These Keto Almond Joy Brownies embody the best of your favorite candy bar in a healthy, sugar-free dessert. Only 4g net carbs per serving!
Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t. Isn’t that how the jingle goes? If you’re an Almond Joy fan, you will be joyous over these keto brownies!
But if you prefer Mounds, you can make them that way too. Skip the almonds on top and make the base with coconut flour brownies, and away you go!
Either way, this delectable low carb brownie recipe is a sure-fire hit. Tender brownies topped with a gooey coconut filling and smothered in keto chocolate ganache. Need I say more?
Baking with Allulose
I originally created this recipe for Swerve Sweetener about 8 years ago. You can still see that recipe HERE. But so many things have changed in the intervening years, I decided to give it an update.
As a bit of an experiment, I used the new Allulose sweetener from Swerve in the brownies themselves, as well as the coconut topping. I made my standard chewy keto brownies exactly as written, simply changing the sweetener.
If you follow me, you know I always say that a change in sweeteners may affect the texture of your keto baked goods. And, as expected, the brownies came out differently. They had a spongier texture than the original, which was more like cake and less like classic brownies.
They were still delicious, though. So delicious that they got devoured by my fellow gym-goers when I brought them to class.
I also used allulose in the coconut filling, but that was a deliberate choice as I know it makes things gooier. That part came out exactly as I was expecting!
Ingredients you need
- Keto brownies: Any good keto brownie recipe will do as the base of these bars. You can even use a pre-made mix, if you like.
- Heavy whipping cream: Heavy cream helps make the filling thick and a little gooey. You can also use coconut cream for the filling.
- Coconut: Use finely shredded, unsweetened coconut.
- Almonds: Feel free to skip the almonds if you want Mounds Brownies instead!
- Sweetener: Allulose helps make the filling gooier and more like real Almond Joy. But you can use other sweeteners and simply thicken the filling more. Check out the Expert Tips for sweetener options.
- Thickener: I prefer glucomannan for thickening this recipe but xanthan gum works as well.
- Unsweetened chocolate: I like to make my chocolate ganache with unsweetened chocolate as it thickens more easily. I then sweeten it myself with some powdered sweetener.
- Vanilla and/or coconut extract
Step by Step Instructions
1. Prepare the brownies: Make the brownies first and let them cool completely. You do want to line the pan with parchment paper to make it easier to lift them out of the pan.
2. Simmer the cream: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the cream and sweetener. Bring to simmer and reduce the heat to medium low. Continue to cook, whisking frequently, 5 to 10 minutes or until the mixture is a little more syrupy.
3. Stir in the coconut: Remove from heat and whisk in the glucomannan, then stir in the shredded coconut and the extract until well combined. At this point, the mixture should have a frosting consistency. If it’s too thin, whisk in another 1/4 tsp of glucomannan.
4. Top the brownies: Spread the filling evenly over the cooled brownies, all the way to the edges. Press 16 almonds into the filling at evenly spaced intervals. Chill 30 minutes to help firm up the filling.
5. Make the chocolate ganache: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to a simmer. Once simmering, remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let sit 5 minutes to melt. Add the sweeteners and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.
6. Pour over the filling: Pour the ganache over the coconut filling, spreading evenly to cover the almonds. Refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes, until the chocolate topping is set.
Expert Tips
You are not tied to using my brownies for this recipe. You can use any you want, including a boxed mix if you have one you like. Just make sure to line the pan with parchment paper and watch the brownies carefully so they don’t get over-baked.
Dairy Free Option: Use coconut oil or another non-dairy oil in the brownies. Then use coconut cream (the thick white portion from a can of coconut milk) for both the filling and the topping.
Nut-free Option: Use a nut-free brownie base, such as my keto coconut flour brownies. Then skip the almonds and enjoy some delicious Mounds Brownies!
Sweetener Options
As noted, the brownies do have a different texture when you use a different sweetener. But it’s absolutely possible to do so, and you can use whatever you like best. Do note that if you use allulose, you will likely not have to add any additional liquid to the batter.
I highly recommend allulose for the filling, as it provides the right soft, gooey texture, but you could also use BochaSweet. If you use something like Swerve Confectioners, the filling will set more firmly, although it will still be delicious.
Other sweeteners can be used in the chocolate ganache as well but again, the consistency could change. I have found that using only allulose can make it become gloppy and not smooth, so I used a combination.
More delicious brownie creations
Keto Almond Joy Brownies
Equipment
Ingredients
Brownies
- 1 recipe ultimate keto brownies, (omit the chocolate chips)
Coconut Filling
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup allulose sweetener
- 1/4 tsp glucomannan, or xanthan gum
- 1 3/4 cup finely shredded coconut
- 1/2 tsp coconut extract, or vanilla extract
Chocolate Topping
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 2 tbsp Swerve Confectioners
- 1 tbsp allulose sweetener
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 9×9 inch metal baking pan with parchment, leaving overhanging sides for easy removal. Lightly grease the parchment.
- Prepare the brownie batter as directed and pour into the prepared pan, spreading to the edges. Bake about 15 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still seems a tiny bit wet.
- Remove and let cool completely in the pan.
Coconut Filling
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the cream and sweetener. Bring to simmer and reduce the heat to medium low. Continue to cook, whisking frequently, 5 to 10 minutes or until the mixture is a little more syrupy.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the glucomannan, then stir in the shredded coconut and the extract until well combined. At this point, the mixture should have a frosting consistency. If it's too thin, whisk in another 1/4 tsp of glucomannan.
- Spread the filling evenly over the cooled brownies, all the way to the edges. Press 16 almonds into the filling at evenly spaced intervals. Chill 30 minutes to help firm up the filling.
Chocolate Topping
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to a simmer. Once simmering, remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let sit 5 minutes to melt.
- Add the sweeteners and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth. If it's very thin, give it a few moments to thicken up a bit. Then pour over the coconut filling, spreading evenly to cover the almonds.
- Refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes, until the chocolate topping is set.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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I just made these. Turned out delicious!!!
I made these today and they were delicious!Thank you so much for the recipe. Prayers for you and your family. ❤️
What can I use in place of alluose? We can’t get that sweetener in Canada