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 bring you more basic keto recipes on this blog? Well these super fudgy keto brownies are part of that promise.
I love baking more elaborate creations and proving to the world that the keto diet it anything but restrictive. But sometimes I forget that simple and straightforward can be just as delicious.
So let’s skip the fancy stuff and get down to basics again!
Why you’ll love this recipe
The secret to the perfect texture is the addition of a little gelatin. I figured if it helps make my keto ginger molasses cookies chewier, it couldn’t hurt to try adding it to brownies, right?
And it really works! These keto brownies have all the best features you’re looking for, with a dense, rich texture and a slightly crackly top. They’re incredibly easy to make too. It takes a single bowl and 35 minutes from start to finish.
And readers swear that no one can even tell they are keto. I call that a win.
Ingredients you need
- Butter: Use unsalted butter and make sure to let it cool a bit before adding the sweetener and eggs.
- Sweetener: I recommend Swerve or another erythritol-based sweetener for this recipe. Using another sweetener will change the texture and consistency. Learn more about keto sweeteners here.
- Eggs: Large eggs are the standard for baking.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla always brings out the chocolate flavor.
- Almond flour: Make sure you are using a finely ground almond flour for the best consistency. I also have a coconut flour brownie recipe, if you prefer.
- Cocoa powder: I prefer Dutch process cocoa powder when baking keto brownies. It has a deeper, richer chocolate flavor, but you can use natural cocoa powder if you prefer.
- Grass fed gelatin: Grassfed gelatin is the best choice for this and other keto recipes, but you can use Knox gelatin. Use 1 envelope for the brownies and make sure you add it along with the dry ingredients. You can also omit it completely but the brownies will be less chewy.
- Chocolate chips: Make sure to choose keto-friendly chips like ChocZero!
- Pantry staples: Baking powder and salt.
Step by Step Instructions
1. Whisk together the wet ingredients, including the butter, sweetener, eggs, and vanilla extract. Sweetener goes in with the wet ingredients so it dissolves better.
2. Add the almond flour, cocoa powder, gelatin, baking powder, and salt and whisk until well combined. Always add the gelatin powder with the dry ingredients before adding any water so that you don’t end up with blobs of gelatin in your brownie batter.
3. Stir in the water a little at a time to thin the batter to a thick but pourable consistency. You may not need the full amount of liquid to thin the batter – it depends on your cocoa powder and how absorbent it is. The batter should be the consistency of conventional brownie batter. Stir in the chocolate chips or chopped nuts, if using.
4. Spread the batter in a greased 8×8 inch metal baking pan and bake at 350ºF 15 to 20 minutes. If you prefer cakier brownies, continue baking for another few minutes until the center is fully cooked through. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan.
Recipe Tips and FAQs
This is a basic keto brownie recipe that you can customize and add your own fun twists to. Try these delicious ideas:
- Stir in ½ – ¾ cup chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Use brewed coffee instead of water to enhance the chocolate flavor. Or add some espresso powder for a mocha flavor.
- Add some different flavors of keto chocolate chips, such as white chocolate, peanut butter, or mint.
- Add some keto chocolate frosting or chocolate ganache.
- Drizzle with some keto caramel sauce for a decadent treat.
Use a metal baking pan. Ceramic and glass don’t conduct heat as efficiently as metal, so they will take much longer to bake through and firm up properly.
For fudgy keto brownies you will need almond meal, swerve sweetener, butter, eggs, cocoa powder and dark chocolate chips. My secret ingredient to making these brownies chewy is the addition of grass fed gelatin.
This brownie recipe is tested with almond flour and you can not simply swap out with coconut flour. You can, however, substitute with sunflower seed flour for a nut-free version.
For one 2-inch square, these keto brownies have only 1.2 grams of net carbs. Best of all, they taste as good as regular brownies, so you won’t miss the carbs at all.
Store the brownies in a covered container on the counter for up to 4 days, or in the fridge for a week. They can also be frozen for several months. Store them in an airtight container to avoid freezer burn.
Swaps and substitutions
- Dairy-free Option: Substitute the butter with melted coconut oil, ghee, or another liquid oil.
- Nut-free Option: You can use sunflower seed flour for nut-free keto brownies. Replace the almond flour cup for cup.
- Egg-free Option: I have not tried to make these keto brownies egg-free, but a few readers had good luck using flax seed meal and water.
- Alternate Sweeteners: I highly recommend an erythritol-based sweetener, such as Swerve or Lakanto, to achieve the best texture. Other sweeteners like BochaSweet and allulose will make them more cakey and soft.
More delicious keto brownie recipes
If you love brownies, I have the ultimate list of the best keto brownie recipes. Some of my personal favorites include:
Fudgy Keto Brownies
Ingredients
- 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
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease an 8×8 inch metal baking pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, sweetener, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- Add the almond 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 to a thick but pourable consistency. 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 before cutting into squares.
Carol A Renteria says
I haven’t eaten a brownie in years and this recipe was “right on”. I didn’t have the gelatin but used 1/4 t xanthan gum as suggested by one person. Used all of the water and baked 15 minutes. It came out perfect. Moist & chewy. Thank you, Carolyn, this is another great recipe to add to my Keto collection.
Karen says
Love, love, love these brownies and I am not really a chocolate fan. As a very proud owner of The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking, I always try to follow the recipes as given because then I have no one to blame except myself. Well, that is until I made a couple of “enhancements” on your recipe, Carolyn. I added 1/2 cup sliced almonds and 1/2 teaspoon instant expresso powder, this time. I really like the crunchiness the sliced almonds bring but I don’t think that the expresso powder adds a thing to the flavor so that’s the end of that. I appreciate that you have paved Keto Way with your blood, sweat, and tears so that I and thousands of others can benefit. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Carolyn!
Carolyn says
Espresso actually enhances the chocolate flavor, without making it taste like coffee.
Pam F says
Love, love these brownies! Would like to add some mint extract. How much would you suggest?
Carolyn says
It depends on the strength of your mint extract. I would try 1 tsp
Kelli says
I have tried so many of your recipes and they ALWAYS turn out good! It’s like you’ve done some crazy science experiments to come up with some of them……particularly your Keto Ice Cream. It’s amazing! My question about the brownies is-can you use Bocha Sweet in place of the Swerve? Would that change the texture? Thank you for all of your hard work! You make eating healthy so much easier????
Carolyn says
It may make them a little softer but it should work.
Kyra says
Used a glass pan so maybe that was my issue. Cooked it for 30+ minutes and middle is pure liquid. Heating up the oven again to put them back in.
Carolyn says
It was most certainly your issue. Baking pan always refers to metal, and glass and ceramic do not conduct heat nearly as efficiently.
Deborah says
Oh wow…..I have been looking for a brownie recipe for over a year….and here it is. Now I just have to replicate my mom’s chocolate fudge frosting for the top and I will be in heaven…
Thank you for your fabulous recipes!
Italjim says
I made these yesterday and even my non-Keto wife and three little ones loved tbem! I made a few minor modifications: added 1 tablespoon of instant coffee dissolved with the butter+eggs; mixed 1 oz chopped walnuts in batter and sprinkled another 1 oz on top; baked them in 12 silicon lined muffin tins for portion control and easy removal. Started checking doneness at 15 mins and took them out at 23 when cake tester had very moist crumbs clinging to it. Once cooled, they were deliciously fudgy as promised! This one is a keeper. Thank you! Next up: Peanut Butter Brownies
michelle says
Sadly, this one was not a winner for me. I have made a lot of keto brownies. I followed the recipe exactly. I used the highest quality grass fed gelatin, grass fed butter, superfine almond flour, Swerve, organic eggs, even pricey Valrhona cocoa. In short, this was a very expensive recipe that was a total letdown. The result wasn’t worth the calories and it got thrown away. It was kind of spongey/cakey like other reviewers noted. It had a funk to it, and not in a good way. I don’t think the gelatin and egg-heavy version are for me. Others might like the texture though!
Carolyn says
You know… you should never ever throw away things like this. There is always a way to rescue it and re-purpose it. Like brownie truffles!
PegB says
Yummy! I could just eat the peanut butter layer and be happy. Wowza! I admit I need to bake the brownie layer just a minute or two less. But first time is always an experiment.
Bravo on another awesome recipe.
Toni says
I noticed the 1/3 cup cocoa powder makes these brownies 10 carbs each. Can you substitute sugar free melted chocolate instead? I have a different recipe that calls for 12 tbsp butter which makes it pretty high fat. I am trying to alter the two recipes to meet in the middle a bit with fat and carbs. I am pretty new to baking keto/low carb. I would also like to know if there is a way to access all the cookbooks you have written to order? Thanks!
Carolyn says
Hi Toni, not sure where you are getting your info on cocoa powder from. But a typical unsweetened cocoa powder has 3g carbs per tablespoon. 1/3 of a cup is 5.3 tablespoons, which is a total of 16g of carbs for the whole recipe. Divided by 16 servings, that’s only 1g carbs per serving.
Sugar free melted chocolate would have MORE carbs than cocoa powder, not less.
The nutritional info stated in this recipe is correct. Please understand that.
Wendy Johnson says
Good morning!
Quick question. I’ve made a similar brownie recipe and want to try this one. They taste good the first day but seem to get very grainy and dry even through I’ve stored them in an air tight container. Any tips on storing these made by your recipe to avoid this or maybe it won’t be a problem?
Thanks for all your hard work!
Wendy
Carolyn says
Well the truly best thing is to not cut into them until ready to serve. That helps. I usually just store mine on the counter in the pan I baked them in, covered tightly with foil.
Amanda says
These brownies are so amazing!!! Thank you so much for this recipe! Just tried it earlier today and I made them without the gelatin, added crushed walnuts on top, and baked for 20 minutes. They were pretty set around the edges and a firm jiggle(?) in the centre. Let it cool and they are absolutely perfect (asides from being slightly crumbly – most likely due to the almond flour texture). My family is obsessed and they couldn’t even tell that these were keto! By far the BEST brownie recipe (keto or non-keto) we have ever tried 🙂
Kayla says
I made these after I commented yesterday but made them exactly like your recipe- WOW! Best keto brownies I’ve made so far and I have tried a few recipes. Thank you ????
Carolyn says
Good to hear! Now I need to go back and read your other comment… 🙂
Kayla says
Hi! I was wondering if I could use coconut oil instead of butter because I don’t have avocado oil.
Carolyn says
Sure that works
Dee says
Hi Carolyn, Hope you are doing well. I have tried making some of your recipe, it doesn’t go well for me. I read the reviews from your followers and they constantly mention how wonderful they turn out. I am not the greatest in the kitchen and I seem to be struggling. I tried making these brownies and they turned out horrible. I also tried making vanilla ice cream same thing happens. (horrible) Taste is off. My struggle may be the sugar substitute. I cannot use swerve it causes horrible GI issues. I would like to use allulose or a blend of monk fruit, allulose and stevia but I dont know how to convert the measurements. Any suggestions?
Carolyn says
So it certainly sounds like the sweeteners are your issue. Here’s the problem: Monk fruit blends are usually mostly erythritol and are going to upset your stomach just as much. And allulose won’t work in all recipes as it makes things much too soft. That would be probably okay in this recipe, but they wouldn’t have the nice chewy consistency and they may take longer to bake.
Pattey says
Thank you Carolyn for all your delicious Keto recipes. Been doing Keto for 7 months now and have lost 29 lbs. I made these last night, so yummy and fudgy!! My oven usually cooks faster so I cooked them for 15 mins instead of 20. The edges were set somewhat but the middle was still pretty liquid. I let them cool (almost) and when I cut them, they were still almost liquid in the middle. I put them in the over for another 10 mins (oven was warm because I just took out dinner) and same thing, so I put them for a second 10 minutes more. This time they seemed jiggly in the middle but not under done. Once they cooled they were perfect, very fudge and yummy. I only have an 8×8 pan instead of 9×9 so maybe that is why I had to cook longer. Plus I didn’t have grass fed gelatin and used one package of Knox gelatin. It was slightly less than 1 tbsp so maybe that was part of my issue too. However, once they completed, I can say this is a VERY YUMMY brownie!!! My only question is do I have to store them in the fridge or can I keep then in an air tight container on the counter?
Carolyn says
Glad you knew how to correct it as you went… nice work!
Mira says
Carolyn: Do these come out like undercooked brownies in the middle? I like fudgy brownies, but don’t like ones that seem underbaked.
P.S. About the above discussion re Jane’s comment — You have always given credit to others when warranted. It was disingenuous of her to accuse you of stealing a recipe from another site. All I can say is I stopped viewing any of the other site’s recipes after I saw one for Pop Tarts. No one in this household ate Pop Tarts when purchased from Kellogg’s, and I won’t make them following Keto. Your Gingerbread Cake Roll is what brought me into the fold … and, Carolyn, I ain’t leaving!
Carolyn says
Hi Mira, Thanks! You can bake these longer if you don’t want that under-baked texture. They still come out quite fudgy.
Cathy says
I forgot to leave a rating.
Cathy says
I decided to use this recipe with cannabis infused coconut oil. They came out absolutely delicious! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
LadyJ1225 says
These are a perfect fudgy brownie and are AMAZING! I made them for my friend’s birthday as brownies are her favorite. I cooked them for 20 minutes and the edges were set but the middle looked a little underdone. This is the perefect time to take them out, they will continue to set up as they cool and will be perfectly fudgy and delicious!!! I will be making these often for friends … and myself = )
Carolyn says
Fantastic to hear!