These dairy-free brownies with caramel are going to become your new favourite dessert. These delicious brownies are so easy to make, are rich and chocolatey, and are also gluten-free. This is the perfect healthy treat to serve for any occasion!
Chocolate desserts like chocolate avocado torte, gluten-free turtle bars, and gluten free chocolate zucchini bread are some of my all time favourite treats, which is why I am so excited for you to try the chocolate brownie recipe I am sharing with you today!
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe:
- The taste! These healthy brownies are so rich and chocolatey, moist in the middle, and topped with an amazing caramel sauce which gives them the best flavour.
- These gluten-free dairy-free brownies are surprisingly easy to make, just like my 3 ingredient chocolate mug cake.
- Besides being dairy-free and gluten-free these brownies are also refined sugar free, paleo, and lower in sugar compared to most brownie recipes. Just like my chocolate orange brownies!
- These dark chocolate dairy-free brownies are easy enough to make anytime, but decadent enough to serve to guests on special occasions.
If you love chocolate treats you will also love chocolate mug cake with almond flour, chocolate coffee banana bread, snickers mug cake, and chocolate avocado muffins!
Ingredients and substitutions:
For the full ingredient list and exact measurements refer to the recipe card later in this post.
Jump to the Recipe Card.
- Almond flour - Be sure to use almond flour and not almond meal which is too gritty. You could also swap this for cashew flour.
- Coconut flour - to add a subtle sweetness and the perfect texture to this dairy-free brownie recipe. I don't recommend swapping this for any other flour.
- Cocoa powder - to give these dairy-free brownies that rich chocolate flavour. You can use cacao powder instead of cocoa powder if you prefer.
- Cashew butter - to give these dairy-free brownies the perfect fudgy texture without any butter. Be sure to use smooth, unsweetened cashew butter. You could swap this for another nut butter such as peanut butter or almond butter.
- Coconut oil - instead of butter, melted coconut oil gives these dairy-free brownies added moisture and helps them get that perfect brownie texture when they bake.
- Eggs - to add moisture and help these brownies rise when they bake. I have not tried making these into egg-free or vegan brownies by using a flax egg or chia egg. I do not think they would turn out as good without the eggs.
- Baking soda - to help these brownies rise when they bake. Do not try swapping this for baking powder.
- Chocolate chips - to add more chocolate flavour and sweetness to the brownie mix. Be sure to use dairy-free chocolate chips to ensure these brownies stay dairy-free.
- Coconut milk - this is used to make the caramel sauce. I recommend using full fat coconut milk rather than light coconut milk as light coconut milk will be too watery.
- Dates - dates are used to naturally sweeten the caramel sauce for these dairy-free brownies.
- Honey - you can use either honey or maple syrup to help naturally sweeten the caramel sauce for these dairy-free brownies while keeping it refined sugar free.
Recipe variations and add ins:
- Instead of the caramel sauce you could top these brownies with a dairy-free chocolate icing instead.
- Feel free to add a few extra chocolate chips to the tops of these dairy-free brownies before baking them to make them even sweeter.
How to make dairy-free brownies:
- Step 1: Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and then add all of the brownie ingredients (except for the chocolate chips) to the bowl of your standing mixer and blend the ingredients well until you have a smooth brownie batter.
- Step 2: Next stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
- Step 3: Grease an 8 inch by 8 inch baking pan or baking dish, or line it with parchment paper and transfer the brownie batter to the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. I find that wetting the spoon helps spread the dough evenly as it is quite thick and sticky.
- Step 4: Bake the brownies for 17-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean. While the brownies are baking make the caramel sauce by putting all of the caramel ingredients into your Vitamix or other high speed blender and blending until smooth.
- Step 5: Once the brownies are done baking, allow them to cool for about 10 minutes and then drizzle them with the caramel sauce.
- Step 6: When you are ready to eat the brownies cut them into pieces and enjoy!
Top tips:
- To keep these dairy-free brownies refined sugar free: use chocolate chips sweetened with coconut sugar.
- Do not try to make these into egg free brownies. They will not turn out.
- Do not omit the chocolate chips from this recipe. They are what sweeten these brownies.
- If you don't have a high speed blender you can use a food processor to make the caramel sauce.
- Let these dairy-free brownies cool completely before eating them.
- Do not over-bake or over-mix these brownies: if you do they will turn into cakey brownies rather than fudgy brownies.
How to store:
Store these dairy-free brownies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. These brownies also freeze really well in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing them without the caramel sauce and then adding that once they are thawed and you are ready to eat them.
Dairy-free brownies FAQs:
Yes! Feel free to use almond butter, peanut butter or sunflower seed butter if you can’t have cashews.
Definitely not! Please don’t try this. The brownies will be a dry, crumbly mess.
No, this is not a vegan brownie recipe. I have not tried this recipe with any egg replacements and cannot guarantee they would work out.
I don’t recommend it. This brownie recipe is not super sweet, so the caramel sauce is used to help add just a bit more sweetness to this recipe.
Yes! This is a paleo brownie recipe.
No it is not. This recipe contains eggs so is not vegan.
Other dairy-free desserts you will love:
Since you made it this far we are basically best friends so be sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok and Facebook where I share even more recipes and healthy living tips! And don’t forget to leave this recipe a star rating before you go!
Recipe
Dairy-Free Brownies with Caramel
Equipment
- 8 inch square baking dish
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/3 cup cacao powder
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch sea salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
- 1/3 cup cashew butter
- 1/3 cup coconut oil (melted) (plus a little more for greasing the pan)
- 1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Caramel Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups full fat coconut milk
- 1 1/2 cups dates
- 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup Note: feel free to add 1-2 tablespoon more depending on how sweet you like it
- 1 tablespoon organic vanilla extract
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
Brownies:
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- In your standing mixer add all of the ingredients (except the chocolate chips) and blend well until smooth.
- Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
- Grease an 8″x 8″ pan with coconut oil.
- Transfer the dough to the pan and spread evenly with a knife or spoon (Tip: the dough is quite sticky, so you may want to wet your hands or spoon to help spread it more easily).
- Place in the oven and bake for 17-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean.
- While the brownies are baking make the caramel sauce.
Caramel sauce:
- Place all of the ingredients into your Vitamix or other high speed blender and blend well until smooth.
Final assembly:
- Remove the brownies from the oven and let cool for ~10 minutes before adding the caramel sauce.
- Drizzle the brownies with the caramel sauce and then cut the brownies into pieces. Then enjoy!
Notes
- You can substitute the cashew butter for almond butter or sunflower seed butter.
- The recipe for the caramel sauce makes a large batch of caramel. If you don't want extra cut the recipe down by a quarter.
- Store these brownies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.
- Nutritional values are an estimate and will vary depending on the exact ingredients you use.
Andrea
I noticed there is no sweetener (honey, coconut sugar) in the brownie recipe. Is this intentional or is that missing from the recipe?
Thanks!
Erin Carter
It's intentional! Between the caramel and all the chocolate chips in the brownies they don't need another sweetener.
Andrea
Thanks for letting me know. I love your Turtle Cookie Bars so I hope these are Just as amazing!