What if I told you it was possible to achieve a deeply chocolatey, fudgy, chewy dessert without any gluten or refined sugar? This Paleo Brownies recipe does just that! Plus, making the batter in the blender means easy cleanup and quick prep time.
What Are Paleo Brownies?
In short, Paleo brownies are a way to enjoy this classic chocolate dessert without any guilt because they’re healthier than regular brownies (aka no refined sugar or artificial sweeteners), but still high in healthy fats and carbohydrates. They taste good and are good for you! You only need a handful of whole ingredients to make these at home in a matter of minutes.
This recipe was inspired by Foolproof Living’s Almond Flour Brownies and Food with Feeling’s Baked Oats. These two wonderful ladies are expert bakers!
Key Ingredients
- Eggs — Helps the brownies rise and packs them with protein!
- Pure Maple Syrup — Gives these brownies their sweetness without any refined sugars. Could substitute honey or agave nectar, if preferred.
- Coconut Oil — Melted and cooled.
- Cocoa Powder — I prefer Dutch-processed for desserts like these Paleo brownies that have so few ingredients because it has such an intense chocolate flavor without the bitterness.
- Almond Flour — This is what helps make these brownies Paleo-friendly! No you can’t replace by regular wheat flour even if you don’t eat Paleo, wheat flour and almond flour react completely differently when baking.
- Chopped Pecans — For texture! I like raw, but you could roast them ahead of time. Just no salt. Walnuts would also work.
How To Make Paleo Brownies in Your Blender
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Prepare baking dish — Either line with parchment paper or add a thin film of coconut oil and then sprinkle with coco powder to make non-stick.
- Make the Batter — Add the wet ingredients — eggs, maple syrup, and melted coconut oil — to the blender, then add the cocoa powder and almond flour on top. (This order of ingredients is easiest on your blender’s blade.) Blend until combined.
- Mix in the Nuts — Add the chopped pecans, and mix in by hand with a spatula.
- Bake the Brownies — Transfer liquidy batter to a prepared baking dish, and bake for 23-25 minutes.
- Cool and Serve — Remove from the oven, and let cool in the baking dish on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Then slice into six pieces, sprinkle with flaky sea salt if you like, and enjoy!
Pro Tip: Making your own almond flour is cheaper than store-bought and super simple! Check out my friend’s guide on “How To Make Almond Flour” to learn more.
Variations
- Love peanut butter and chocolate? (Me too!) Melt some natural creamy peanut butter, or whichever natural creamy nut butter you prefer, in the microwave or on the stove until smooth and pour on top of the brownie batter once it’s in the baking dish. Then, use a knife to swirl it into the batter. Talk about GOOD!
- Fold in your favorite mix-ins! Dark chocolate chips, fresh or dried fruit (even freeze-dried!) like raspberries or strawberries, or some unsweetened coconut flakes would work well here.
- Have fun with the toppings! Add a dollop of your favorite whipped cream or ice cream and some chocolate shavings or fresh berries when serving! Not only will it look gorgeous, but it will taste delicious! You could also use coconut cream for a dairy-free alternative.
- Garnish with flakey sea salt to enhance the chocolate flavor.
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating Instructions
- Store leftover cooled Paleo brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freeze cooled brownies for up to 3 months. Slice ahead of time, and wrap individually with parchment paper to easily grab and go when the craving strikes.
- Reheat brownies by letting them thaw in the fridge overnight and come to room temperature. You could toast them in the oven for a few minutes at 350 to re-warm, if desired.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes these brownies Paleo?
This Paleo Brownie recipe is naturally gluten-free and refined sugar-free, getting its texture from almond flour and sweetness from maple syrup.
Do I have to use a blender?
Not at all! You could easily make this recipe in your stand mixer or in a bowl. Whichever is most convenient for you!
Can I add mix-ins to this Paleo brownie recipe?
Absolutely! Dried cranberries, freeze-dried raspberries or strawberries, dark chocolate chips, natural nut butter, or any of your favorite toppings would work with these brownies.
More Dessert Recipes To Try
If you enjoyed these Blender Paleo Brownies, then you’ll love some of my other favorite healthy dessert recipes:
- Easy Banana Oatmeal Cookies
- Chocolate Raspberry Tarte
- Almond Oat Crumble Blackberry Pie
- Pistachio Ice Cream
- My Favorite Midnight Snack
Blender Paleo Brownies
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup maple syrup - 120ml
- 1/4 cup coconut oil - melted and cooled* 60ml
- 1/4 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder - 15g
- 3/4 cup almond flour - 65g
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- flaky sea salt - optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Prepare your 6"x9" baking dish by either lining it with parchment paper or add a thin film of coconut oil and a tsp of coco powder and then shake and slap the baking dish on the sides to distribute evenly and thinly, this will also make it non-stick.
- Add first the wet ingredients to a blender, then top with cocoa powder and then almond flour on top. This is the best order to make it the easiest on the blender.
- Add the chopped pecans and mix in by hand with a spatula then transfer the very liquid batter into the baking dish.
- Bake for 23-25 minutes depending on how goey or cooked through you like your brownies.
- Remove from the oven and let cool in the baking dish on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. I know it's hard but it's crucial!
- Cut into six pieces, sprinkle with flaky sea salt if you like, and enjoy!
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Belinda says
Wow, would love to make these bit the calorie count, saturated fat and sugar are really high.
Cate Quinn says
I followed the recipe exactly and baked for exactly 22 minutes. They came out like dry crumble. They were terrible. I went back to check and make sure I didn’t leave something out, but I did exactly what you did. I was so disappointed. I think I should have baked for like 15 minutes. My oven has never been uneven so I didn’t understand what happened. :-(
Lorena Grater says
I am so sorry to read this Cate, did you use a small baking dish? If you used a bigger one the batter was maybe too thin and thus dried out. In that case shortening the baking time is definitely the way to go.
Mónica says
Hi Lorena,
I would love to try this recipe but my husband is really allergic to nuts. I could replace the pecans with peanuts but I don’t know what to use instead of the almond flour. Any suggestions? I see someone else asked the same thing but I don’t see any answers. Thank you! I love your recipes.
Lorena Grater says
Unfortunately, flours cannot simply be exchanged. All flours have different chemical compositions. Almond flour is high in fat and protein and low in carbohydrates. Wheat flour is low in fat and protein and high in carbohydrates. All flours absorb liquid differently because of this and that’s the reason they can’t simply be exchanged. The flours are the base for recipe creation. Everything in a baking recipe revolves around the flour used. A wheat flour brownie would have to be tested from scratch to figure out the right ratios. I recommend you search for a regular brownie recipe. Those are usually made with what flour. I’m sorry :(
Rose says
Can I substitute coconut flour for almond flour?
Lorena Grater says
No. Coconut flour is high in fiber, low in fat, and low in protein. Almond flour is high in fat, high in protein, and low in fiber and carbohydrates and thus absorbs liquid completely different.
Nm says
Allergic to almond can I substitute regular gluten free flour or oat flour
Lorena Grater says
No. Almond flour is high in fat and protein and low in carbohydrates. Gluten-free flours and oat flour are high in carbohydrates and low in protein and fat and thus absorb liquid completely differently.
Sandy says
Can you make these in mini muffin tins
Lorena Grater says
Yes!
Laura says
Delicious!! We added chocolate chips and shredded almonds… SO. GOOD. Thank you for this great, simple and super yummy (quoting my 4 year old) recipe!
Ann-Marie says
I made a double batch, they were absolutely delicious!
Sa hoa says
This looks delicious… I would love to try…. but I don’t like the flavor of coconut oil…
What can I substitute Coconut oil with?
Lorena Grater says
You can either use butter or you can get flavorless coconut oil. There is raw unprocessed coconut oil that has a strong coconut flavor and then there is the a little more processed flavorless coconut oil :)
Maya says
These turned out just ok for me. They were definitely more cake like than gooey brownies (I baked for about 22min). I think I would also add a little extra cocoa powder or even some chocolate chips to make more fudgey
Claudia says
Perfectly fudgy brownies. Perfect for my family that’s dairy free and aims to consume less grain. Fyi, the salt is the extra yum that makes it perfect!
Lorena Grater says
Right? I love the salt on top. I’m so happy to read you and your family enjoyed the brownies.
Pat Siddons says
These are wonderful brownies. They are light and satisfying and remind me of the brownies we had when I was young. I am not of fan of huge chunks of dense, torte-like brownies that are what we usually get these days. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Aysegul says
Now this is a delicious brownie recipe. I love how you showed it with step by step photos. It was sooo easy to make. Thanks for yet another wonderful recipe.