Dairy Free Brownies

This recipe for gluten free and dairy free brownies is quick and easy to make, incredibly decadent, and amounts to the most perfect texture. The brownies are dense, fudgy, made with dark chocolate, and topped off with flaked salt.

Super dense and fudgy paleo brownies

These brownies are extremely decadent, dense, and fudge-like. They are going to be extremely satisfying, and you'll probably feel really happy after just eating one.

Don't let that stop you from taking a second though... or a third! 😉

If you are looking for a more cake-like brownie recipe, I'd recommend:

The Ultimate Paleo Cakey Brownies

Luckily, you don't need a long list of ingredients to make these magical things. If you aren't dairy free, feel free to use melted ghee or butter instead of coconut oil.

Otherwise, all you will need is outlined below.

What makes these gluten free brownies so delicious?

I think it's truly a combination of things. However, as soon as I discovered I was impartial to fudgy brownies over cakey brownies, I knew there were a few things that would make this recipe stand out.

1. They don't dry out after sitting out all day, and they'll keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
2. The texture is insane. The density and fudge factor are out of this world!
3. Topping them off with a bit of flaked salt really makes the flavors soar.
4. The brownies are completely free of gluten, dairy, refined sugar, and flour.

The main difference between a cakey brownie and a fudgy brownie is the amount of flour used and/or leavening agents (baking soda, baking powder, etc.)

The leaving agents will give them the rise factor you're looking for when making a cake recipe.

However, since I wanted these to be dense and fudgy, I use very little arrowroot starch and no leavening agents at all.

Everything can be mixed together in one big bowl which makes for a quick and no fuss clean up. I love that. Now, I can get to trying my first bite way quicker! 🙂

They are the perfect dessert to have on hand for your family throughout the week or for a big group of guests. I like to cut them into 16 squares, but cut them as big or as small as you'd like.

How to make gluten free and dairy free brownies

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Brush the bottom and sides of an 8x8” baking pan with oil and line with parchment paper. Set aside.

Using the double boiler method or in a microwaveable bowl, melt together the dark chocolate chunks and coconut oil. Be sure to stir occasionally to ensure the chocolate doesn't burn at the bottom. If using a microwave, only heat up 30 seconds at a time. Once it has melted, give it a nice stir and set aside to cool.

In a separate large mixing bowl, add eggs, milk, coconut sugar, cacao, arrowroot, salt, vanilla, and vanilla extract. Mix well with a fork or use a hand mixer to blend everything together until smooth throughout, about 30 seconds. Do not over mix.

Once the chocolate/oil mixture is warm to the touch (but not hot), add it to the large mixing bowl. Fold several times using a spatula until smooth throughout. This will take about 1 minute.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth over with an offset spatula. Tap on the counter a few times to release air bubbles. Bake at 350°F for 24-28 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 15-20 minutes before carefully removing from the pan.

Once they are cool to the touch, use an offset spatula to spread on the chocolate topping. Let the brownies set in the refrigerator for about 1 hour before carefully slicing. Top off with your favorite flaked sea salt and serve.

Expert Tips & Tricks

1. Create a successful transfer by securing your parchment paper in the pan correctly: Measure out the parchment paper to the width of the longest side of the pan (in this case, it’s even). Make sure it’s long enough to line the entire bottom of the pan, both sides and have a few inches of overhang on either side.
2. Use between a 72-85% dark chocolate. Otherwise, they may turn out a bit too sweet with the addition of the coconut sugar.
3. Do your best not to over-mix the batter. As soon as the dry ingredients seem well incorporated, halt the mixing. Sometimes, over-mixing can lead to a dryer finished product.
4. Pull the brownies out just as soon as you think they are done. It's better for them to be a bit under-baked and continue cooking in the pan while they set.
5. Get yourself a high quality flakey sea salt. Maldon is my absolute favorite! I use it to top off a lot of my chocolate baked goods, i.e. chocolate chip blondies and paleo chocolate chip cookies, too!
6. Let the brownies sit in the pan and cool slightly (about 30 minutes) before carefully lifting up and removing the parchment paper.

Substitutions & Questions

Feel free to use your favorite fat of choice. If you don't want to use coconut oil, you can use melted butter or ghee.

Instead of coconut sugar, you can use brown sugar. However, refined sugar is considerably sweeter, so I do not recommend that.

More paleo chocolate recipes you'll love:

Gluten Free Pumpkin Brownies

Peppermint Flourless Brownies

Flourless Chocolate Tahini Brownies

5 Minute Chocolate Chip Blondies

Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes

Gluten Free Raspberry Brownies