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Justine Doiron

just real good food

Baking + Sweet, Bars & Brownies, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Special Diets · July 29, 2021

The BEST Dark Chocolate Brownies

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I don’t say this lightly, but these are the best dark chocolate brownies you will ever make. It also doesn’t hurt that these are gluten free and dairy free, packed with wholesome ingredients and extra dark chocolate chunks, buuuuut I digress 😉

These fudgey brownies are better than box mix, and honesty easier too. All you need are simple ingredients and half an hour to make the best fudgey brownies out there.

Think: crinkly top, soft center, chewy edges and fudgey all over. A complete brownie dream. Let’s talk about how to make them.

Table of contents

  • Let’s talk about fudgey vs. cakey brownies
  • Dry ingredients you will need for this dark chocolate brownie recipe
  • Wet ingredients you will need for these brownies
  • What is the best dark chocolate for fudgey brownies
  • How to make these gluten free brownies
  • Tips and tricks when baking gluten free brownies
  • Why do we smack down the pan in baking?
  • FAQ
  • Looking for other gluten free desserts?
  • Watch the recipe video here:

Let’s talk about fudgey vs. cakey brownies

Everybody has their own brownie preference, and this recipe is definitely made for the fudgey brownie lovers. Cakey brownies tend to have a higher ratio of flour to fat, but with this recipe we have a lower flour amount, making chocolate-filled, dense and rich dark chocolate brownies. The olive oil helps make these the best fudgey brownies around, and the fact that they are dairy free is just an added bonus.

Dry ingredients you will need for this dark chocolate brownie recipe

  • 1 cup almond flour 110g
  • 1/2 cup oats 50g, blended into oat flour
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Wet ingredients you will need for these brownies

  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup chopped dark chocolate melted
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar lightly packed
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips

What is the best dark chocolate for fudgey brownies

I am OBSESSED with Hu Kitchen chocolate in these brownies. Their Gems are perfectly rich, great for melting and have simple, basic (and dairy free!) ingredients.

You can also use standard dark chocolate chips, but they will have a different melting time and temperature.

Both options are delicious, but Hu is definitely worth checking out!

How to make these gluten free brownies

  1. Preheat your oven to 350F.
  2. In a small bowl or measuring cup, melt 1/4 cup of dark chocolate until smooth. I do this in the microwave using 30 second increments and stirring each time.
  3. Add the olive oil to the melted chocolate and stir until well combined.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla extract, coconut sugar and brown sugar. Add in the olive oil+dark chocolate mix and whisk until well combined. Set aside
  5. Use a small blender to blend your oats in to oat flour (if they aren’t already).
  6. In another bowl, whisk together the almond flour, oat flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
  7. Gradually add the dry ingredients in with the wet, mixing well until no dry flour remains.
  8. Add in the cup of chocolate chips and fold it into the batter.
  9. In a parchment lined 8×8 baking sheet, add the batter and smooth it out evenly.
  10. Bake the brownies at 350F for 25-30 minutes. When the brownies are out of the oven, give the baking sheet a few smacks on the counter to help the brownies collapse (this will help them become dense and fudgey).
  11. Let the brownies cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving!

Tips and tricks when baking gluten free brownies

When baking gluten free, you are missing one big ingredient – and that is the GLUTEN. In a standard brownie recipe, you whisk the batter for an extended period of time, in order to build up some gluten strands and create those signature chewy edges.

We side-step that here by using two types of flours. Oat flour to give the chew, and almond flour to give the tenderness.

A big tip I have is don’t be afraid of mixing this dough. You can’t build up gluten strands in this, so getting it well combined won’t make it tough, but will make it so your flours are evenly distributed. This will help create an even (and chewy!) texture for these gluten free brownies.

Why do we smack down the pan in baking?

The sheetpan-smack-down is my favorite baking trick. It works for cookies and bars, and what it does is help flatten the baked good when it is still warm and pliable from the baking process.

If you do this right after a baked good is out of the oven, it will create a gooey center while still having structure. It’s almost a necessity in brownie baking!

FAQ

How should I store these brownies?

I prefer to store these in an air-tight container. You can either keep them in the pantry (they will last for about 5 days) or in the fridge for up to 10 days!

Can I make these gluten free brownies with regular flour?

The flours in this recipe absorb more moisture than a traditional flour, so I would recommend using these flours if you can!

Can I use a different kind of chocolate for this fudgey brownie recipe?

Absolutely! Milk chocolate would be amazing in this, white chocolate might be overly sweet, but still great for adding in if that’s what you prefer!

Looking for other gluten free desserts?

Olive Oil Cookie Bars
These rich, moist, gluten free cookie bars will have you swooning. Deeply chocolatey, super rich and so delicious, these are some of my favorite cookies yet.
Check out this recipe
Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
These huge, ooey, gooey chocolate chip cookies are actual healthy heaven. They are vegan, gluten-free and made with simple, accessible ingredients. They are soft and gooey on the inside, with a signature outside crunch that you just can't replicate.
Check out this recipe
The best wholesome chocolate chip cookies
Brownie Little Bites
Remember Little Bites? Those nostalgic snacks where you would get three in a bag and they were the best lunch snack? Well here's how to make them, but all-grown-up. Which means simple, nutritious, packed with rich flavor and delicious. Plus they are 100% flourless, no wheat flour, no almond flour, no oat flour, nothing!
Check out this recipe
Flourless Little Bite Brownie Recipes

And that’s it for this dark chocolate brownie recipe! If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making <3

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3

Watch the recipe video here:

https://youtu.be/KbSzIRmLSe8

The BEST Dark Chocolate Brownies | Gluten Free & Dairy Free

5 from 2 votes
Crispy top, fudge-y center, super moist and extra chocolatey – this is hands-down the BEST gluten free and dairy free brownie you'll ever make. I wanted to make something simple, wholesome and delicious, and this dark chocolate brownie fit the bill. It's packed with pantry staples and simple ingredients, making it my go-to better-than-boxed-mix brownie recipe.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time:10 minutes mins
Cook Time:30 minutes mins
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: brownies, chocolate, dairy free, gluten free, olive oil
Servings: 16 servings

Ingredients

Wet ingredients

  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup chopped dark chocolate melted
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar lightly packed

Dry ingredients

  • 1 cup almond flour 110g
  • 1/2 cup oats 50g, blended into oat flour
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Add-ins

  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350F.
  • In a small bowl or measuring cup, melt 1/4 cup of dark chocolate until smooth. I do this in the microwave using 30 second increments and stirring each time.
  • Add the olive oil to the melted chocolate and stir until well combined.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla extract, coconut sugar and brown sugar. Add in the olive oil+dark chocolate mix and whisk until well combined. Set aside
  • Use a small blender to blend your oats in to oat flour (if they aren't already).
  • In another bowl, whisk together the almond flour, oat flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
  • Gradually add the dry ingredients in with the wet, mixing well until no dry flour remains.
  • Add in the cup of chocolate chips and fold it into the batter.
  • In a parchment lined 8×8 baking sheet, add the batter and smooth it out evenly.
  • Bake the brownies at 350F for 25-30 minutes. When the brownies are out of the oven, give the baking sheet a few smacks on the counter to help the brownies collapse (this will help them become dense and fudgey).
  • Let the brownies cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving!

Posted In: Baking + Sweet, Bars & Brownies, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Special Diets

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Melissa says

    July 30, 2021 at 5:31 am

    Hi Justine! They look delicious!!!
    Is there a way to replace eggs you think on this recipe? Thank you xx

    • Justine says

      July 30, 2021 at 10:42 am

      Hello! Your best bet for this one is to replace the eggs with two flax eggs (I recommend 2 tbsp of flax with 5 tbsp water). The brownies won’t have as much structure, but they should still be delicious 🙂

  2. Sarah says

    July 30, 2021 at 5:50 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious! So fudgy and rich!

    Wish the 1/4 cup of chopped chocolate also had a weight next to it, since I’m not sure how finely chopped it was supposed to be before measuring, but still turned out great!

    Next time I make them I’ll use 100% dark chocolate for the melted chocolate rather than 70% for even more chocolatey goodness! 🙂

    • Justine says

      July 31, 2021 at 1:13 am

      That’s a good note! I’ll add the chocolate measurement in grams as well 🙂 But so glad you liked it!

  3. Emma says

    July 31, 2021 at 1:18 pm

    5 stars
    These came together really easily and the result was delicious. The texture is nice and fudgy, the flavour rich chocolate and not too sweet. Perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or my morning coffee

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