I have tested dozens of keto brownie recipes over the years, trying to nail that perfect balance of crisp edges and a fudgy, gooey center. And THIS is the recipe that I come back to every time. It has everything you want in a brownie, without the sugar, carbs, or grains.
And it is the basis for so many other delicious treats, like Keto Peanut Butter Brownies and Keto German Chocolate Brownies. I mean, why mess with perfection? These keto brownies lend themselves so well to delicious toppings and frostings.
It took some experimenting, but I finally cracked the code to get that chewy brownie texture. The secret is so simple! A little gelatin mixed in with the almond flour and cocoa powder makes them ultra-moist and fudgy.
And they are so darn easy to make – one bowl and 35 minutes to pure chocolate bliss. I guarantee this will become your go-to keto brownie recipe. Top them with a scoop of keto ice cream or a drizzle of keto chocolate sauce for a seriously decadent experience.
Reader’s Thoughts
“This brownie exceeded my expectations of a brownie taste to the max. Most brownies are dry but this recipe takes them to another level and this is one of my favorite keto dessert recipes ever. If your on keto or not you need to make these yummy gooey brownies they definitely will put a smile on your face!” — Melinda S.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- So easy! Whip up this keto brownie batter in one bowl, and they’re ready for the oven.
- Rich flavor: If you’re a chocoholic like me, you will adore the deep chocolate flavor.
- Perfect texture: They have that wonderful chewy, fudgy texture that make brownies so unique.
- Low carb: They are very low in carbs, with only 3.6 grams per serving.
- Make ahead recipe: These brownies store well in the fridge or freezer so you can make a batch and enjoy them at your leisure.
- A crowd pleaser: Readers love them and many people say that no one can tell they are keto-friendly!
Ingredient Notes
- Almond flour: Make sure you are using a finely ground almond flour for the best consistency. But these also work well with sunflower seed flour, for a nut-free option.
- 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.
- Gelatin: I like to use grass-fed gelatin for my 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.
- Sweetener: I recommend an erythritol-based sweetener for this recipe. Using another sweetener will change the texture and consistency. Learn more about keto sweeteners here.
- Chocolate chips: Make sure to choose keto-friendly chips like Lily’s or ChocZero.
- Baking staples: Butter, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, and salt.
How to Make Keto Brownies
- Combine the wet ingredients: Whisk together the wet ingredients, including the butter, sweetener, eggs, and vanilla extract. The sweetener goes in with the wet ingredients to help it dissolve.
- Add the dry ingredients: Mix in 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.
- Thin the batter. 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. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Bake the brownies: Spread the batter in na 8-inch metal baking pan and bake 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 before cutting into bars.
Tips for Success
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. They may also get over-cooked on the edges while the center stays liquid.
How much water you need depends on how absorbent your cocoa powder is. Add a little at a time so you don’t thin out the batter too much. It should be the same consistency as conventional brownie batter.
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. You can also use other nut or seed flours.
- 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 to achieve the best texture. Other sweeteners like BochaSweet and allulose will make them more cakey and soft.
Keto Brownies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) butter , melted
- 2/3 cup (121.33 g) Swerve Sweetener
- 3 large (3) eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (56 g) almond flour
- 1/3 cup (28.67 g) cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp grassfed gelatin
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (62.5 g) water, (as necessary)
- 1/3 cup (60 g) 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Traditional brownies are not keto-friendly, as they contain plenty of flour and sugar. A conventional brownie has more than 30 grams of carbs! But these fudgy keto brownies are made with almond flour and alternative sweetener, so you can indulge on a keto diet.
This recipe requires a nut or seed flour. However I have a delicious coconut flour brownie recipe, if you prefer to use it.
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.
This fudgy keto brownie recipe has 3.6g of carbs and 2.4g of fiber per serving. 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.
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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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.
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!
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.
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
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.
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 🙂
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 ????
Good to hear! Now I need to go back and read your other comment… 🙂
Hi! I was wondering if I could use coconut oil instead of butter because I don’t have avocado oil.
Sure that works
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?
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.
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?
Glad you knew how to correct it as you went… nice work!
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!
Hi Mira, Thanks! You can bake these longer if you don’t want that under-baked texture. They still come out quite fudgy.
I forgot to leave a rating.
I decided to use this recipe with cannabis infused coconut oil. They came out absolutely delicious! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
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 = )
Fantastic to hear!
Yes, you make a good point. Peoples tastes can vary. I should mention too, that we doubled the recipe, and put in a 9X13 size pan. This could have effected how sweet it came out as well since 9×13 is not exactly equivalent to two 8×8 pans.
Very possibly! It’s just fascinating about these sweeteners because some taste extra sweet to me and some not sweet enough.
We made these the other night. We all enjoyed them. People might want to be aware though. If you have become accustomed to baked sweets with maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar, etc. Theses goods tend to not be anywhere near as sweet as regular sugared sweets. Swerve and Lakanto are considered one for one replacements for regular sugar. These brownies are going to seem much sweeter than what you are accustomed to. Yes we enjoyed them but they seemed way sweet for my taste.
What do you think would be the effect of decreasing the amount of sweetner and increasing the cocoa powder in this recipe?
Should be absolutely fine. But one thing to point out is that everyone experiences these sweeteners differently on the palate. So what you perceive as too sweet, others don’t feel is sweet enough. It’s all about getting it right to your taste.
I just tried the brownies. AWSOME!!!
Every one of your recipes that I have tried turned out ABSOLUTELY delicious.
Thank you so much Carolyn!!!!!
So glad to hear that!
Thank you for this awesome recipe. It’s low carb and gluten-free so I can eat this without feeling guilty. Can’t wait to give this a try!