Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It NowSome people might say you can’t go wrong with brownies, but I think you can. In my book, they need to be super fudgy… which is why I worked on these low carb brownies with almond flour for a long time to get the right taste and texture. After more than half a dozen trials, I’m pretty sure this is the best keto brownies recipe I’ve ever had. Top ’em with some low carb ice cream for the ultimate keto dessert!
If you’re a brownie lover like me, you might want to try my coconut flour brownies, creamy keto cheesecake brownies, healthy zucchini brownies, or surprise avocado brownies, too. But I have to admit, the almond flour brownies recipe I’m sharing below is my absolute fave!
Why You’ll Love This Keto Brownies Recipe
- Sweet, deep chocolate flavor — with no aftertaste!
- Chewy, fudgy texture — never gritty!
- Easy to make in one bowl
- Ready in less than 30 minutes
- Just 1.7g net carbs per brownie
- Low carb, keto friendly, and gluten free
One of the reasons this is my absolute fave recipe is because it uses super-fine Wholesome Yum Almond Flour and Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend to create incredible texture and flavor, with no added sugar and ultra-low net carbs. They’re so popular that I also included them in my Easy Keto Cookbook (along with 99 other delicious, simple low carb dishes).
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for this easy keto brownie recipe, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Unsalted Butter – Just like a good keto fudge, the key to super fudgy low carb brownies is plenty of fat. That is what makes them fudgy in the first place! We use butter for the best flavor, but coconut oil would also work for a dairy-free option.
- Chocolate – Use a combination of unsweetened baking chocolate (not the sugar-free sweetened kind) and cocoa powder. We use both because they do different things. Baker’s chocolate provides a fudgy texture and moisture that cocoa powder cannot. On the other hand, cocoa powder has a much more intense chocolate flavor, which is also a must in great brownies!
- Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour – For the best texture in keto chocolate brownies, use this brand of blanched almond flour. I created it after being disappointed with the varying consistency in other brands — many are too coarse. Almond meal (which includes the skins of the almonds) will be even more coarse. Using a coarser flour makes the texture less fudgy and sometimes even gritty. Coconut flour won’t work as a substitute as it absorbs too much moisture, but if you want to use that, make these coconut flour brownies instead.
- Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – This sweetener keeps your low carb brownies smooth, not gritty, with no aftertaste and measures 1:1 like sugar. I’ve made these with erythritol in the past (in fact, that is what was listed in my first cookbook because Besti didn’t exist yet when I wrote it), but the texture using that wasn’t as smooth, the result was more dry, and sometimes they crystallized when storing. If you still want to use another sugar substitute, you can check my sweetener conversion chart to get the right amount, but you may experience the issues I mentioned with erythritol (most brands of monk fruit and stevia contain it as well).
- Eggs – Use room temperature eggs for the best keto brownie recipe. If they are cold, they will solidify the butter and the batter won’t be smooth. I haven’t tested it with egg substitutes to see if any would work, but let me know if you do.
- Vanilla Extract – Use a high quality vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Sea Salt – If you use salted butter, omit the extra salt.
- Frosting – The one thing these almond flour brownies are missing are a crackly top… but I found an easy solution: Put sugar-free chocolate frosting on top! It’s the perfect finish for this keto brownies recipe.
VARIATION: Add toppings!
Instead of topping these fudgy brownies with frosting, sprinkle them with some chopped keto nuts (such as walnuts or pecans), low carb sugar-free chocolate chips, or even sugar-free sprinkles.
How To Make Almond Flour Brownies
This section shows how to make keto brownies, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Prep. Preheat the oven. Line a baking dish with parchment paper (this pan is the perfect size), with the edges of the paper going over the sides. This will prevent sticking and ensure easy removal later.
- Melt the butter and chocolate. In a double boiler on the stove, or using short intervals in the microwave, melt butter and chocolate together until smooth. Whisk or stir occasionally while heating. Remove from heat, then stir in the vanilla extract.
- Mix the brownie batter. Add the almond flour, powdered Besti, cocoa powder, sea salt, and eggs to the melted chocolate mixture. Stir together until uniform.
- Transfer. Pour the brownie batter into the lined pan. Smooth the top with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
- Bake. Cook low carb brownies in the oven, until an inserted toothpick comes out almost clean (not completely clean — see tips below!).
- Cool. Let the keto brownies cool completely before slicing or frosting them. (They will fall apart if you try to cut them right away.)
- Make frosting. Prepare the sugar-free chocolate frosting here. (You’ll need 1/3 to 1/2 the recipe for topping the brownies.)
- Frost. Use a spatula or spreading tool to evenly distribute the frosting across the top of the keto brownie recipe.
Tips For The Best Keto Brownies
I did tons and tons of testing to bring you the best keto brownies recipe — and I want to share my discoveries with you. If you want to make sure your almond flour brownies are super fudgy, follow these tips:
- Use the right sweetener. I don’t usually emphasize this so much (I already mentioned it above), but an allulose-based sweetener like Powdered Besti is particularly critical for keto brownies to turn out fudgy, not dry.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Mix just enough to make the batter uniform, but not beyond that. Mixing the batter too much can introduce too much air. On the other hand, not mixing enough will yield an uneven result.
- Don’t pour off excess butter. You might see some butter pooling on top of the brownies when they are done. Sometimes this happens and sometimes it doesn’t, but if it does, do not pour it off, which would make the brownies dry. It will reabsorb when they cool.
- Avoid overbaking. Do not wait for a toothpick to come out clean — if you do, the brownies will be dry. Low carb brownies are done when an inserted toothpick comes out almost clean, but not quite. It should have a little batter left on it, which you can ball up between your fingers.
- Let them cool. Tempting as it may be, do not try to move, cut, or eat the brownies right away. They need to cool completely to set. If possible, let them cool and set overnight.
- Cut straight down. Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut using a straight down motion. Do not see-saw, as this can make them fall apart.
- Wipe your knife between cuts. The inside of the brownies will tend to stick to the knife. To avoid getting too much brownie stuck to the knife, simply wipe down the knife between cuts. You can even dip in water and then lightly dry between cuts, if needed.
Storage Instructions
Almond flour brownies are best stored on the counter, in an airtight container. They will last 2 to 4 days after cutting, or about 5 to 7 days uncut. If you want brownies to last even longer, here are a couple of tips:
- Place a slice of bread into the container with the keto brownie recipe. The moisture in the bread will keep the brownies fudgy for a couple days longer. Make sure to replace the slice of bread if it gets stale.
- Vacuum seal the brownies. Keeping the air out will reduce drying out. I recommend and personally use a Fresh & Save with glass containers.
Do not refrigerate keto fudge brownies. They will dry out faster, due to the lower temperature and lower humidity in the refrigerator.
Freezing Instructions:
To freeze almond flour brownies, wrap them in two layers of foil, followed by plastic wrap, and then keep in the freezer for 4-6 months. Thaw completely before unwrapping to avoid moisture loss.
Pre-cutting the brownies before freezing can be convenient, but note that keto friendly brownies may dry out more quickly if stored this way. Wrap individually if you cut them before freezing. If frozen uncut, make sure to thaw before slicing.
More Keto Chocolate Recipes
If you like these low carb keto brownies, here are more recipes to satisfy those chocolate cravings:
Tools To Make Keto Brownies
- Baking Pan – Recipe baking time is based on the size of this pan, and will vary with others.
- Double Boiler – For melting the chocolate, a double boiler ensures it won’t burn!
Keto Brownies (Super Fudgy, 1.7g Net Carbs!)
The BEST keto brownies recipe, ready in 25 minutes with 6 ingredients! Fudgy low carb almond flour brownies have just 1.7g net carbs each.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line an 8×8 in (20×20 cm) baking pan with parchment paper, with the edges of the paper over the sides.
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Melt the butter and chocolate together in a double boiler, stirring occasionally, until smooth.
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Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla extract.
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Add the almond flour, powdered Besti, cocoa powder, sea salt, and eggs. Stir together until uniform. The batter may be a little grainy looking.
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Transfer the batter to the lined pan. Smooth the top with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
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Bake for about 13-18 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out almost clean with just a little batter on it that balls up between your fingers. (Do NOT wait for it to come out totally clean.)
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Cool completely before moving or frosting. Once cooled, lift from the pan using the edges of the parchment paper.
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If desired, spread sugar-free frosting on top of the keto brownies before slicing into squares.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers (this also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site), or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 brownie (1/16 of entire recipe)
- Nutrition info does not include optional frosting and vanilla.
- This recipe was originally written with 3/4 cup butter and using granulated erythritol. It has been updated to 1/2 cup butter and using powdered sweetener instead, which in testing has created better results (more fudgy brownies). The version in my cookbook uses powdered erythritol and the version above uses powdered Besti, which creates even smoother fudge brownies. This information is here in case you prefer one of the old versions.
- Recipe from The Easy Keto Cookbook.
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
277 Comments
John Horning
06 ingredients? I count 9.
Just wondering. Looks delicious and am planning to try it.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi John, I don’t count optional ingredients in the count since they are not required. Hope you like the brownies!
Barb
0Is the amount of butter correct? 3/4 cup =12 tablespoons. Mine was very greasy. Still good
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Barb, Yes, it’s correct. The butter will absorb into the brownies once they cool.
Veronica
0So much butter, it was swimming in butter, poured off so much butter. I double checked and triple checked. I measured by weight. The flavour was there, after pressing out the butter
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Veronica, Check the tips in the post above. This is normal and you should not have poured it off. The butter absorbs back into the brownies after they cool.
Kim
0Can these be stored in the freezer?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kim, Yes, you can freeze keto brownies.
Crystal
0I HATE almond flour so i was super nervous about making this but they turned out SO fudgy, so chocolatey and you cannot tell that there is almond flour in this. I used swerve so i converted for that, so maybe next time I will use more but other than that, this was SO perfect. I topped it with hazelnuts for extra fat and I can’t wait to remake this.
Kristen Wood
0Oh my goodness, these are SO good!
Susan Braddy
0I had the same problem with butter pooling …
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Susan, Totally normal – check the tips in the post above!
Stephannie Ramirez
0How long should I bake if I make with cheesecake on top? One recipe calls for baking for 40-45 minutes with cheesecake on top but I don’t want to mess up your recipe for the brownies.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Stephanie, Sorry, I haven’t tried that so am not sure. Let me know how it goes for you if you try it.
Sam
0Hey there! I’d love to try these, but when I put the ingredients into my nutrition tracker, I end up with 10 carbs (8 net). What am I missing here? (I generally use Swerve confectioners sugar- which is where most of the carbs are coming from). Thanks for the help!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Sam, It’s just your tracker not knowing that it doesn’t need to count the carbs in Swerve. They are required to be listed on the label, but the body can’t metabolize erythritol, so you don’t need to count those carbs.
Sam
0So happy I tried these! They’re a staple in our house now
Becky
0If I’m going to use Swerve instead of Erythritol, should I stick with the 2/3 cup measurement?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Becky, You’d need a bit less sweetener if using Swerve. Check the conversion calculator here.
Vanessa
0These are awesome!! They fix my chocolate craving. I took them to work to share with my keto and non keto colleagues ALL loved it. My son loves it.
Margaret DiMassa
0I tried to make your Fudgy Keto Brownies and I’m not sure what I did wrong, unless it was just that I didn’t mix the brownies enough. The mixture looked ok in the bowl, but after I put the mix in the prepared pan to bake, all the melted butter rose to the top and then I baked them for to long and they tasted burnt so I threw them out, What did I do wrong or is the butter suppose to raise to the top???? Thanks for any help.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Margaret, That’s normal for the butter to do that – check the tips in the post above. However, if they tasted burnt then you definitely baked them too long. Again check the tips in the post to check for signs of doneness.
Lisa
0I don’t need tons of sweets in my life, but this recipe had me intrigued. It started with melting baking chocolate and butter, just like when I made regular brownies in my younger days, so it had promise. When they came out of the oven, the butter pool on top was somewhat concerning, but I just put them in the fridge to cool. There was no yellow pool on top when they were cooled like I expected. I had to use regular almond flour as my store doesn’t carry blanched. The texture was somewhat more mealy than I liked, but what a wonderful deep, rich fudgy flavor – one square is quite satisfying! I’d like to top them with a strawberry cream cheese or cheesecake topping. Thanks for the recipe!
Red
0Man these are perfect!! I made these just like the instructions but I melted a bit less dark chocolate chips (allowed with keto) and did not use erythritol (don’t even know what that is) but non the less just like the recipe here and they are great and fudgy! My kids loved them. I even stored some in the fridge and ate some almost a wk later and they are still good! Even ate cold!
Lucy
0Hi, I live in the UK, so thank you for having the metric conversion……but, I used your metric measurements and I’m pretty sure they are wrong as it turned out swimming in butter, As the cups recipe says the same amount of butter and almond flour, unfortunately, I didn’t see this until after. Will look forward to doing it again if you won’t mind working it out please, I have no idea about these cups.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lucy, Check the tips in the post above – it’s totally normal for there to be some butter on top during baking but it will reabsorb as they cool. Even when volume is the same, weights will differ. The metric conversion is correct, though.
Elizabeth
0I made these but after 14 minutes there was still a ton of butter on top so I left them in oven about 5 or 7 minutes longer and they still had a bunch of butter on top. When I set them to cool they weren’t liquidy but they are crumbly.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Elizabeth, It’s normal for butter to pool on top and it reabsorbs after they cool. Did you drain it off? That would have made them crumbly for sure. If you didn’t and they were still crumbly, it means they baked too long.
Kristin Birkenes
0Hi there – I’m new to the Keto world (2 weeks) but I’ve already tried many of your fun recipes and I appreciate your wisdom, expertise, and willingness to share! I tried these brownies and they came out with a layer of grease on top. I reviewed each ingredient prior to adding, but somewhere along the way, something went terribly wrong! The greasy, smushy bits of brownie are still okay tasting, but I can’t serve as brownies and will probably need to throw away! Do you know what could have gone wrong if I used the exact amounts as indicated in the recipe? Thank you! 😉
Take care,
Kristin
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kristin, It’s normal for some butter to be on top after baking, but it should reabsorb after cooling completely. Did you let them cool before serving?
Michelle Petty
0I followed directions to the TEE. These brownies NEVER SET UP! Help!
What a waste of time and money.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Michelle, Please check the tips in the post above. It’s normal for the brownies not to set while baking. They set after cooling.
Carissa
0Hi. I want to try these, however I have monk fruit. Would I use the same amount?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Carissa, You’d need less and it depends on the brand – check the low carb sweetener conversion calculator here.
Randee Estes
0I followed the instruction and ingredients exactly and they looked perfect but when I tasted them they are very, very grainy.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Randee, It could be the sweetener. Did you use the same one on the recipe card?
Carol
0I have a hard time replacing one unhealthy product “sugar” for a equally bad replacement like erythritol which is man-made from cornstarch? I’m trying to stay away from questionable sweeteners. What healthier choice could I use in place of erythritol? I see from the comments many have other things they’d like to substitute but to me butter is a less offensive product to something artificial.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Carol, Erythritol is a natural sweetener, not artificial. It is found in many fruits, actually. It is not made from cornstarch, it is made by a fermentation process, which is a natural process just like yogurt is a fermentation process. For erythritol, it does typically involve corn, but that is not in the final product, it’s only necessary for the fermentation. If you prefer a different sweetener, you can check the low carb sweetener guide and calculator here.
Juliana
0These look amazing! Is there any way to substitute butter? Maybe with avocado?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Juliana, I have a recipe for avocado brownies here. It still has butter, but less of it, and you could substitute coconut oil for the rest.
Gail
0These indeed looked like a greasy mess when they came out of the oven – I was very worried. After I allowed them time, though, most of the butter reabsorbed into the brownies and they were delicious. I used Pyure sweetener, so I cut the amount in half. I also didn’t have an 8×8 pan so I used an 8×10. They were thin but still held together. Cooking time was 13 minutes for me using the changes above. Great recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you for sharing, Gail! The butter pooling may have been due to the smaller amount of sweetener, but I’m glad it still worked. Sometimes that does happen anyway even with the original recipe but should reabsorb just like you found. 🙂
Mélanie Dion
0Thank you for that answer! I tried the recipe for the first time and this happened to me. I just took them out of the oven and I was wondering if I misread the butter quantity! I’m glad to know I didn’t. Looking forward tasting them, they smell AMAZING!
Sandra
0Could you make these using muffin tins?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sandra, Yes that should work fine. You will need to adjust the bake time, they won’t take as long when baked in muffin tins.
Yang
0Love the added walnut! They look amazing.
Jennifer
0These look amazing and that video has me drooling, thanks for sharing!
Cherissa
0These brownies are awesome! They are definitely for someone who likes dark chocolate. Before going keto I was never much of a fan, so the 1/16th serving size is the perfect amount to hit the spot. I did have to make a few tweaks to the recipe however, using approximately 1/3 regular granulated Swerve and the other 2/3 in the brown “sugar” Swerve. I had purchased them a while back on Amazon and forgotten that they weren’t both the plain white version. Because of that perhaps, I did have to add in a few drops of Splenda Zero to sweeten them up a bit more for my tastes. After baking, I admit that I was VERY worried when I first took the pan out of the oven – it looked like a hot, buttered mess! Even after cooling them completely, my fingers were still covered in melted butter just from touching the top. The flavor was superb although they were too crumbly to be able to pick up and eat. I went against advice and stuck them in the fridge overnight hoping that it would help. The butter re-solidified and now they can be picked up without falling apart. I am worried that they will dry out before my family finishes them though, so I’ll probably vacuum seal half for later. Overall, this is a fantastic recipe that’s easy enough even for a novice baker like me! Thank you so much!
Cynthia
0Oh yeah! I could eat a whole tray!
Linda Spiker
0These look so incredible!
Renee D Kohley
0That was a lot easier than I was envision! Thank you for the fun recipe to try!
Dafna
0Ok this is so so so delicious!
Sharon
0Perfect for a chocolate lover like me! And easy, to boot!
Kathleen Bushey
0Can’t wait to try it. Looks delicious and with only 6 ingredients it’s even better.
Jean
0These look so incredibly fudgy and decadent! And under 30 minutes? Sign me up!
Raia Todd
0I love how chocolatey these look!
Joni Gomes
0Woah these do look incredible fudgy and I’m all about that! I love using almond flour, give it such a great texture.
christina
0OMG!! These are perfect! So delicious. Again, thank you for another wonderful and easy recipe! Made these last night, let sit on the counter for about an hour, they were still very soft so I put them in tupperware and left in the fridge overnight. They are so good!!
Kelly
0These are so good. Thank you
Celeste
0Wow these look amazing! Love how simple your recipes are and all the tips you provide along with.
Doreen
0OM Goodness! I’d give these 6 stars if I could! They really hit the spot when I’ve got one of my bad heads and crave something sweet. And so easy!! Thank you Maya!!
Amruta
0I substituted half of the butter with coconut oil and used monk fruit sweetener + stevia vanilla creme drops. For the chocolate, I used semi-sweet bakers chocolate bar (since I am only trying to cut down sugar, not out completely) and I also added some baking powder to it which resulted in a pound cake like texture! Baked for 14 minutes. Came out delicious!
Ros
0Is it possible to show the quantities required in grams? Cups is confusing and seems to vary depending on the type of ingredients. Recipe itself looks really good.
Thanks, Ros
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Ros, Thank you for the feedback! It’s on my list to support metric conversions on the recipe card. I hope you’ll try the brownies! (Update: Metric conversions are now available on the recipe card. :))
Patti W.
0Thanks for posting this recipe. I’m looking for recipes using only stevia as a sweetener, trying to avoid the other ones.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0You’re welcome, Patti! Enjoy the brownies. I have a sweetener conversion calculator if you want to use stevia instead of erythritol.
Diane
0I made these the other night and used Swerve. My husband was in heaven with them.
Becca Cougill
0Brownies were one of the first things I learned to make from scratch. This recipe is very close to that one. It was my brownies that won my husband over and my brownies he misses the most. I’m going to have to try these very soon.
Kelly
0These look soo good! Do you think coconut flour would work? I can’t eat almonds.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kelly, Unfortunately coconut flour wouldn’t work in this recipe. If you can’t have almond flour, you can try sunflower seed flour instead. Let me know how it goes!
Danella
0Would the sunflower seed flour be the same measurement as the almond (I know coconut is different) as I can’t do any nuts either.
Thanks
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Yes, it would be the same!
Cheryl
0Has anyone tried Swerve or other powdered sweetener yet? Which sweetener, and what quantity? Thanks.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Cheryl, This calls for granulated sweetener, though powdered would probably also work. Use the conversion chart here if you want to use something other than erythritol as written.
Edith
0How about a recipe for blonde brownies without cheese, sour cream or coconut? Hopeful. Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you for the suggestion, Edith! I’m adding blondies to my list. 🙂
Kristen
0Cake over brownies would NEVER happen for me. I will take these fudgy brownies any day. Especially since they are healthier.
Diane
0If I use Swerve as the sweetener, how much would I use?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Diane, Yes, you can! Use the conversion calculator here to convert pure erythritol to Swerve for this keto brownie recipe.
Sima Ruby
0Can I substitute erythritol or xylitol for the liquid stevia, and how much would I use of it? Thank you so much.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Sima, Yes, you can use erythritol or xylitol. This recipe uses erythritol, but you can use the conversion calculator here if you prefer to use xylitol.