I never considered sharing my brownie recipe earlier because I thought it’s one of those made-to-your-preference kind of food. That’s why, if you google “best brownie recipe” so many results come up, because bakers have their own brownie recipe cut-out to their taste. Gooey or cake-y, dark chocolate or milk chocolate, melted chocolate or cocoa powder, frosting or no frosting, and the list goes on. Different ratios, resulting to different textures and density. So I am proceeding with caution. I am not claiming that these are the best brownies ever, but these are definitely not for the faint-hearted. It’s a chocolate-lovers dream, every bite is an indulgence, so I only make this maybe twice a year and make sure I share the love!

Anyway, I made this today because I wanted to make a dairy-free & gluten-free version but I want them to taste the same. To begin my experiment, I needed a control and a variable which means I need to make both versions for my blind taste-test. I was scared of suffering from brownie overload so I divided the normal version into nuts, plain (because my husband has a nut allergy) and dulce de leche (obviously not dairy-free) and the DF/GF version into nuts and plain.

I use dark chocolate, because if you read the recipe, you will notice how much sugar is in it. Almost half a kilo for a batch! To balance out the sweetness, I use 70% dark chocolate and to get that dark colour, I make sure I use dutch processed cocoa powder.

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Also, my recipe is easy, you don’t need a mixer and no melting of chocolate involved. Just need 2 bowls and a whisk to make the batter. Make sure everything is room temperature for easy mixing, especially since you’re not using a mixer.

I use the brownie pan on the left below, but I’ve seen new pans that divide the brownies equally, or have markers to guide you when you portion, like the one on the right. I’ve never tried any pf the new ones though, so if you have, please let me know if they’re good and which brand you use in the comments below.

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Like I mentioned, these are very rich brownies, so cut them on the small side. I did end up with a successful dairy-free and gluten-free version that you can find here, if you’re interested. And if you do make the recipe, feel free to leave a comment below and to tag me on the photos! I love seeing what you make and what recipes you like.

 
Difficulty: Easy Prep Time: 20 Mins Cook Time: 30 Mins Total Time: 50 Mins

Rich & Gooey Brownies

Makes 18 slices

Ingredients

Instructions

0/5 Instructions
  • Preheat oven to 180C no fan or 160C with fan. Grease & line a 33 x 23 x 5 cm (9 x 13 x 2 in) with baking paper.
  • In a medium bowl, sift flour, cocoa and salt together. Set aside. In a large bowl whisk together sugars, butter and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each time.
  • Fold in flour mixture until you only see a few flour streaks. Fold in 2/3 of the chocolate and half the nuts until everything is just combined. Do not overmix.
  • Pour into prepared pan. Tap on the bench once to spread the batter. Sprinkle the rest of chocolate and nuts on top. Bake on the middle shelf for 28 minutes for super gooey brownies. Check around 25 minutes just in case your oven is too hot and the brownies are done. The brownie should form a shiny crust on top and still feels soft in the centre.
  • If you like your brownies more firm and set, add 5 minute increments until a total of 35 minutes baking time only. The brownies will get firmer as they cool down. Cool down completely then cut with a hot, sharp knife into 18 squares. Wipe the knife clean after each stroke for sharp edges.

Notes

  • If you're feeling a little adventurous like me, drop a few teaspoons of dulce de leche in the batter before putting in the oven then sprinkle with some flake salt when you take it out.

 

I never really tried making my recipes gluten-free and dairy-free, but for some reason I woke up today and thought I should try making my brownie gluten-free & dairy-free. What I didn’t expect was it to be a straight substitution. I wanted to use almond meal & gluten-free flour but thought almond meal may be hard to find in some countries, plus it’s pretty expensive and brownies are not cheap to make as it is. Have you seen how much butter and chocolate is needed? So I stuck with GF flour. Then I used coconut oil, and it was the bomb, so so good! But then again, I wanted it to taste like my usual brownies, so I then tried Nuttelex Buttery which is a butter substitute, and it worked!!!

By this stage, I was over the moon, because I don’t know about you, but when I test recipes, they’re not usually a raging success on the first go, moreso two gos in a row! You can imagine my excitement, right? Probably not, but I’m telling you, it might have been the sugar rush from all the brownie testing, but I was extremely delighted.

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So, yes, if you love coconut, by all means, use coconut oil. A good thing to note, most good quality dark baking chocolate is dairy-free. Also, cocoa butter is a non-dairy product, as much as a lot of people mistake it to be so. I of course use my favorite Valrhona Guanaja 70% because the bitterness balances the sweetness of the batter. You can use any chocolate brand that you want, just check that it’s dairy-free. If you want it to be extra and don’t mind cost, use half almond meal and half GF flour. I have to mention that the GF version takes longer to bake, though. So start checking around 28 minutes instead of 25.

I then carried out my blind taste-test, and not one of my audience thought they were eating a GF/DF version of a brownie! Success!!! Please try this recipe and my gooey brownies let me know if you agree with me or not. I am positive this tastes like a regular brownie, and it’s backed by my own study. LOL. Have fun baking! Don’t forget to comment below and tag me on your baking photos!

 
Yields: 1 Serving Difficulty: Easy

Dairy-free & Gluten-free Brownies

Makes 18 slices

Ingredients

0/9 Ingredients

Instructions

0/5 Instructions
  • Preheat oven to 180C no fan or 160C with fan. Grease & line a 33 x 23 x 5 cm (9 x 13 x 2 in) with baking paper.
  • In a medium bowl, sift flour, cocoa and salt together. Set aside. In a large bowl whisk together sugars, nuttelex and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each time.
  • Fold in flour mixture until you only see a few flour streaks. Fold in 2/3 of the chocolate and half the nuts until everything is just combined. Do not overmix.
  • Pour into prepared pan. Tap on the bench once to spread the batter. Sprinkle the rest of chocolate and nuts on top. Bake on the middle shelf for 30 minutes for super gooey brownies. Check around 28 minutes just in case your oven is too hot and the brownies are done. The brownie should form a shiny crust on top and still feels soft in the centre.
  • If you like your brownies firmer and more set, add 5 minute increments until set. Remember the brownies will get firmer as they cool down. Cool down completely then cut with a hot, sharp knife into 18 squares. Wipe the knife clean after each stroke for sharp edges.

Notes

  • Nuttelex Buttery is actually margarine but I use this brand because the taste is not like other margarines. You can also opt for coconut oil and other butter substitutes.
  • Pure cocoa powder (dutch processed or not) should be gluten-free
  • Make sure the 70% chocolate is dairy-free, I used Valrhona Guanaja 70% but there are plenty of good quality baking chocolate that are dairy-free too, like Ghirardelli & Callebaut.