Chewy Fudge Brownies (healthy)
Baked to chewy, slightly gooey perfection, these low-carb brownies deliver the decadence and satisfaction you crave from a classic brownie (with no sugar in sight)! Savor the velvety, rich chocolate flavor.
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What can I expect?
Expect a convincing brownie dupe. The texture is soft and chewy. The chocolate is rich. You’d never guess these brownies are sugar-free and healthy!
You won’t find any sugar in this recipe, but you will find coffee! Why? Coffee decreases our taste buds’ sensitivity to bitter flavors while enhancing how we perceive sweetness.
As a result, there is no mocha flavor, only an enhancement of the decadent flavors you look for in a classic brownie.
Are Chewy Low-Carb Brownies Healthy?
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Let’s look at the main ingredients:
- Coconut oil
- Eggs
- Almond flour
- Cocoa powder
- Unflavored gelatin powder
- Sugar-free chocolate chips
- Unsalted butter
- Cream cheese
- Milk
Coconut oil, eggs, almond flour, cocoa powder, and unflavored gelatin powder are natural, nutritious foods. Each has its own health benefits which you can find out more about here.
But what about butter and cream cheese? What about the added milk? Is dairy healthy?
Here’s what we know. Dairy is full of vitamins, minerals, protein, and natural fat energy. But if everyone consumed dairy all of the time, dairy farming would become abusive and unsustainable…
Let’s be mindful of our dairy intake. Buy dairy that comes from pasture-raised cows and limit consumption.
Sugar is what makes food unhealthy.
Add 397g of sugar (33g/brownie) to this recipe and you’re looking at heartburn with an energy crash. (And you’ll be scouring the pantry for your next sugar snack within the hour.)
Substitute the sugar for a quality sugar alcohol, and this dessert becomes nourishment. The ingredients provide vitamins, minerals, and long-lasting energy.
Enjoy these chewy low-carb brownies knowing they support your well-being. Learn more about eating less sugar here.
Chewy Low-Carb Brownie Tips
1. Use room temperature ingredients.
For easy mixing and quick preparation, let all of your ingredients sit out and come to room temperature before you begin to bake. This helps prevent the batter or icing from becoming lumpy or overworked, ensuring your brownies turn out soft, chewy, and scrumptious.
2. Avoid overmixing the batter.
When it comes to making brownies, you want to make sure to combine your ingredients just until they are smooth. Continuing to mix will only result in dense, tough brownies, and we definitely don’t want that!
3. Add nuts.
If you prefer a little crunch, sprinkle chopped nuts such as almonds, walnuts, or pecans into the batter. Not only do they enhance the taste, but they also provide a good source of fiber and healthy fats!
4. Switch up the frosting.
We used a cream cheese frosting for these chewy low-carb brownies, but feel free to mix and match different ingredients to make the flavor your own. For example, fat-free whipped topping or powdered sugar also make for great toppings.
5. Got leftover chocolate chips?
Save them to make a batch of brownies another day. Or, use them to create chocolate chips cookies or sugar-free chocolate toffee!
Chewy Low-Carb Brownies
Print Recipe
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients:
- ⅓ cup – coconut oil (melted)
- ⅔ cup – Granular Sugar Replacement (Lakanto)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp – pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup – cooled brewed coffee or water or milk of your choice
Dry Ingredients:
- ¾ cup – Almond Flour
- ⅓ cup – unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 Tbsp (or one packet) – unflavoured gelatin powder
- ½ tsp – baking powder
- ¼ tsp – sea salt
- ½ cup – Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips (Lilly’s)
Frosting:
- ½ cup – softened unsalted butter
- ½ cup – softened cream cheese
- ¼ cup – unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup – Powdered Sugar Replacement (Swerve)
- 1-2 Tbsp – of room temperature milk (or plant milk of your choice or room temp coffee)
- ½ tsp – pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and prepare an 8×8 brownie pan with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the melted and cooled coconut oil, sweetener, eggs, vanilla extract, and cooled brewed coffee until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, sea salt, and gelatin powder until there are no lumps left.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until the batter is smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes, until the brownies are set in the middle. Be sure not to over-bake the brownies, as they will continue to set as they cool.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow the brownies to cool completely.
- Then chill in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes. (optional but I prefer the brownies chilled)
- While the brownies are chilling, prepare the frosting. In a mixing bowl, beat together the softened unsalted butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
- Add the cocoa powder, powdered sugar-style sweetener, room temperature milk, and vanilla extract to the bowl and beat again until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled brownies using a spatula or knife.
- Cut into squares and enjoy!
Notes
- The brewed coffee can be replaced with water or milk but the coffee really enhances the chocolate flavor.
- The brownies are best in my opinion after being chilled in the fridge because it really enhances the chewy texture!
- Use parchment paper to line the brownie pan for easy removal and clean-up.
- Ensure that the coconut oil is melted and cooled before adding it to the wet ingredients to avoid cooking the eggs.
- Use a whisk to combine the dry ingredients thoroughly, ensuring that there are no lumps left.
- Do not over-bake the brownies, as they will continue to set as they cool. Check them at the 25-minute mark, and if they are still not fully cooked, check them every 5 minutes.
- When making the frosting, ensure that the butter and cream cheese are both softened before beating them together to prevent lumps.
- Adjust the sweetness of the frosting to your liking by adding more or less powdered sugar-style sweetener.
- If the frosting is too thick, add more milk or coffee to thin it out.
- Store the brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. They can also be frozen for up to a month.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
Please let us know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #neutraleatingWhat are you going to serve with your Chewy Fudge Brownies? Let us know in the comments below!
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3 – Chocolate Toffee
4 – Cookie Skillet
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