Double Dark Chocolate Brownies

This gluten and refined sugar-free double dark chocolate brownie recipe will give you an intensely chocolatey kick!

If you prefer an extra chocolate hit over the peanut butter chocolate brownies, then these double dark chocolate brownies are sure to fit the bill. I can promise you that they don’t hang around for long in my house.

You can’t beat a great chocolate brownie, but there are just so many recipes to choose from. However, if you are looking for a change from the traditional, these certainly won’t disappoint. Not only are they low carb and gluten-free, but by using artificial sweeteners, they are free of refined sugars as well!

These brownies are deliciously rich with an intense chocolatey kick, enough to satisfy any sweet craving. The extra layer of intense dark chocolate just adds to making them even more moreish.

They are perfect for an afternoon snack or served with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream as a delicious dessert. Or if you are feeling really indulgent then enjoy them as a double combo!

Note on sweeteners

In this recipe, I suggest using a brown sugar alternative. I tend to use either Sukrin Gold or NKD living Erythritol Gold as a substitute for soft brown sugar. Both work really well in this recipe as they have a slightly mellower flavour which works well with chocolate. I have also baked these using Xylitol and to be honest, they still taste wonderful.

These brown sugar replacements, which are mostly erythritol based, are a 1:1 substitute for sugar and work brilliantly in cakes and desserts

My current favourites are NKD Living Natural Erythritol Gold or Sukrin Gold (affiliate links)

If you prefer to use different sweeteners like sucralose or stevia, remember to convert your quantity. Most brands have this information on their websites.

In addition, instead of using vanilla essence, a staple for lots of bakes, I replaced this with sugar-free vanilla drops. Our taste preference in this house is a sucralose based drop, however, you can also use stevia-based drops if you prefer. However, if you only have vanilla essence then just use that!

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different sweeteners and the quantities in sweet recipes. It may take a few attempts to find your preference as we all have a different palate.

What you will need for Chocolate and Peanut Butter Brownies

• Eggs
  • A key component to any bake and should be free-range
• Brown sugar alternative
  • I use Sukrin gold or NKD living Erythritol Gold, but I have made these with Xylitol and they still tasted great
  • see notes above on Sweeteners
• Vanilla extract
  • Try and use a good quality vanilla extract as it really makes a big difference to the flavour in your baking
• Ground almonds
  • These are not only gluten-free but add an extra nutty flavour and are a great no carb-count option
  • My favourites are Seba Garden Extra Fine Almond Flour or NKD Living Finely Ground Almonds (affiliate links)
• Unsweetened cocoa powder
  • Intensifies the chocolatey-ness of these brownies and adds a slight bitterness
  • But make sure it doesn’t have any added sugar
• Baking powder
  • I use Gluten-free
  • Essential for adding air and lightness into your bakes
• Dark chocolate chips
  • Try and use a chocolate that has a cocoa content 70% or above as this really makes the difference with these brownies.
  • Plus the higher the cocoa content the lower the sugar!

Diabetes Note

These really make a great sweet treat option. Because of the use of almond flour, sweeteners and good quality dark chocolate, the overall carb count is dramatically reduced.

We have found that by making some switches in recipes to reduce the overall carb count has helped to avoid some of those dreaded blood glucose spikes.

In our case, we only carb counted the chocolate used and divided it by 16 to get the individual brownie carb count. However, when considering your carb counting requirements, you know best on deciding what aspects of this recipe to count.

Double Dark Chocolate Brownies

These gluten and refined sugar-free brownies don’t hang around for long in my house! They have an intensely chocolatey kick, perfect for an afternoon snack, or served with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream as a delicious dessert.

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Cuisine: Sweet Treats, DessertDifficulty: Easy

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Servings

16

servings

Total time

45

minutes

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs

• 100 g brown sugar sweetener (see notes above)

• 5 to 10 drops Sugar-free vanilla flavour Liquid

• 180 g Ground Almonds/Almond Flour

• 70 g Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

• 1.5 tsp Gluten-Free Baking Powder

• pinch of Salt

• 200 g Dark chocolate chips 70% or above

• For the dark chocolate topping

• 100 g Dark chocolate, 70% or above

Directions

• Use a square brownie tin measuring 23cm. Grease the tin and line with baking paper.
  Preheat the oven to 140°C fan /160°C conventional / 325° F.
• In a large bowl whisk the eggs. Then add 60ml water, sweetener, and vanilla extract or sugar free flavour drops and stir with a spatula until combined.
• In another large bowl combine the dry ingredients – ground almonds, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and mix.
• Then pour the egg mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Pour the batter into the prepared baking tin.
  then swirl in the peanut butter by mixing it lightly on the top with a fork.
• To make the topping simply melt the dark chocolate carefully in the microwave or in a bowl over a boiling pan of water.
  Once melted pour and swirl over your brownie batter using a fork to move it around.
• Place in the oven and bake for about 30 mins, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
• Leave them to cool for another 30 mins in the tin before cutting into your bars and continuing to cool.

Tips and Notes

• See notes above on sugar alternatives
• Use good quality chocolate, 70% or above as this really makes the difference with these brownies. Plus the higher the cocoa content the lower the sugar.
• Diabetes Note – These really make a great sweet treat option. Because they use almond flour, sweeteners and good quality dark chocolate the overall carb count is dramatically reduced. This helps to avoid those dreaded blood glucose spikes. In our case, we only carb counted the chocolate used and divided it by 16 to get the individual brownie count. However, when considering the carb counting you know best on deciding what aspects of this recipe to count.

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