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.
Laura says
Thank you for this recipe. I bought your book and made this recipe. They came out perfect. My children who are not keto enjoyed them and said they tasted just like normal brownies. I swap the almond flour for lupin flour and still they came out perfect. Thank you so much once again. This is a winner.
Carolyn says
That’s so great to hear!
Patrick says
The recipe says “1/4 Cup Water (as necessary). Which leads me to believe that you don’t necessarily need to put the whole 1/4 cup into the recipe (I have a pie crust recipe that is similar).
So my question is, what consistency should the batter have/be prior to putting it in the pan? Last time I made this I only put about 2 Tbsp of water in, and it was very thin, and it took around 35 minutes or so to get anywhere near fully done in the center (was totally wet @ 20 minutes in).
Using aluminum 8×8 pan, greased & dusted with cocoa powder, @ 1270~1300 feet elevation
My oven temps are fairly accurate (-5° ~ +30°F), but I have to let it set for 10 minutes after getting to temp during preheating, as it tends to overshoot quite a bit more initially (I have a K type temp probe).
I ALWAYS preheat my eggs in super hot tap water before incorporating them.
Flour & cocoa powder is sifted (reground if too coarse), wet & dry ingredients are separated & mixed into two bowls before mixing together
P.S. I have a [totally different] recipe that I’ve been working on for the the past few months, and would like to chat/talk with you about it (privately). I’m really close to perfecting it, but would really like your input/advice on getting the flavor just right.
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.