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Kitchn Love Letters
Sheela Prakash
Sheela PrakashSenior Contributing Food Editor
Sheela is the Senior Contributing Food Editor at Kitchn and the author of Mediterranean Every Day: Simple, Inspired Recipes for Feel-Good Food. She received her master's degree from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy and is also a Registered Dietitian.
updated Nov 1, 2020
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I was fascinated by back-of-box recipes as a kid. I’d beg my mom to make the chicken pot pie on the back of the box of Bisquick, and the recipe for my favorite lasagna came straight from the box of dried noodles. As an adult, though, I tend to ignore these recipes, often transferring what I buy into storage containers and recycling the box or bag.
I almost fell into this same habit recently when I brought home a bag of King Arthur Baking Company almond flour, but luckily, my sweet tooth got the best of me. I found myself baking the brownie recipe from the back of the bag as soon as I had unloaded my groceries. I’m so glad I listened to that craving, because these almond flour brownies are the fudgiest, most chocolatey brownies I’ve ever baked. I haven’t been able to stop making them since.
Get the recipe: King Arthur Baking Company’s Almond Flour Brownies
These Almond Flour Brownies Are True One-Bowl Decadence
The magic of these brownies lies in the fact that the recipe calls for almond flour instead of all-purpose flour. That means these brownies are naturally grain- and gluten-free, which is great, although it’s not why I’m deeply passionate about this recipe. I love these brownies because the almond flour makes them ridiculous moist and practically fudge-like in texture, akin to a bar version of flourless chocolate cake.
What’s even better is they’re dead-easy to make. These brownies are ready to eat less than an hour after a chocolate craving strikes, and come together with pantry staples. You don’t even need to have a chocolate bar handy, as the recipe relies on cocoa powder instead. You simply combine melted butter, sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt in a bowl. Then you stir in almond flour and baking powder, pour the batter into a baking dish, and bake the brownies for about 35 minutes. Seriously — that’s it.
The natural richness from the almond flour, combined with the concentrated chocolate flavor from the cocoa powder, results in brownies that are intensely rich and dark chocolate-forward. A square is deeply satisfying on its own, but a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top is obviously not a bad move. In fact, I find they’re ideal al la mode candidates given their ultra-decadent flavor and texture.
If You Make These Brownies, a Few Tips
Before you head into the kitchen to bake a batch of these brownies, keep these tips in mind.
- Don’t be alarmed by the amount of sugar called for. You’ll need 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar for these brownies, which is more than many other recipes. I’ve tried reducing the sugar to as low as 1 cup, but I wouldn’t recommend it, as you’ll end up with more fragile results that crumble easily. With the full amount, the brownies are sweet but not cloyingly so. If you’d like to reduce the sugar, I’d recommend reducing it by no more than 1/2 cup.
- Use either natural or Dutch process cocoa powder. Another reason this recipe is so pantry-friendly is that any type of cocoa powder works, as long as it’s unsweetened. Use natural, Dutch process, or a combination. If you have black cocoa powder on hand, mixing some with another cocoa powder will make these brownies even more dark and rich.
- Reach for a whisk to help break up any lumps. Almond flour naturally has a tendency to clump, so reach for a whisk when mixing to help smooth out the batter.
- You don’t have to use a brownie pan. You’ll never go wrong reaching for your 8×8-inch baking pan, but these brownies can also be baked in a cast iron skillet or even a pie dish.
- Keep a close eye on baking time. The recipe states the brownies will be done in 33 to 38 minutes, but mine are sometimes ready at 30 minutes. To be safe, start checking at 25.
- Refrigerate or freeze to make cutting easier. Since these brownies are gluten-free, they lack the structure of traditional brownies. Let them cool for a solid 15 to 20 minutes in the pan before even considering cutting into them, and to make it even easier, place the cooled pan in the freezer for a few minutes or the fridge for about 30 minutes.
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baked goods
Baking
Brownie
Chocolate
Dessert
Recipe Review
