These easy one-bowl keto brownies have a secret ingredient to make them extra fudgy and chewy. This might just be the ultimate keto brownie recipe and no one can tell they are low carb and gluten-free. At less than 4g total carbs, you can dig in with gusto!
Remember some time ago when I promised to do more basic keto recipes on this blog? Well these easy and super fudgy keto brownies are part of that promise.
I have to tell you, I had a hard time making myself do it. I have no shortage of keto brownie recipes on this blog but none of them are plain brownies. They are all fancy brownies. Because as much as I like a regular old brownie, what I really like to do is top it with all sorts of delicious frostings and glazes and fillings and the like.
I can’t help myself, fancy is what I like to do. I figure that if you want a basic brownie, you can take any of my other recipes and leave out the toppings or fillings and there you have it. You could use any one of these brownie recipes.
A whole lot of keto brownie recipes!
See what I mean? And the base of any one of these recipes would make great plain brownies.
But I am also a tinkerer. I like to experiment and mess around with my own recipes, trying new tricks and new ideas, to see if I can find the perfect recipe for this or that. I also know that the texture of something like brownies is as much a matter of taste as anything else. Some people like them a bit on the cakey side but I’ve always been partial to really dense, fudgy brownies. And other things matter too. Some people want dairy-free keto brownies, while others may prefer coconut flour over almond flour. Or vice versa.
So while I am indulging the request for some basic brownies, I also promise to never stop tinkering, never stop experimenting, and to always be trying to perfect my own recipes. And truth be told, that tinkering makes me as happy as it does you! It’s pure joy for me. Sometimes the tinkering results in failure. But more often than not, I find a great new way of making my favorite low carb recipes.
The Secret to Chewy Keto Brownies
Now, this particular keto brownie recipe has a fun little secret ingredient, and it’s a trick I stole from one of my own recipes. And that would be a tablespoon of grass-fed gelatin.
I figured if it can help make my low carb ginger cookies chewier it couldn’t hurt to try adding it to brownies, right?
Absolutely right! It worked perfectly and deliciously. It made the brownies puff up more as they were baking, which surprised me. But then as they sat and cooled, they sunk a bit and re-densified. That’s totally a word, right?
If you happen to own my Easy Keto Desserts book, you may notice a close resemblance with the One Bowl Brownies. It is true, they are very similar, except these have butter and gelatin, and a little water to thin out the batter. Those are fabulous dairy-free brownies and I adore them as well. The texture on those is about as close to conventional brownies as I’ve ever tasted. I think it’s the fact that I skipped adding melted unsweetened chocolate and just went with all cocoa powder as well as a liquid oil.
If you want to be dairy-free, you could easily swap out the melted butter here for avocado oil instead. It’s so good that way too!
Be sure to try my homemade sugar-free chocolate chips. They are perfect for this recipe.
Tips for making the best keto brownies
- It’s best to bake these brownies in a metal pan, as it conducts heat much more efficiently than glass or ceramic. If you do choose another kind of pan, your brownies may take a lot longer to cook through.
- While grassfed gelatin is best for this and other keto recipes, you can try the Knox gelatin that comes in envelopes. You should only need one envelope.
- You may not need the full amount of liquid to thin the batter. It depends a lot on your cocoa powder and how absorbent it is. So add the water only a little at a time until it seems like conventional brownie batter.
- For nut-free, replace the almond flour with sunflower seed flour.
- For dairy-free, replace the butter with melted coconut oil or avocado oil.
Want all the best keto brownie recipes? Check out my Keto Desserts page!
Fudgy Keto Brownies
Ingredients
Brownies:
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 2/3 cup Swerve Sweetener
- 3 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup almond flour about 50g
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp grassfed gelatin
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup water (as necessary)
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips, sugar-free optional
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease an 8x8 inch metal baking pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, sweetener, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- Add the almond flour flour, cocoa powder, gelatin, baking powder, and salt and whisk until well combined. Stir in a little water at a time to thin the batter. Stir in the chocolate chips, if using.
- Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still seems a tiny bit wet. If you prefer cakier brownies, continue baking for another few minutes until the center is fully cooked through.
- Remove and let cool completely in the pan.
sonia says
The flavor and mouth feel bespoke fudgy brownies. My husband thought these tasted just like regular brownies. Yeah, that good! Unlike other almond meal baking recipes, the brownies didn’t feel like my stomach was late with a heavy stone. Thank you for this fantastic recipe! It was so easy, and I didn’t need the additional water.
Debbie Nall says
Oh my goodness! These are the best keto brownie I have ever had or made! I used one envelope of Knox gelatin and baked in a 9” round pan. I don’t own any square baking pans other than 9 X 13. I followed Caroline’s recipe exactly, and my sister in law and brother in law, neither keto , both thought they were delicious! I wonder if anyone has doubled the recipe or tripled and baked in a 9 X 13 pan. Also I used my air fryer oven on bake and baked at 325 for 12 minutes, should have baked a little bit longer but the entire top was dry looking and I didn’t want to over bake. The very middle was a little runny but tasted DELICIOUS!
Devon says
I made these with Carob powder instead of cocoa powder (sensitive to caffeine in chocolate). They were great. I loved the texture, especially good with whipped cream and berries.
David Fitzgerald says
They’re in the oven as I type this. Dessert should be fantastic (unless I screwed something up). The batter is delicious.
David Fitzgerald says
As the title to the recipe suggests…”Ultimate”. So freaking good. Chewy, fudgy, and moist. The non keto eaters all asked me what I did to make them keto. Of course I did not take credit. It did take 30 minutes in my oven but I’m pretty sure my thermostat is off.
Ritika Sujan says
Absolutely love these brownies! LOVE your recipes. Just a quick question is it normal for Swerve yo recrystalize??? I have followed the recipe exactly they come out amazing but after 2days it develops a bit of a crunch which I am assuming is coming from Swere. Any way this can be prevented???
Thanks!
Carolyn says
Yes, all erythritol sweeteners can do that. Did you keep them in the fridge? I recommend on the counter for 3 or 4 days.
Ritika Sujan says
Thanks for your reply! Ah ok. No the brownies were on the counter. I have made another batch with 50-50 Swerve and Allulose waiting for it to cool down . Will let you know how it comes out!
Carol L says
OMG! Just made them and they are amazing! Didnt have the gelatin, so just omitted it. My only problem was they stuck in the pan. It was a metal one and I greased it with butter. Maybe a non stick pan would have been better?
Carolyn says
I always recommend a non-stick pan. There are very few these days that AREN’T non-stick, I am surprised you have one.