Fudgy gluten-free brownies
Deep, glossy, fudgy chocolate brownies with a crackly top — reliably gluten-free and easy to make.
These fudgy gluten-free brownies give you everything you want from a brownie — glossy, crackled top, dense, chocolatey centre — without a speck of gluten. They're straightforward enough for a weekday bake but impressive enough for visitors.
The key is keeping them slightly underbaked so they stay fudgy; chill before slicing for neat squares. Use a good quality dark chocolate for the best chocolate hit.
Ingredients
- 200 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
- 140 g unsalted butter
- 200 g caster sugar
- 50 g light soft brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 75 g gluten-free plain flour — Use a 1:1 gluten-free plain flour blend that contains xanthan gum if possible.
- 35 g cocoa powder — unsweetened
- 5 ml fine sea salt
- 75 g chocolate chips — optional — use dairy-free chips to make them dairy-free
Equipment
- 20 cm square baking tin
- heatproof bowl (for double boiler)
- wire rack
- electric whisk (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C conventional. Line a 20 cm square baking tin with baking paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
Finely chop the dark chocolate and cube the butter. Set a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water (double boiler) and gently melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring until completely smooth, about 5 minutes.
In a separate large bowl, whisk the caster sugar, light soft brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until combined and slightly thickened, about 1–2 minutes by hand or 1 minute with an electric whisk. With the whisk running, slowly stream the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and whisk until glossy and homogeneous.
Sift the gluten-free plain flour and cocoa powder together over the chocolate mixture, add the fine sea salt, then gently fold in with a spatula until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips if using. Avoid overmixing — a few streaks of flour are better than a dense batter.
Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spatula. Tap the tin once on the work surface to remove big air pockets.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. The edges should look set and the top will have a shiny, crackled surface; a skewer inserted into the centre should come out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter).
Leave the tin to cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes; this helps the brownies firm up slightly before chilling.
Transfer the tin to the fridge and chill for 60 minutes to fully set. Use the baking paper overhang to lift the slab from the tin, then cut into 12 squares with a sharp knife.
Tips
- Use a gluten-free plain flour blend formulated for cakes/baking (with xanthan gum) for best texture; straight rice flour can make them crumbly.
- If your melted chocolate is piping hot, cool it for 1 minute before adding to the eggs to avoid scrambling — temper it slowly while whisking.
- To test doneness, look for a shiny, crackled top and a skewer with a few moist crumbs — remove earlier rather than later for fudgier brownies.
- Make ahead: chill the baked slab for up to 48 hours before slicing. Store cut brownies in an airtight tin in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze slices individually on a tray, then bag them; defrost at room temperature or warm for 10–15 seconds in a microwave to enjoy warm fudginess.
Substitutions
unsalted butter → solid coconut oil, same weight (140 g)
Noticeably differentgluten-free plain flour → ground almonds, 85 g (adds oiliness and will be denser)
Noticeably differentcaster sugar → coconut sugar, same weight (200 g)
Stays closechocolate chips → roughly chopped dark chocolate, same weight (75 g)
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 350
- Calories
- 4 g
- Protein
- 37 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 28 g
- Sugar
- 100 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
How do I make these extra fudgy?
Reduce the flour by 10–15 g (try 60 g) and remove from the oven as soon as a skewer shows moist crumbs. Chilling intensifies the fudgy texture.
Can I make these dairy-free?
Yes — swap the butter for solid dairy-free block or coconut oil and use dairy-free chocolate/chips. Texture and flavour will be slightly different.
How should I store leftover brownies?
Keep cooled, cut brownies in an airtight tin in the fridge for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature or warm briefly before serving.
Can I freeze the brownies?
Yes — freeze individual squares on a tray, then transfer to a bag for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge or at room temperature.
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