Paleo Brownies
Paleo brownies are rich, chocolatey and fudgy brownies that are a quick and easy dessert recipe. You’ll never know that they’re gluten-free and dairy-free because they’re so decadent and delicious.
Top these brownies with flake sea salt or a scoop of ice cream and strawberry sauce (which I show on the video below). Then wash them down with an ice-cold glass of my homemade almond milk or cashew milk.
Paleo Brownies
When it comes to brownies I’d like to think I’m a connoisseur. In other words, I’ve definitely sample my fair share. So for the very best brownies – paleo brownies included – I have a particular texture that I’m going after.
They can’t be too cakey, otherwise they’d resemble a cupcake. And they can’t be too dense and fudgy, otherwise you might as well just whip up a batch of fudge. No, they need to be the perfect balance of rich, fudgy texture but with enough lift to keep them light and moist.
Well, I’m happy to tell you I have those perfect paleo brownies for you today.
Paleo Brownies without Funky Ingredients
Many “healthy” brownie recipes out there include things like mashed sweet potato or black beans. In all honesty, I’m not averse to those ingredients and love sneaking more veggies into meals. I have a feeling I’ll probably whip up sweet potato brownies in the future (given my love for all things sweet potato).
But today, I wanted a classic brownie. Or as classic as a paleo brownie can be. A brownie recipe with a handful of ingredients that is easy to make and which I know will blow your socks off.
Ingredients in These Paleo Brownies
So what’s in this paleo brownie recipe? Simple ingredients like coconut oil, chocolate chips, eggs, coconut sugar, cacao powder, tapioca flour, salt and vanilla extract. The only ingredient that’s a little more unique is the espresso powder, but if you’ve made my Paleo Chocolate Cake (a massive reader favorite), you’ll understand why that ingredient is key.
If you leave the espresso powder out of this recipe it’s certainly not the end of the world, but I do recommend you buy some as I use it in many of my chocolate recipes.
How to Make Paleo Brownies
These brownies come together quickly and there’s really just five steps:
- Melt the Chocolate: melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil together over a double boiler or in 20-second increments in the microwave
- Blend the Other Ingredients: in a separate bowl use a hand mixer to blend the remaining ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
- Add the Melted Chocolate: pour the melted chocolate into the mixing bowl and blend until it’s the consistency of cake batter.
- Bake the brownies: pour the brownie batter into a parchment-lined cake pan and bake for 25-28 minutes.
- Cool and slice the brownies: let the brownies cool for a couple of minutes, then slice and enjoy!
As you can see, this recipe couldn’t be an easier! Once your paleo brownies are cooled, feel free to sprinkle a little flake sea salt on top or create a showstopper dessert with ice cream and strawberry sauce! I show you how to do that on the video below. Now that’s a Valentine’s dessert worth enjoying.
Watch Me Make This Paleo Brownies Recipe
For More Delicious Chocolate Desserts:
- Amazing Paleo Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Mug Cake
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Avocado Pudding
- Chocolate Truffle Tart
Paleo Brownies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut oil (or butter/ghee)
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup cacao powder
- 1/2 cup tapioca flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp espresso powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Optional Garnish
- flake sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
- Line an 8-inch by 8-inch square cake pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Melt the coconut oil and chocolate chips together in a glass bowl over a double-boiler or in 20-second increments in the microwave. Stir together to combine.
- In a separate mixing bowl add the eggs, coconut sugar, cacao powder, tapioca flour, salt, espresso powder and vanilla extract. Use a hand mixer on low to gently blend the ingredients together for 30 seconds.
- Add the room-temperature melted chocolate to the mixing bowl of brownie ingredients and use a hand mixer on medium speed to thoroughly combine. It should resemble cake batter.
- Pour the brownie batter into your cake pan and bake for 25-28 minutes. These brownies are best slightly undercooked rather than overcooked.
- Remove the brownies from the oven and let cool for a couple of minutes, then slice and serve.
Lisa's Tips
- This is the espresso powder I use in this recipe and recommend. And I love this flake sea salt for topping on the brownies.
- In the video I accidentally say 1/3 cup tapioca flour but 1/2 cup is the correct measurement.
Thank you for the recipe! I made them for as part of my Christmas cookie baking this year. I used 1/2 t vanilla and 1 T peppermint extract and added 1 cup of crushed peppermint candy to make them more Christmassy. They were best after setting for a day for the flavors to soften and meld together. But yum! They were the favorite of one of my friends (and I made 5 other kinds).
Hi Kelly – I’m so glad you loved these brownies! It’s the perfect addition for the Holidays :)
Second time I’ve made these now – I didn’t know such an amazing paleo brownie was possible!
Hi Chelsea – I’m so glad you enjoyed these brownies :)
These were so delicious. Easy to make, they came out perfect!
Hi Amy – So glad you loved these brownies :)
Could you use cocoa powder instead?
Hi Robin – Yes! You can use cocoa powder if you’d like :) I just personally prefer using cacao powder as it is more raw. Enjoy the recipe!
Hi Lisa,
I am going to bake these tomorrow night for a dinner party. I have not made them before… and I know you can’t say for sure, but in your opinion… do you think I can leave out the chocolate chips completely and rather add more sugar and cocoa and butter and it will still come out ok? I know that is not 100% your recipe, but I can’t find any chocolate chips with clean ingredients – I live in South Africa.
Thanks so much,
Liz
Hi Liz – I am so sorry about the delayed response! As for this recipe, chocolate chips are a bit essential for the consistency, to get a rich chocolatey feel. Do you have any sort of chocolate bits available at your local market that is now powder form?
I was craving something chocolate and was thinking about going to grocery store and buying pre-made brownies (I’m not gluten-free or dairy-free). But you posted this in the facebook group and decided that making them was probably a little healthier (if only a less processed) and a bit lighter on my wallet since I had everything but the tapioca flour.
I am so glad I opted to make these instead. They aren’t as sweet as the brownies I’m used to but they are so moist and fudge-y and just delicious. Thanks so much for creating and sharing the recipe. It was so easy to make and I’ll have to keep it on hand for the next time I’m craving brownies.
Hi Madison- So glad to hear you opted to make your own brownies at home instead :) I think homemade baked goods are much better and healthier since you know exactly what ingredients are going inside of it. If you’re used to sweet desserts, you can always add a bit more sugar than stated in the recipe!
My daughter both have coconut allergies. What else can be substituted.
Hi Karen – For the coconut oil, you can use avocado oil, butter, or ghee. For the coconut sugar, you can use any type of sugar you would like here!
Thanks for your excellent and informative site. I am fairly new to the GF world so this may be a very basic question…..can I substitute chickpea, rice or corn flour for the tapioca flour in this recipe?
Hi Julie – Welcome to the Downshiftology community :) In this specific recipe, I have not tried chickpea, rice, or corn flour yet, but feel free to try any of these combinations and do let me know how it turns out!
Thank you for the recipe, Lisa. It’s so easy, fast and the outcome really delicious. I made them with milk chocolate instead of fo chocolate chips as I couldn’t find them in the health store. I’m often a bit skeptical when baking a new recipe for the first time but this one is p.e.r.f.e.c.t.
Hi Natasa – So happy to hear your paleo brownies came out perfectly! I always do my best to bake as many batches til perfection for everyone :)
Hi Lisa,
I have recently joined here and I love every recipe you share. My husband loves brownies and your brownie recipe is by far our favourite !! In fact I’ve just baked them second time :)
Hi Kat – Welcome to the Downshiftology community :) So happy to hear both you and your husband love these brownies! Definitely a great dessert idea to keep on hand.
These are seriously delicious! I can’t wait to try more of your dessert recipes. I make a lot of paleo baked goods and these are the best brownie recipe I’ve found by far. Next time I’ll have to try these with one of your ice cream recipes with a little caramel drizzled on top. I don’t have a hand mixer so I just stirred this together myself and it turned out perfectly.
Hi Samantha – I’m so glad you loved this recipe! I’m always on the hunt to make new paleo desserts and baked goods. Definitely stay tuned for more coming in the next couple months :)
Hello
Have not yet tried to make the recipe but I will.
I’ve got a question beforehand, will the texture & taste be fine even if I remove the 3/4 cup coconut sugar?
I’d really like to remove it but I also don’t want the brownies to have bitter or generally bad taste, or bad texture.
Hi Alon – I would recommend to still add in the coconut sugar, but if you’d like, you can use less than 3/4 cup if you want it to have less sugar.
Hi Lisa, these are excellent. I used Cassava flour and they turned out perfect! Please let me know what I can substitute eggs with in this recipe as I have a friend whose kids don’t eat eggs and she loved these.
That’s great to know that the cassava flour worked as a substitution – thanks for sharing! For the egg replacer I’d give chia or flax eggs a try. I haven’t tried it yet with those though, so if you do, let me know how it turns out!
Hello, would coconut flour work instead of tapioca flour? Thank you
Unfortunately no. Coconut flour is highly absorbent and will change the density/texture of the recipe if swapped for the tapioca flour.
These are DELICIOUS and easy to make. I did not have espresso powder and they still came out perfectly. Thank you for this recipe. I will be making them again and again!!
Thanks for the kind comment, Barbara! I’m so glad you loved the brownies! :)
Hi! Can I substitute maple syrup for the coconut sugar and extra light olive oil for the coconut oil??
Hi Ellie – In terms of the sweet ingredients, you’re swapping a dry ingredient for a wet ingredient so you’ll need to balance out the wet and dry ingredients either by adding more dry ingredients, or reducing wet ingredient. For example, if you wanted to use olive oil instead of coconut oil, this would be a good liquid to reduce (maybe to 1/8 – 1/4 cup). Try it and let me know how it turns out.
I’ve made these twice and they really hit the spot! My first time, I followed the recipe to a t, but the second time I didn’t have enough coconut sugar so instead I added 1/4 cup of dark maple syrup to the coconut sugar I did have, they came out fudgier but as delicious. Thank you for another amazing recipe Lisa ! You are my favorite !
Yay! I’m so glad you loved the recipe! And I’m so glad the syrup worked out on the round too. :)
Thanks for your kind words and support, Annie!
Hello Lisa,
You have done it again. Your recipes are so simple and delicious thank you. I like to food prep for the kiddos school lunch box’s and just wounder if these can be frozen?. Also how do you store your brownies? Much love to you from me here in New Zealand.
Yes, they can be frozen – no problem! I just store them in one of my Glasslock storage containers (though they never seem to last long). Ha! ;) Hugs to you in NZ Emmelene!
This is so delicious! Chocolatey goodness! I used dark chocolate chips and brown sugar only because didn’t have coconut sugar. I could eat the whole pan in one sitting!
That’s definitely one of the challenges with this recipe – you want to eat it all! Haha. Glad you enjoyed it Lisa!
The absolute BEST brownies we ever tasted!!!
Yay! I’m happy you loved the paleo brownies Laura!
New to coconut oil…read refined has less coconut taste than unrefined…would I use that for Paleo Brownies? Saw in your pantry staples the coconut oil label reads unrefined. Is that what you use in baking? You have a terrific site and the videos are outstanding ?! I am learning soooo much from you, thank you!
I use unrefined but you could certainly use refined as well. It’s just personal preference. :) Thanks so much for your kind words about my site Janis. I’m so happy you love my recipes and videos!
Absolutely LOVE these brownies! I used sugar free dark chocolate chips and they came out delicious! So happy I found your recipes and YouTube channel!! ?
Awesome! I’m glad you enjoyed the brownies and that you love my YouTube channel as well! :) x
These are amazing! My 18 month old loved them too! Thank you for another delicious recipe.
Yay! Happy to hear it. Thanks so much Chelsie. :)
Best.Brownies.Ever.!
Yay! I’m happy you loved them!
About to make these and I’m wondering, could you add walnuts without ruining them? Thank you!!
Yes, absolutely! Walnuts would be amazing in these brownies. :)
I’ve been looking for a paleo brownie recipe for over a year. I tried so many and these are really THE BEST! They are soft and fudgy and perfect for when I need a little bit of sweet but don’t want to get too unhealthy.
Awesome! So happy you love these paleo brownies Carolina! I’m quite partial to them as well. ;)
Hi! What kind of flours i can use? Thanks!!!
Hi Gabby – you could use arrowroot powder as a replacement for the tapioca flour.
I made these today. Super easy to throw together. They are so divinely delicious. I did use 1/2 coconut sugar and 1/2 swerve brown sugar for the 3/4 coconut sugar. They turned out excellent. Even my kiddos loved them. Thank you- great recipe!
Awesome! So happy you loved the recipe Rachel. And thanks for sharing your subs as well. :)
Lisa, I have to say you won my daughter with this recipe.
This was her first “baking alone, with no help from mom ” try and it was a huge success!
Thank you for all your amazing recipes and wonderful blog!
This will become our Valentine sweet tooth tradition :)
Oh yay! I’m so happy for her baking success. She should definitely feel proud of herself! Enjoy the brownies! :) x
Hi Lisa
Is there a healthier version of chocolate chips to substitute? I really try to avoid sugar as much as possible.
Thank you ?
The chocolate chips I use are Pascha chocolate chips (linked on my Shop page). They’re not healthier per se, but they’re gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free (most chocolate chips contain soy).
Colleen, I use Lily’s stevia-sweetened chocolate chips…they are excellent if you are trying to lessen your sugar intake.
Hi Lisa, I started following you recently after coming across your previous meal prep. I am not a baker at all. I’m not good at following recipes either which is why I’m better at cooking. I love to cook and love to watch your meal preps. Because of Valentines day I thought I would attempt to make this recipe for my hubby and kids. I did not have tapioca flour so I substituted with rice flour and I did not have espresso powder so I made my own. :) It has turned out great for the non baker in me. It might be a little more “cakey” with the rice flour than the tapioca flower but the family is still enjoying it as a treat! Thank you for the recipe. #Snowed in,
# B.C.
Hi Jennifer – I’m so happy you loved these paleo brownies and were able to use what you had to make them work! Brownies on a snowy day sounds perfect to me. ;) x
I LOVE these brownies. With the unexpected journey of my son being diagnosed with cancer, upon completion of his treatment the fire has been put out!!! Now I am left with managing the smoldering coals of what is left. Nutrition is such a critical part to gaining back his gut health and leading a beautifully fulfilled life. I am experimenting constantly with new recipes, even treats like this for Valentines Day. Thank you for your wonderful videos and encouragement to find nourishing food that can be managed. Do you happen to know the macros on this paleo brownie? I have searched high and low and cant find… ALSO, on the roasted beet humus, which I love and I DONT enjoy beets.. It has the macros, but not what the serving size is. Thank you so much in advance. I look forward to getting more familiar with your recipes.
Hi Penny – so sorry to hear of your son’s cancer diagnosis. I wish him all the strength and healing as he navigates that journey and leads his beautifully fulfilled life. I’m happy you love my recipes and videos and thanks for catching the missing nutrition info on this recipe. I’m installing some new tech stuff behind the scenes so things might be a bit wonky. But the nutrition info should be there now! There are 9 servings in this recipe (a good sized brownie!) and there are 8 servings on the hummus. You can find the serving size listed at the top. :) Happy you love the beet hummus!
This is amazing! I’ll definitely be making this again.
Wonderful! I’m happy to hear that. I hope you enjoy all your future brownies as well. :)
?
Thank you! I’ll take that thumbs up. :)
Is it possible to make this recipe with regular ingredients? I don’t eat a special diet but am curious about how you eat and am trying to include some of your recipes and ingredients and do more prep in advance. I usually don’t have all the ingredients that’s why I have to make substitute.
Because this is specifically a paleo recipe, I’d recommend searching Google for a brownie recipe that doesn’t require non-GF flours. Unfortunately, because I can’t eat non-GF I wouldn’t be able to help you. :)
Just pulled these out of the oven! I’ve been so excited to make this recipe for Valentines. There’s nothing like warm, gooey, fresh brownies! I used Arrowroot flour and they baked perfectly. Thanks for the recipe Lisa!
Yay! I hope you enjoy the recipe Jasmine! And thanks for sharing what you used for a flour. :) x
Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
Is it possible to substitute the tapioca flour with almond flour or even AP flour?
You could definitely give that a shot, though it may change the texture a bit. :)
Have you tried with rectangular pans? I don’t really have square pans and I was wondering if the temperature and timing would differ compared to using a square pan.
Can’t wait to try these tonight! Are there any substitutes for the tapioca flour?
By the way, loving your meal prep, did the winter one this week!!!! Thank you!!!
Arrowroot powder would work well as a sub. And thanks so much! That’s awesome you did the winter meal prep – good for you! :)
Great! Thank you!