{Guilt Free} Flourless Fudge Nut Brownies
Flourless Fudge Nut Brownies- A deliciously decadent brownie without any of the guilt! These fudge nut brownies are made flourless with the use of cocoa powder. Add in maple syrup, peanut butter, and tons of chocolate chips and you have the ultimate (guilt free) fudge brownies.
I have always been a little obsessed with brownies. When I was a kid, I absolutely loved those classic walnut brownies that came in individual cellophane wrappers. I would pop one in the microwave after school and eat it slowly with a fork like it was the most elegant of desserts.
Fast forward 20 years or so and I still can’t resist a brownie. I have made a lot of brownie recipes over the years and don’t get me wrong, all of them were delicious. However, nowadays, I try to stay clear of refined sugar if possible. So, instead of living a horribly depressing brownie deprived life, I searched for the perfect recipe that would feel decadent without any of the guilt.
After lotssss of testing, I feel I can say these brownies are just that! We are using cocoa powder instead of flour, maple syrup instead of white sugar, creamy natural peanut butter and the perfect amount of dark chocolate chips.
So, let’s get into it!
How to Make These Flourless Fudge Nut Brownies
Gather the ingredients
Unsweetened natural peanut butter- For this recipe I used unsweetened natural peanut butter. Look for the label to read “peanuts and salt” only on the ingredient list.
Pure maple syrup- You don’t want to use pancake syrup here.
Eggs
Vanilla extract
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Salt
Cinnamon
Baking soda
Dark chocolate chips- My favorite clean brand of chocolate chips is Enjoy Life. There are no additives; just good-ole dark chocolate. These are also dairy free if that is important to you.
Walnuts (optional)- I like to add walnuts for nostalgia but leave them off if you prefer!
Start by toasting the walnuts. Add the walnuts to a dry sheet pan and toast at 350 for about 6 minutes. They will give off a delicious smell when ready. Once they are toasted, allow them to cool, give the nuts a rough chop and set them aside for now.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the peanut butter and maple syrup with a hand mixer until glossy and smooth. Then, add in the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. Next, add the cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix on low until fully combined.
Add the chocolate chips and toasted chopped walnuts to the bowl and stir together.
Pour the batter into a greased 9×13 baking dish and top with more chocolate chips.
Bake the brownies at 350 for 25-30 minutes until they are just set. You want them to still be slightly gooey in the center.
Enjoy, guilt free!
Variations
Add banana! Sometimes when I make these fudge nut brownies I like to add a couple of bananas in with the peanut butter and maple syrup. They do help cut down on the richness of this recipe.
Cocoa powder VS Cacao powder. Cacao powder is the raw unprocessed version of cocoa powder. They can be used interchangeably in this recipe. Cacao powder will add antioxidants and fiber to the recipe.
Make them beauty brownies! I like to add a couple of servings of collagen powder to these brownies when I can. Unflavored or chocolate collagen powder will work; just add the powder in when you mix in the cocoa powder.
Looking for more healthy sweets?
Chocolate Covered Raspberry Chia Seed Pudding
High Protein Pumpkin Pie Parfaits
Before you go, if you make these Flourless Fudge Nut Brownies, comment and/or rate it down below. I’d love to hear what you think!
Flourless Fudge Nut Brownies
Equipment
- 9×13 baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened natural peanut butter just peanuts + salt
- 1 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips Dairy free (like Enjoy Life brand)
- 3/4 cup walnuts optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- If you are using walnuts, add them to a dry sheet pan and toast at 350 for about 6 minutes. The nuts will smell fragrant once toasted. Let the walnuts cool, give them a rough chop and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the maple syrup and peanut butter with a hand mixer until the mixture is smooth and glossy; 2-3 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla to the bowl and mix again.
- Once the wet ingredients are combined, add in the cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt and mix again until no powder is showing.
- Fold in the chopped toasted walnuts and 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into a greased 9×13 baking dish and top with the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips.
- Bake the brownies at 350 for 25-30 minutes until the edges are set. You want the center of the brownies to still be a bit gooey.
- Allow the brownies to cool completely before cutting.
