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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.
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*
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Per Serving: Calories: 205, Fat: 7g, Carbohydrates: 29g, Fiber: 2g, Protein: 10g
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?
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!
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
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
Megan, is there anything I can substitute applesauce for? I don’t have any (but I have tons of almond pulp!!!!!)
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.)
Can I use coconut sugar?
Yep!
Thank you very much! God Bless
Just made these tonight.. They were AMAZING:)
Have you tried making these brownies vegan?
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 🙂
April,
Did you ever make these with flax? How were they? We have egg allergies so eggs are a no no for us.
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!
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
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?
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!
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/
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.
yayyyy! definitely want to try these. do you know at what temp/how long the almond pulp should be cooked to dehydrate it?
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.
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!!
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!