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gluten-free chocolate brownie recipe

One of the nifty things about a blog is that you can easily revisit recipes and make revisions, while learning more about baking, and sharing those discoveries, as you go. When I wrote Ready for Dessert, I was able to update my favorite recipes, many created over a decade ago, and I had fun including the changes I’d made over the years.

Recently I got a message from a friend, asking about a brownie recipe from the book, and I decided to remake it to answer his questions. As I looked over the ingredient list, I thought it would be interesting to give a flourless version a try, swapping out the flour with a mixture of corn starch and unsweetened cocoa powder. And the result? A super-moist, fudgy brownie that used ingredients that most people already have on hand, which is another hallmark of a great brownie recipe.

gluten-free brownies batter gluten-free brownie batter

This is a pretty amusing recipe to me because as I mentioned in the book, the first time I made it, it was a disaster and I blamed Robert Steinberg, who first gave me the recipe that this is adapted from. I made it, and the results were a grainy, broken mess – which I was sure to let him know about. After he scolded me for not following the instructions to beat the batter for a full minute to smooth it out, I sheepishly headed back to the kitchen and made it again.

chopped nuts

And lo and behold, they came out beautifully; rich and dark, studded with crisp nuts and lots of deep chocolate flavor. I packed a few up for a friend who was taking a train trip out of Paris yesterday with her kids, and this morning I woke up to a note demanding the recipe.

gluten-free brownies

One thing I did learn from making this over and over again is that one shouldn’t use an enameled cast-iron saucepan, which possibly holds heat too well, and the batter doesn’t emulsify and smooth out as effectively. So use a metal pan. Also I originally made them in a 9-inch (23 cm) square pan but decided I like the brownies better in a smaller pan so they’re a little thicker.

Curiously, in France, recipes often don’t call for pan sizes, and bakers, I suppose, are welcome to modify or create as they please. Or perhaps they’re just covering their bases and wisely leaving room for future inspiration.

gluten-free brownies

Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownies

Adapted from Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz You can use salted or unsalted butter for these brownies. If you use unsalted butter and want to add some salt, use 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt. I also like to add 2 to 3 tablespoons of roasted cocoa nibs along with the nuts for added chocolaty crunch. Use very low heat for melting the chocolate and butter. A good trick is to add the butter to the pan first, which melts faster than the chocolate, so you don’t burn the chocolate. You can use a flame-tamer if you’re concerned but I always melt it right over the lowest heat possible and never have had any problems.
  • 6 tablespoons (85g) butter, salted or unsalted (see headnote)
  • 8 ounces (225g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 3/4 cup (150g) sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, natural or Dutch process
  • 3 tablespoons (30g) corn starch
  • optional: 1 cup (135g) nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
  • Line the inside of an 8-inch (23 cm) square pan with foil so that it goes up the sides to the rim. Lightly grease the foil with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350º (180ºC).
  • Melt the butter and chocolate (and salt, if using) in a medium saucepan over very low heat on the stove top, stirring constantly until smooth.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the sugar, then the eggs, one at a time.
  • Sift together the cocoa powder and corn starch in a small bowl then stir them into the chocolate mixture. Beat the batter vigorously for at least one minute, until the batter is no longer grainy and nearly smooth. It will pull away from the sides of the pan a bit.
  • Add the nuts, if using, then scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
  • Bake for thirty minutes, or until the brownies feel just set in the center. Do not overbake. Remove from oven and let cool completely before removing from the pan and slicing.

Notes

Storage: The brownies can be stored at room temperature for up to 4 days, or frozen for at least 1 month.
Troubleshooting: If the finished brownies are crumbly, that means you didn’t beat the batter long enough in step #4. You can use the brownie bits to fold into just-churned ice cream.

For readers in the United Kingdom, there’s now a UK-version of Ready for Dessert.


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116 comments

    • Catherine N

    THANK YOU! thankyouthankyouthankyou! :)

    • Mikki

    This recipe looks amazing David. I will be trying it out while patiently waiting for the UK version of Ready For Dessert. I was wondering though, when you measure 6 tablespoons of butter, how exactly do you do it? Do you use a tablespoon measuring spoon or just a tablespoon? I know this may sound like a silly question, but I just wonder how inaccurate I could be if I don’t do it correctly. Likewise, if you have any tips for measuring butter when american recipes call for a cup or a half cup of butter etc. Is it cut into cubes then put into the cup? Would love your opinion on this and hope I’m not repeating a question you have answered elsewhere. Thank you! Can’t wait to make these.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      In the US, butter often comes wrapped in sticks that have notations for each tablespoon (in France, they have marks for grams). You can use the weight equivalent of 1 ounce =2 tablespoons; I’ve also included weight measurements in metrics, too.

    • Kim

    I serioulsy liked these brownies when I prepared these last year… This non-gluten version, I will try it because these looks so fudgy! I like it!

    • Molly

    Ooh, kind of tempted to not beat the batter for a minute, shrug it off, and fold it into some vanilla ice cream that will just happen to be churning away on the counter top. Tempted. Perhaps I’ll do both: Separate a portion out for ice cream, bake the brownies, and then serve the ice cream atop the brownie…

    • The Celiac Husband

    That is a very good recipe for a GF Brownie. Easy enough for a left handed baker like me.

    • Marie

    My best friend’s birthday is coming up. Not only is she allergic to gluten, but also dairy, soy, and corn (the last two are fine in small amounts). Would it work to switch out the butter for margarine or oil?

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      I haven’t tried them but if you want to give it a go, I would try margarine. (Buy it from a natural food store, rather than the stuff in the supermarkets, which contains dubious ingredients.) There’s more guidelines at my post on substitutions. linked at the end of the post. Let us know how they turn out!

    • Kathryn

    The texture of these brownies looks perfect – flourless brownies have such a perfect texture, I hardly ever make them with flour now. I can’t wait for the UK version of Ready for Dessert!

    • Alanna Kellogg

    This week I spent $46 buying special ingredients for gluten-free cookies — when I could have just made THESE and been more than happy. Next Cookbook: Gluten-Free Baking with Ingredients You Already Have On Hand.

    • Sophie Delphis

    This looks like the perfect brownie recipe for me. Although I happily eat gluten, I don’t really care for chocolate dough, so the less flour the better.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      I wasn’t really sure to call these “gluten-free” brownies (I mean, we don’t call crustless cheesecake “gluten-free”, or vanilla ice cream…) but since brownies traditionally have flour in them…and I was thinking “How can I make these gluten-free?”, I decided that was a good recipe title. But whether people eat gluten or not, these came out really great.

    • Nisrine

    David, your brownies look totally scrumptious and the fact that they’re GF makes them especially attractive. They don’t call for a whole list of different flours either! Brilliant.

    • Syn

    I just made gluten-free brownies! (and ate them!) and then I saw your link on facebook. :)
    Mine were made very similarly, but instead of the cocoa and the cornflour, I used chestnut flour, also with the vigorous mixing till the batter thickens and pulls away from the sides. Yummo!

    • tasteofbeirut

    I am intrigued by this recipe; only 20 grams of cornstarch? I must try it, even though the amount of chocolate sounds well, over-the-top! They look just incredible. Merci.

    It’s actually 30 grams of corn starch, or 3 tablespoons. (I added the metrics a few minutes after publishing the post.) Do try them! -dl

    • Gretchen @ flowercityfoodie.com

    Those brownies look like they’re just how I like them–fudgy and nutty! I have friends coming in to town this weekend whose little girl can’t have gluten, so this is perfect timing. Thanks!

    • amelia

    These look amazing! Just wondering what temperature you baked them at?

    • Chrissy @ www.myfarefoodie.com

    Those look sinfully scrumptious! And you’re right, I have all of those ingredients on hand. I can’t wait to make these this weekend, although I most likely won’t be sharing mine. Thanks!!

    • Lucy

    These look delicious, I can’t wait to try it- I am wondering if anyone can enlighten me to what corntarch does or if it could be potentially substituted with corn flour of almond flour??

    • Lucy

    These look delicious, I can’t wait to try it- I am wondering if anyone can enlighten me to what cornstarch does or if it could be potentially substituted with corn flour of almond flour??

    • Gillian

    The cornstarch acts as a binder, a great flour replacement.

    • Justin Warner

    David, I posted on the Facebook post also, but I was wondering, what is the temperature that you’re supposed to cook these at? Also, should we preheat or not? I can’t find it in the instructions you gave us. Thanks!

    • Heather

    I dint have to be gluten free but I am stoked about these brownies! They look so dense and moist and absolutely perfect!

    • Shawnie

    Hi David – I have a question. I am allergic to corn, which means no cornstarch. Can another starch be used, such as tapioca? Thanks for all that you do, I enjoy your posts very much.

    • Dianne Jacob

    You had me at the voluptuous photo, but I read on (as I always do) and enjoyed the post, particularly the mention of Robert Steinberg. He was a character.

    One thing that struck me — you adapted your own recipe! I guess you need to say that to distinguish it. I haven’t seen that elsewhere. Usually people are adapting someone else’s. XO

    • Charlotte au Chocolat

    These look absolutely fabulous! :)

    • Kathy Scott

    Thank you on so many levels…I love that you include the weights for ingredients and with so many friends with Gluten “issues” I now have a wonderful sweet treat to offer them… love the tip for adding the cocoa nibs…

    • Doukissa

    Wish I could bite the picture, they look so good . . .yum.

    • parisbreakfast

    Looks irresistable and I have a kilo of good cocoa jsut waiting in the pantry and Cornstarch in the freezer for hot days to go inside shoes,so…

    • Crystal

    Thanks for the GF recipe, David.

    For those asking about substitutes for corn starch: potato starch (not flour) or tapioca starch are interchangeable in GF recipes.

    • laura

    Hi David,

    Yay for gluten free recipes that you know, taste good. The GF world is coming along, but there is still so much out there that tastes horrible. Blah.

    Anyway, I am intrigued by the option of either natural or Dutch process cocoa; usually I find recipes are specific about one or the other. Is the option listed because it is only one tablespoon? Does the acidity of natural cocoa not affect the taste and texture? Just wondering.

    Hope you are enjoying your trip.

    • David
    David Lebovitz

    Crystal: Thanks for the tips on the substitutions!

    Dianne: Yes, as mentioned during the talk at the blogging conference, you should really only adapt a recipe if you’re going to substantially re-cast it and change it, which I did here. (Even though it’s my recipe to begin with!) Otherwise I always suggest that people just link to the original recipe if it’s online in most cases.

    Justin: The oven temperature is in Step #1. I sometimes break it out and put it between the ingredients and steps, but here I put it in the body of the recipe.

    • Lexie @ Lexie’s Kitchen

    Oh YEAH! Total decadence!!

    • Marla

    Love that you went with a GF brownie! These look fudgey and amazing. Interesting that they don’t call out the pan sizes in France. I do it on my baking posts, but I really hesitate sometimes.

    • Elizabeth Busciglio

    Will be taking this recipe to Scotland with me on Saturday to make for a gluten-intolerant friend!
    Also, try your mint brownies substituting 1 pound of marzipan (rolled out to a 9 x 13 rectangle) for the mints. Pretty amazing.

    • Lucille

    Thanks for this lovely recipe. Any chance of substituting something vegan for the eggs? I am forever trying to find ways to cook for my g-f vegan friend, and these look so promising.

    • sandra

    David,
    I reckon that when you post pics of yourself you must edit them. Take out a massive stomach and erase the red horns….:)
    I knew I shouldn’t have looked at your site today!

    • Jenna

    Hi David,

    I just wanted to ask what you mean by “UK version”? How will it be different from the American one? I saw your book in a shop in London the other day and was reading through it. Absolutely wonderful. It’s going to be the next book I purchase. :)

    I saw that you are going to be at Divertimenti in London for a signing – EXACTLY during the time I will be in the States. Not fair, not fair at all. I would have loved to say hello.

    • anna

    For those avoiding dairy, I’ve had some luck swapping out butter for coconut fat. I don’t know about elsewhere, but in Germany it is sold in blocks that are solid at room temperature. Apparently they lack the water content that butter has, so you need to use a bit less.

    The jury is out regarding how healthy or unhealthy this is, since it is saturated fat, but of a different kind. I use this when baking cookies, and the taste is not at all coconut-y.

    • Ann

    David: Appreciate recipes you are including in your (fabulous) blog that are vegan and/or gluten-free.

    • Lisa @ GF Canteen

    Those look fabulous, David. Kudos. I know that recipe well – I’ve been guilty of not beating the batter long enough and it does matter. The thing about that – it looks like it comes together rather fast sometimes, but I’ve learned to keep going until at least a minute has gone by. It makes a difference. Good for the biceps… I am going to try your GF version because I can’t find a way to reach through the monitor to grab one from your photo….and I want one. Now.

    • Trish Nicolas

    I don’t know you, but I love you. My daughter and husband (French, by the way) are celiac and authentic, delectable but gluten-free brownies have been a hard one to serve up. I look forward to trying this recipe with my munchkin after she returns from school today! – Trish

    • Elaine

    Are these cakey brownies or fudgy brownies or perhaps, somewhere in between?

    • Annabel (Mrs Redboots)

    I have several family members who have to eat gluten-free so am always on the lookout for good recipes to try!

    This looks lovely.

    I hope Divertimenti will update their website before you get here next month – there are two branches and we will need to know which one you will be at. Right now, they are just giving dates for events in July which are long past…..

    • Kiran @ KiranTarun.com

    Ahhh! Gluten free brownies?!? Sign me up :D

    • Betty

    HaHaHa, when I first read the headline for this post my brownie-starved brain cells thought it said “Glutton-Free”, I couldn’t read the post fast enough! Dang, I guess that perfect world where brownies, great tasting brownies that is, don’t come with calories, carbs or fat grams hasn’t been created yet. Hey, if you ever figure out a way to adapt a brownie recipe so it does PLEASE let me know! Inquiring minds, and expanding waistlines, want to know.

    PS – I made the recipe from the book and became THE most popular person in the office that day. And on the day I made the chocolate chocolate chip cookies. Several folks asked for the recipe. My next try is the Racine cake, just got to stock up on nibs. Thank you for helping my staff put up with me.

    • Sandy

    OMG, these look fabulous! On my “to try” list! Thanks for the gluten free label. It is so hard to find stuff that actually turns out and tastes good at the same time.

    • Jenny K.

    I love under Troubleshooting, “You can use the brownie bits to fold into just-churned ice cream.”

    I might just have to under-mix my brownies on purpose… ;-) Looks wonderful, thanks for the recipe!

    • Chrissy

    David,

    I love your photos- we eat with our eyes just as we do with our tastebuds. This recipe looks amazing and will be fabulous for a friend who is gluten-free (I might sneak in a few pieces of choco-heaven myself!)

    Thanks for the great recipes and laughs in “The Sweet Life..”

    • lizzie

    Like Shawnie I cannot eat corn either, so when I return home to the U.S. from Bulgaria (!) I will experiment with tapioca or arrowroot or potato starch, or perhaps will be compelled to try many different versions! Life is good, eh?

    I remember your original recipe and especially appreciated the caveat of taking the beating time seriously. These were fabulous when I ate flour and I’m sure they will be equally so, regardless of how the starch substitute works out.

    • sundevilpeg

    Gluten-Free Brownie = FUDGE. Just sayin’. :-)

    • Helen in CA

    What nuts are those in the picture?

    & I’m thrilled w/ a GF recipe I can make w/out having to buy all the specialty flours!

    Tho, if baking for a gluten intolerant person, ask them what to do about the cross-contanimation of a gluten kitchen. What level of concern they have due to their level of gluten sensitivity. For some, it’s not serious….for others, quite.

    • a

    Really looking forward to trying this out. I converted one of Alice Medrich’s brownie recipes to gluten free (she also has a variation on Robert Steinberg’s recipe) and I was really perplexed by the stirring instruction. But the batter does smooth out and pull away, and makes a dang good brownie.

    Always appreciate GF baked goods, whether they are adapted or naturally GF. Thanks!!

    • a

    Also, for anyone who needs to sub out the cornstarch, I recommend doing so by weight as opposed to volume. I am 8 months into baking by weight and I finally have a grasp on it!

    • Monica

    Quick question,
    Isn’t a tablespoon equivalent to 15g and not 10g? It is 15g=1tbsp in the UK-I just wanted to clarify the 30g/3 tablespoon measure of cornflour.

    These look divine, and I am making them right now for a get-together tomorrow, as a surprise.

    • Boulder Locavore

    Thank you for this modification. I am gluten free and easily have adapted a number of your recipes in this cookbook by using alternative flours but would have not thought to make brownies in this way! They look delicious and I can’t wait to try your method. Thank you.

    • HeartofGlass (Chewthefat)

    I have a friend who is gluten-sensitive (not totally intolerant) and I am going to make these this weekend!

    Regarding the ‘when to label as gluten-free’ issue, I usually do so when the item in question usually/sometimes contains gluten when prepared ‘normally,’ but doesn’t in this particular recipe–so I wouldn’t say ‘gluten-free ice cream’ but I would say ‘gluten-free brownies.’ So your recipe title totally makes sense. Just like I wouldn’t say: ‘vegetarian marinara sauce’ in a blog title but I would say: ‘vegetarian meatballs’ if they happened to be made with seitan.

    So excited I have all of this stuff in my pantry!

    • David
    David Lebovitz

    Monica: I weighed the corn starch in a tablespoon and found it weighed 10 grams when making these. But if unsure, you may wish to measure it by tablespoon.

    • Leslie Morris

    These look amazing, David. Thank you. As someone who is just experimenting with gluten-free cooking and living, I am eager to try these.

    • Lisa @ bakedinmaine.com

    I LOVE that these brownies have no flour and I’m not GF. Just watching carbs.
    Rich, chocolately, delicious. I’m going to go make these now…

    • JennyBakes

    Somehow this recipe grabbed me and demanded that I make it today. Thanks for a great recipe that still tastes like what it says it is. So many GF recipes are so bad, I think if I had to go GF I’d rather go without and leave baked goods as a fond memory. But not these! Fudgey, rich, delicious. Thank you!

    • Tuula

    Oh David. Oh David. Oh David. These. Look. Goooooooood.

    • Tara

    I’m definintely making these this weekend. I need to find the cocoa nibs somehow…

    I follow you on Twitter and see you have grease stain issues. I don’t know if you have Dawn brand dish soap (the original blue kind) there, but if you do, just put a glob on the stain, rub it in & wash like normal. Works even on washed in grease stains like a charm. I threw away sooo many clothing items before I found this out…

    • Rachel

    So I made these last night, and they came out great! I struggled with step # 4 as the batter never stopped being grainy, but it pulled from the sides after I beat it for a long time, and they came out fantastic. Also, I used cacao powder as that’s all I had in my apartment, and they still taste fantastic. I can’t compare the taste until I try it out with cocoa powder, but I’m happy with the results! Thanks for the recipe!

    • Kerry

    Wow. These look seriously amazing!

    • dena

    By substituting potato starch for the corn starch, these brownies just became an easy no-matzoh-meal Passover recipe! Woo-hoo! Thank you, David!

    • heather @ chiknpastry

    brownies are definitely easy to make from pantry items! i was in a pinch the other week and made the brownies in your book, too – no need for a grocery store run! i even had cocoa nibs to toss in! YUM

    • Fran

    What am I doing wrong? I’ve followed the recipe faithfully.

    Well, except that I only have medium eggs and extra-large eggs, so I used one of each… and I only had 85% cacao dark chocolate, no bittersweet, so I shorted the sugar a couple of tablespoons… and I added a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon and a quarter teaspoon of instant coffee powder… none of which I would have expected to have this effect:

    When beating the batter thoroughly to get it from the grainy stage to the smooth stage, some sort of liquid started separating itself, and got more and more prominent the more I mixed. The batter was nice and smooth, just with a watery extra component.

    About halfway through baking, the liquid part started to bubble. At 30 minutes, the batter itself was fairly firm, but there was still some of the liquid around the edges, bubbling merrily. I left it in the oven for another five minutes with the heat off. It’s still bubbling as I write this.

    I suspect the brownies will be edible (With that much chocolate in them, how could they not be?), but probably will have some sort of greasy residue, once they cool. I suspect it may be excess water from the butter, but that shouldn’t have been the case — it’s not any sort of fake butteroid substance, it’s real unsalted butter. (Yes, I added the eighth-teaspoon sea salt called for in the recipe.)

    Any clue what else might have caused this?

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      If the butter is seeping out, it’s likely that the stirring wasn’t sufficient – or perhaps there was a mismeasurement. You can see in the photos how my batter looked, side-by-side. Another factor might be the high-percentage chocolate. I caution against using it in general for baking because of the high acidity, which can cause batters to ‘break’ – which is another possibility. For most baking, unless specified, a chocolate of less than 70% cacao is preferred.

    • Margy@hidethecheese.com

    Even though we eat our share of gluten around here (bread of all shapes and sizes!) my husband made these last night. They were so fantastique that I’m making them to take to a dinner tonight. We’ll see if they notice that they’re GF.

    • zoe @ myfoodintranslation

    Of all the wonderful recipes in Ready for dessert, this one’s definitely the one that I’ve made time and again, tweaking it slightly at first and more significatively as I got confident with it to the point where I’m pretty sure that no matter what ingredients and quantities you put in there, if you do the one-minute-intensive-beating thing, you’ll get awesome brownies every time. Seriously. I’d already tried swapping most of the flour for cocoa powder (with great results) so this new version is right next on my list. Thanks for the inspiration! (and of course for this awesome blog of yours)

    • Tamiko

    I just made these, and they look nothing like the beautiful brownies posted…I’m no novice in the kitchen, and I can’t quite figure out why they didn’t work out. I weighed out the ingredients, stirred as suggested (I even timed it!), and still have sugar grains in the brownies – there’s no beautiful,shiny crispy layer on top that hallmarks a top notch brownie. Any thoughts on what went wrong?

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Different ovens (and pans) bake differently so results in baked goods will often vary depending on a variety of factors. If you have grains of sugar, perhaps your sugar crystals are too large. I use sucre cristal, which is slightly larger than granulated sugar in the US. But had no problems. You may wish to pulse your sugar in the food processor a few times before making the brownies if the sugar isn’t dissolving in your batter during baking.

    • Jill G.

    Woah! So amazing! David, you rock my socks off!

    I swapped in walnuts for almonds since I prefer them and man, oh man!

    Also a great place to use up some untempered (ooopsie) Guittard dark chocolate.

    For those folks looking for a cornstarch sub, I have successfully swapped it out with arrowroot starch/flour in small amounts.

    • Karina

    How gorgeous and decadent. Who needs flour? Go gluten-free! xox

    • The Knitting Archaeologist

    What an intriguing recipe. I don’t make GF items because I can eat gluten, so this might be a silly question. Is there a reason that you are melting the chocolate and butter directly in the pan instead of in a double boiler or makeshift double boiler? Does it help with the texture due to the lack of flour?

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      You could use a double boiler, but it’s another item to take out and clean. And I’m all for less dishes…and work.

    • Fran

    David: Thanks for your response. I suspect it is the chocolate, rather than insufficient beating — the more I beat the batter, the more it separated. Perhaps in your next revision you could warn against high-cacao percentage chocolate — that never occurred to me.

    In any case, the brownies *are* edible. Because I left them in longer to absorb the bubbling liquid, the edges did turn out a bit crispy and slightly burnt-tasting, but not objectionable to my palate.

    The worst effect was that while the butter didn’t leave a visible residue, it is definitely noticeable as a greasy mouthfeel and on my fingers. Again, with all that chocolate, definitely not sufficient reason to not eat them.

    Next time, lower percentage chocolate!

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      That’s become an issue of some sort for people who write recipes; all the “premium” products out there, like high-fat “European” butter, higher protein flours, and higher percentage chocolates. Someone I know who is a scientist at a chocolate company, when I asked her why some of their newer chocolates behaved really differently in recipes, she said, “You know? We don’t really know.” Which is curious, until you realize that chocolate is a plant-based ingredients and will vary. That said, it’s hard to go through recipes and tell people all the various precautions of using certain ingredients, especially when writing online when people around the world are making the recipes. (Rather than just writing for say, an American or French audience – )

      My guideline is to use items that most likely people will purchase in their grocery store. So while people will sometimes buy raw milk, etc…it’s hard to write a recipe nowadays that’s not overtly long, or been overly ‘explanatory’. Especially with all the new and specialty foods out there that are available. Do give these a try with a regular chocolate- they’re pretty great!

    • davidsl

    David, I would add in response to Marie, whose friend is allergic to dairy, to read the ingredients on any margarine. For some reason, they often add caseinates, or whey to margarine, both of which contain milk proteins. If a person is truly allergic to milk, it is the protein to which they respond. If they are lactose intolerant, it is the milk sugar that isn’t being processed by their bodies.

    Similarly if the person is allergic to soy or corn, you need to scan for those oils in margarine.

    As a person with food allergies [milk] and from a family replete with food allergies [too numerous to mention], I’ve learned to really pay attention to ingredient lists on processed foods.

    • Frankie

    That is TOO funny! I too had the same issue with the Scharffenberger recipe, and was sure to write in and complain about the gloppy, oily, grainy mess that i ended up with. I remember the beating for a minute thing too, but never went back to test it out. I bought that book for the brownie recipe, and sold the book. lol. Thank you for this recipe! p.s., Robert Steinberg was a lovely man. I met him once, and was taken by his beautiful spirit.

    • Y

    Haven’t made brownies in a while. I’m treating this as a reminder that I need to.

    • Mary Sanavia

    These look absolutely amazing! all of your recipes come out perfect, and I’m going to give this a try very soon for a little family member who is celiac (and everyone else who likes brownies :) ). Thanks!

    • Lisa

    Wow, I made these today and they are GOOD :) The outside was a little overcooked but the inside was perfectly gooey. A few minutes less next time and I think they will be perfect.

    • kameleon

    thanks so much, david! i made these yesterday and they were amazing. they would have been even better if more of the batter had landed in the pan instead of … hm … well, you know…

    • Anna

    Yum! I mistakenly read the title as “Guilt Free Brownies”..Freudian slip!

    • Jerrami

    Most amazing brownie recipe ever! They came out perfectly. Also sprinkled some Maldon salt flakes on top just because i love salted chocolate desserts. I’ll be making this one again.. and again..

    • Mary

    Thank you so much for this recipe. Made them yesterday and they are a big hit! Long live the brownie.

    • Alana D

    They look to die for,I wonder could you use wheat flower and get the same taste??

    • Tara

    I made these yesterday and they were a huge hit! I stirred them for probably closer to two minutes since there was no gluten to “toughen” and didn’t want to under-stir them. I used 4 oz of a Ghirardelli semi-sweet baking bar & 4oz of milk chocolate chips (b/c that was all my parents had at their house). So delicious & fudgy. This might have to be my default brownie recipe!

    • Lisa

    I can’t wait to make these for my teenage son.
    We will compare them the the gluten-free black bean brownies we make for him.
    If you haven’t tried the black bean recipe, you should. I made them just out of
    curiosity before my son was diagonosed as gluten intolerant. My father (picky eater)
    gobbled them up without knowing what they were made from.

    • Sheila

    This recipe is a keeper! I tried it today and it turned out great! Had all the ingredients in my pantry (and yes, cacao nibs are a pantry staple in my household). I used Splenda sugar and it still came out just the way it should. I was just wondering if I could substitute Agave syrup for the sugar. Thanks, David!

    • Monica

    These brownies turned out great (particularly good with your Roasted Banana Ice cream recipie). I don’t have a gluten-senstivity but I was looking for a way to use up the cornstarch in my pantry.

    • Le Rocher

    Gorgeous! A great recipe! Not so easy to find such a wonderful and gourmand gluten free recipe

    • Inrtoi

    Yummy! I tried this recipe and – It might be the best brownie recipe EVER!!! Thank you so much for sharing David! It was delicious!

    • rachel h

    this is a great brownie that just happens to be gluten free. thanks!

    • Hunter

    I had the same odd experience as Fran. As I was beating (a timer dutifully ticking away in the background), the batter became smooth and glossy and rolled itself up into a ball, but it left a sort of brown watery stuff behind in the pan. I actually thought it was kind of handy, as it meant the batter plopped out of the pan with no scraping at all.

    I decided it couldn’t really go too terribly wrong (I may have tasted the batter at this point, in the interest of science you understand) and so tossed it in the oven.

    After about 25 minutes, there was a layer of boiling…liquid…on top of the brownies. I made the executive decision to just pour it off. I put them back in the oven for five more minutes.

    After cooling, they were just fine. Not greasy, not overdone, not dry. The liquid was odd, but not an overwhelming obstacle. I’ll definitely try again with a different chocolate. I made this batch with what I had on hand (it was the kind of evening where having brownies was a priority and making my way to the store was out of the question). It was a mix of several sorts of bittersweet, and I don’t have either the labels or the scale needed to figure out the exact coco percentage.

    It’s an experiment I’ll be happy to undertake in future!

    • Helene

    I made these brownies with almonds and used a tart pan and it worked wonderfully.

    I was worried at first because they seemed crumbly (yeah, so I couldn’t wait until they were -completely- cool … who can?) but once cool they held together really well and are oh so fudgy. Definately making those again.

    • Paul

    These look delicious!

    • Pam

    i have a friend whose family has to eat gluten-free, and I sent her the link to this unbelievably yummy-sounding recipe. Thanks

    • John Aravosis

    Oh my God. Just made these. Oh my God. Was looking for gluten free deserts for a friend, and stumbled on David’s recipe (I know David, and have to admit I’ve never made one of his recipes before now, big mistake). Oh. my. God. These things are to die for. Even the first day (I find brownies and other deserts like this are often better the second day). Quite easy to make, and by chopping the chocolate up small it melted quickly. I used the Nestle Corsé they have here in France, it’s I think 62% chocolate. And used just the regular cocoa powder I found at the Franprix (low budget store). They’re amazing. Only downside was that in order mix everything well it took a LOT of muscle towards the end. I might try to use any kind of small blender, or even one of those crank hand blenders I got from grandma next time. I took mine out when the toothpick test on the sides showed some goo, but not a ton. Middle was gooey, but again not insane. Seems fine. And I used regular granulated sugar, wasn’t sure what kind you folks use here, and it was fine.

    These are seriously good.

    • RBNYC

    I made these yesterday for a party where a couple of friends are gluten-free. With just a little bit of care (slowly melting the butter and chocolate) and making sure that they are well mixed (I probably beat the batter for 90 seconds or so) they came out great. The highest compliment was from non-GF eaters who said that these brownies were as good or better than those made with flour. Thanks for the wonderful recipe. It will be repeated!

    • RBNYC

    Oh, one other thing. I used 70% chocolate (Scharffen-Berger) along with toasted walnuts and roasted cocoa nibs. Nice deep flavor!

    • Zeph

    Oh my weakness! My friends and I were just talking about chocolates and this brownies just added to my craving brought by our conversation. Thank you very much for posting this, I’m gonna go make some of these and if I just can’t really wait for it to be done, I’ll just go munch some from the bakeshop. LOL

    • Jacqueline

    I made these tonight–what a hit! I did find that my organic cane sugar took a bit more beating to get just so, which with gluten-free it is no big deal to beat away. I ended up moving everything to the stand mixer, which I will do from the get-go the next time around.

    I also am not a heath fan of baking in foil, so I lined the pan with two strips of parchment paper. It did beautifully. I was surprised by how thick the batter was to spread out, but in the end it settled just a bit and made for an even baking.

    Thank you for a lovely gluten free dish. I often drool on your site, but cannot make the item due to being gluten free. Don’t even get me started about the pain I felt on your cheese tour of Switzerland!!! French bread and fondue–oh how I miss thee! (GF French bread is not the same because, well, it needs GLUTEN!)

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Glad you liked them! Organic or unrefined sugars are more liquid when melted, so it seems right that it would require more stirring. Glad the parchment worked out well for you. Since the brownies are on the sticky side, just greasing the pan isn’t enough insurance the brownies will pop out right.

    • Tonya

    You are a genius! I made the brownies over the weekend and they were fabulous! It has been so long since I had a great brownie due to my gluten issues. Thank you again.

    • Nishma

    These look very good! I wonder if they will work with arrowroot?

    • Chris Cowan

    My question is not really concerning brownies, but the comments were closed at what I think is the “proper” spot. My question is that I bought your book, Perfect Scoop, and, at your recommendation, bought Askinosie cocoa powder to make chocolate ice cream. The ice cream came out gritty. I’m sure it’s because Askinosie makes natural cocoa powder. Is there anything I can do to use it in one of your chocolate ice cream recipes, or should I just save it for cakes and brownies and by Dutched cocoa powder for ice cream?

    Thanks.

    I’ve not used that cocoa powder for ice cream or frozen desserts, only baking, so can’t advise. Some cocoa powders are indeed coarser than others. -dl

    • Lauren

    After 7 years of making gluten free desserts, I have found that my favorite GF recipes are ones that don’t need gluten instead of ones that have complicated substitutions to try to simulate wheat. I believe is the reason I have devoured your cook book, The Perfect Scoop. I think ice cream is the ultimate GF dessert and I thank you for sharing your creativity and your wonderful recipes.

    • Francesca

    Those gluten free brownies look so good. I just wish I weren’t giving up sugar, too. Well maybe I will do that after I try these brownies.

    • Mingou

    I made them twice this week — the second batch with red fruits — and they taste great, though a little bit too sweet (I think 100-120 g sugar would be perfect for me). Anyway, I love the texture!

    • joanne clegg

    Hi there, recipe looks great, will give it a whirl. Made brownies that were virtually flourless last fri, but they were kind of jelly-like on the bottom. Do you know the cause of this? They had whole pecan nuts in, but I also used ground pecan straight from freezer. They were also more crumbly than usual. Help please :)

    • Stephanie

    This recipe looks great! Can’t wait to try it!

    • Beth Fontenot

    I made these last week because they looked wonderful – we don’t have gluten issues. My husband and 12 year old daughter declared them to be the best brownies they’d ever eaten, even though that meant moving your cheesecake brownies to second place! 2 batches later, they still place them first.
    BTW, I took The Sweet Life on vacation with me and loved every word. You are fabulous!!

A

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