You'll love these decadent flourless brownies! Made with absolutely no flour of any kind, they are brimming with intense chocolate flavor and fudginess.
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Decadent Flourless Brownies
Are flourless brownies gluten free? If they contain only gluten-free ingredients, yes.
In this flourless brownies recipe, not only is there absolutely no flour of any kind in this brownie, but what substitutes for flour is pure cocoa powder.
I came up with this idea after looking at Rachel Ray's recipe for one pot brownies. I figured if Rachel's brownies were quite good with ⅓ cup of flour in them, they'd be even better with more cocoa powder instead.
This level of chocolate is not for the faint of heart. If you do not love chocolate, back away from your screen and try to forget you ever saw this. You have been warned.
(If you're really afraid of dark chocolate, I suggest you try these Incredible White Chocolate Brownies instead.)
For brownies, I like to use natural cocoa powder because of its robust and fruity flavor. You'll find Ghirardelli cocoa in my kitchen most of the time.
But if you prefer a Dutch process cocoa, Valrhona makes one of the best. (I actually prefer Dutch cocoa over natural cocoa for making ice cream.)
Since these flourless brownies are so decadent and sophisticated, I thought they would go perfectly with this week's Sunday Supper Movement theme, Red Carpet Party Recipes. That's the kind of food that goes well with flashbulbs, haute couture, and shiny little statuettes.
If these brownies were a celebrity, they'd be Angelina Jolie when she was hanging out with Billy Bob Thorton: intense, dark, and just a bit dangerous.
Have you ever had a dessert you can describe like a celebrity? Tell me about it!
If you enjoyed this post, please give it a share on your favorite social media- and don't forget to check out all the other #SundaySupper Red Carpet Party recipes located below this recipe!
I hope you like these gluten free, flourless brownies! They're one of my most popular recipes.
Tips for Making Flourless Brownies
- So much of the flavor relies on the cocoa that it's essential to choose a good one. See my recommendations above.
- Measuring when brownies are done is not the same as measuring when a cake is done. Use this brownie doneness test to get it right every time.
- Similar to the cocoa, the butter influences the flavor, too. I like Land O'Lakes butter for its reliability. You can also give these brownies an interesting twist by using a more strongly flavored butter, such as Plugra, for a European touch.
- I always line my brownie pans with parchment paper. Over time, I've gotten the knack of tucking a whole piece of paper in the pan so that it comes up the sides perfectly, but if you just want to cover the bottom of the pan without dealing with trying to make it come up the sides, there's a simple solution. Place your pan on the paper. Use a pencil to trace the bottom, then cut out your tracing. Voila! Place it in the pan and it will fit perfectly.
Be sure to check out my guide to gluten free chocolate candy, too!
Decadent Flourless Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 and prepare an 8 inch square pan by lining it with parchment paper or foil.
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Place the sugar and the melted butter in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition. Stir in the salt and the vanilla extract, then set aside the whisk.
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Add the cocoa powder and stir in gently with a spoon or spatula, making sure to scrape down the bowl as you go so that the mixture is fully incorporated.
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Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with moist crumbs but no wet batter attached. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes on a rack, then use the liner to lift out the brownies and set them on the rack to finish cooling.
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Nominees for Best Supporting Appetizers:
- Beef Sliders with Sautéed Mushrooms, Onions, Bleu Cheese and Bacon by Crazy Foodie Stunts
- Black and White Olive Cheese Puffs by Peaceful Cooking
- Cheddar Olives by Jane's Adventures in Dinner
- Chicken Boursin by Recipes Food and Cooking
- Citrus Avocado Shrimp Cocktail by Seduction in the Kitchen
- French Onion Sliders by Momma's Meals
- Herbed Butter and Cheese Popcorn by Kudos Kitchen by Renee
- Italian Guacamole with Pesto by Food Done Light
- Lobster Bruschetta by The Texan New Yorker
- Melon and Prosciutto Skewers by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Mini Cheese Balls by Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
- Moroccan Beef Kefta Briouat by Manu's Menu
- Mushroom Pate by Lifestyle Food Artistry
- Oysters Rockfeller by Noshing With The Nolands
- Pea Pesto Crostini by Ruffles & Truffes
- Prosciutto Wrapped Shrimp by Casa de Crews
- Raspberry Brie Bites by Love and Confections
- Roasted Red Pepper Pinwheels by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Smoked Trout Stuffed Baby New Potatoes by Food Lust People Love
- Spinach Bites by Shockingly Delicious
- Sweet Chili Chicken Skewers by Nosh My Way
Nominees for Best Course in a Leading Role:
- Broccoli Calzones by eating in instead
- Bow Ties and Tails Galore by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
- Chicken Oscar by Palatable Pastime
- Indulgent Lobster-Champagne Risotto by The Weekend Gourmet
- Oscar Worthy Cantonese Lobster with Coconut-Ginger Rice by Confessions of a Culinary Diva
Nominees for Best Supporting Sips:
- Apple Ginger Martini by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
- Blood Orange Rosemary Spritzer by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
- Cherry Almond Sparklers by Magnolia Days
- Iced Espresso Martini by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
- Mixed Berry Martini by The Messy Baker
- Oscartini by Family Foodie
- Red Carpet Sparkler by Rhubarb and Honey
- Thank You Peary Much by Sew You Think You Can Cook
Nominees for Best Delectable Desserts:
- 7-Layer Bark by Take A Bite Out of Boca
- Caramel-Almond Latte Ricotta Cookies by What Smells So Good?
- Champagne Truffles by Brunch with Joy
- Chocolate Covered Cherries by Peanut Butter and Peppers
- Decadent Flourless Brownies by Recipe for Perfection
- Edible Oscars Envelopes by Sunday Supper Movement
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Crumble Peanut Butter Mousse Parfait Cups by Wallflour Girl
- Imitation Game Guinness Brownies by NinjaBaker.com
- Mini Strawberry Galette by Basic N Delicious
- Mini Strawberry & Chocolate Cheesecakes by Happy Baking Days
- No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake Shooters by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Popcorn Puppy Chow by Pies and Plots
- Sweet and Salty Popcorn Ball Bites by The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch
- Tuxedo Cake by The Redhead Baker
Nominees for Best Dressed Table:
- DIY Glitter Vases by Sunday Supper Movement
Remember the old pictures of this brownie? I do!
Perfect Brownies! I want to try using pure maple syrup instead of sugar, but, my husband and I love these and I'm afraid of wasting a batch. Thanks for sharing this recipe. Have you thought about converting it to make single serve mug brownie, microwave recipe?
Maple syrup is interesting- it adds water, which can make brownies go a bit cakey, but it's also quite sticky... so I can't predict how the recipe would perform. It would certainly be an interesting experiment. I really should convert this to a mug brownie recipe, because I often want to eat these without having a big pan of leftovers, tempting me to eat the rest. 🙂
I TOTALLY understand! My husband told me to double the recipe and make a 9x13 last night. .lol.. I'll let you know if I try the maple syrup idea. Also, I figure if you take your recipe and kinda do a 1/3.. ..until you come up with a single serve mug version, the 1/3 would probably make 3-6 of those silicone cupcake sized brownies, depending on how full you make them. 1 egg, 1/2 stick butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa, 1/2 tsp vanilla, pinch salt..? Thanks again!
Can I use salted butter instead?
Yes, definitely. You can omit the salt or just use a little sprinkle.
These brownies are delicious! I used Swerve and it is 1:1. They turned out great!
Just made these brownies and they are perfect! I lined my glass pan with aluminum foil that I greased with butter and dusted with cocoa powder, and baked them for 30 minutes. Love how simple the recipe is -- most gluten-free recipes are very fussy.
Yay! So glad you like them. They are my signature brownies and I'm very proud of them! 🙂
These are fantastic! I added a double shot of espresso to them, and they came out slightly more cakey but still very decadent. I think the espresso intensified the chocolate flavour if anything. Thankyou so much!
Yay! I'm so glad you like the recipe. It's my favorite brownie recipe of all time. I loooove espresso (I actually have an espresso machine that I use every day... twice a day really!) and will have to throw in a shot some time. 🙂
The perfect flourless brownie. I did a modification and used a stick of butter + 2 Tbsp of Crisco butter, used only 1 c. sugar, 1 c. unsweetened coca and added chocolate chips to the batter. It was decadent and moist. Great recipe!
Hi, I made these brownies for my sister who is gluten intolerant and they were wonderful! I then decided to tweak things for those of us who are calorie conscious and replaced the sugar with sucrose based sweetener and the butter for Apple Sauce using the same quantities. I am happy to say my little experiment worked out and they still tasted fantastic at only 145 Calories each. Thank you so much for your original recipe which inspired me!!
Hooray! I love it when substitutions work out. 🙂 If she is gluten intolerant, she may also enjoy my sorghum flour pancakes- they're a family favorite!
what'st he best way to store these how long do they stay fresh?
Sealed in an airtight container at room temperature is best. They stay fresh for days.
Mine came out as a dry batter like a sticky dough. Made cookies out of it and it was terrible. Really dry, bitter. Realised I didn’t understand the tablespoon of butter, so my butter was too little. I also swapped with brown sugar and used 1/2 cup lesses to be healthy (bad idea). I wasted my whole bag of cocoa 🙁
It's 1 and a half sticks of butter, but I measure with tablespoons because many folks don't know what a "stick" of butter is. Sorry yours didn't turn out! I hope you get to try them again some time- they really are my most popular and requested brownies.
These are the Ultimate Brownies ever made!! Shared with others and they raved over these as well!!!!
Before baking I topped with coarse sea salt!!!! Outrageously ridiculous!!!!!!!
Will definitely make again. Wondering how sugar could be reduced though... any suggestions????
You can reduce the sugar 1/4 cup at a time and see how it goes. That's what I do when I'm testing how low I can go with sugar in a recipe.
These are my go-to brownie recipe and I’m not even GF. I usually make them with coconut oil in place of the butter just to pretend they’re healthier (and make them dairy-free). I always add chocolate chips and have successfully made them as mini muffin brownie bites! Be warned: they are VERY chocolate, but fix my chocolate craving every time!
These brownies are amazing and I have made many brownie recipes over the years. They are also the easiest and a true pleasure to make. They are indeed very rich and chocolaty but if that’s not to your liking then you should probably not be making brownies anyway! The crackle top is also tops. This is my new go-to recipe.
I have a question. I have a cheesecake recipe that calls for a boxed brownie mix as the crust which you bake according to the box directions. After brownies are done you put the cheesecake mixture on top and put back in the oven (believe it or not this does not further cook the brownies). Do you think this would work as a base for Passover since I can’t use regular boxed brownie mixes and the Passover ones are horrible?
I'll admit I'm surprised it doesn't further cook the brownies, but this recipe should work just as well as the box mix. Good luck!
I was surprised too. It was a Pinterest recipe and a big hit in my house
Here’s the link:
https://www.simplystacie.net/brownie-bottom-cheesecake/
This is now my go-to brownie recipe! SO good! I am going to make a batch for a crowd-can I double the recipe and bake in a 9x13 pan? Thank you!
Yes, you can! 🙂
I need to double the recipe but 24 T of butter seems like a lot for a 9x13. Are they not greasy with that much butter?
They're very thick brownies. Almost double the usual height. So that accounts for what seems like a whole lot of butter. 🙂
Hey, Katie! I've been really wanting to make these brownies as I don't really have any flour rn, but I also don't have any butter. Do you think it would turn out okay if I used vegetable oil instead of butter? 😭
Since I haven't tested this recipe with oil, I'm going to err on the safe side and say that, personally, I wouldn't swap in oil for butter. You might end up with a greasy taste. Some box mixes use oil, but those typically have flour, and enough flour to soak up the oil so it's not greasy. Hope this helps!