For many people, few things come close to the enjoyment of a good brownie.
With their chewy-crisp edges and gooey chocolaty center, even restrained food lovers have difficulty resisting indulging in a few (or the whole pan!) from time to time.
Unfortunately, what makes GOOD brownies so delicious is their high starch and sugar content. It is baking chemistry at its finest as the sugar caramelizes, the edges pull away and the top gets its golden-crackly sheen.
But oh, the aftermath! Not only will the high sugar and starch content send your blood sugar soaring (and your fat cells-a-storing!), the ingredients in traditional brownies cause an onslaught of systemic inflammation and digestive distress that last much longer than the enjoyment of your sweet treat.
(You know what’s coming next, right…)
The Paleo Brownie Reinvented: Low Glycemic + Egg Free + Nut Free
Well, after formulating many different riffs on the classic brownie, I think we hit the nail on the head. Using almond butter as the base gives these brownies an amazing chewiness that’s often lacking in the gluten-free flour-based versions.
Another benefit? If you can’t have nuts, this recipe is easily adaptable. You can use sunflower seed butter with the same great results.
And they’re egg-free too!
Watch this quick video to see how easy they are to make:
While they’re perfect plain or simply topped with a few dark chocolate chips, my favorite way to enjoy these brownies is with a drizzle of homemade low-sugar Paleo Caramel and some lightly toasted pecans à la “Turtle” style (drool-inducing photos above and below). Of course, using macadamia nut butter as the base with toasted coconut and chopped toasted macadamia nuts is also a delicious option.
With their rich fudgy flavor and perfect crisp-and-chewy edges, you won’t believe these brownies have just 125 calories and 2 grams of sugar a piece – and not a gram of grain.
Like your brownies BIG? No problem! Cut into 9 large brownies they’ll still have a very minimal impact on your blood sugar – with just 225 calories with 4 grams of sugar.
I hope you love these as much as we do! And if you do, please share the love with Pinterest!
The BEST Paleo Brownies (Egg-Free, Grain-Free, Nut-Free, Low-Sugar and KETO – Updated) — Paleo
Ingredients
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- 3 Tbsp. Nutiva Organic Coconut Flour, sifted
- 1/4 cup natural cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- 1 cup creamy almond butter, sunflower seed butter or macadamia nut butter Get a FREE 16 oz. jar of Justin’s Classic Almond Butter from Thrive now!
- 1 tsp. organic vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. grass-fed gelatin
- 2 Tbsp. Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels, melted
- 2 Tbsp. Navitas Naturals Organic Palm Sugar (Coconut Sugar)
- 4 Tbsp. Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Zero (Erythritol)
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 10 Tbsp. filtered water
- 1 tsp. liquid stevia (to taste)
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F. Line the bottom of an 8-by-8 pan with unbleached parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the coconut flour, coconut sugar, erythritol, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a small bowl, add the water and sprinkle over the gelatin. Let stand 5 minutes. Add almond butter (or “nut” butter of choice), vanilla, stevia and melted chocolate. Mix well using a hand-held mixer.
- Pour in the dry ingredients and mix well to combine.
- Spread brownie batter into prepared pan.
- Transfer to oven and bake 30-35 minutes or until edges pull away and center is set. If you like your brownies fudgy and moist inside, remove when center is still “smooshy”, at about 30 minutes.
- Place on a wire rack to cool completely, then slice into squares.
Nutrition Facts
Per Serving · Recipe makes 16- Fat10 g75%
- Protein3 g9%
- Carbs10 g17%
- Calories
- 125
- Total Fat
- 10 g
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 0 mg
- Sodium
- 81 mg
- Total Carbohydrates
- 10 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Net Carbs
- 5 g
- Protein
- 3 g
The BEST Paleo Brownies (Egg-Free, Grain-Free, Nut-Free, Low-Sugar and KETO – Updated) — Keto
Ingredients
Tap an ingredient to check it off.
- 6 Tbsp. erythritol
- 1 tsp. liquid stevia extract (to taste)
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- 1 ounce Lily’s Dark Chocolate Chips
- 1 cup Maranatha Organic Raw Almond Butter-No Salt (Creamy)
- 3 Tbsp. coconut flour, sifted
- 1 tsp organic vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 10 Tbsp. water
- 1 tsp. grass-fed gelatin
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F. Line the bottom of an 8-by-8 pan with unbleached parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the coconut flour, erythritol, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a small bowl, add the water and sprinkle over the gelatin. Let stand 5 minutes. Add almond butter, vanilla, stevia and melted chocolate. Mix well using a hand-held mixer.
- Pour in the dry ingredients and mix well to combine.
- Spread brownie batter into prepared pan. Top with chocolate chips and walnuts, if using.
- Transfer to oven and bake 30-35 minutes or until edges pull away and center is set. If you like your brownies fudgy and moist inside, remove when center is still “smooshy”, at about 30 minutes.
- Place on a wire rack to cool completely, then slice into squares.
Nutrition Facts
Per Serving · Recipe makes 9- Fat18 g80%
- Protein7 g14%
- Carbs17 g6%
- Calories
- 202
- Total Fat
- 18 g
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 10 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Cholesterol
- 0 mg
- Sodium
- 137 mg
- Total Carbohydrates
- 17 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 9 g
- Net Carbs
- 3 g
- Protein
- 7 g
Why You Should Quit Bread — Even the "Healthy" Kind
Did you know that traditional grain-based breads & desserts contain a compound that is the #1 greatest danger in your diet?
Studies show that this compound (and I am not talking about "gluten") is toxic to your heart and blood vessels, weakens your immune defenses, and disrupts your nerves and brain function.
And if that's not enough… this hidden compound also makes it nearly IMPOSSIBLE to burn fat and lose weight!
The great news is that you can still have your breads and desserts… AND be well too!
Discover the Secret to the World's Healthiest BreadThis post may contain affiliate links. Click here to read my affiliate policy.
About the author
Kelley Herring
Kelley Herring, founder of Healing Gourmet, is a natural nutrition enthusiast with a background in biochemistry. Her passion is educating on how foods promote health and protect against disease and creating simple and delicious recipes for vibrant health and enjoyment.
nut-free?
Almond butter is a nut butter.
Well, Jody that is if you use almond butter. But you can see I also gave the option to use sunflower seed butter (a seed). You can also use coconut butter (not a nut, actually a drupaceous fruit). Enjoy!
Hmmmm I think this recipe is a little misleading…..Although….it does look yummy 🙂
Thank you 🙂
Hi Kelly,
Can psyllium husk powder be used in place of the gelatin (could not find in small quantity today)? If so, how to substitute? Thanks for this great site!
Hi Melissa,
Thanks so much for stopping by!
I think psyllium husk powder would be a great substitute for the gelatin. I wouldn’t use more than 1 teaspoon in the batch.
Hope you enjoy!
Kelley
Hi Kelly,
I did substitute psyllium powder 1:1 for gelatin and the brownies turned out great! I probably could have started with less, as I did add more liquid (coffee) after combining all ingredients and seeing that texture was more pastry-crust-like than batter-ish (which might have been fine, too). Regardless, these brownies are every bit as yummy as “traditional” grain-flour brownies, BUT BETTER as they are a bit less sweet and not so damaging to the body. I have found when I bake grain-free, I don’t “crave” or overindulge as I do with “hyper-palatable” baked goods, which means I CAN have my cake and eat it too: perfect for a manageable sweet treat! Thank you for your excellent site. I visit often and have referred others to it.
Hi Melissa,
I am so happy you enjoyed the brownies!
And I am in 100% agreement with you on having healthy treats around. It makes avoiding cheats so much easier and I never feel deprived.
Thank you for your kind words and referring other to Healing Gourmet. I am happy to know that you find it of benefit!
Be Well,
Kelley
OMG! These brownies were so delicious and fudgey, just the way I like my brownies! I made these for my grandson who is gluten free, but I couldn’t stop eating them myself, they are so delicious! They taste sinful and like you shouldn’t be eating them because they have to be of fattening and so not good for you. It’s nice to know that you can have a healthy treat and enjoy it. I like them better than any other brownie I have ever tasted. Thank you for sharing your recipes with us.
OMG! These brownies were so delicious and fudgey, just the way I like my brownies! I made these for my grandson who is gluten free, but I couldn’t stop eating them myself, they are so delicious! They taste sinful and like you shouldn’t be eating them because they have to be so fattening and so not good for you. It’s nice to know that you can have a healthy treat and enjoy it. I like them better than any other brownie I have ever tasted. Thank you for sharing your recipes with us.
Hi Leslee!
I am so glad you enjoyed them. I have done many variations on this recipe – coconut butter as the base with macadamia nuts is my all-time favorite. If you create your own unique riff, we’d love to hear.
Be Well,
Kelley
Hi Kelley!
I just purchased Better Breads and am excited to try many of your recipes! My question comes off of someone else’s question about substituting psyllium husk powder for the gelatin. Your answer was yes. My question is can you substitute ground flax seeds for the psyllium husk powder? (for the desserts and the breads)
Thank you!
Hi Jennifer!
Thank you for your note and your purchase of Better Breads. I hope you enjoy all of the recipes as much as we do.
When using psyllium in a very small amount, it acts like a gum or binding agent. In the case of the brownies above, for example, you could use gelatin, psyllium, flax meal or xanthan gum interchangeably and get approximately the same results.
However, when psyllium is acting as a stand-in for gluten (as it does in Better Breads recipes), it has a much bigger role. It adds lift and chew and a bread-like texture that really cannot be replaced with flax or chia meal.
Please let us know how your goodies turn out!
Be Well,
Kelley
The recipe mentions coconut sugar, and erythritol – but they are not listed in the ingredients list, so I don’t know how much to use. Please clarify in a hurry as I need to make this recipe on Friday.
Hi!
The ingredients are all listed in the ingredients section. Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Zero is the erythritol… and the Navitas Naturals Organic Palm Sugar is the coconut sugar.
Enjoy!
i’m adding up all the nutritional info that you posted at the end of the recipe per batch… it says there are 161 carbs.. also the math on the sugar of 9 brownies come out to almost 6g of sugar… even if you subtract the fiber, it still has a ton of carbs.. this would spike any blood sugar…. am i missing something?
Hi Sam,
That nutrition information is for the entire batch.
For one serving (1/16 of the batch) made with almond butter, the nutrition information is as follows:
125 calories, 11 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 6 g monounsaturated fat, 2 g polyunsaturated fat, 10 g carbohydrates, 3 g sugar alcohol, 2 g sugar, 3 g protein, 2 g fiber, 81 mg sodium, 174 mg potassium
That comes out to 5 net carbs per brownie.
Enjoy!
Kelley
I’m wondering if I could use only eryithrol, and no coconut sugar? Would it still work? Thanks!
Hi Stacie,
Absolutely! A couple notes if you choose to use erythritol only.
I suggest powdering the erythritol to boost the surface area (and therefore sweetness), and also reducing any gritty-ness that can occur. I also suggest boosting the stevia to ensure you achieve the sweetness you desire. The batter should be slightly sweeter than you want the finished brownies.
Enjoy and please let us know how it goes!
Be Well,
Kelley
I’d like to ask if I could omit the 2 tbsp of chocolate chips and also use a combo of soaked and pureed dates + stevia tea instead of plain water to sweeten the brownies. Also, could I sub plain butter for the nut butter (I avoid PUFAs)? Thank you in advance! 🙂
Hi Coco,
The magic of these brownies comes from the nut or seed butter – it is what binds them and gives them the gooey inside. And butter is a very different “animal” so to speak from plain butter in baking – I’m afraid you’d end up with a delicious heap of chocolate pudding if you tried those swaps.
Be Well,
Kelley
My son is allergic to coconut. Could I use almond flour instead of the coconut flour? Also what could I use instead of the coconut sugar? Thanks!
Hi Leesa!
Thanks for your questions.
Coconut flour is quite different from almond flour as it sucks up a lot more moisture. If you tried the recipe with almond flour, I’d say you’d need to double the amount of coconut flour (at least). I might try adding a little at a time until I get a gooey consistency (it should be thick, but pourable). For the coconut sugar replacement, you could use erythritol (which would be my choice as it is a natural granular sweetener and is sugar and calorie free). Honey or maple syrup could work also – keep in mind these are liquid sweeteners which will impact the consistency of the brownie and are high in fructose too (the most harmful form of sugar).
I wish I had a simple answer for you, but I hope this helps!
Kelley
Do you have any other cookie or snack recipes I can try
HI,
I made these and they were delicious!
Could I use tahini instead of the nut butter and perhaps increase the sweetner?
Thanks,
Lisa.
Hi Lisa!
So glad you enjoyed them. I bet they would be DEELISH with tahini. And of course you can boost sweetness to your liking too!
I would love the recipe for the carmel sauce that you poured over this brownie! It looks so good!!