Chocolate Walnut Brownies (gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free)

With a blend of buckwheat and millet flours, this is simply the best gluten-free brownie recipe out there! Perfectly moist, super fudgy, plus dairy- and egg-free too!

These gluten-free brownies came about by accident…

I replaced the regular flour in another brownie recipe with a blend of buckwheat and millet gluten-free flours, and we were all shocked when they turned out even better than the original recipe!

It’s not often you find a recipe that you prefer over and above a NON gluten-free recipe, but this one definitely fits the bill. They’re fudgy and delicious as is, but with the addition of the chocolate drizzle it takes them over the top!

We might like them better than our previous favorite gluten-free brownies which were these Dark and Fudgy Sweet Potato Brownies.

If you’re a sourdough lover, you might want to try these Sourdough Rye Brownies (they make the perfect after-school snack!). Another favorite gluten-free standby is these Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies.

Gluten-Free Brownie Ingredients

This recipe utilizes a few specialty ingredients which not only make these gluten-free brownies healthier, but we think tastier, too.

• Date Sugar — This is the first unique ingredient. Date sugar is simply dehydrated dates that have been ground into sugar. It’s a wonderful brown sugar substitute and we prefer it because we consider it a whole food. The deeper flavor gives these gluten-free brownies a great, almost molasses-like taste, but certainly not overpowering. It just adds a nice depth as brown sugar does for cookies!
• Unsweetened Applesauce — With the addition of applesauce, these brownies stay super moist (very important for any gluten-free baked good). Not only that, but the sweetness from the apples adds sweetness to the brownies without needing excess sugar.
• Flaxseed Meal — Flaxseed meal is simply ground flax seed. This makes a great binder and adds extra fiber, which is just an added health benefit to these brownies. You won’t even know it’s in there! Because we add the flaxseed to water first, we create a healthy egg substitute. So these gluten-free brownies also happen to be egg-free!
• Millet and Buckwheat Flours — These are the gluten-free winners for baking. Many say buckwheat has an earthy flavor, which when paired with cocoa powder is heavenly! Learn more about buckwheat flour here.

How To Get Perfectly Moist & Fudgy Gluten-Free Brownies

The secret to getting fudgy and moist gluten-free brownies is all about the ingredients (namely, the liquid ingredients).

Many times, using freshly ground flour can result in a gritty, crumbly texture that should never be part of a brownie. However… the addition of applesauce, flaxseed “egg”, and almond milk make it thick and gooey instead!

Of course, the melt-y chocolate chips after baking help with that rich, ooey-gooey texture, too!

How To Make Gluten-Free Brownies

Making gluten-free brownies is just like making regular brownies, you just need to use the right flour!

You’ll want to start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 8-inch pan with olive oil or avocado oil spray (you can also butter the pan if you’re not avoiding dairy). 

Next, gather all the ingredients including a large bowl, wooden spoon, measuring cups, and whisk.

We love using freshly ground flours and flax meal, so the first thing we do is grab our Mockmill. Once those are ground, we’ll measure them out to make sure we have the exact amount needed.

If you’re interested learning more about grinding your own flour, here’s how to grind exactly the amount of flour you need for a recipe, plus tips on grinding gluten-free grains!

Not sure why you should bother grinding your own flour? Here’s why we recommend home grain milling with the Mockmill for healtheir grains and flour.

In a mixing bowl, mix together flaxseed meal and water. Let this mixture sit for about 5 minutes to create your egg substitute.

Then mix in the date sugar, applesauce, vanilla, and almond milk. Whisk together until smooth.

In a separate bowl, add flours, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt.

Whisk together and then add to the wet ingredients until flour is incorporated. Don’t overmix, but do add additional almond milk, if necessary. (The batter consistency should be a thick spoonable batter — see photo below.)

Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts, then spoon batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean.

While brownies are baking, make the glaze.

Heat almond milk and honey in a saucepan until just boiling, then remove from heat. Add chocolate chips and whisk together until smooth.

Cover pan to keep glaze warm until ready to use (or place it in the refrigerator to thicken up).

When brownies are somewhat cooled, spread glaze on top. Serve warm or fully cool.

The glaze will thicken as it cools. If you prefer more of a drizzle, spread onto brownies when the glaze and the brownies are still warm.

For a thicker, richer frosting-like glaze, allow it to cool to room temperature (or place it in the refrigerator if it’s not thickening up enough) and spread onto completely cooled brownies.

Brownie Baking Tips

• You can sub other gluten-free flours for this recipe and can even use a 1:1 gluten-free flour mix.
• For best measuring results, use the “spoon and level method”. This is where you spoon your flour into a measuring cup, then level with a knife. This prevents the flour from getting compacted into the measuring cup, resulting in more flour than the recipe calls for.
• If you’re not dairy-free, you can use regular whole milk (or our preferred raw milk) in place of the almond milk.
• Dark, milk, or semi-sweet chocolate chips work great… use what you like best! You can even sub white chocolate or butterscotch chips if you’d like.
• If you’re not a fan of nuts, you can omit them altogether.

How To Store Brownies

Brownies can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days (if they last that long!), and in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks.

If you’d like to freeze these brownies, bake them as directed then let them cool completely. Cut into squares and freeze in a freezer-safe container.

Bring back to room temperature and then frost.

5 from 2 votes

Print

Gluten-Free Chocolate Walnut Brownies

These gluten-free brownies came about by accident... but they're staying on purpose! When I replaced the regular flour in another brownie recipe with a blend of buckwheat and millet flours, I was shocked when these brownies turned out EVEN BETTER! Perfectly moist, super fudgy, plus both dairy- and egg-free too! Simply the best gluten-free brownie recipe out there. 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 16 brownies

Author Wardee Harmon

Ingredients

For the brownies:

• 1-1/3 cups date sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tablespoons pure water
• 2 teaspoons flax seed meal
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/3 cup millet flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 3/4 cup almond milk plus additional, if needed, for consistency
• 1/2 cup walnuts chopped, preferably soaked and dehydrated first
• 1 cup allergy-friendly chocolate chips

For the glaze:

• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2/3 cup allergy-friendly chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Grease an 8-inch pan.

3. In a mixing bowl, mix together flax seed meal and water.

4. Let sit for about 5 minutes.

5. Mix in date sugar, applesauce, vanilla, and almond milk.

6. Add flours, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt.

7. Add additional almond milk, if necessary. Batter should be a thick, spoonable paste.

8. Incorporate walnuts and chocolate chips.
9. Spoon batter into prepared baking pan.
10. Bake for approximately 40 minutes.
11. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick, which should come out almost clean.
12. When done, let pan cool on wire rack.
13. Meanwhile, make the glaze.

14. Bring almond milk and honey just to a boil in a small saucepan.

15. Add in chocolate chips and whisk until melted and combined.

16. When brownies are somewhat cooled, spread glaze on top.

17. Serve warm or fully cool.

Recipe Notes

Baking Tips:

• You can sub other gluten-free flours for this recipe and can even use a 1:1 gluten-free flour mix.
• For best measuring results, use the "spoon and level method". This is where you spoon your flour into a measuring cup, then level with a knife. This prevents the flour from getting compacted into the measuring cup, resulting in more flour than the recipe calls for.
• If you're not dairy-free, you can use regular whole milk (or our preferred raw milk) in place of the almond milk. 
• Dark, milk, or semi-sweet chocolate chips work great... use what you like best! You can even sub white chocolate or butterscotch chips if you'd like.
• If you're not a fan of nuts, you can omit them altogether.
• Learn how to soak and dehydrate nuts to increase digestibility here.

Other Gluten-Free Dessert Favorites

• Deep Dish Blueberry Pie
• 40+ AIP Desserts
• Thick & Creamy Instant Pot Rice Pudding
• Dark & Fudgy Sweet Potato Brownies
• Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies
• Healthy Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
• Dairy Free Almond Joy Coconut Ice Cream
• Paleo Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart
• Healthy Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies
• Paleo Chocolate Avocado Mousse

This post was originally published and written by Wardee Harmon on 12/2/06. It was updated and republished on 4/27/20.