: Store the brownies at room temperature in an airtight container. Use a piece of parchment paper to separate the layers when stacking them. They’re best if eaten within 1-2 days, but will last for up to 3 days at room temperature. You can also store them in the fridge for up to 5 days.

TO FREEZE: Baking in bulk or want to save some long term? Simply wrap each brownie in parchment paper, then put them in a sealable freezer-safe storage bag before placing them in the freezer. They will last in the freezer up to 3 months. To thaw, lay one out at room temperature for a few hours or heat it up in the microwave for a few seconds.

How to Serve

Let the brownies cool for 15-20 minutes before cutting and serving to let the top get crackly. You can eat brownies warm or cold! While they can easily be eaten by hand, you can also serve them with:

Ice cream
Drizzle of warm chocolate or caramel sauce
Dusting of powdered sugar
Whipped cream
Chopped nuts or a drizzle of nut butter

More Chocolate Recipes

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