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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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.
That’s so great to hear!
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.
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?
I am sorry, I don’t use egg replacers so I really can’t say how it will work.
I used agar powder instead of the gelatin and added nuts for Hubby. Perfection! And keto?! Yes! ???? Thank you so much!
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
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!
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
Anyway you want to eat them!
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
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.
These are so good! Followed the recipe exactly. Delicious!
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.
Iwhen I started on Keto, I stocked up on Lakanto monk fruit sugar, can that easily be substituted for Swerve?
Yes. Read this for an understanding of different sweeteners, it will help! https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/best-keto-sweeteners/
Thank you!
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?
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.
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.
As always – simply the best !
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!
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.
I butter the pan, and then put a coating of cocoa powder on it (works just great to keep it non stick).
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….
If it was “spongy” then something went wrong. Did you bake it in a metal pan? Are you at elevation?
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.
Hard to say. What sweetener did you use? Was it a metal pan or something else?
I finally made these and they were the best! A keeper for sure and so easy! Thanks for your awesome recipes!
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.
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!