These yummy Flourless Almond Brownies have a moist and fudgy base you can top with whatever you like to create the perfect brownies!
It’s been a hot minute since I’ve posted about brownies on my blog, and now we’re going to rectify that with these awesome Flourless Almond Brownies. These are super moist, super fudgy, classic-tasting chocolatey brownies that I could not stop myself from munching on. I mean, I’m not exactly big on eating sweets as much as I love making them, but a good chocolate dessert can really capture my attention. And these sure did!
It’s funny how the moment I noticed I haven’t made brownies in, what, half a year? I immediately went into the kitchen and made two different kinds of brownies. Both are making it to the blog because they’ve passed the taste test with flying colors, but I wanted to write about these Flourless Almond Brownies first.
These fit my idea of a perfect brownie in terms of appearance: A shiny delicate, crackly top providing just the barest hint of “crisp”, plus a body that is super moist and fudgy without being too soft that it falls apart. As for the flavor, I hate a brownie that’s too sweet. It should have a deep chocolate taste that doesn’t overwhelm but makes you crave instead. And these are that!
For every chocolate-based dessert, it is important to use good chocolate. For this recipe, I used Auro Chocolate 55% Dark Chocolate Coins. Auro Chocolate is an internationally-recognized local brand I highly love and recommend. I’ve been a fan of their chocolate bars for a while now, so I asked them where I could buy their baking chocolate and they immediately replied to say that it’s available online through Karton.ph. It was a well-spent 820 pesos for this 1 kilogram bag. Sadly, I’ve spent more on chocolate that does not even come close!
I won’t be switching to another brand of baking chocolate any time soon because I am so happy with Auro Chocolate. The quality of their chocolate is topnotch, but the way they treat customers is equally topnotch. (For the record, this is not a sponsored post.) Read on to see why I’ve decided to stick to Auro Chocolate, if you’re interested. If not, just scroll right down to the recipe notes!
Lately I’ve been trying to find a baking chocolate that I could refer to as “the one”. Since Philippine chocolates have noticeably stepped up their game lately, I saw the perfect opportunity to support local brands in my own small way. The only problem is, among the brands I’ve inquired with regarding their baking chocolate, I am either told they would get back to me (and they never do) or I am downright ignored after being seen-zoned.
Let me get this rant out of my chest, because this little chocolate search of mine has made me realize how well the people from Auro Chocolate treat potential customers compared to other local brands. First of all, I realize I am but a small consumer compared to whatever big establishment/baker they are partnered with, but I don’t think I deserve to be ignored even if I am asking just a small question.
Secondly, I understand that certain brands are now wary about small-time bloggers because there has been an influx of them asking for freebies in exchange for a “feature”, but it is insulting to assume that of every blogger. Since I started The Tummy Train, I have never approached a brand to ask for anything, and I am proud of that fact. (I don’t even introduce myself as a blogger!) The brands you see on this blog have either asked to collaborate (and I am honored by that of course), or are brands that I myself feel strongly about (but they don’t know who I am).
So what I’m really trying to say here is: Blogger or not, all I want is to be treated as a proper customer, you know? And that is why I wanted to give Auro Chocolate a shout-out, because not only are their products legitimately good, they are also good with people. You can tell how much a brand values their customers by the way they answer even the smallest of inquiries, and I received a very warm and accommodating response from them really quickly. This multi-awarded brand is taking an effort to respond, and I really appreciate that.
And honestly you guys, I really think these Flourless Almond Brownies taste even better thanks to the Auro Chocolate I used.
Okay, story time is over. Let’s talk about these Flourless Almond Brownies from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures now.
Recipe notes
To start, you want to melt your butter and chocolate together. You can use the microwave but I favor the double boiler method because I like to keep watch and have a bit more control over the melting.
I have to say, Auro Chocolate melts so beautifully. It melts so evenly and smoothly, and it has a beautiful gloss to it. The batter also gets a boost from coffee powder, which in my opinion should be a normal addition to chocolate desserts because it brings out chocolate notes even more. Cocoa powder also helps of course.
This chocolate-butter mixture gets poured into the egg and sugar mixture prepared in a separated bowl, and then finally we add in the dry ingredient.
This recipe does not use all-purpose flour, but it does use almond flour or almond meal, which you can buy locally. You will need a little less than 75 grams, so if you want to purchase almond flour just for this recipe, you can try this shop on Shopee. The almond meal gives these brownies some added fudginess and a really nice chewy moist texture.
At this point, you want to avoid overworking the flour into the batter. Fold from the bottom of the bowl and in big strokes to make sure you incorporate the almond meal with as few movements as possible. Once almost all the almond meal has disappeared into the chocolate, stop! A few bits of almond meal peeking out here and there won’t hurt.
Finally, pour the batter into your prepared pan. Make sure you have an excess portion of parchment or foil on top to make it easier for you to lift out the baked brownie. You can now top this with whatever you wish: peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, crushed peanut butter cups, or mini m&m’s as the original recipe uses. I had some leftover sea salt caramel chips that I bought out of curiosity, and to be honest I don’t like these caramel chips on their own (tastes so weird!) but they taste great in these brownies, delivering a bit of salty flavor that complements chocolate really well. Because the toppings sink in, I pressed more chips on the freshly-out-of-the-oven brownies to make them pretty.
As a final note, make sure you do not overbake the brownies so they don’t turn hard. You want them fudgy, trust me! I store these at room temp the first few days, but these are great cold too. (With vanilla ice cream!)
I wonder if I’ll ever find myself in a situation where I’ve run out of flour but have some almond meal left over again. That was really why I made these, but the recipe exceeded my expectations. I would gladly make these brownies again. It’s not often I buy almond meal to begin with, but it must be fate wanting me to discover these delicious chocolatey treats lol. I really hope you guys give these Flourless Almond Brownies a go!
Flourless Almond Brownies
Makes one 8x8-inch pan or 12 to 16 bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, cold is fine
- 142 grams 5 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, in coins or chunks
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso or black coffee powder
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup almond flour*
- ¼ cup caramel chips or butterscotch chips or chocolate chips or mini M&M's**
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly spray an 8x8-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, making sure to leave an overhang on opposite sides like handles. This will help you lift out the brownies from the pan easily once baked. Spray the parchment/foil with nonstick cooking spray.
- 2. In a medium heatproof bowl, place the butter and chocolate. Using the double boiler method, melt and stir the butter and chocolate together until smooth. (You can also microwave in 30-second bursts on 50% power, stirring between each burst, until the mixture is melted and smooth. I tend to favor the double boiler method for more control.) Whisk in the cocoa powder and coffee powder until incorporated. Set the bowl aside to cool the mixture slightly.
- 3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt until combined. Add in the warm chocolate mixture and whisk quickly to combine.
- 4. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the almond flour just until incorporated. (Avoid overmixing!) Pour the batter into the prepared baking ban, spreading evenly with your spatula to cover the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle your topping of choice evenly over the surface of the batter. (It will sink in.)
- 5. Bake the brownies for about 28 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. (Do not over-bake, or the brownies will dry out! If you want, you can immediately dot more toppings on the still-warm surface to make the brownies prettier.) Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan. Use the foil to lift the brownies out of the pan and slice before serving.
Notes
**Basically, you can use whatever you have or desire to top this with. Even lightly crushed peanut butter cups would work! Adapted from Tracey's Culinary Adventures blog
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