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.
Sara Wharton says
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.
Carolyn says
Very possibly! It’s just fascinating about these sweeteners because some taste extra sweet to me and some not sweet enough.
Sara Wharton says
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?
Carolyn says
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.
Linda Warren says
I just tried the brownies. AWSOME!!!
Every one of your recipes that I have tried turned out ABSOLUTELY delicious.
Thank you so much Carolyn!!!!!
Carolyn says
So glad to hear that!
Natasha says
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!
Kristyn says
Thick & fudgy..just the way I like! Love this keto friendly option!
Matt Taylor says
These look really good, I will have to try them out sometime!!
Chris says
Writing this fearfully. 🙂 I just took them out of the oven and the edges are done and set but the middle is loose. And by loose I mean LOOSE. I’m hoping I did t screw then up. Didn’t want to overcook so I’m letting them cool hoping that makes the gelatin work it’s magic. That’s my hope. Send some encouraging thoughts lol.
Carolyn says
Did you by chance use a ceramic or glass pan? If so, they may need more time since it doesn’t conduct heat nearly as well as a metal pan.
Donna G says
I used a metal pan, followed directions exactly, and the middle still turned out raw like.
Carolyn says
It’s very possible that your oven runs a bit on the cool side. But if you bake them longer, they will be fine.
Angela says
Made these yesterday– I didn’t have any gelatin but I did have some “Chocolate Collagen Peptides with Reishi Mushrooms” so I subbed a big scoop of that instead. Also added walnuts on top. So good!!!! WIll make again. And again. 🙂 Thank you!
Melissa Lino says
These were delicious!!! Followed the recipe exactly and they turned out perfectly! Thank you so much for all your delicious recipes.
Jackie says
I have granulated Sweetener that I’m going to use, but next time I plan to use Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener with Erythritol. Do you think this would be a good substitute?
Thank you!
Jackie says
**sorry I meant to say that I have Swerve sweetener go use for the first try
Carolyn says
Lakanto is basically erythritol with a little monk fruit so don’t be fooled by the label. It will work similarly to swerve.
Lesley OMalley says
I am looking for a brownie that is under 5 carbs per serving for my teenager who has recently been diagnosed with diabetes and loves brownies. It seems like these would fit the bill but can you confirm that the carb count is 3.6 per brownie and this is regular carbs, not ‘net’carbs.
Thank you very much!
Carolyn says
Please read my nutritional disclaimer (it’s at the bottom of every post). This carb count is “total carbs” but I do NOT count any erythritol as a carb. Why? Well for most people it has zero carb impact so blood sugar does not rise at all. As I am a diabetic too (type 2), I have tested this over and over and over on myself.
Since you mentioned a teenager, I will assume your child has Type 1 and I am very sorry about the diagnosis. It’s hard but believe me, low carb is your best option and I have a huge following among parents in your exact situation, whose children love my recipes and willingly do low carb because of the treats. While I cannot guarantee what will or won’t spike your child’s blood sugar (it is VERY individual), I think you will find that my recipes fit the bill.
Almost all of my diabetic followers use erythritol based sweeteners as they are the least likely to spike blood sugar.
Lesley OMalley says
Carolyn, Thanks so much for your kind and thoughtful reply. I am going to try making this weekend. I will let you know how it goes!
aneta says
would rapadura sugar work in these? thanks
Carolyn says
Sorry I don’t use any sugar, you will need to experiment.
Lea says
I am new to the world of keto baking. I’ve been keto for awhile but never attempted baking any desserts figuring I’d be too disappointed… but lately I’ve been having a such a sweet tooth! I’ve been following your IG for awhile and the pumpkin crumb coffeecake is LEGIT. I am so glad I tried this recipe. It was AMAZING. I’m not the biggest fan of almond flour (texture thing) but these came out perfectly fudgy and delicious!! I’m sold. KETO BAKING IS MY JAM! (courtesy of Carolyn, of course.) 🙂
Carolyn says
Hooray, I am so happy to hear that!
Annette says
Oh my goodness, these are the bomb! I usually follow your recipes to the letter but have to confess that I subbed coffee for the water. I didn’t think you’d mind since it was coffee after all.????. Thanks for a very tasty recipe!
Carolyn says
Coffee is always a good sub!
Cam says
These are amazing! I discovered this a week ago and I’ve already made 2 batches, both which have been devoured by my keto, gluten free family. I’m wowed by these brownies, their texture, their flavor, their appearance, it all is like normal brownies! Before I was keto I would make gluten free brownies that were pretty good but they weren’t as good as this. We put them in the fridge and when you take our little squares it feels and tastes like fudge. We also put cream cheese frosting on it and we found our new favorite keto treat. I did find that they were better when cooked for lower time, I took them out at around 10 minutes because the longer you cooked it the cakier it got and we didn’t want that. I know what I’ll be making on Christmas Eve!
Carolyn says
I’m so delighted to hear it!
Becca says
Quick Question, before baking tonight: Should I use powdered or granulated Swerve? Also, is Blue Diamond Almond Flour sufficient? I have noticed that it can cause recipes to turn out on the grainy side. Should I blend it beforehand, so that, the texture is a bit finer? Thank you in advance! I cannot wait to give these brownies a try. I love baking on a cold, rainy day.
Carolyn says
Hmmm, I don’t use Blue Diamond. I think it should be okay but I can’t say for sure. When I simply say “Swerve” it’s like saying sugar, which means the granulated kind. If I want you to use powdered, I always specify that… although it wouldn’t hurt to use it here.
Kristin says
I am really hoping to make these to take on my cruise next week! I recently found out i am sensitive to coconut and eggs, so i am having a bit of a tougher time finding recipes i can use. I apologize if you have addressed this already, but have you ever tried substituting water and flax seeds for eggs? Thank you for all of your amazing recipes, this is the first place I always go to for recipes!
Carolyn says
I haven’t tried it in this recipe but this one is pretty forgiving so it may turn out okay. They may be a bit more fragile, though.
Kristin says
Wonderful, thank you so much for taking the time to reply!
Kristin says
I wanted to let you know that these turned out really well! I used 3T of flax meal with 9 T of water, I mixed that together and let it sit for 5 minutes before adding it to the rest of the recipe. They are very moist, I did bake them for about 12 minutes longer than this recipe called for, and they really could have used a few more minutes. They are so delicious, I am so happy I have dessert on the cruise, thank you!!!
Carolyn says
So glad to hear it! Maybe at some point, I will do an egg-free brownie for people as a recipe on the blog. It’s tough to accommodate for all the various allergies and intolerances. I try to walk a middle road but eggs are a tough one to go without for baking.
Kristin says
Wow, these were amazing! They were still really gooey, so i put them in the fridge overnight. They were absolutely perfect for the cruise! I would say the consistency was between fudge and brownies, and i kept them cold during the whole trip. It was so nice to be able to have dessert on the cruise, thanks for such a great recipe!
Carolyn says
Glad it worked out!
Stephanie Cooley says
I have made these brownies countless times. I have always made them exactly as instructed here. For my most recent batch, I added one tweet. A big dollop of Dukes Mayo! Turned out so beautifully! These are 5 stars as written. I was just doing a little experiment. Love love love these.
Carolyn says
Interesting!
Heba Saudy says
OMG I am floored…this is an amazing recipe, just came out of the oven and i tried a piece…I am someone that does not usually like brownies, but this is delicious…I made it to take it to a friend’s home and just tried a piece and ended having 2 pieces…I think I will keep this batch for myself and make another one tomorrow for my friend…just one adjustment, I did not have sugar free cocoa powder at home but had cocoa nibs….so I used my coffee grinder and ended using cocoa nibs instead of cocoa powder, so the result was more like a blondie with cocoa nibs and chocolate chips…Oh and I used cream instead of water too 🙂 this recipe is a keeper….actually all your recipes are great…I tried so many and all came out perfect…Thank you
KLinPDX says
Being NEW to Keto (<2 weeks new!), I searched for a recipe to satisfy my sweet tooth, namely chocolate. I went all in the first week and purchased sugar substitute (erythritol), Almond Flour, Coconut Flour, Xanthun gum, to name a few. Then, I found your recipe for Fudgy Keto Brownies! These are wonderful. I did not have grassfed gelatin, so I used regular unflavored plain gelatin and it worked out great. I slightly under baked them as recommended and they were moist, fudgy and a little chewy. Caveat, I typically introduce myself as one who "Can't bake to save my life", but these turned out so great, my carb eating husband could barely tell the difference between these and New Seasons Market carb loaded brownies. I put the left over 14 bars into the fridge and the next day they were even better, having solidified a bit, with better "chew".
Thanks for the introduction to Keto. I absolutely love your blogs and posts. I know how much work goes into testing and perfecting a recipe. You have made it so much easier than anyone could have imagined to follow Keto, but still enjoy REAL food!
Now, if we could just find a way to remove carbs from red wine, particularly PNW reds, I'd be over the moon 😉
Keep up the amazing work! Many Thanks!
Carolyn says
I’m so glad you liked them that much! 🙂
Renecha says
I’m excited to try this recipe as all of your recipe so far have been spot on. I am wondering if this can be adjusted for a 9 x 13“ pan? Instead of doubling or times 1 1/2? Also if adding powdered espresso how much do you recommend and do you add extra liquid?
Carolyn says
An 8 inch square pan has an area of 64 square inches. Doubling that gives you 128. A 9×13 pan has a square area of 117 inches. So they are close and doubling it is your best bet. It will be a bit thicker and may take a tiny bit longer to cook through.
Renecha says
Thank you for the prompt reply, Carolyn! Any tips regarding the powdered espresso?
Carolyn says
I actually use Via packets from Starbucks for recipes like this. Super easy and you don’t have to open a full container of espresso powder. T
Renecha says
Carolyn,
Thank you for the tips. I made a double batch in a 9×13” pan and baked for 25-26 minutes. I used 1 packet of the instant coffee (no extra liquid) and added pecans. When first out of the oven I thought I might have under baked them as they were very fudgy without much structure. They tasted so good that I wasn’t too disappointed. They did firm up after completely cooling and have structure and are still fudgy. Best of both worlds! I usually don’t have a problem with self control, but I keep going back for “just one more bite.” Thank you for sharing your culinary artistry with us!
Carolyn says
Yay!