The best gluten-free brownies (and the reviewers agree with me)! So fudgy, gooey, and incredibly easy to make. If you’re looking for a truly delicious gluten-free brownie recipe, look no further. They can also be made with all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour for a non-GF version. With a dairy-free option.
There are some bloggers who pretty much label every recipe of theirs as the best (The Best Cheesecake! The Best Chocolate Cake! The Best Everything!) which gets a mega eye roll from me, but here I am doing it.
I apologize for being a hypocrite but… yeah. I’m not changing my title. :D These really are the best brownies ever!
Simple, quick, no-fuss, super fudgy gluten-free dairy-free brownies. They’re also 100% whole grain (if you choose one of the two whole-grain options)!
By the way, if you’re very sensitive to gluten, check out my post on Are Chocolate Chips Gluten-free? to see which brands are safe for celiacs.
Different flour options
You’ve got several flour choices for these GF brownies. One that’s not listed below is coconut flour. If you want to use that, you’re in luck because I have a version of these gluten-free brownies that uses just coconut flour!
Check out these coconut flour brownies for that. Their texture is just as amazing as these. :)
I also have a version with all almond flour. These almond flour brownies are super gooey and hard to resist. Both the coconut and almond flour versions are paleo. If you love almond flour, also take a look at my almond flour chocolate chip cookies!
Your flour options for this recipe are:
- A gluten-free baking flour that’s a 1:1 sub for all-purpose flour
- Teff flour
- Buckwheat flour
- For a non-gluten-free version: all-purpose flour, whole spelt flour, white whole wheat or regular whole wheat flour
GF Baking Flour
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So for that first option, make sure it’s meant as a 1-to-1 sub for all-purpose flour. The one I always use is Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-free Baking Flour. It’s the one in the blue bag.
Commenters have said that they’ve used the gluten-free flour blends from Pillsbury, King Arthur Flour, Namaste with success.
Teff flour
Up next are the two healthier and whole-grain options. Teff comes in different varieties like white / ivory or dark and it’s said that the dark kind is earthier tasting (read: it tastes like dirt, like buckwheat).
I’ve used both white and dark teff flour in these gluten and dairy-free brownies and you really can’t detect any difference – all that Dutch-process cocoa powder does a great job of covering up any earthy / healthy flavors!
I think teff isn’t the easiest flour to find but the dark kind is available on Amazon.
Buckwheat Flour
Buckwheat is also awesome in these brownies. You can’t taste it at all. If you have some of that on hand, also check out my kladdkaka (Swedish sticky chocolate cake) for an amazingly gooey cake that’s like a cross between cake and brownies.
Don’t need a GF version? No problem.
And because I know some people don’t need these to be gluten-free, I’ve also tried them with several wheat flours. They all worked equally as well!
Do they all taste the same?
The cool thing is that all of the different versions taste the same. They’re all just as gooey and there’s no grittiness!
That can be said of all of my gluten-free recipes. I don’t sacrifice on taste or texture!
If you try these gluten-free brownies while warm, the buckwheat and teff versions do have something a little texturally weird going on but once they cool, it’s a thing of the past!
It’s a really flexible recipe. Just don’t go halving the sugar and then complain that they came out cakey. ;)
I’ve made these brownies (seriously the best gluten-free brownie recipe ever!) so many times to bring to picnics and other get-togethers. Nobody ever even knows they’re gluten-free! The same with my gluten-free chocolate cupcakes.
Seriously. You can’t go wrong with this recipe. :)
Need convincing? Check out the reviews below!
Want a smaller batch?
If you’re like me and have portion-control issues, then these Air Fryer Brownies are a great option! They’re a scaled down version of the recipe below.
And my Air Fryer Paleo Brownies are a scaled down version of the almond flour brownies, which I mentioned above. Also adapted from the below recipe. I do love this recipe. 😄
Questions about these gluten-free chocolate brownies?
- Can I use something instead of the listed flours?
I link to my coconut flour and almond flour versions in the post. Commenters have used different brands of gluten-free baking flours with success. Off the top of my head, I can remember people saying Pillsbury, King Arthur and Namaste have worked.
- Do I have to use Dutch-process cocoa powder?
No, but they might not be as chocolaty or they might be more cakey. But I will say that nobody has had any complaints about these brownies and I know people have used regular cocoa powder. So I’m guessing they’re fine with whatever cocoa powder you want to use.
- Are all cocoa powders gluten-free?
Cocoa powder is naturally gluten-free, but if you’re really sensitive to it, you might want to read Is Cocoa Powder Gluten-free? for more info on brands that are tested and labeled as gluten-free. You can read more specifically about Hershey’s here → Is Hershey’s Gluten-free?
- Can I use something instead of the listed fats?
Those are the only ones that I’ve tried. I’m guessing anything would work, though, given that liquid oil like canola oil and olive oil work as well as butter and ghee.
- Do they taste like coconut if I use coconut oil?
Not if you use refined coconut oil. They taste 100% like regular, super gooey traditional brownies.
- Do they taste like olive oil if I use olive oil?
I use extra-virgin olive oil and you can definitely taste it. My husband LOVES this version but I don’t. I recommend a lighter tasting olive oil or something more neutral.
- Can I use something instead of coconut sugar / granulated sugar?
Subbing in a liquid sweetener won’t work. There’s no liquid to reduce to make up for the added liquid, so it’d make the brownies cakey or possibly a liquidy mess. Other granulated sweeteners like maple sugar would probably work.
- Can I reduce the sugar?
One commenter has said that they reduced the sugar to basically nothing and they’re still gooey. But that’s not possible. Or we must have differing opinions of what gooey means.
The less sugar you add, the cakeier and less gooey they are. They might also not hold together as well because sugar is a binder.
You could probably knock off 1/4 cup of sugar but don’t be surprised if they don’t have the perfect texture you see in the photos. - What can I use instead of the eggs?
I’ve tried egg replacements so many times and failed. Please just find an already vegan brownie recipe. :)
One commenter used 3/4 cup pumpkin puree in place of the eggs and I tried that and they were tasty. But the texture wasn’t nearly as good as the egg version so I can’t recommend it. - Do I have to use the chocolate chips?
Nope! They’re sweet enough without. I just like them in my brownies. You could also top them off with my favorite paleo chocolate fudge frosting.
- Can I double this brownie recipe?
Yes! Use a 9″x13″. I unfortunately forgot to write down the baking time. It is not that much more than the single recipe.
If you try these gluten-free brownies, I’d love to hear how they come out!
The Best Gluten-free Fudgy Brownies (dairy-free)
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 12 brownies
These gluten-free brownies are the best I've ever had - gluten-free or not! And the reviewers agree with me. They're super fudgy and dairy-free.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (158 grams) teff flour, or 1 cup (125 grams) light buckwheat flour1 or 1 cup (138 grams) Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-free Baking Flour (or a similar mix)
- 3/4 cup (86 grams) Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted if lumpy (you could also use Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (196 grams) unsalted butter or for dairy-free, use refined coconut oil2 or another neutral oil – melted and cooled slightly
- 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar, raw sugar, or coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs (50 grams each, out of shell), room temperature
- 3/4 cup (128 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips (Enjoy Life Semi-sweet Chocolate Chip for dairy-free) + an additional 1/4 cup (43 grams) to sprinkle on top, if desired (I used mini chocolate chips on top)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and line an 8"×8" (20cmx20cm) pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the melted butter or coconut oil, sugar, and vanilla extract. Once combined, add the eggs one at a time, and stir just until combined.
- Add the dry mixture to the wet and stir just until almost no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix! Fold in 3/4 cup (128 grams) chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup (43 grams) chocolate chips on top, if desired.
- If using teff or the GF flour blend, bake for 20-22 (some commenters need more) minutes or until the brownies have formed a thin crust and appear set in the middle. If using buckwheat or whole wheat, you may only need 15-20 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center will come out wet. A toothpick inserted into the sides will come out with some moist crumbs on it, but not totally raw batter. The brownies will continue to bake as they sit in the pan and will firm up as they cool. Note that a lot of commenters have said they needed to bake them longer than what I have listed. I've made these brownies at least 20x since posting and the baking times I have listed are what works for my oven (which is running correctly :))
- Let cool completely and then cover and store at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also refrigerate them to give them a fudgier texture.
Notes
- Buckwheat flour is naturally gluten-free but not all buckwheat flour is processed in a gluten-free facility. If you need these brownies to be gluten-free, make sure to use certified gluten-free buckwheat flour!
- If using coconut oil, I prefer refined coconut oil over unrefined as refined has zero coconut taste to it.
- If you're unsure of what brand of chocolate chips are safe, check out → Are Chocolate Chips Gluten-free?
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621 comments on “Gluten-free Brownies – Super fudgy and dairy-free!” — Add one!
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This recipe looks delicious!! But do you think i can just use egg whites for the eggs? I know the usual ratio is 2 egg whites equals 1 egg. Have you had any experience with this?? Thank you!
Hello! I’ve never tried that sub in a brownie recipe but I’m pretty sure it’d make the brownies quite cakey and not gooey / fudgy. Is there any way that you could maybe just replace one of the eggs with 2 egg whites (and use 2 whole eggs) and see how it goes and then increase that the next time? I’d love to hear how it works out!
Amazing!! I had Bob’s Red Mill all purpose gf flour on hand (light blue label), so used that. Ooey gooey deliciousness in the middle of the pan and luscious, moist edge pieces. Definitely a keeper recipe! ❤❤❤❤❤
I love Bob’s 1-to-1 GF mix so it’s great to hear that it works well in these! Thanks a bunch for the tip. :) I’m so glad that you enjoyed them!
Hiii! I can’t have cocoa butter due to allergy, will the recipe work without the choco chips?
Hi there! It’s great without the chips. :)
Super thanks Erin
You’re welcome! Hope you’ll enjoy them. :)
OMG these look amazing! I am a huge brownie fan and I LOVE that you can just use teff or buckwheat flour instead of figuring out which blend to use. Can’t WAIT to make these…maybe this weekend ;)
Thanks! I hope that you’ll get the chance to try them out! :)
Thank you for posting this recipe! This is the first time I’ve ever made gluten-free anything, because I’m recently gluten-free, and I’m very pleased.
Also, I was wondering if you used a platform for making your instructional video. If so, which one did you use? It looks great!
I was wondering what I could use and how much in the place of the sugar? Thanks
I’ve only made these with granulated and coconut sugar so that’s all I can really recommend. Another type of granulated sugar (like maple sugar) should also work.
Using the same amount. :)
These brownies are unbelievable! Made a gluten-free/dairy-free version with Bob’s RM gluten-free flour mix, coconut sugar and coconut oil. I also topped them with unsweetened coconut flakes and chopped walnuts. They were a big hit at 2 events I brought them to. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe!
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️➕
So happy you liked them! Did you use the 1-to-1 GF Baking Flour in the blue bag? Thanks for the tip! Awesome that they were a hit. :)
Yes, I did use the 1 to 1 GF flour. Forgot to mention, I used the Enjoy life mini chocolate chips in addition to the coconut flakes and walnuts for the topping. In the process of making them again for paint bar night! Thanks 😊
Thanks for coming back to let me know! I hope they’ll be enjoyed at paint bar night (sounds fun, by the way! :D)
I was really looking forward to trying this recipe but I used coconut oil and it was way too oily, basically it didn’t cook at all and on top it was covered with oil. Is the proportion for coconut oil the same (196 gr)? Thank you!
Hi there! Sorry for the slow reply. The measurements and grams are correct (I use the grams myself). I’ve had this issue happen with any brownie recipe if not mixing together the ingredients like the recipe says. Did you follow the recipe or forget to add an ingredient until later (which is something I have often done ;)) I’m sorry that they didn’t come out well for you! I hope we can find out the reason.
Has anyone tried substituting applesauce for some or all of the butter? I’ve had great success experimenting and using applesauce instead of oil in a bunch of sweet bread recipes. Just curious…and thanks for your time and consideration!
I’ve never tried it and although I know it works great in quick breads, some cake and muffin recipes… I’m not as hopeful with brownies. It’d make the brownies cakey instead of gooey and fudgy like they’re supposed to be. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to hear the results!
I was blessed enough to come across this recipe the first time i searched for GF&DF brownies and I AM OBSESSED. They are the tastiest brownies I’ve ever had- homemade, box, healthy, unhealthy etc. you name it, they beat it. Thank you for sharing this gold with humanity!!
I’m so sorry for just now seeing your comment! I’m thrilled that you liked the brownies so much. There are worse things to be obsessed with. ;) Thanks a bunch for your comment!
I have never had much luck making yummy gluten free recipes that works out as well as these did. My husband usually won’t touch the gf recipes I make but these were flying off the plate. Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m happy to hear that you and your husband enjoyed the brownies. :) Thanks for your comment!
We substituted rice flour and they were teriffic! We also made lemon bars by eliminating the chocolate, using lemon oil, lemon zest and fresh lemon juice to taste. Glazed with lemony glaze. Delish!!
I’m happy that sub worked out well! And wow. You just omitted the cocoa without adjusting anything else (other than adding lots of lemon flavor) and it worked?! That’s awesome. I’ll have to try that. Thanks for your comment!
Valerie,
I would love to know what amount of lemon ingredients you used and how you substituted, my dad loves lemon baked goods and he’s turning 86 this year, I would love to make your version for him, he would love it! Original version is awesome for chocoholics and I can even make it celiac friendly, verified by those people in my family. Even had a nephew’s girlfriend who is celiac at event, she loved them! Please reveal your lemon version so I can make both this year, especially for my dad!
Thanks, Gail
Valerie won’t see this comment unless she comes back to the post so I’ll email her and ask! I’m also curious. :)
It’s passover now and I can only get potato flour. Can I substitute that for the teff? My granddaughter who has celiac and all my grandkids as well as their parents love these brownies.
I’m sorry but I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t work. Potato flour isn’t interchangeable with teff. :( Sorry about that!
Did not care for these. Tooooo much chocolate. Froze them to use in a trifle or something
I’m sorry you found them too chocolaty! I’ve never gotten this comment on one of my recipes. I guess to each their own when it comes to the amount of chocolate. ;)
What could we sub for the eggs. I have friends who are allergic.
I haven’t tried any egg subs in these, sorry! I’d normally say flax or chia eggs but I haven’t had a good experience with those in brownie recipes.
I substitute mashed ripe banana for eggs all the time… 3 tablespoons mashed ripe banana equals one egg…
Thanks for the tip! Have you tried that sub in this recipe? I often have issues with egg subs in brownies.
My daughter is allergic too and I made these last night with 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons flax mixed with 5 tablespoons water) and one Ener-G egg (it’s an egg replacer mix you can get in the health food section of the grocery). They turned out Ah-mazing! I was skeptical when they first came out of the oven, but once they cooled they were perfect. Thank you Erin for this delicious recipe. I’ve tried so many GF brownie recipes and this one is the first one that’s actually tasted like brownies! I wish I could hug you!
Sorry for just now seeing your comment, Meredith! Thanks for your tip on how to make these egg-free. :) Did you use a combination of flax eggs + an Ener-G egg for a reason? Like you thought that 3 flax eggs wouldn’t have worked? I’m always hesitant to use more than 2 so I’m wondering if that’s the reason! And I’m so happy that you finally found a GF brownie recipe that doesn’t taste GF. :) Thanks again for your comment!
Yes, I haven’t had great luck with any of the usual egg replacers in brownies, so I thought I’d try a combination. Flax is great for binding, but the Ener-G egg replacer is better for lifting, so they seemed to work well together. Thanks again for a great recipe! p.s. no such thing as too much chocolate! ;)
Oh, interesting! I’ve never used Ener-G eggs so that’s great to know. Thanks a bunch for coming back to answer! And haha. Yeah. Too much chocolate… for me that’s such an unusual complaint. But everyone’s entitled to their opinion. ;)
I just made these for my fiancé and his sister who are gluten free. I Was just intending to just nibble some dough and have a bite of brownie since it’s a rare thing for me to truly enjoy gluten free goods since I have no intolerances or allergies. I used Namaste organic perfect flour blend from Costco since that’s what we have. This really is the best recipe! Which is unfortunate. I typically nibble on a gluten free brownie and let the fiancé finish mine for me since texture always gets me, but these are so close to the regular gluten filled ones that I went back for seconds. Thanks for this recipe!
Haha. Well I’m happy that you liked them enough that you didn’t have your fiancé finish yours. It’s great to know that the Namaste flour blend works well. If you need something else to make them, I can recommend these paloe chocolate chip cookies. I doubt you’ll be having your fiancé finish those, either. :D Thanks for the tip and your comment!
Is there anything special you should do to substitute coconut oil? I always have a problem with the final product being overly oily.
Have you tried with butter? The result would be less oily because butter is 80% fat and coconut oil is 100%.
With butter it wouldn’t be dairy-free though
Yes, but not everyone who sees this recipe needs it to be dairy-free. :)
You could use Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks – which are dairy free. I use that brand for my butter substitute for almost everything including baking. They do have soy, however, if that’s a concern.
Thanks for the tip! That’s great to know. :)
I guess I have to partially retract this comment. I do see the sticks have water with oil, so it’s not 100% oil and may not turn out as well in this recipe. However, that fake butter is great in other recipes!
I’m new to having to cook with gluten free flours. Do you think i could use brown rice flour or almond flour – i do also have buckwheat flour but tend to think the rice and almond flour isn’t as grainy as buckwheat. Would love help as new to this world! Thanks so much!
I never used brown rice flour but I don’t think it’s interchangeable with the flours used here. Almond flour is definitely not interchangeable (it’s only interchangeable with other nut flours). I don’t like buckwheat at all but there’s no grittiness if you make the recipe as written (see the 3rd to last paragraph of the post :)) Hope that helps!
I don’t like either of those gf flours, so I used my own gf baking mix and upped the baking time to 40 minutes. They turned out fantastic. Thank you for the recipe.
You’re welcome! That’s great that your GF baking mix worked out well. I’m always happy to hear when experimenting goes well! Thanks for your comment. :)
I used red mill gluten free flour and cooked for 22 minutes. They didn’t seem to be done all the way even after cooling but judging by the above comment I need to try again and increase the time to 40 minutes. I also substituted vanilla extract with peppermint. Even not being done all the way the edges were super yummy. Good thing I experimented. Will try again tomorrow for xmas day. Delicious!
I hope that the second round worked out better! Thanks for your feedback on making these brownies with BRM GF flour. :) And sorry for my slow reply (Christmas chaos got in the way!).
I’ve made these a couple of times using teff flour (not much else I can do with teff and I love brownies). Coconut oil instead of butter. They are delicious and very rich (rich brownies are fabulous). Thank you for sharing
and doing the work for us!
You’re so welcome! I’m happy that you enjoy them. I feel the same way about teff! Thanks a bunch for your comment. :)