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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I made the brownies this evening, but because I have an allergic experience with Swerve, I used a blend of monk fruit sweetener and allulos. I also had purchased Kerry Gold butter from Ireland and wanted to give it a try as it would be my first time using that brand. Oh my! They turned out perfect! I had a hard time keeping my husband’s hands off of them! I actually liked how they came out of the pan because with a regular brownie recipe, the brownies usually stick to the sides of the pan. These were absolutely perfect by scoring the size on the top, and taking them out of the pan. My husband ate one full row of them before I could get them into a container to freeze! Because they turned out so yummy, I immediately got onto Amazon.com and ordered your baking book. It should be here by the end of the week or sooner! I can’t wait!!
Glad you enjoyed them!
I made these and was pleasantly surprised how “normal” they tasted. I will definitely be making these again.
Glad you enjoyed it!
These are shockingly good. Very chocolatey. I wasn’t sure how to discern doneness so I erred on the side of a little longer in the oven. I also wasn’t sure how much water to use but about 2 Tbsp. worked for me. I just love this website. I almost never have a baking fail, which is saying something with grain free, sugar free baking!
Carolyn, thank you so much!
I made these last night (with ground almonds because I had no almond flour) and they were still fantastic – best keto baking I’ve ever done so far!
And it was so helpful to have an accompanying video.
I look forward to trying many more of your recipes. 😀
My hat is off to anyone who cuts this into 16 servings! This is why I’ll never get to where I want to be. But 9 servings works for me.
Thankfully, they are still pretty low carb even at 12 or 9 servings.
Does adding water make them more or less fudgy ??
HUGE hit at church for coffee hour. One person took a bite and said “Oh! These are SO fudgy!!!” I laughed and said that’s exactly what the recipe is called 🙂
That’s so great!
These are now my go-to recipe! Thank you so much. Last time I made them I used equal amounts of olive oil and butter they tasted reminiscent of the Italian torta caprese which is essentially almond flour chocolate cake with olive oil but of course these were rich and fudgy thanks to the gelatin
I actually have torta caprese on my “to try” list!
Carolyn I just made these using your cocoa mix because I was out of plain cocoa and omg the texture is sublime. Was careful not to overbake so super moist and tender. They were always good but now a true chocolate decadence experience. So grateful!
Interesting!
What is the cocoa mix ?!?
Carolyn’s sugar free hot chocolate mix (in recipe index)
these are hands down THE BEST brownies..SAD with flour, keto, or any. Really. When i serve them to non keto friends and family they ask for the recipe. when they find out they are keto they dont believe it. I gild the lily with either chocolate or vanilla buttercream on them….
I made these yesterday, and they are delicious! Only thing I did different was add some chopped walnuts. A brownie isn’t a brownie without some nuts. That’s just me, so good with or without nuts!
Made these tonight! So very yummy!!!
i love that fudge texture，but i don’t have beef gelatin ,how about Xanthan gum？
No… just leave it out if you don’t have it. Xanthan gum won’t do it!
thank you sooooooo much
I have the original recipe from 2018. It is exactly the same as the modified version from 2021. I am wondering if I am missing something.
Wow, wow, wow, love these soooo much!!! I am new to Keto baking. I had all the ingredients except for the swerve, so I substituted honey – I found a chart that gave me the conversion. So I used 1/2 cup organic raw honey. I omitted the water because it was runny already from the honey. I also didn’t have almond flour on hand, but I had sunflower seeds and a coffee grinder, so I made sunflower seed flour, which I’ve never used before to bake with. I baked them in silicone baking cups – made 16. Depending on how full I filled the cups, I did 2 batches, baking them in my toaster oven, but they cooked within the 15-20 min time frame. I figured out the carbs – about 9.5 each brownie cup. Next time I might even try reducing the honey because they were plenty sweet. The sunflower seed flour – which I wasn’t sure was fine enough – worked beautifully – these taste like real brownies. Can’t wait to make more of your recipes!!
Hi! I wanted to make this but I am Muslim and don’t eat gelatin (pork based). Do you think I could use collagen powder instead?
Actually, the gelatin I use is beef based, not pork: https://amzn.to/3OZeQ7u