This website may contain affiliate links. When a purchase is made through our links, The Naked Diabetic may receive a commission, at no cost to you.
. Recipe created by Tracey of The Naked Diabetic
These sugar-free chocolate brownies are so decadent you will want to make a double batch. Our easy-to-follow sugar-free chocolate brownie recipe for diabetics is super popular. Top them with a layer of sugar-free chocolate ganache, to make them a delicious rich chocolatey treat.
Sometimes people ask “ Are brownies bad for diabetics?” We answer that “as long as you choose a diabetic-friendly recipe, anything, including brownies can be eaten by diabetics”. Remember to always check if someone else is offering you a sugar-free brownie, and make sure that is made with a zero-calorie, carb-free sweetener.
Some recipes substitute the sugar with honey, maple syrup or other sugars that are not diabetic-friendly.
Special Equipment
Ingredients List
- cocoa powder
- baking powder
- all-purpose flour
- almond flour
- Splenda granulated zero-calorie sweetener
- butter
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- sugar-free chocolate chips
- heavy cream (35 percent)
- liquid sweetener (optional if you want them sweeter)
Helpful Tips and FAQs
Why is liquid Stevia optional in our Sugar-Free Chocolate brownie recipe?
When you make the brownie batter, you can add more sweetener if you prefer a sweeter brownie. Adding more granulated sweetener can make the batter too thick, but adding extra liquid is okay and will not make the batter unmanageable.
Substitution for Almond Flour and/or All Purpose Flour
If you do not like almond flour, as it does tend to be a bit gritty, you can substitute it using Carbalose Flour or King Arthur Keto Flour. These are both low-carb flours that are low-carb but have a texture that is more similar to all-purpose flour.
If using Carbalose Flour or King Arthur Keto flour, be sure that you sift them before using them. Measure first and then sift. Using a sieve to sift is the easiest. Both of these products tend to sift slowly in a regular sifter, so I always use a sieve.
Do you need to sift the dry ingredients?
If you don’t have a sifter and don’t want to invest in one, then you can skip over that step, but I recommend sifting. I find that when I am making sugar-free recipes, sifting makes for a lighter and smoother batter, which results in a nicer texture in your finished baked brownies.
Sifting makes your dry ingredients lighter and fluffier and removes any lumps. When you have sifted, the ingredients seem to mix better.
If you don’t have a sifter you can use a sieve or whisk the ingredients to break up any lumps and inject some air into the dry ingredients.
Using a handheld sifter is the easiest way to sift. Pour your ingredients into the sifter and turn the handle until all the ingredients have worked their way through the screen. This is my favourite way to sift. My sifter is old (was my grandmother’s) but I love it. It has a double screen and is super reliable.
To sift using a whisk, place the cocoa, almond flour and all-purpose flour in a deep bowl. Whisk vigorously for a couple of minutes. You should be able to see that the mixture is becoming lighter.
To sift using a sieve or strainer, pour the almond flour, all-purpose flour, and cocoa into the sieve while holding it or resting it over a large bowl. Shake the sieve until all of the dry ingredients have fallen through the screen. Break up any large pieces with a spoon, so that they will fall through.
In this recipe, I measure and then sift. There is always confusion about whether to sift before or after measuring. Recipes vary, but we sift after we measure for our sugar-free chocolate brownie recipe.
Choosing Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips
There are many brands to choose from when it comes to sugar-free chocolate chips and many price points. Hershey’s sugar-free chocolate chips and Lilly’s sugar-free chocolate chips are available in most grocery stores and supermarkets. The most important thing is that they are sweetened with artificial sweeteners or unsweetened.
The nutritional values that are listed below, for this recipe, are calculated using Lilly’s sugar-free semi-sweet stevia-sweetened chocolate chips. if you opt for a different brand, consider the difference in the carbs per serving. Lilly’s sugar-free semi-sweet stevia-sweetened chocolate chips have 8 grams of total carbs, 5 grams of fibre and 50 calories per 14-gram serving (3 grams net carbs)
Choosing Almond Flour
Almond flour is simply ground almonds. When you are selecting almond flour make sure that you get as fine a grind as possible. There are different grinds and the finer the grind is, the better the result will be in your sugar-free recipes.
when you are using Almond flour in recipes, like our sugar-free chocolate brownie recipe, you will notice little white or beige specks in your finished brownies. Do not worry about these, that is just ground almonds. That is what happens in many recipes where ground almond flour is used.
Greasing the parchment paper
It is not necessary to great the parchment paper, but it is something I like to do as it just makes a smoother edge on the brownies, when removing the parchment.
Parchment paper has a thin coating of silicone on it and is non-stick, but I don’t always find it foolproof. Whenever I make this sugar-free chocolate brownie recipe, I always grease the parchment, as I like the smooth edge I get on my sugar-free brownies.
When placing parchment paper into the baking dish, make sure the paper comes up over the edge of the pan. This makes lifting the brownies out of the pan, seamless. If you find the corners bulky, trim them with scissors so they lay flat.
To grease the parchment, take a small amount of butter on a paper towel and rub it over the paper. A little goes a long way.
Smoothing out the batter before baking.
Often recipes that are not sugar-free will spread out while baking. This is not always the case with sugar-free recipes. Sweetener and almond flour do not have the same spreading action when being baked, which is why it is important to make sure your batter is smooth before putting them into the oven.
I always use a silicone spatula or the back of a spoon to make sure the batter is as even as I can get it before putting it into the oven. This will give you a more even bake and will make it easier to have an even coat of ganache over the finished brownies.
Making the Ganache
When making ganache, the whole process only takes a few minutes. Do not leave cream unattended in the saucepan as it can burn easily. As soon as the cream begins to simmer, add the sugar-free chocolate chips and stir until completely melted.
Once the ganache is smooth and all of the chocolate chips are melted, remove it from the heat.
Let it cool slightly before pouring over the baked brownies. When pouring over the baked brownies, move the brownie pan from side to side to ensure even coverage of the ganache, over the top of the brownies.
Let the ganache and brownies cool completely before removing the brownies from the baking dish.
If you would like to have a frosted look on your brownies, allow the ganache to cool until it thickens and spread it like frosting. (as shown above)
This ganache is perfect for glazing over our sugar-free brownie recipe, but you can also use it as a fruit dip, to make chocolate-covered strawberries or in other dessert recipes as a glaze or a sauce.
Storing Sugar-Free Chocolate Brownies
Store our sugar-free chocolate brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I have been asked, “Why in the fridge?”. This sugar-free chocolate brownie recipe contains cream (in the ganache) and all dairy should be refrigerated. Refrigerated, they will last for up to 5-6 days.
The Sugar Free Chocolate Brownie Recipe
Sugar-Free Chocolate Brownie Recipe for diabetics
Ingredients
Brownies
- 3/4 cup Almond Flour
- 1/4 cup All-Purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup granulated Splenda sweetener
- 3/4 cup butter
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
- 1 cup sugar-free chocolate chips
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C)
- Line your 8 by 8 inch baking pan, with parchment paper.
- Grease the parchment paper.
- Sift the All-purpose flour, cocoa and almond flour, into a mixing bowl.
- stir in baking powder.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sweetener
- Add eggs and vanilla and beat on low speed until combined
- Add dry ingredients and mix a few spoonfuls at a time, until well mixed.
- Pour batter into the parchment lined baking dish and smooth out using a silicone spatula.
- Bake in the oven for approximately 20 – 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center.
- Let cool slightly and cover in ganache.
- After pouring ganache onto brownies, spread evenly over the top and let cool.
Ganache
- In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a simmer.
- Add the chocolate chips and stir continuously until the chocolate is entirely melted and the sauce is smooth and shiny.
- Let cool slightly and then spread over the baked brownies,
- Let cool, to set before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated using an online nutrition calculator. We encourage you to calculate nutrition data with your specific brand ingredients as nutritional information can vary between brands
Disclaimer -This post may contain affiliate links. When a purchase is made through our links, The Naked Diabetic may receive a commission, at no cost to you.