In our house, we love our brownies rich, dense, and fudgy. We’re also a big fan of dark chocolate – fewer carbs in dark chocolate than milk chocolate, and more nutrition which is right up our keto alley. Our Best Keto Fudgy Brownies has been on our to-do list for ages, and with a few tries, we love the results. After husband Mike’s first bite he said, “Wow! These are the best homemade brownies I’ve ever tasted!” High praise coming from a lover of all things chocolate.
For years we bought boxed brownies to save time. Just add eggs, water and oil, and you’ve got a decent dessert to bring to the bake sale or serve to your family. Decent, yes, but not spectacular. Our homemade, rich dark chocolate, fudgy, yummy brownies take only 15 minutes to prep with baking times equivalent to boxed mixes, and each brownie has only 6 net carbohydrates compared to close to 30 for the boxed versions!
We use Lindt Excellence 85% cocoa chocolate bars for their flavor, but also because they’re rich in antioxidants like flavanols, which protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. They’re also packed with fiber, potassium, calcium, copper, and magnesium.
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST BROWNIES EVER
Start with a parchment-lined 8″ square pan. To melt the butter with the dark chocolate chunks, we place a heatproof medium-sized bowl over a pot of simmering water and stir until melted and smooth. Take it off the heat and wipe the bottom of condensation with a dishtowel to make sure no water gets into the bowl. Then slowly stream in the granulated sugar substitute while whisking until the mixture is combined.
Add in room temperature eggs, one at a time, making sure to whisk well after each addition to assure they’re completely incorporated into the mixture. The texture will turn from granular to smooth. Then whisk in the cocoa (we use dutch process cocoa), kosher salt, and vanilla or almond extract, which helps to balance the flavors of the dark chocolate.
Gently fold in the almond flour until combined. At this point, you may want to add some low carb nuts to the mixture. 1/2 cup of chopped pecans will only add an additional 0.22 net carbs to each brownie, and 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts will add an additional 0.44 net carbs to each brownie. Spread the batter evenly into the pan and bake on the middle rack for 35 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees F.
We find that 35 minutes is our sweet spot for the perfect fudgy brownie. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the brownies. If if comes out wet, it’s not done. You’ll know they’re done when the toothpick retains a few moist crumbs. Don’t worry if the brownies look under baked as they continue to cook while cooling in pan.
Cool the pan completely on a wire rack. Remember that patience is needed when baking keto desserts! We also place the pan in the refrigerator for about an hour or until they’re completely cooled, which produces a clean edge while slicing.
CAN I SUBSTITUTE THE 85% CACOA WITH DARK CHOCOLATE OR SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS?
The short answer is yes. However, you will be adding an additional 2 to 3 net carbs per brownie, depending on the brand.
HOW DO I STORE THESE BROWNIES?
We store our brownies in the fridge as we like the texture that cooling produces, but they’re also delicious stored at room temperature. They stay fresh up to 4 days at room temperature, 7 days in the fridge, and 3 months in the freezer. Wrap individual brownies before freezing.
Best Keto Fudgy Brownies
Ingredients
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter 1 stick
- 6 oz 85% cocoa dark chocolate Lindt Excellence
- 1½ cups granulated sugar replacement truvia Sweet Complete; Swerve
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa Dutch process
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup almond flour blanched
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter (or use cooking spray) bottom and sides of an 8-inch square pan. Next, line with parchment paper, leaving a 2" overhang on sides for lifting cooked brownies from pan. Using a double boiler or a heatproof bowl placed on top of a pot of simmering water, melt butter and chocolate pieces and stir until smooth. Remove from heat.
- Stream in sugar substitute while whisking until combined. Add in eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition until completely incorporated. The texture should now appear smooth. Whisk in cocoa, vanilla and salt. Gently fold in almond flour until combined. At this point you may add in ½ cup chopped pecans for 0.22 additional net carbs per brownie.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes on middle rack. 35 minutes was a perfect bake in our oven, but since individual ovens vary, you may want to test a few minutes earlier for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the brownies. If the toothpick is wet, return to oven. A perfect bake is when the toothpick retains a few moist crumbs. Do not over-bake as the brownies will continue to cook while they are cooling.
- Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Then place pan in refrigerator until chilled throughout (about 1 hour). Remove parchment before slicing into 9 squares. This cooling is necessary to produce clean edges when slicing keto baked goods.
