These scrumptious gluten free brownies are one of the best chocolate treats you will ever eat. They are oh-so-fudgy with an irresistible crunchy top layer. They are soft and chewy, and completely dairy-free (though you'd never know it!).
Over 10 years ago (yes, you totally read that right!) I created this rich and fudgy brownies recipe for my family for Valentine's Day. Not only did my family absolutely love them, but since that day, many gluten-eaters have heralded these brownies as "THE BEST brownies they have ever had!"
Certainly high praise for any gluten-free recipe!
Gluten-Free Brownies
A good brownie recipe shouldn't be complicated, nor contain a whole lot of excess ingredients. These gluten-free dairy-free brownies are simple and delicious. The recipe comes together quickly, so quickly that my children make them often!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Olive Oil- To keep this recipe dairy-free, I use olive oil instead of butter. Melted coconut oil should work as a substitute (just melt it first), or any light tasting oil (like vegetable oil).
- Organic Cane Sugar and Organic Brown Sugar- Non organic will also work just fine in this recipe.
- Eggs- Since this recipe calls for 4 eggs, there are no substitutions. If you are egg-free, try this vegan gluten-free brownie recipe instead.
- Xanthan Gum- Guar gum would probably work as a substitute if needed.
- Cocoa Powder- Cocoa powder is what gives this recipe it's sinfully rich chocolate flavor. There are no substitutes.
- Brown Rice Flour, Sorghum Flour, Tapioca Starch- This recipe has only been tested using these gluten-free flours/starches. A gluten-free all purpose blend may work, but I have not tested any in this recipe. If you decided to substitute a gluten-free all purpose blend, eliminate the xanthan gum I call for in my recipe if your blend already contains it.
How to Make Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Brownies
- Blend together the oil and sugars.
- Beat in the vanilla and eggs.
- Mix the dry ingredients.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet.
- Pour into the baking pan.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes.
Other Helpful Recipe Notes:
Baking time for this recipe can vary greatly, depending on what type of pan you use.
A metal baking pan will result in a shorter baking time, while a glass pan may result in a longer one (which is why I call for a 25-35 minute baking time). Start with a baking time of 25 minutes, and then add more as needed. The brownies will be done when a toothpick, when inserted into the middle of the brownies, comes out mostly clean (a few loose crumbs are okay).
Can I reduce the amount of sugar in this gluten-free brownie recipe?
I have actually tried, several times, to reduce the amount of sugar in this recipe. I've also tried to substitute coconut sugar instead. Neither change worked well, so I don't recommend it.
I hope your family loves these gf brownies as much as we do!
xoxo,
Mēgan
Gluten-Free Brownies Recipe
Gluten Free Brownies
These scrumptious gluten free brownies are one of the best chocolate treats you will ever eat. They are oh-so-fudgy with an irresistible crunchy top layer. They are soft and chewy, and completely dairy-free (though you'd never know it!).
Ingredients
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 ¼ cup organic cane sugar
- 1 ¼ cup organic brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ teaspoons sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup brown rice flour
- ½ cup sorghum flour
- ½ cup tapioca starch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° (F) and grease a 9x13" baking pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the olive oil, organic cane sugar, and organic brown sugar.
- Beat in the vanilla extract and the eggs.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the sea salt, xanthan gum, unsweetened cocoa powder, brown rice flour, sorghum flour, and tapioca starch.
- Add the dry ingredients to the sugar/egg mixture, and mix until blended (a few small lumps are okay).
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, and bake for 25-35 minutes.
Notes
Baking time for this recipe can vary greatly, depending on what type of pan you use. A metal baking pan will result in a shorter baking time, while a glass pan may result in a longer one (which is why I call for a 25-35 minute baking time). Start with a baking time of 25 minutes, and then add more as needed. The brownies will be done when a toothpick, when inserted into the middle of the brownies, comes out mostly clean (a few loose crumbs are okay).
Can I reduce the amount of sugar in this gluten-free brownie recipe? I have actually tried, several times, to reduce the amount of sugar in this recipe. I've also tried to substitute coconut sugar instead. Neither change worked well, so I don't recommend it.
Recommended Products
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
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KitchenAid KSM155GBSR 5-Qt. Artisan Design Series with Glass Bowl - Sugar Pearl Silver -
Wholesome Organic Cane Sugar -
Xanthan Gum -
Anthony's Organic Tapioca Flour Starch -
Bob's Red Mill Sorghum Flour -
Bob's Red Mill Brown Rice Flour -
Pure Vanilla Extract, Certified Organic -
Anthony's Organic Cocoa Powder, 2lbs, Batch Tested and Verified Gluten Free & Non GMO
*Did you make these gluten-free brownies? Please give it a star rating and leave an honest review below!
Don’t forget to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @allergyfreeak and #allergyfreealaska with your best gluten-free brownies pics!
ashley says
Oooh brownies! These look fantastic, Megan!
Megan @ MAID in Alaska says
Thanks, Ashley!!
Tracey @ I'm Not Superhuman says
These look great Megan. I've been reading some of your old recipes since I started going GF. They're even more helpful now that I'm doing away with diary. Perhaps I should just copy your entire diet. 🙂
Megan @ MAID in Alaska says
Thanks, Tracey. 🙂 Dairy too now? You go girl!!
Megan says
These are very yummy!
Megan says
Thanks, Megan (great name by the way!).:)
Maggie says
These brownes are awesome!
Megan says
Thanks, Maggie!! I actually just baked some for myself. 😀 I need chocolate!!
Stephanie says
I am new to all this. Can I use 1 cup brown rice flour? I don't have any other kind of flour yet. What is the difference? Is Guar gum a thickening agent and if so can arrowroot, tapioca, or cornstarch be a substitute for it? I'm GF and Dairy Free. Thanks for the hand holding!Stephanie
MAID in Alaska says
Hi Stephanie,
Yes, you are okay to substitute rice flour for the sorghum flour in this recipe. In other recipes I like using a blend of flours, but in this recipe (because of the sugar and the cocoa), you'd be okay to only use one. Guar gum and xanthan gum are used in gluten-free cooking to bind, thicken and emulsify gluten-free ingredients. Arrowroot/tapioca/corn starch cannot replace it. In some recipes you can get away with using chia or flax seeds to help bind, but I haven't tried it with this recipe.
🙂 Anytime!
Megan
sara (rohrer) sowers says
Megan, one more question! For this recipe, my little friend can't have the brown rice, so what can I sub since you are already using two different flours?
MAID in Alaska says
Hi Sara,
You can substitute millet flour or more sorghum flour for the brown rice flour.
Megan
Beth in TX says
My son can't have eggs either. Lots of pre-packaged brownie mixes say "don't use egg replacer". Do you have any thoughts on whether this would apply to your recipe too? I realize that since this isn't your challenge, you may have no knowledge but I thought I'd ask. 😉
Megan says
Hi Beth,
This recipe definitely won't work with egg replacer (I'm sorry!). The eggs are the backbone of the recipe, without them it just won't work. Egg replacer works best when it's used to replace no more than 2 eggs in a recipe. This recipe has 4, so replacing them would be very tricky. Unfortunately, you are better off finding a vegan brownie recipe that's already written as egg free.
Best wishes,
Megan
Brandi says
BEST CLEAN BROWNIE RECIPE! Unfortunately we do not have organic cane and brown sugars, so what I did use was the remaining of our Raw cane sugar (equaled about 3/4cup) then made up for the rest of the sugar with palm sugar. I had regular dark brown sugar, so that was basically covered. Truvia just came out with a brown sugar and I am anxious to try it in place of regular brown sugar! But I am curious...can you use coconut oil instead of olive oil?
Thanks again for creating this recipe! We live your site!
Megan says
Hi Brandi,
Yes, you should be able to sub melted coconut oil for the olive oil. 😉
Thanks for the sweet note - it makes me very happy to hear you enjoyed the brownies and find my site helpful!
Hugs,
Megan
Anna says
Hey Megan, I know this is an older post so I’m not sure you will see this. But I’ve been making this recipe for years and have shared it many times. Recently I’m having mixed results and not always getting that crispy top that just makes it feel like a real brownie.
Any idea what I’m doing wrong? They of course are still good and don’t go to waste but oh man, that crispy top is just too good!
Thanks Megan!
Mēgan says
Hey Anna!
Hmm... that's a great question. Are you over-mixing the batter? After the eggs are incorporated, you want to mix in the flours/starches until just combined. If you over-mix the batter, that generally leads to no crispy top.
Hope that helps!
Megan