The Fudgiest Flourless Brownies — No flour, no problem! Chocolate and peanut butter are all you need for super fudgy flourless brownies!
Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownies with Peanut Butter
These are the fudgiest brownies I’ve ever made. That’s what happens when there’s no flour.
And there’s no flour replacers, black beans, avocado, or any ‘interesting’ ingredients. Ahem.
Lately when I see flourless brownie recipes on the web, it’s a safe bet that there’s beans in them. I love beans, but I’ll keep them in my slow-cooker and out of my brownies. Thanks.
The flourless brownies are made with just a few simple ingredients. Chocolate, peanut butter, sugar, eggs. Now we’re talking.
They taste elegant, classy, and fancy, but take just minutes to make and you don’t even need a mixer.
They’re rich, velvety smooth, and not overly sweet. They’re what you crave on certain days when nothing else will do.
The peanut butter flavor is present yet subtle in the brownies themselves. However, I played up the peanut butter aspect by drizzling them with peanut butter. Going hog wild with my squirt bottle was almost as satisfying as the brownies.
The interesting thing about them is that although they’re very fudgy and not at all cakey, they’re not dense or too thick.
They’re perfect for anyone who’s gluten-free since they’re inherently gluten-free.
And they’re perfect for anyone who loves chocolate and peanut butter, which is everyone, right?
Ingredients in Flourless Brownies
To make these gluten-free peanut butter chocolate brownies, you’ll need the following easy-to-find ingredients:
- Unsalted butter
- Semisweet chocolate chips
- Creamy peanut butter
- Brewed coffee
- Eggs
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Cocoa powder
- Instant espresso granules
Can a Different Nut Butter Be Used?
Of course! You may use any nut butter you’d like for this flourless brownie recipe, noting that no-stir or “traditional” nut butters work best.
For more of a true chocolate brownie flavor, try using cashew butter or sunflower seed butter. They’re milder in flavor than peanut butter.
Can the Coffee Be Omitted?
There’s two tablespoons of coffee and 1 teaspoon of instant espresso granules in the batter. Both serve to intensity and round out the chocolate flavor, but don’t make the brownies taste like coffee.
Although you could use water instead of coffee and skip the espresso, I wouldn’t.
How to Make Flourless Brownies
Making these no-flour peanut butter fudge brownies is simple! Here are the basic steps:
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and heat for 1 minute on high power to melt.
- Add 2 cups chocolate chips, one heaping 1/2 peanut butter, coffee, and heat for 1 minute on high power to melt.
- Whisk mixture until smooth.
- Add the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
- Add the cocoa powder, espresso granules, and whisk until smooth.
- Turn batter out into a foil-lined 9×9-inch pan.
- Bake until the edges are set, and the top and center have just set and are not jiggly.
- Place pan on a wire rack and allow brownies to cool completely before adding the PB drizzle.
Can This Recipe Be Doubled?
Yes, very easily! Simply double the ingredients and bake in a 9×13-inch pan. The bake time should remain roughly the same.
Can Mix-Ins Be Added?
I imagine so! Just be sure to use gluten-free mix-ins if you need to keep this chocolate brownie recipe gluten-free.
Tips for Making Brownies Without Flour
“Traditional” no-stir peanut butter from a brand like Jif or Skippy will work best in this recipe. Homemade peanut butter will also work, but the brownies might be slightly oilier.
A few readers have asked whether the eggs / butter / sugar can be substituted, and for all of those ingredients, my answer is maybe. I don’t typically make low-carb or dairy-free desserts, so I really can’t speak to the best substitutes.
I recommend serving the flourless brownies chilled because anything this dark and fudgy tastes better chilled.
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The Fudgiest Flourless Brownies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick
- 2 cups one 12-ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
- heaping 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons brewed coffee, leftover from the morning is fine; does not make brownies taste like coffee, water may be substituted
- 4 large eggs
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup unsweetened natural cocoa
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso granules, optional but recommend (does not make brownies taste like coffee)
PB Drizzle
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
Instructions
Make the brownies:
- Preheat oven to 300F. Line a 9×9-inch pan with foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and heat for 1 minute on high power to melt. It’s okay if it hasn’t melted after 1 minute.
- Add 2 cups chocolate chips,a heaping 1/2 cup peanut butter, coffee (doesn’t make the brownies taste like coffee and serves to enhance and bring out the chocolate flavor), and heat for 1 minute on high power to melt.
- Whisk mixture until smooth. If necessary, heat in 10-second bursts until mixture can be whisked smooth.
- Add the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
- Add the cocoa, optional espresso granules, and whisk until smooth.
- Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
- Bake for about 35 minutes or until edges are set, and the top and center have just set and are not jiggly. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
- Place pan on a wire rack and allow brownies to cool completely, at least 2 hours, before adding the drizzles. If you add the drizzles to warm brownies, they’ll melt together and while it tastes the same, cosmetically it isn’t what’s shown.
Make the drizzle:
- After brownies have cooled, add 1/2 cup chocolate chips to a small microwave-safe bowl and heat on high power to melt, about 1 minute. Stir until smooth and drizzle over brownies using a spoon or squirt bottle; set aside.
- Add 1/3 cup peanut butter to a small microwave-safe bowl and heat on high power to melt, about 45 seconds. Drizzle over brownies using a spoon or squirt bottle.
- I recommend chilling the brownies before serving because they’re rich, bold, and taste better when chilled. Cover pan with a sheet of foil to prevent fridge smells and chill brownies for at least 4 hours, or overnight, before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Flourless Dessert Recipes:
Flourless Chocolate Cake — A classy, elegant cake that’s ultra rich, fudgy, and tastes better than what you’d get in a fancy restaurant and it’s so EASY!! Your friends and family will think you slaved over it and be so impressed!!
The Best Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies — Soft, chewy and they’ll be your new fave PB cookies!! One bowl, no mixer, no butter, naturally gluten-free!
Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies — These peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are hands down the best peanut butter cookies I’ve ever made. Know that I don’t say that lightly!
Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cake — The cake is soft, extremely moist, dense but not heavy, and has bold peanut butter flavor that’s complemented by chocolate.
Peanut Butter Toffee Bit Cookies — You need just 6 simple ingredients to make these toffee cookies! The peanut butter cookie dough is accidentally gluten-free and packed with toffee bits!
Hi, Averie! I love that these brownies are flourless, but, i have a family member that is allergic to dairy and cannot eat butter. What do you recommend as a substitute for the stick of unsalted butter that is truly dairy free? We are Huge Chocoholics!!! Thanks!!
Probably something like Earth Balance, vegan ‘butter’. Glad you love this recipe!
Does anyone know how many carbs are in each piece? Thank you
One of my room mates has been asking me to try a gluten free recipe, and I think I’ll give this one a go. I’m not sure though if I want to do the straight peanut butter on top. Does it overwhelm the chocolatey taste? Perhaps I’ll just do a bit less than you did in the pictures.
You can skip it all together if that’s better for you but no, I didn’t think it overwhelmed but maybe just do half the pan with, half without, if you’re concerned.
I made these for my colleagues today, and they were a huge hit! People wanted the recipe! So delicious!!! Thanks, Averie!
By the way, I am not sure if it is just my computer, but the ingredient list and directions are showing up twice in the recipe.
Thanks for trying them and glad they were a huge hit and people wanted the recipe! Love stories like that!
Thanks for the heads up about that weird glitch. About 6 months ago I had a string of about 1 month’s worth of recipes that showed up double and I thought I had fixed them all and just fixed this one – and hopefully that’s the LAST random one like that :)
do you think i can substitute peanut butter with nutella?
Not really because the textures/consistencies are different and with no flour, I fear that Nutella will become too liquidy, runny, and the brownies won’t hold together.
I’m wondering if I can sub honey for the sugar? Looking for a slightly healthier/less processed sweetener option…
No you cannot because the batter will become incredibly runny and soupy if you add honey (liquid) in place of sugar (dry).
Do you recommend cooking with any other alternatives to sugar such as sugar in the raw or stevia? I usually try to avoid white cane sugar unless it is for a special occasion or something.
I haven’t tried these brownies with anything other than the way I wrote the recipe. I really don’t bake with anything other than real sugar because not everyone has access to specialty products and not that stevia is ‘special’ for me in my area, it may be for others. So I just use what’s the most common.
Avery, I made these brownies the other day to bring to a party and they were a huge hit! My husband and I love them so much that I almost didn’t bring them…hehe. ;)
I did remove the coffee ingredients since kids were going to be eating them and they really came just as super tasty and fudgy. I blogged about them today:
I’ve made 2 or 3 other recipes from you and you have NEVER dissappointed. Thank you so much for sharing all of your wonderful ideas! :)
Thanks for trying them, Tina, and so glad you guys loved them to the point they almost didn’t get brought to your event :) That’s great to hear and thanks for the shoutout in your post!
if one is paleo, can they use ghee or coconut oil for butter and sunflower seed butter for peanut butter?
I haven’t tried those options but LMK how they work if you do!
Whoa baby! Get out of my dreams and into my mouth! These are incredible, Averie. Sooooooo dark ‘n decadent ‘n fudgy. Absolute perfection, especially with the drizzles of peanut butter and chocolate on top.
Wow – these ARE happening this weekend in my kitchen. Now I just need someone to help me with them so I don’t eat the entire pan…
If you make them, LMK how it goes! You’ll have no problem finding some neighborly taste-testers I’m sure :)
Wow these look so fudgy and delicious! Hooray for gluten-free!
Wow! I am not a sweets fan but I tested this recipe to use later at a bridal shower. I used my co-workers as testers and everyone absolutely LOVED them! I skipped the chocolate on top because I felt they were rich enough. I tried them warm from the oven and chilled the next day – they definitely taste better chilled. And they couldn’t believe it didn’t have flour in it! Great find.
Thanks for trying them, and glad your taste testers agreed they were great! And I agree about the chilled, too!
mmmm… mmmmm.
These are my kind of brownies. My lips are smacking already.
I am so intrigued about the texture of these brownies! And the melted chocolate and peanut butter look absolutely stunning!!
These look amazing!! I love that there is no flour!