How To Make Paleo Brownies

I admit that I don’t subscribe to any particular diet — not Paleo, not keto, and I’m not even doing a Whole30 this year. However, I’m always looking to lower the amount of refined flour and refined sugar that my family eats every week because for us, moderation is the key to sustaining a healthy diet.

Now, I’m not going to try and sell you on any health benefits from a brownie because these brownies are just damn delicious. The fact that they happen to be grain-, gluten-, and refined sugar-free has no bearing on their cake-like interior and crisp edges.

The real trouble is how easy they are to make, as they require just one bowl and readily available ingredients.

These brownies were born out of a request from a friend who follows a mostly Paleo diet. Paleo folks eat mostly whole foods — including nuts and natural sweeteners — but not legumes. Paleo baked goods generally rely on coconut or almond flour and use honey or maple syrup as the sweetener. Cocoa is fair game, but you’ll want to pick up Paleo-friendly dark chocolate chips (the Enjoy Life brand is our go-to) or skip them here if you’re following a strict Paleo protocol.

The real boon of Paleo brownies is that they happen to be flourless and refined sugar-free.

• This recipe calls for coconut flour, which is incredible absorbent. Swapping it for almond flour won’t be a 1:1 exchange and you’ll likely need about twice as much.
• Not all chocolate chips are Paleo, but we’ve had great success buying and baking with Enjoy Life chips.

• Use coconut flour. You’ll see that many Paleo brownies call for almond flour or coconut flour. Coconut flour is my go-to for these brownies because it is very absorbent, giving the brownies a cake-like texture when baked. Another reason to skip the almond flour here is fat: The fat in almond flour makes for a slightly greasy brownie. Keep in mind that if you try to sub almond flour for the coconut flour, you’ll want more of the almond flour and less coconut oil.
• Mix the dry into the wet. These brownies follow a pretty classic “quick bread” mixing method, meaning that the wet and dry ingredients are mixed separately and then brought together. Because these brownies are flourless, there’s no need to worry about overmixing.
• The batter will be a bit thin. Coconut flour is very absorbent, but it takes a few minutes for it to get to work. Don’t worry if the batter seems thin going into the pan.

When the brownies are slightly cooled, use the parchment paper liner to lift them onto a cutting board and cut into nine pieces. The brownies will keep best stored in the fridge for up to a week.