Swap out cocoa for carob powder to make these rich, gooey, fudgy brownies! Carob has a is naturally sweet, fruity and rich flavor that works well as a cocoa substitute in baked goods. Make sure to check the recipe notes for the grain, nut and dairy free options!

What is Carob?

It’s a tree! Carob trees are native to the Middle East and Mediterranean region and the belong to the legume family.

Culinary carob refers the the fruit from the pods of the carob tree. These carob pods are then ripened, dried, roasted (usually) and ground down into a fine powder – typically used as a cocoa powder substitute.

Carob Vs Cocoa

Though carob (aka carob flour) can make for a great chocolate substitute, there are a few differences that are important to note:

Recipe Steps

1. Wet ingredients: beat together the melted butter and sugar then beat in the eggs and vanilla.
2. Dry ingredients: Add the carob flour, almond meal and salt to the wet mixture.
3. Combine: Mix together until no flour pockets remain and you end up with a thick, smooth, shiny batter.
4. Bake: Spread the batter over a greased and lined baking pan and bake for about 25-30 minutes.

Recipe Testing Results:

What Worked:

• Nut Free: I wanted a really gooey brownie which is why almond flour was my favorite flour, but both millet and GF all purpose flour worked great too!
  • Millet Flour: Use 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon millet flour or 70 grams.
  • Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour: Use 1/2 cup or 70 grams.
• Refined Sugar Free:
  • Coconut Sugar: Use 1 cup + 2 tablespoons coconut sugar or 200 grams.
    • The tops weren’t quite as crinkly with coconut sugar, but it did have a slightly more caramel-like flavor to it.
• Dairy Free:
  • Vegan Butter: Use a block butter substitute and not a spreadable butter fro a tub. Flora Plant B+tter (salted) is my go-to vegan butter substitute.
  • Oil: I prefer brownies with butter because I want them as fudgy as possible. I’m also a sucker for the buttery flavor. You can absolutely use melted coconut oil or vegetable oil instead if you prefer.

What Didn’t Work/Needs More Testing:

• Maple Syrup: I just wasn’t happy with the results enough to recommend maple syrup as a sugar substitute. With more testing I think I can find something, but it definitely needs more work!

Low FODMAP Notes:

• Carob is low FODMAP in small amounts: 6g per serving or less. One brownie contains about 2.5 grams of carob meaning you can have 2 brownies or less to stay within a low FODMAP range.
• Almond flour is Low FODMAP in moderate amounts: 1/4 cup or 24 grams. One brownies contains about 4-5 grams per serving.

Hungry for More Gluten-Free Brownies?

Satisfy your chocolate cravings with some these delicious brownies:

• Almond Butter Flourless Brownies
• Vegan Zucchini Brownies
• Coconut Flour Brownies
• Vegan Chickpea Brownies
• Almond Flour Paleo Zucchini Brownies

Enjoy!

Let me know if you try these Fudgy Carob Brownies! Leave a comment and review with your thoughts. I always appreciate the feedback and serving suggestions that you come up with!

Yield: 16 brownies

Fudgy Carob Brownies

4.8 Stars (4 Reviews)

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

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Use carob powder in place of cocoa powder to make rich, gooey, fudgy brownies!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup melted butter (113g)
• 1 cup white sugar or 1 cup + 2 tbsp coconut sugar (200g)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup almond flour (70g)
• 6 tbsp carob powder (40g)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Need help converting to weights? Check out my cups to grams Conversion Guide.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F/165°C. Line a metal, 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper. Leave enough paper hanging over the sides to easily lift the brownies out later. Set aside.
2. Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer on a medium speed. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on a medium speed for a minute.
3. Add the carob, flour and salt. Mix together into a thick, smooth batter.
4. Pour the brownie batter to the prepared pan. Spread evenly across the bottom and sides of the pan.
5. Place in the middle of the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick/knife inserted in center comes out mostly clean (a few moist crumbs on the toothpick is fine).
6. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for about 30 minutes. Then pull on the overhanging paper to remove. Use a clean, sharp knife to cut into slices and enjoy.
7. Cool and store leftover brownies in an airtight container in the fridge or at room temperature.

Notes

• Make it dairy free: use vegan block butter, vegetable oil or melted coconut oil.
• Make it nut free: use 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp millet flour (70g) or 1/2 cup gluten free all purpose flour (70g)
• If you use a glass pan to bake your brownies, the total bake time may range from 25-35 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 154Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 128mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 3gSugar: 15gProtein: 2g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© A Saucy Kitchen, Sarah Nevins

Course: Desserts Cuisine: Gluten Free