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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?
Hey I was wondering if I could substitute the sucanat with organic coconut sugar?
yes, i also used brown sugar
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
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…
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.
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.
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!
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.
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
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.
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?