These Keto Almond Joy Brownies embody the best of your favorite candy bar in a healthy, sugar-free dessert. Only 4g net carbs per serving!
Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t. Isn’t that how the jingle goes? If you’re an Almond Joy fan, you will be joyous over these keto brownies!
But if you prefer Mounds, you can make them that way too. Skip the almonds on top and make the base with coconut flour brownies, and away you go!
Either way, this delectable low carb brownie recipe is a sure-fire hit. Tender brownies topped with a gooey coconut filling and smothered in keto chocolate ganache. Need I say more?
Baking with Allulose
I originally created this recipe for Swerve Sweetener about 8 years ago. You can still see that recipe HERE. But so many things have changed in the intervening years, I decided to give it an update.
As a bit of an experiment, I used the new Allulose sweetener from Swerve in the brownies themselves, as well as the coconut topping. I made my standard chewy keto brownies exactly as written, simply changing the sweetener.
If you follow me, you know I always say that a change in sweeteners may affect the texture of your keto baked goods. And, as expected, the brownies came out differently. They had a spongier texture than the original, which was more like cake and less like classic brownies.
They were still delicious, though. So delicious that they got devoured by my fellow gym-goers when I brought them to class.
I also used allulose in the coconut filling, but that was a deliberate choice as I know it makes things gooier. That part came out exactly as I was expecting!
Ingredients you need
- Keto brownies: Any good keto brownie recipe will do as the base of these bars. You can even use a pre-made mix, if you like.
- Heavy whipping cream: Heavy cream helps make the filling thick and a little gooey. You can also use coconut cream for the filling.
- Coconut: Use finely shredded, unsweetened coconut.
- Almonds: Feel free to skip the almonds if you want Mounds Brownies instead!
- Sweetener: Allulose helps make the filling gooier and more like real Almond Joy. But you can use other sweeteners and simply thicken the filling more. Check out the Expert Tips for sweetener options.
- Thickener: I prefer glucomannan for thickening this recipe but xanthan gum works as well.
- Unsweetened chocolate: I like to make my chocolate ganache with unsweetened chocolate as it thickens more easily. I then sweeten it myself with some powdered sweetener.
- Vanilla and/or coconut extract
Step by Step Instructions
1. Prepare the brownies: Make the brownies first and let them cool completely. You do want to line the pan with parchment paper to make it easier to lift them out of the pan.
2. Simmer the cream: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the cream and sweetener. Bring to simmer and reduce the heat to medium low. Continue to cook, whisking frequently, 5 to 10 minutes or until the mixture is a little more syrupy.
3. Stir in the coconut: Remove from heat and whisk in the glucomannan, then stir in the shredded coconut and the extract until well combined. At this point, the mixture should have a frosting consistency. If it’s too thin, whisk in another ¼ teaspoon of glucomannan.
4. Top the brownies: Spread the filling evenly over the cooled brownies, all the way to the edges. Press 16 almonds into the filling at evenly spaced intervals. Chill 30 minutes to help firm up the filling.
5. Make the chocolate ganache: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to a simmer. Once simmering, remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let sit 5 minutes to melt. Add the sweeteners and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.
6. Pour over the filling: Pour the ganache over the coconut filling, spreading evenly to cover the almonds. Refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes, until the chocolate topping is set.
Expert Tips
You are not tied to using my brownies for this recipe. You can use any you want, including a boxed mix if you have one you like. Just make sure to line the pan with parchment paper and watch the brownies carefully so they don’t get over-baked.
Dairy Free Option: Use coconut oil or another non-dairy oil in the brownies. Then use coconut cream (the thick white portion from a can of coconut milk) for both the filling and the topping.
Nut-free Option: Use a nut-free brownie base, such as my keto coconut flour brownies. Then skip the almonds and enjoy some delicious Mounds Brownies!
Sweetener Options
As noted, the brownies do have a different texture when you use a different sweetener. But it’s absolutely possible to do so, and you can use whatever you like best. Do note that if you use allulose, you will likely not have to add any additional liquid to the batter.
I highly recommend allulose for the filling, as it provides the right soft, gooey texture, but you could also use BochaSweet. If you use something like Swerve Confectioners, the filling will set more firmly, although it will still be delicious.
Other sweeteners can be used in the chocolate ganache as well but again, the consistency could change. I have found that using only allulose can make it become gloppy and not smooth, so I used a combination.
More delicious brownie creations
Keto Almond Joy Brownies
Equipment
Ingredients
Brownies
- 1 recipe ultimate keto brownies (omit the chocolate chips)
Coconut Filling
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- ⅓ cup allulose sweetener
- ¼ teaspoon glucomannan or xanthan gum
- 1 ¾ cup finely shredded coconut
- ½ tsp coconut extract or vanilla extract
Chocolate Topping
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped
- 2 tablespoon Swerve Confectioners
- 1 tablespoon allulose sweetener
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 9×9 inch metal baking pan with parchment, leaving overhanging sides for easy removal. Lightly grease the parchment.
- Prepare the brownie batter as directed and pour into the prepared pan, spreading to the edges. Bake about 15 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still seems a tiny bit wet.
- Remove and let cool completely in the pan.
Coconut Filling
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the cream and sweetener. Bring to simmer and reduce the heat to medium low. Continue to cook, whisking frequently, 5 to 10 minutes or until the mixture is a little more syrupy.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the glucomannan, then stir in the shredded coconut and the extract until well combined. At this point, the mixture should have a frosting consistency. If it's too thin, whisk in another ¼ teaspoon of glucomannan.
- Spread the filling evenly over the cooled brownies, all the way to the edges. Press 16 almonds into the filling at evenly spaced intervals. Chill 30 minutes to help firm up the filling.
Chocolate Topping
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to a simmer. Once simmering, remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let sit 5 minutes to melt.
- Add the sweeteners and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth. If it's very thin, give it a few moments to thicken up a bit. Then pour over the coconut filling, spreading evenly to cover the almonds.
- Refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes, until the chocolate topping is set.
Kim Lorenz Blower says
Question, in the recipe it says unsweetened chocolate. Is it really unsweetened or no sugar chocolate! Thanks, these look greaat!
Carolyn says
Unsweetened means 0 sweetener at all. “Sugar free” or “no sugar added” means chocolate that is sweetened without real sugar.
Kim Lorenz Blower says
Thanks, I will def try these! Well, as soon as I can get some unsweetened chocolate! 🙂
Pegi Fuller says
So frustrated! Love your recipes but can’t get to the one I want! Almond Joy Brownies
I have read the blog I have clicked on the Swerve site. Where the heck is the recipe.
You shouldn’t make it so difficult to actually get a recipe,
I am about to give up!
Carolyn says
Sorry, not sure what’s up with the Swerve website. Here you go: https://swervesweet.com/recipes/almond-joy-brownies
Y says
I like that you respond to everyone. Your great….
Carolyn says
Thanks!
Annalise says
Where is the recipe????
Carolyn says
Click the link that says “Please see my…”
pam says
I attempted to access the link, but it said it was broken. I’d love to see this recipe, but unfortunately you didn’t put it on this page.
Elisabeth says
I’ve made this once before, about a year ago. If memory serves me correctly, it wasn’t a hit – I overcooked the brownie portion and my ganache didn’t cover the entire pan. Well, I made it again today, and the difference was night and day!
For the brownie portion, I used 1/2 cup granular Swerve and 1/2 cup erythritol, for no other reason than economy (I have a 3 lb bag of erythritol). I baked it for exactly 22 minutes – the center was still a tad jiggly after 20.
For the filling, I made 50% more than the recipe called for. I prefer Mounds to Almond Joy so I skipped the almonds.
For the ganache, I made 25% more than the original recipe. There was plenty to cover the entire pan, plus some left over to dip some cooked bacon slices in and have chocolate covered bacon. 🙂
The end result was heavenly!! Very rich and decadent! I’m so glad that I tried the recipe again – it’s officially become my favorite low carb dessert!
Carolyn says
Well so glad to hear it! Thanks for sticking it out. 😉
jackie says
I am new to THM and am trying to collect some recipes to get started…would this be THM compatible? Maybe an S? These look so yummy!!!
Carolyn says
Yes, it would. Almost everything I do is an S Recipe. 🙂
Amy says
Hi there 🙂 I have made the recipe and it came out amazingly well! The whole family absolutely loved it, the only problem was that it made so much! I’d really like to halve the recipe and I’m not sure whether to use 2 or 3 eggs. Conversely if I make up a full batch can part of it be frozen? If so that would solve the egg problem as have no doubt the kids approve of a stash of frozen brownie slices awaiting their convenience.
Thanks for the recipe!
Amy
Carolyn says
When I want to halve a recipe like this, I usually do something like 2 eggs and one egg white. That might work. But I think they should be able to freeze well too.
Estrela says
Hi Carolyn. I guess one could use xylitol instead too?
Tracy says
I would love to know the answer to this as well, thanks
Carolyn says
I don’t know, I didn’t try it. It’s certainly worth a try.
Sandra says
I made the Almond Joy Brownies last night using 1/3 of the recipe. It was delicious. Caroline, thank you for the wonderful recipe.
The number of eggs needed came into question since the recipe called for 5 eggs. (Should I use 1 egg and more water, 2 eggs and less water, or 1 egg and 1 yolk?) I used 2 eggs. The brownie was lighter than many brownies, more cakey. It was delicious.
A note to people reducing the recipe for fewer servings: Something fun about making 1/3 of this recipe was the new pan that I used. It was a really odd size. I had never seen one like it before I found this one at the back of a shelf. It was 2 ¾” by 12 ¼”. – – Close to 1/3 the size of the 9” by 13” the original recipe uses. It was perfect for this recipe. The pan brand is Borcam. It is probably a European brand. The user’s guide referred to use in a cooker or gas hob.
Hope says
I would like to thank you for posting this recipe on my 50th birthday! I know we’re now a week+ past, that’s okay I’m going to make this little gift today for Oscar Night and enjoy being fifty and fabulous!
Paul says
Good on you and your choco/coco/almond tooth!
Linda says
Carolyn, these that’s amazing. This is the first chocolate/brownie recipe that I’ve tried, that has a balance of sweetness and texture. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. Linda.
Meritxell says
Hi Carolyn, I’m new on LCHF and I’m not still used at things like xantham gum. I’m pretty sure that I can bought it on the Internet but here, in a small village in Catalonia) I could not find it. May I use gelatin instead?
Carolyn says
Not sure that gelatin would give you the right consistency. It should be thick but still creamy…not gelled.
Lauren Kelly Nutrition says
You, my friend are an absolute genius! These look amazing and I can’t believe they are low carb! Great job!
Katie says
Just wondering if these freeze well? Thanks in advance!
Carolyn says
They will do pretty well, but I think the ganache might recrystallize a bit. CAn’t say for sure because we didn’t freeze them, we ate them too fast!
Hanna says
Wow your recipes Carolyn, sooo good!
It´s such a shame that when you post your recipes on swerve sweetener they cant be printed or saved, can’t you tell them to sort their website out? 😉
Carolyn says
You can easily cut and paste, but I also know that they are working on a new site design so why don’t you email them and put in that request? They love reader emails!
Vicki says
This link has a printable version: http://www.swervesweetener.com/recipes/almond-joy-brownies/
Unfortunately it doesn’t have Carolyn’s great intro. And it confused me at first, since it has another name (Sarah?) on the top of the page.
Vicki says
* Sorry, I meant the original link on this page seemed to have another name on the page.
Kate says
OMG Carolyn, I have relatives in Canada that have lived there for a generation on one side, and generations on the other, and they say they feel like they’re from another “planet”, so don’t feel bad ! You crack me up 🙂 I really do look forward to your blog email every morning. Not only do I get something fun to make, but you always make me laugh.
This looks great ! I think I have everything I need to make this over the weekend.
For the heavy/whipping cream gal; in the US, they’re the same thing. In Canada, (like UK), maybe not so much, lol !
Carolyn says
Thanks, Kate. I still think Almond Joy is a complete misnomer!
Vicki says
That explains why people ask if they can use heavy vs. whipping cream. I am from the US and always wondered why, since I have always considered them the same thing.
Julie says
Since you are not actually whipping the cream for the ganache, does it really matter if you use heavy cream rather than whipping cream? Simplifying the shopping list, buying bigger volumes of one item rather than two are good goals. Bigger volumes are often cheaper and certainly fridge space is at a premium, with the taller larger volume taking up half the shelf space in the fridge than 2 separate products would.
Will be trying this today!
Carolyn says
No, sorry. I have a tendency to use those two interchangeably so either is fine in both filling and topping.
Julius Minor says
These look delicious!… Quick question… I see the sweetener is being sold on amazon. If I wanted to make these today, can I use Stevia instead? If so, how much should I use? i guess I feel like a nut today…lol… Thanks!
Carolyn says
Swerve measures like sugar so you can replace it with however much of your stevia equals sugar. The problem is that your filling and your topping may be on the thin side with stevia. For the ganache topping, you could add a tbsp or two of cocoa powder to thicken. The filling may need a touch more xanthan gum. I personally find stevia a little bitter when on its own with chocolate so this would not be my choice as a sweetener.
Vicki says
Julius, I’ve always bought Swerve online, but I just saw a mention of them being available in Stop N Shop supermarkets (I think on their website). I never remember seeing it there, but last night I looked around and found 1 lb. bags of granulated Swerve in the Natural Foods/Gluten free aisle. This was in NJ, but maybe it’s available in your area somewhere?
chris says
I usually buy most of my food items, other than produce of course, on Vita-Cost. However, Walmart has the cheapest price on swerve that I have found anywhere. They even beat Vita-Cost, so I buy it there now. Can’t wait to try these brownies!