Rich chocolate gluten-free brownies with sugar-free German Chocolate topping. A low carb dessert lover’s dream!
This is the final instalment in my Viking Cruise series and it was meant to come much earlier. But the holidays got in the way, so better late than never! Check out Part 1 (Hungary) and Part 2 (Austria) if you need to refresh your memory.
One of the things that Viking does very well is to time the cruise so that you are asleep during much of the “boring parts” of the Danube. So after leaving the beautiful town of Melk and the gorgeous scenery of the Wachau Valley in Austria, we arrived in Passau, Germany the next morning. This colourful, hilly town is at the confluence of three rivers: the Danube, the Inn and the Ilz. Being surrounded by water on several sides, it’s has sustained some major floods over the years. The town hall, or the “rathaus” has markers going up a least 20 feet, showing the high water marks. The last major flood was in 2013 and there was still visible damage on the houses in the town.
We had the opportunity to hear the impressive (and impressively loud!) organ played in St. Stephen’s Cathedral, and then we sat down with a few friends to enjoy authentic German sausages and beer at a small beer garden in town. We had been told to return to the ship by 3pm so that we could head on our way to our next stop at Regensburg, and this is where our tour went a little awry. We headed back to the ship on time, only to see a sign saying that because of low water concerns, we wouldn’t be heading out until 9pm that evening. So we had a few extra hours to enjoy Passau, and my husband and I decided we would go for a run to get a little exercise and work off our sausages.
It was an unbearably hot day, very still and humid, but later that afternoon it really seemed like it was going to rain. Dark clouds gathered and the wind picked up and everyone hoped this meant some more water for the Danube. But it was not to be, the rain held off and the skies cleared up. And the next morning, we docked not in Regensburg, but in a little town called Vilshofen, and from there we were bussed to our tour. We had quite a quick morning tour of Regensburg, which is a shame because it’s a lovely place and I would have liked to explore it a bit further.
But we were off to Kelheim for lunch, where I had what might have been the best meal of the trip at the Schneider Weisse brewery: a gorgeous roast pork with the most perfect piece of crackling on top. I wish I’d taken a photo of that for my fellow pork lovers! After lunch was a boat tour of the Danube Gorge and a visit to Weltenburg Abbey, another gorgeous Monastery. I will admit to feeling a little “abbeyed out” at that point. You see so many striking buildings and churches and monuments, you start to weary of them a bit and they all begin to run together in your head. Still, I wouldn’t change the tour up to that point for anything.
We were bussed back to our ship, which was still docked in Vilshofen, and there we received the bad news. The water in the Danube was simply too low to continue. We were meant to have a tour of Nuremberg and then fly out the following day, but they could not risk sailing any further.
Here’s where it gets complicated. Because some people had very early flights out of Nuremberg, Viking said that they were willing to bus all of those people the three hours to Nuremberg and put them up in a hotel. The rest of us, however, were not given that option. We were to stay aboard the ship in Vilshofen. We could still tour Nuremberg if we wanted, but it required a 3 hour trip there and a 3 hour trip back to the ship. Otherwise, we could explore the (tiny) town of Vilshofen, and finally be bussed to Nuremberg for our flights on the final day.
My husband and I tried to make the best of it, but we were frustrated with our options, neither of which were particularly appealing. We were surprised that Viking was not willing to put up everyone at a hotel in Nuremberg, given the low water situation. We decided not to be bussed back and forth to Nuremberg for the tour, because we would have make the 3-hour journey yet again on the last day to catch our flights. I will confess, it was not a great end to what had been, to that point, a great trip. It felt like quite a letdown and I was left feeling somewhat disappointed.
Friends and family ask me now would I do a Viking trip again, even with this snafu? Yes, I would. Not right away, because organizing care for our three little ones was a bit of a logistical nightmare. But I would absolutely consider another tour in the future. Overall, Viking does a great wonderful job of everything. The food was amazing, the city tours were well run and informative, and the crew members were always helpful and courteous. And cruising slowly up or down large waterways is a spectacular way to see the world (as long as those waterways contain enough water!). And for this busy couple of three young kids, it was such a wonderful way to spend some time along together. Our Romantic Danube trip is one I will hold in my heart for a long time to come.
For a low carb recipe to symbolize Germany, I waffled between Bavarian Cream (because we were in Bavaria, after all) or German Chocolate. German chocolate won out because, well…pecans, caramel, and coconut. How can you not go with that? I’d never made German Chocolate before but it was so easy to make a low carb version. These brownies were heavenly and now I am addicted to German Chocolate topping. Expect to see it again soon!
- 1 1/3 cup almond flour
- 1 cup Swerve Sweetener more if you like it sweeter
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped
- 5 large eggs
- 1/4 cup to 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup Swerve Sweetener
- 1/4 cup salted butter cut into 4 pieces
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2/3 cup chopped pecans lightly toasted
- 1 tsp coconut flour
- 1 1/2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate melted
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Preheat oven to 300F and grease a 9x13 inch baking pan well.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
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In a medium saucepan, melt butter and unsweetened chocolate together over low heat, stirring until smooth. Add to almond flour mixture.
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Stir in eggs and vanilla extract until well combined. Add just enough water to make the batter pourable. Pour batter into prepared baking pan and smooth the top.
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Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until just set in the center. 25 minutes for more fudgy brownies, 30 minutes for more cakey brownies. Remove and let cool completely.
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In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cream, egg yolks, sweetener, and butter. Cook until thickened, about 10 minutes.
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Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, coconut, and pecans. Sprinkle surface with coconut flour and whisk briskly to combine (this helps the butter not settle out).
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Spread topping over cooled brownies and drizzle with melted chocolate. Let set 20 minutes before cutting into bars.
Serves 25. Each serving has 2.3 g NET CARBS.
Food energy: 194kcal
Total fat: 17.49g
Calories from fat: 157
Cholesterol: 73mg
Carbohydrate: 5.27g
Total dietary fiber: 2.97g
Protein: 4.29g
Marcia says
My absolute all time favorite cake – always had for my birthday. Can’t wait to try your version and enjoy it again.
It is not actually German, rather is named after Samuel German
“Contrary to popular belief, German chocolate cake did not originate in Germany. Its roots can be traced back to 1852 when American Samuel German developed a type of dark baking chocolate for the American Baker’s Chocolate Company. The brand name of the product, Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate, was named in honor of him.”
Carolyn says
Haha, good to know. But in the end, it still works for this post about Germany!
Cici says
I am SO making these!!
Jeni says
My daughter has been begging for German Chocolate something for eons so she will be thrilled with this! However, I don’t have Swerve sweetener – if I was going to use Splenda in place, would it be an equal exchange? (I’m not sure how Swerve converts normally). Thanks!!
Carolyn says
You can try, but I am not sure how it will work. You can sub the sweetener 1:1 if you are using Splenda Baking Blend.
Holly Waterfall says
German Chocolate topping is my absolute favorite. I could eat it by the spoonful… and well, I totally have.
I have heard great things about the Viking Tours… such a bummer about how it ended for you guys though. I’m sure next time will be better 🙂
Bethany @ Athletic Avocado says
German chocolate cake is my favorite cake by far! Making them into brownies and being low carb is simply incredible! They look amazing!
janet says
When I was twelve years old my father got a temporary assignment and we all moved to London. It was a life changing experience and made me a history buff for life
I loved it , everything was so OLD and there was so much history to see everyday, .We knew we would only be there for 2 years, so we decided to see Britain the first year and the continent the second, we went a few places on the continent, skiing in Austria, tulips in Holland but I missed out on most of Europe cause he finished the job in one year and we moved back to the US, I have always felt cheated because I never got to visit so many places I wanted to see.
I would love to go on one of these cruises and it helps so much knowing someone who can give us first hand information about it.
Thanks for that and I hope you get to take another trip soon.
Carolyn says
Thanks, Janet!
Sandy says
I made this today with sunflower meal instead of almond flour. It got a huge thumbs up from the family. Thank you, Carolyn!
Carolyn says
Wonderful!
Joan Springer says
I can’t figure out what is going wrong: I have triple checked the recipe and I followed exactly, but my batter was very runny and didn’t need smoothing. I’ve baked for 35 minutes now and the edges are set but that is all. Still in the oven. oven 300 and 3/4 cup water in the recipe seem to me to be the likely problem, but that’s what it says. Any ideas? I did use a wire whip to combine the eggs, vanilla and water before I added to the recipe.
Carolyn says
2 things: 1. what brand of almond flour did you use? And 2. Could be that your oven runs cooler.
I’ve used this brownie base multiple times so I know it does work.
Barbara Loeding says
Carolyn’s recipe says 1/4 to 3/4 cup water..enough to make the batter pourable. Too much water would be my guess
Melissa says
Same exact experience. The batter was brownie-like before the water. I should have followed my instinct and omitted the water. 🙁
I use Honeyville almond flour.
Carolyn says
Good to know, but it’s the same recipe I have used several times. I am going to amend it a bit here and say to add only enough water to have a spreadable consistency, based on this feedback.
Joan Springer says
I used Anthony’s superior blanched, and my oven is new, has been spot on on other recipes, on the least amount of time given.
Carolyn says
Did you see my response to the other person who mentioned this? The thing with baking is that there are far too many variables, it could even be the cocoa powder. So I have adjusted the recipe to make the water variable depending on what the batter is like. How did they end up turning out?
Joan Springer says
I took them out at 39 minutes, just set in the middle, so they are more like fudge. I was afraid they would be overdone and dry if I left in longer. Very rich, still good, but with that crystalized crunch when the sugar hasn’t really melted. I think I’ll cut them into 1 inch cubes and freeze as the larger brownies are too much crunch. I’ll try again with new directions.
Carolyn says
You made them with sugar or with a low carb sweetener?
Joan Springer says
i use Swerve.
Janet Bain says
The recipe also says 1/4 to 3/4 cup water….I measured 3/4 cups but started slowly adding it and only needed a little more than 1/4 cup…that may be your problem.
Rachel says
Can I use THM baking blend instead of almond flour? If so, how much?
Carolyn says
I think for this recipe, you can replace it cup for cup and then just add more of the water. Baking blend tends to be drier than almond flour.
Rachel says
Thank you! I’m going to try it today 🙂
Rachel says
Carolyn, Thank you so much!!!! I used 1-3/4 c THM baking blend and went ahead and added another 1/4 c water to the recipe. I bake for 25 minutes ( I like my brownies fudgie). They turned out wonderful!!! My husband liked them 🙂 I took some to church and my fellow THMamas loved them and some non-THMen.
P.S. I used Pyure instead of Swerve. I can’t find Swerve in my town, but Pyure is great 🙂
Pam says
I can’t wait to try these. They sound delicious! I have tried (in other recipes calling for Swerve) Sukrin sweetener with a few drops (to taste) of Omica Organic Liquid Stevia. Hubby and I have not noticed any aftertaste (bitter or cooling) and the taste is wonderful. Sukrin has granulated, powdered and a brown sugar varieties. It’s a little expensive, but it is good. I believe it is an erithrytol/stevia blend and not quite as sweet as Swerve, but the Omica stevia helps boost it a little.
I love your recipes. We have a whole folder full of your recipes that we use all the time. Thank you!
Pam
Susan Lager says
Hi Carolyn,
As someone new in the last 18 months to the “Wheatbelly” (low carb, no wheat, sugar-free)
lifestyle, I’ve really enjoyed your blog immensely. Your sense of humor slays me, your personal anecdotes are full of life, and your recipes are fabulous. (I’m a bit of a recipe snob, having “de-toxed” from Bon Appetit and Gourmet).
By the time I’d found you online I’d already lost about 44 pounds on the “Wheatbelly” plan, and experienced lessening symptoms of asthma and acid reflux. But, I had foregone a lot of cooking and baking, which was a loss to me. I hadn’t found wheat-free, sugarless recipes which called to me. But your recipes have been calling loudly, often in the middle of the night, or when I’m supposed to be doing book work for my private psychotherapy practice! I’ve been like a junkie on crack.
But that’s not the problem…. I’m worried that even though the recipes are low carb, they’re very
high in calories, (which I still need to count for portion control and staying conscious). I, like many people, have never been successful counting carbs only. I’m afraid I’ll regain the weight eating your yummy treats unless I eat bird portions.
How do you cook and bake all this stuff without becoming a whale? You mention that you’re a runner, so as someone who works out daily, I know that the exercise is a critical component in
the process. Do you eat infinitesimal portions of this stuff or do you run for hours each day to offset the caloric intake?
Would it be possible for you to develop some more recipes using Cassava flour (Otto’s is great), and less shortening to lower the calorie load inherent in almond flour and butter? I imagine it would also be more heart healthy to have less butter or coconut oil in these goodies. I’d LOVE it if you could, as I don’t know enough about the chemistry involved to make especially baked goods work. You would also probably the first site to include low carb, heart healthy, AND low calorie recipes all rolled into one. I hope you can help!
In the meantime, thanks for all your creativity, inspiration and feistiness!
A devoted new fan,
Susan Lager
Carolyn says
Hi Susan, Thanks for all your thoughts.
First off, no I don’t eat infinitesimal portions of my treats, but I do have a family of 5 so they go quickly. Plus my neighbours and friends like them too! But I do try to keep treats as “treats” and I don’t eat them all day long. Most of the day, I am filling up on protein, fat and veggies. And the fat component is critical to a low carb high fat lifestyle, as it’s what keeps you full and not craving something else. Most people who truly embrace this lifestyle find that they don’t eat any more calories than someone on a low fat diet, because they are more full and (more importantly) satiated by what they eat. So if you eat one of my muffins, you are good to go, whereas other muffins might leave you wanting to eat two…and then you’ve ended up eating more calories and more carbs.
I can’t use Cassava flour, it is much too high carb for my blood sugar. And I firmly believe that it is NOT healthier to consume lower calorie and lower fat things, not for your heart or your brain or any other important part of you. I think you should read “The Big Fat Surprise”…it might change your mind about the idea that lower fat is better for your heart. While I am not a doctor or a nutritionist, and I don’t give out advice on how people should eat, I feel strongly that we’ve had it all wrong about nutrition for a long, long time. That’s why our society is fatter and sicker than ever!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451624433/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1451624433&linkCode=as2&tag=aldaidrabfo05-20&linkId=SYYPOH7VMQLEJVSE
Susan Lager says
Thanks for your reply! I’ll get the book and open up my mind.
Lisa says
These are delicious Carolyn!These even topped the Chia seed brownies as my husband and sons favorites! So delicious. Thank you for all you do 🙂
Carolyn says
Glad to hear it!
Gale says
This recipe was a keeper. I did not add any additional water and they were perfect!
Terri says
So the chocolate drizzle is not sweetened? Doesn’t it taste bitter? (I am very sensitive to bitter so I’m thinking I should either add some swerve to the chocolate drizzle or leave it off.) Also, lately I have been mixing my swerve half and half with splenda to eliminate the cooling effect of the swerve. I would prefer not to alter the recipe if I don’t have to. Do you get a cooling effect with this recipe or do the other ingredients dilute it down enough not to be noticeable?
casey says
awesome hahaha
Sissy says
Hello Carolyn – is the 1 tsp coconut flour truly needed or is there a substitute for it? I will be making these brownies this weekend. Thanks for the recipes and your time. Sissy
Carolyn says
It helps soak up the oils and keeps the frosting from separating too much. You can try it without.
Sissy says
I bought it this morning, as will most likely need it in other recipes. But thank you much for letting me know why it’s needed. Will let you know how they turn out. Sissy
Stephanie Deal says
I made these brownies yesterday for lunch wth my Dad and we all loved them. :). They were easy to make and so yummy. Admittedly I did I use Hershey’s sugar-free chocolate chips (melted) for the chocolate drizzle and it prolly added a few carbs, but was totally worth it. Thanks for this recipe — will definitely make them again. 🙂
Carla walker says
Made these today. The batter was quite liquid before the water, so I only added a quarter cup of water, baked about 30 minutes (my oven runs hot). They taste wonderful, although the brownie part ended up more like cake, and was easy to crumble. Ill make some adjustments for next time. Thank you for the treat!
Carolyn says
I wonder if the less water and time did it. because they should be quite under-baked when you take them out of the oven and then they firm up as they cool and they are very fudgy.
Jerry S. says
Just found this recipe. I have been living low carb for a while now. This recipe rocks! Great taste and texture. One thing I would do is double the topping recipe. It didn’t cover the 9×13 pan at the depth of the brownie in the recipe picture. Still tastes awesome though. Just had a great cup of coffee with another one. OK, just one a day….maybe.
Dudley Shumate says
O. M. G!!! Just made these for my own bday, german choco my fave! Only tweak was 1 tsp chili powder and 1/2 tsp cinnamon to brownie base cuz I like my choco like that. Slightly less Swerve in both brownie and topping and took earlier reviewer’s advice and doubled topping. They are freaking AWESOME!!! Happy birthday to me! Wish I could post the picture of them here! xoxo
Carolyn says
So glad you like them!
Amelia says
What would be your recommendations for dairy-free recipe? Coconut oil and coconut milk?
Carolyn says
Yes but you may need some xanthan gum to help thicken it.
Mary Reindl-Frey says
Can you freez these? They are delicuous!
Carolyn says
I don’t know, I didn’t try. I can’t see why not!
Joan Springer says
yes, they freeze just fine.
Jeff says
Made these tonight, they were awesome!
Cindy from Texas says
Just made these. They are outstanding!! Double the icing and they are perfect. Huge hit at our house!
Barbara says
I made these for my brothers birthday this week and they were delicious. I only used 1/4 cup of water and I doubled the topping. I used Valrhona cocoa powder for the first time and the depth of chocolate flavor it added was amazing. I’ll never use Hershey’s cocoa powder again. I used the direction time for fudgy brownies and they really were like fudge especially the next day.
Thanks again Carolyn for another great recipe. My freezer is full of your delicious goodies.
Stacy says
I made these for my husband’s birthday today and can’t figure out what went wrong with the frosting part!! I ended up with basically a coated pecan/coconut mixture. It’s not spreadable. Help!!!
Carolyn says
Sounds like you cooked it until it was too thick. Did you use a different sweetener by chance? Or use too much coconut flour?
Holly says
Hi Caroline, I am a long time follower and I realllly want to make these for my bday this week but I need to be dairy free. I read through each Q&A here and saw where someone asked about coconut milk instead of cream for the icing (I do eat grass-fed butter so I would use that). I also can’t have gums as you recommended to thicken it but I did just order some Glucomannan (Konjac powder). I figured you may know a little about that b/c I know you’re type 1 and it’s low carb. Any idea if it would work and a guess as to how much to use? Thank you so much!
Holly says
Please help! I hope you see my comment and respond. Thank you!
Carolyn says
I somehow missed the earlier one. I have tried gluccomannan, although not in this recipe. But I think it would work.
Holly says
Any idea how much I should use? I’m just not familiar and I googled it and there’s not much out there for this type of thing…thanks again
Carolyn says
You only need about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon
Karen says
Hey Carolyn,
Did you ever do the Bavarian Cream? I would love that recipe. My Mom used one from Knox gelatin which, in the chocolate version, also had a bag of chocolate chips… It was my Dad and my favorite dessert. Keto wise, the heavy cream, good sugar free chocolate and sugar free sweeteners could probably make a memory for me. My Mom set a small bowl aside for Dad’s “breakfast” the next day before molding or piping the rest.
Made your thin mints today. Looking for a brownie recipe and saw these. So glad I found your site.
Carolyn says
I have not, but now I need to revisit that idea!
Susan Roberts says
Hi Carolyn,
I needed a large batch of this frosting for a 2 layer G.C. cake so I made a double batch.
I followed the recipe but after I added the coconut and pecans and coconut flour, the butter continued to separate out. So I added 1 more tsp flour and transferred the batch from the hot saucepan to a wide corning ware dish and laid it on top of a cake rack over an ice pack to get it cooled quickly. I also spread it smooth on top so there were not little valleys for the butter to gravitate toward. So far success. It is perfect in color, taste, texture. Will be frosting a 2 layer 9 inch G.C. cake.
Thanks for everything!
Carolyn says
So glad it worked out in the end. Small batch and larger batch doesn’t always translate.
Sandy Baker says
Still a thick cake batter after 32 minutes at 350 tested with an oven thermometer at the start. Added the water, 1/4 increments, total 1/2 c used. Wellbees flour. Have already frosted it. Was so excited. Have it in oven again 300 to see if it can be salvaged.