These are some of the most decadent brownies I’ve ever made.
They are unbelievably moist and fudgy! I’ve been on a mission to find more uses for my leftover almond pulp, and these brownies are the perfect solution.
I’ve heard some concerns from folks about baking with almond flour, worried that the natural fats found in the almonds may mutate with heat during the baking process. I’ve had similar concerns myself, and haven’t found a suitable answer to confirm this theory either way, which is why I always recommend that these baked almond flour goods be considered a treat, rather than an everyday indulgence.
This is also why I’ve taken a new interest in baking with almond pulp, which is leftover from making homemade almond milk. Since much of the natural oils found in the almonds are released during the blending process, the resulting almond pulp is lower in fat and therefore should have a less-likely chance of mutating when baked.
Using leftover almond pulp is also budget-friendly, since you’re getting double-the-use out of the same batch of almonds! I hope your family enjoys these rich, chocolate treats as much as mine does.
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Grain-Free Fudgy Brownies
makes an 8″x8″ pan
Adapted from this recipe
Ingredients:
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup organic sucanat
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup ground almond pulp*
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350F, and line an 8″x8″ glass dish with parchment paper. Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and stir well to combine into a thick batter.
*Note: To prepare the almond pulp, you must dry it completely after making your almond milk. You can do this in an low-temperature oven, or dehydrator, then transfer the dried almond pulp to a blender or food processor, and process it into a light and fluffy “flour” texture.
Pour the batter into the parchment-lined dish, and bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are pulling away from the sides of the pan and the center is firm.
Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving.
The brownies are so rich and fudgy, you may find that they are difficult to slice without some of the fudgy middles sticking to the knife. I recommend chilling the brownies in the fridge or freezer to make the cutting process go more smoothly, then allow to thaw to room temperature, if you like.
Rich and fudgy, these brownies are grain-free and are the perfect way to use up leftover almond pulp!
- 1/4 cup coconut oil , melted
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup organic sucanat
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup ground almond pulp*
- Preheat your oven to 350F, and line an 8"x8" glass dish with parchment paper. Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and stir well to combine into a thick batter.
- Pour the batter into the parchment-lined dish, and bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are pulling away from the sides of the pan and the center is firm.
- Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving.
- These brownies are so rich and fudgy, you may find that they are difficult to slice without some of the fudgy middles sticking to the knife. I recommend chilling the brownies in the fridge or freezer to make the cutting process go more smoothly, then allow to thaw to room temperature, if you like.
*To prepare the almond pulp, you must dry it completely after making your almond milk. You can do this in an low-temperature oven, or dehydrator, then transfer the dried almond pulp to a blender or food processor, and process it into a light and fluffy "flour" texture.
Enjoy!
Substitution notes:
- If you don’t have almond pulp on hand, you may be able to substitute traditional almond flour or almond meal. The result might be more oily, so you could reduce the oil by 1-2 tablespoons to compensate.
- For a less-fudgy brownie, add an additional 1/2 cup of ground almond pulp to the batter before baking.
- I do not recommend substituting flax eggs in this recipe. The result will be too moist!
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite dessert lately?
Meagan
This is so funny! I just made some “brownies” this weekend after I made my almond milk. I remember you saying that nothing you tried would work with the leftovers, and I was determined to proove you wrong! The results weren’t too bad 🙂 I used banana, egg, canned pumpkin, cocoapowder and stevia!
Dr. Meghan
I never thought to make brownies with the pulp from making almond milk. I learn something every day. I can’t wait to try it!!
Megan Lane
yayyyy! definitely want to try these. do you know at what temp/how long the almond pulp should be cooked to dehydrate it?
Megan
I use a dehydrator to dry mine, so I set my dehydrator to about 115F and let it run for about 4 hours. Most ovens won’t go that low, so you might try setting it to 175-200F and letting it dry for 2 hours? Just make sure you watch the pulp to ensure it doesn’t burn.
Jennifer
Hi Megan, these look amazing but that seems like a lot of sugar! Can you tell us more about sucanut? Is it healthier than regular brown sugar or honey/maple syrup?
Megan
Sucanat is simply dehydrated cane juice, creating a natural sugar-style granule. Sucanat contains only 88% sucrose, when compared to the 99% sucrose contained in traditional table sugar, and also has 4g less sugar per tablespoon when compared to honey. I wouldn’t say that makes it “healthier” than honey or maple syrup, but it’s certainly on par with other natural sweeteners. I actually tried to make these brownies with maple syrup and honey first, but the results were far too gooey and fudgy to be considered a successful recipe. Sucanat is my go-to sweetener when I need a dry solution, like in the case of these brownies.
As always, even natural sugars need to be consumed in moderation, which is why these fall into the “treat” category– but they’re so rich, just a small piece goes a long way!
Jennifer
Thanks Megan! I also just watched a video by a doctor online who said that date sugar is the healthiest sweetener available. Have you ever tried it? Any thoughts on his claim that it is the “healthiest”?
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-healthiest-sweetener/
laura
Have you tired using coconut sugar? I think that’s the best go to substitute for sugar in a recipe. Its low GI and full of nutrients but has the same consistency as sucanat.
Kim Rice
Have you tried making these brownies vegan?
April
I think you could use flax to replace the eggs in this recipe to make it vegan, just add it dry, or just add less water. Once mixed let your batter sit on the counter for a couple minutes to meld before sticking it in the oven. Flax will do the same thing when it gets wet regardless of where the moisture comes from. It may just take a little longer if anything since the liquid may not be as readily available as pure water. I wouldn’t worry about it too much. I will be making these with flax later this evening 🙂
Stacey
April,
Did you ever make these with flax? How were they? We have egg allergies so eggs are a no no for us.
April
Stacey,
I can’t have dairy, eggs, gluten, soy, or corn, and I’m vegan. I feel your pain. I did make an alternate and healthier (in my mind) version that is vegan. In place of the sugar I added 3 over-ripe (medium sized) bananas and mashed them. I used 1cup of dehydrated almond pulp instead of 1/2 cup, and I added in place of the eggs 2 Tablespoons of ground flax seeds (no added liquid). Everything else, I followed Megan’s recipe. All three of my kids loved them, and my husband just tried them when he got home from work, and told me he LOVED them and I should keep them in stock!
Thank you Megan for the recipe!! 2 thumbs up here!
AJ
Hi April, I like the sound of this but have heard that flax seeds are unstable when heated – do you know if this is so? Often see great recipes using flax seeds to ‘bind’ but have always had this concern…xx
Brooke
Just made these tonight.. They were AMAZING:)
Marika
Can I use coconut sugar?
Megan
Yep!
Marika
Thank you very much! God Bless
ALLISON
Megan, is there anything I can substitute applesauce for? I don’t have any (but I have tons of almond pulp!!!!!)
Megan
Yes, you can sub an additional 1/4 cup of coconut oil or butter in place of the applesauce. (The applesauce is used to lower the fat content, but can often be used interchangeably with butter and oil in baking.)
the delicate place
welp problem solved! i always felt bad about tossing out my pulp. i tried doing crackers but they still were a bit too moist. this is the perfect application!! x
Mary
These brownies are next on my list of desserts to make. Too bad I didn’t save my almond pulp this morning when I made my milk! My sister has successfully used her almond pulp to make an almond based hummus and it was delish! Not sure if you’ve tried that but you don’t need to dry it or anything – use it while its still fresh/wet!
Noodle-berry
Hey Mary, your sisters almond based hummus sounds delish! Would you mind sharing the recipe?? I dried out my almond pulp last night, however it took 2 hrs in the oven & I just think that’ll work out too expensive electricity wise! I’d love a recipe idea for the wet pulp!
Thanks so much, Nichola
April
Could I use a couple bananas or some dates to sweeten this in place of sugar, and then add the extra almond pulp to combat the extra moisture?? Has anyone tried that?
Marta
This is great! Just made your vanilla almond milk for the first time the other day (delicious – and I’ll be making it regularly from now on), so it will be great to be able to use the pulp as well.
Stephanie Mckenzie
I will be making these tomorrow since I’ll be making your almond milk creamer recipe! Thanks for all the terrific, healthy recipes on your site, I’ve been enjoying looking through all your past posts!
Steph
Maria
These are just ok. Would not make them again. Moist yet crumbly at the same time. They do not slice well, even after spending time in the fridge to firm up. Don’t waste your time, there are better desserts out there.
Alyssa
Maria, I have to say I completely disagree! I made these tonight and they are fantastic!! My husband (who does not eat just “healthy” desserts) even said they are really good. I used they plastic spoon trick and had no trouble slicing them or them falling apart at all. Very moist too. We have a cookout tomorrow that I plan on taking them to, if I can resist eating them all that is!
Maria
I guess I am not a major chocolate person. They weren’t bad, they just weren’t something I’d make again. That is the ultimate litmus test for a recipe for me…”would I make it again?” The answer here is no. I even served them with whipped cream and a raspberry sauce.
Jen
I’ve also been using almond pulp in baked goods. At first I was using the ‘wet’ leftover pulp, but I got tired of cookies being overly moist (but crackers are pretty good using the wet pulp when combined with some other seeds and/or meal). Now I, too, dry out the almond pulp in the oven – I put it in at about 225F for about 20 – 30 minutes. Then I use a coffee grinder to get it nicely uniform. I’ve mostly used it in cookies, and I use about half or a little less than half of the dry pulp along with regular almond flour, and it’s worked very well. I make almond milk a couple times a week and it’s great to use this up and always have this supplemental ‘flour’ on hand. I’ve also started freezing some of the dried pulp if I can’t use it right away.
I haven’t really heard the concerns about the fat mutating when baking with almond products, but it is something to think about. I do have some concern about using so many nuts – especially lots of almonds and cashews all the time, for milks, baking, creamy or cheese substitutes etc. I do wonder if there are issues with having so many nuts.
Jean
This is very similar to a recipe our youngest baked up, using flaxseed meal. (She mistook the freshly ground flaxseeds for almond meal…)
Very rich, chewy, and decadent. I’ll bet they’re good with almond meal, too. Thanks — I’ve been wondering what to do with the pulp that’s left after making almond milk.
Now I’m going to go hunting for your post on how to find sources for raw almonds…
Amy
Hi Megan,
I am a newbee to this whole way of life – and recently discovered your website. First, thank you! Secondly, I absolutely LOVED these brownies!!! Thirdly, thank you – thank you – thank you!!
Big hugs,
Amy
Kim
Hey I was wondering if I could substitute the sucanat with organic coconut sugar?
Stephanie McKenzie
Hi Kim, I just made these with coconut sugar because that is all I have and they came out very good…decadent!
Steph
Sakshi
Hi Megan, how much liquid stevia should I use instead of sugar? I just bought some and wanted to try it out. I tried 12 drops and flax instead of eggs, kept all the proportions same but for some reason the batter was lesser than expected and it had a chocolatey but weird taste to it.
Megan
I would not recommend using liquid stevia for this recipe. You need the dry structure of the sugar for the brownies to hold together, so something like NuNaturals stevia baking blend would be a better choice as a substitute: http://amzn.to/12AVrfj
Megan
Also, flax eggs might make the recipe too moist, as this is already a very moist brownie. I’d recommend using less water in your flax eggs if you’re determined to make them vegan.
Sakshi
Thanks Megan. I went and bought eggs immediately last night and will be trying them again with some brown sugar and bananas. Will also look into sugar alternatives you used. What kind of recipes I could use liquid stevia for?
Allyson
Made these with regular almond flour instead of the pulp. The taste is great, but the texture is oily. I didn’t reduce the coconut oil enough (used 3 TBS); if you make them with regular almond flour definitely reduce the oil by at least half. I will be making them the next time I have leftover almond pulp.
Amy
THANK YOU MEGAN!!! they are AWESOME!!
Aly
The nutrition facts are pretty much like normal brownies, with all that sugar. A bit disappointing to see these on a healthy recipes site. I do love your recipes containing stevia or small amounts of honey! Great to see you advocating less sugar consumption. 🙂
Michael
I would say they are nothing like regular brownies since they are free from gluten, dairy and the other usual suspects which inflame my bowels.
By most definitions, so called ‘healthy foods’ are foods that aren’t laden with preservatives and manufactured products. There’s nothing wrong with some natural sugar if you have the sense to moderate your intake.
Natalie
So delicious I am going to have to give them a go this weekend. I made some super healthy gluten free brownies and they turned out really tasty. Here is the link to the recipe http://bit.ly/12Zks7Y
Devin
Just made these! Megan, seriously, write a book!!! 🙂 Delish. Used coconut sugar & almond meal & they were still awesome! Thanks!
Fiametta
Those are so great Megan!
I check your blog very often but never tried those, as I was cutting of my sugar intake. Those brownies are just to die for. All my family and friends love it, it feels so light. I used to not be able to eat cake without spending a half an hour on the couch, feeling awful and my belly being very upset at me. Thanks to your recipes my sensitive system and I are finally at peace. And I can indulge a little sweet once in while instead of fruits. That’s so great! I can’t thank you enough. You made me love cooking again, I am always so excited to try your new recipes. Thank you from France.
Fiametta
chloe
I just discovered your blog last week, and have been obsessively reading it ever since. I made your almond coffee creamer this morning, and used the leftover pulp to make these brownies. I subbed in turbinado sugar for the Sucanat, since I don’t have any Sucanat. I also had some dark organic cocoa on hand, and I swapped half the cocoa for my organic stuff.
I must say, I was completely blown away. They came out moist -but not TOO moist- and fudgy and plain irresistible. The flavour is unbelievably good, and they hold up to slicing quite well. Absolutely fabulous! In fact, I would venture to say that this is my new favourite brownie recipe.
Tori Lorvig
I made these using sugar instead of sucanut and I used almond pulp from the coffee creamer recipe, so it was even fattier. I also used unrefined coconut oil and added shredded coconut to the top for decoration. About 1/4 of the kids on my math team said they were their favorite type of brownie, even compared to plain traditional!
Noodle-berry
Hey Megan
Made these last night. Mmmmm-mmmm-mmmmmmmmmm absolutely deelicious!! The only thing I didn’t have was some vanilla extract; I’m heading to the shop now to get some as your next recipe I want to try out (also needs it) is your CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER MILKSHAKE!!!
Girl, I don’t like girls that way; but I think I can safely say I love you AND your recipes!!!
Keep them coming! And thanks 🙂
Hollyann
Ha! With some more digging I’ve answered my own question about using almond pulp in cooking. I will definitely try this!
Gigi Steyer
Hi,
Is there any thing else you could use in place of almond pulp? I don’t have time to make my own almond milk…. Gigi
Kelsey
ohh these look delicious I neeed to try this!
Handa
Hi Megan,
Can I use grinded almonds instead of almond pulp? And if how many cups of almonds?
Ivy
If I were to make hazelnut milk, could I use the leftover hazelnut pulp to make the brownies?
Thanks!
Megan
Yes, I would think so!
Kori
These are very good, Megan. I’m always looking for ways to use Almond Pulp (we use a lot of Almond Milk in our house) and this recipe is extra great since my husband has a grain intolerance. I’ll be making these again. Thank you for sharing!
Carrie
I messed up and used wet pulp. I added 1/4 almond flour and they actually turned out great. A lilttle grainy but good. I used 3/4 cup coconut sugar and 1/4 cup organic cane sugar. Yum. Very fudgy.
Tara
Very fudgy and yummy! I modified this slightly by using coconut sugar and raw cacao powder. I also threw in about a tsp of ground ginger. They were a bit crumbly and delicate, but the taste certainly made up for it.
Maria
These brownies are THE BEST! I have been testing out ALL different kinds of grain free brownie recipes out there and this one beats everyone out there — in terms of health stats (calories, sugar) and, of course, TASTE. Thank you, Detoxinista!!!
Naomi
Can I sub Brazil nut milk pulp dried in the dehydrator for the almond pulp?
Robin
Can I use pulp from macadamias?
Sonia
This is very delicious!! Thank you so much for all the recipes. You have truly been an inspiration! Keep up the good work 🙂