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:
- ½ cup butter melted
- ⅔ cup Swerve Sweetener
- 3 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup almond flour about 50g
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon grassfed gelatin
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup water (as necessary)
- ⅓ 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.
MGH says
I can hardly wait to try these. I would also like to try to make a batch for my daughter who can have everything in the recipe except for eggs. Is there an egg substitute you think would be well-suited to this recipe, or should I ditch that idea?
Carolyn says
I am sorry, I don’t use egg replacers so I really can’t say how it will work.
Robin says
I used agar powder instead of the gelatin and added nuts for Hubby. Perfection! And keto?! Yes! 🥰 Thank you so much!
Evonne Hope says
Hi Carolyn,
May I ask if I could make the brownies ahead of time and keep them in the fridge?
How many days could I keep in the fridge for consumption?
Instead of keto chocolate chips, could I use 100% sugar-free dark chocolate bar?
Thanks
Evonne
Carolyn says
They’d be good for about a week. If you mean a chocolate bar that is unsweetened, it may be a touch bitter. But if you like that, go ahead!
Evonne Hope says
Hi Carolyn,
Thanks for your hekpful tips. Are brownies supposed to eat hot or cold? Could I make it a day before Christmas Eve?
Is sugar free dark chocolate bar better in lava cake recipes?
Thanks, Evonne
Carolyn says
Anyway you want to eat them!
Carolyn Gephart-Wilson says
Hi Carolyn,
I made your chewy ginger cookies and was delighted. These brownies will be next on my list to try.
I do have a question: Have you experimented with using a bit of gelatin in any of your bread or biscuit recipes?
I’m wondering if it might add a bit more of the chewy texture normally provided by gluten. (?)
Thanks for everything you do!
Carolyn
Carolyn says
I have not. I do know that collagen protein tends to make breads and baked goods a bit gummy and hard to cook through. Not sure about gelatin, though.
Anne says
These are so good! Followed the recipe exactly. Delicious!
Lana McQuown says
These are absolutely amazing. The were soft, but had that fudgey brownie texture, a pure delight. It’s hard to believe I am eating healthy with recipes like this. I was going back and forth between several different brownie recipes trying to decide which one I wanted to make, I definitely made the right choice. Thanks for sharing such delicious recipes with us.
Sperky says
Iwhen I started on Keto, I stocked up on Lakanto monk fruit sugar, can that easily be substituted for Swerve?
Carolyn says
Yes. Read this for an understanding of different sweeteners, it will help! https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/best-keto-sweeteners/
Sperky says
Thank you!
Lisa says
Fantastic, loved the flavor and fudginess!! I used an allulose/erythritol blend. My question is about the gelatin. I used the brand that you recommend and it clumped up into permanent little rubbery blobs. I am wondering if it would hurt the final texture to soften or even melt the gelatin first?
Carolyn says
If you added it with the dry ingredients, it shouldn’t clump at all. You can whisk it into the flour and cocoa powder before adding that to the liquids. I think you will get worse globs if you try to soften it first.
Lisa says
Thank you! You are right, failed to add it to the dry ingredients. Next time it will be perfect!! I actually made the Salted caramel brownie bites with my first attempt. SO Yummy, even with the chewy bits, LOL.
Jeannie Tomlin says
As always – simply the best !
Brenda says
In the sticking metal pan would parchment cut to fit the bottom help? I like glass myself – so I’ll see how that goes unless you already know . . TELL ME!
Carolyn says
It doesn’t stick to the pan in metal but you can line it if you like. But I don’t recommend glass or ceramic as they are very hard to cook through.
Lynn says
I butter the pan, and then put a coating of cocoa powder on it (works just great to keep it non stick).
Kay says
I was really hopeful; I really wanted to like these. Alas…. I did not. The sweetener (granulated swerve) was slightly gritty. It wasn’t a fudgy consistency at all, but rather had a spongey feel to it. I was hoping that by sitting on the counter overnight, the flavors would have a chance to develop. But, that didn’t happen either. Oh well….
Carolyn says
If it was “spongy” then something went wrong. Did you bake it in a metal pan? Are you at elevation?
Nina says
I used the same size pan and followed the recipe but mine was super flat. It didn’t rise. My batter was wet too without adding the optional water. It want fudgy. It had a spongy texture 😔 don’t know what I did wrong.
Carolyn says
Hard to say. What sweetener did you use? Was it a metal pan or something else?
Karen J Lopez says
I finally made these and they were the best! A keeper for sure and so easy! Thanks for your awesome recipes!
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.
David Fitzgerald says
Update…I now make these every couple of weeks. I usually add in about 2 tbsp of instant espresso powder and substitute cold strong coffee for the water. Cuts down on the sweetness a bit and besides… chocolate and coffee. Need i day more. Delicious! Thanks Carolyn!
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.