After testing, re-testing, and re-re-re-re-testing, I feel pretty confident in calling this THE best gluten and sugar free brownie I've ever had. There is a dairy free option, and you can choose the slightly more authentic low sugar version or the totally-sugar-free-but-still-totally delicious version, and make it your own personal favourite. But this is mine. It is soft, fudgy, sweet and genuinely yummy.
- 100 g (1/2 cup) coconut oil or butter*, room temperature (it should be soft but not liquid)
- 100 g (1/2 cup) xylitol or a half-and-half mix of xylitol and coconut sugar/brown sugar** (if you like your brownies super sweet, add 4-6 drops liquid stevia as well)
- 2 eggs (use 2 flax eggs for vegan***)
- 2 teaspoons gluten and sugar free vanilla extract
- 70 g (3/4 cup) cocoa powder (or cacao powder, but cocoa is richer and more chocolate-y)
- 40 g (1/4 cup) gluten free plain flour (or a mix****)
- decent pinch of sea salt
- 50 g (2 oz) chopped walnuts (or 85-90% dark chocolate chopped into chunks if you're not a fan of nuts in brownies), optional
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Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Use an electric hand beater or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to beat the coconut oil and xylitol together for 3-4 minutes until white and glossy. Beat in the eggs one at a time and add the vanilla, still beating, until the mixture is pale yellow and fluffy.
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In a bowl, mix the cocoa powder, flour and salt. Tip into the eggs and mix together gently with a spatula until incorporated. It will make quite a thick, cookie-like dough. Mix 2/3 of the walnuts or chocolate chunks and knead a few times to spread them evenly throughout the batter. Press the batter into a lined 9 inch (22cm) square baking tin to make thinner "mini" brownies (it will make 16) or into a 1lb loaf tin to make 8 thick brownie squares). Scatter the last 1/3 of the walnuts chocolate chunks over the top and press in lightly. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until just cooked but still slightly fudgy. Allow to cool completely before cutting into 8 large or 16 small squares and serving. If you have time, chilling overnight will add to the fudginess, but these are really yummy served at room temperature or even slightly warmed.
*my best batch used half-and-half coconut oil and salted butter (I skipped the salt in the flour mix), but each lends their own strength to the brownie and you can easily use just one, just make sure to use odorless coconut oil if you don't want a coconut taste in the brownie.
**my best batch used the half-and-half xylitol and coconut sugar, and honestly, 100g for just 8 big brownies or 16 small ones is a lot of xylitol, so I generally feel it's worth the 1 teaspoon sugar per (big) brownie (or 1/2 teaspoon per small one) to make sure there is neither too much xylitol or too much sugar! And of course, you are always welcome to use less sweetener of any kind in your attempt - I always strongly recommend reducing the amount used each time you make a recipe, as your tastebuds will adjust to need less, which is wonderful.
***I did test one batch with flax eggs and it did work, but was just not quite as great as the egg-containing ones.
****my best batch used my go-to gluten free flour blend + 1/2 tablespoon sweet (glutinous) rice flour - if you aren't gluten free you can replace this with an equal amount of wholewheat or spelt flour (or even all-purpose/plain flour) if you want.