This flourless brownie recipe will satisfy almost any sweet tooth. It’s chocolatey, gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar–free, and packed with healthy fats and more than 6 grams of protein per brownie. Also, almond butter helps to stabilize after-meal rises in blood sugar while providing beneficial antioxidants, so this really is a wholesome dessert.

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Oil an 8-inch square cake pan with coconut oil and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl with a fork or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, blend the almond butter, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla together until smooth. In a separate small bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; add to the wet mixture and blend until thoroughly combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
3. Pour the brownie batter into the cake pan and use a spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth out the top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving (if you can wait that long!), as the brownies will solidify and make cutting easier. Once they are completely cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Tips: Bittersweet chocolate is another name for dark chocolate used in baking. The package is typically labeled with a percentage of cacao which represents the cacao/sugar ratio. The higher the percentage of cacao, the more bitter the chocolate will be. I prefer bittersweet chocolate chips that are 60% to 70% cacao for this recipe for optimal sweetness and flavor.