Kitchen Sink Brownies (Low Carb, Gluten Free)

Need a new favorite brownie recipe? The search is over – so all other low carb brownie recipes can step aside! These low carb kitchen sink brownies are gluten free and packed full of decadent chocolate (three different kinds), pecans, and topped with salty pretzel pieces.

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Prepare a tray of these for your next get together, and be prepared for no leftovers. If you’re ready to bake something truly decadent, you’re in for a treat! Each brownie is only 7 net carbs and 1 gram of sugar per serving, so feel free to indulge a little!

Quick note about this recipe: it was originally created for a paid Instagram collaboration with Lily’s Sweets! We decided we absolutely had to bring the content over to the blog as well, (it’s gorgeous and delicious!) but we weren’t required to. 🙂 Thanks for supporting brands that help us bring fresh, free content to you, our readers!

Feel free to skip to the recipe card if you’re ready to get right into it. We do cover common questions, tips, and tricks in the body of this post to keep reading if you’re wondering something. We do also include tons of step by step pictures in the body of the post. This recipe is also available as a Google Web Story!

Ingredients:

Wet ingredients:

• Unsalted butter – We will melt the butter, and actually allow it to be warm to combine and dissolve the sweeteners a little better. Don’t worry, it will have plenty of time to cool off before adding in the eggs!
• Sugar free sweeteners – We use a mixture of brown sugar Swerve, and granular Swerve for the best texture and taste. Personally we find that adding half brown sugar substitute really creates an awesome texture, and molasses like taste that can’t be beat. You could of course use all granular sweetener if you want.
• Cream cheese – Softened on the counter for at least an hour. Cream cheese helps these brownies hold together, as well as add a great texture.
• Vanilla extract – Essential for the brownies, and most baked goods.
• Strong brew coffee – To enhance the chocolate flavor, and add some moisture. Make sure it’s room temperature.
• Eggs – Room temperature eggs make the best texture.

Dry ingredients:

• Almond flour and coconut flour– The base of the brownies is made from almond flour. We use a mixture of both almond and coconut to get just the right texture.
• Dutch process cocoa powder – We generally prefer Dutch process for its rich, deep flavor. It’s not quite the same as working with regular natural cocoa powder.
• Baking powder – The leavening agent we use to help give these brownies a bit of a rise, since Dutch process cocoa lacks acid. If you are using natural cocoa powder instead, substitute baking powder for 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda.
• Xanthan gum – A pretty essential part of gluten free baking, to help bind the brownies together.
• Salt – Salt is an essential part of all baked goods! It enhances sweetness and flavor. We use kosher salt in the actual brownies themselves, and then sprinkle on flakey sea salt after baking for the perfect bite.

Add-ins and toppings:

• Sugar free chocolate – A mixture of chips, chunks, melted chocolate and ganache is used in these brownies. We use Lily’s sugar free white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, and dark chocolate chunks. Lily’s dark chocolate baking bars are also used for melting chocolate into the brownie batter, as well as creating a ganache on top.
• Pecans – Or any nuts you prefer, like walnuts or almonds.
• Heavy whipping cream – This will be used to prepare the chocolate ganache later on.
• Gluten free pretzels – We love a little salt and crunch. Just be warned that they may get a little soggy if not eaten right away. So make a large batch to share with friends! These are a higher carb item, but we just use a small amount on top of the brownies, so it doesn’t contribute much to the carb count.
• Other great ideas for add-ins: semi sweet chocolate chips (Lily’s), sugar free Lily’s peanut butter cups, gluten free Oreos, and some people even love potato chips on top! The Oreos and potato chips could still work (like the gluten free pretzels) if you just use a small amount to top the brownies.

How to Make These Kitchen Sink Brownies:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 8×8 or 9×9 pan, then line with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cream together sweetener and melted butter with a hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Add in cream cheese and vanilla extract, and continue mixing together until there are no lumps of cream cheese, about another 3-5 minutes.

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Add in melted chocolate and coffee, and mix for another 2-3 minutes until smooth. *Make sure that the chocolate and coffee are able to cool completely before adding them to the batter.

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Mix in eggs one at a time and mix for another 2-3 minutes.

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In a separate bowl, whisk together almond flour, cocoa powder, coconut flour, salt, baking powder, and xanthan gum. Combine the wet and the dry ingredients, folding together the batter with a rubber spatula. Don’t over mix.

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Fold in the most of the different chocolate chips, 2 oz of the dark chocolate chunks, and pecans reserving some for the topping later. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top to even it out.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Allow the brownies to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire cooling rack for at least 1 hour.

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When it’s time to prepare, warm the heavy cream over low heat in a saucepan until very hot, but not boiling to avoid curdling the cream. Add 1 oz of the dark chocolate bar to a bowl, then pour the warm cream over top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth.

Cut the brownies into pieces, this recipe makes 12 larger brownies or 16 medium sized ones. Drizzle the brownies with the chocolate ganache, then top with pretzel pieces, remaining pecans, dark chocolate chunks, white and milk chocolate chips. Finish with flakey sea salt.

Allow the brownies to chill for the topping to set.

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Tips For The Best Brownies:

• If you like fudgy brownies, follow the recipe exactly. If you prefer the brownies to be more “cakey”, add an extra egg.
• Make sure the strong brewed coffee is made fresh then left out to cool before adding it to the batter. Same thing with the melted chocolate. You don’t want it to be too hot or too cold before adding it to the batter.
• Make sure the eggs are room temperature for best results. This will help them mix into the batter easily. Cold eggs will seize butter, so it’s best to pull them out of the fridge and set them on the counter for an hour or so before baking. 
• The cream cheese should also be room temperature, so they should sit out on the counter for at least 1 hour before mixing it into the batter. Room temperature cream cheese will ensure that there won’t be a bunch of clumps. 
• The melted butter can actually be warm or hot even to help dissolve the brown sugar replacement. We will mix it for quite a while. so the mixture won’t be too hot by the time the eggs are added. 
• Since we use Dutch process baking cocoa in this recipe (for a rich, deep flavor) we use a small amount of baking powder to leaven it. If you want to use natural cocoa power, use about 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda instead of baking powder to help lift the brownies just a tad. 
• The pretzels may become soggy on top after a day or so in the fridge. These brownies are best enjoyed the day of. You can store them of course, but the pretzels may become soggy.

Can I Add Pretzel Pieces Right To The Batter?

No, we wouldn’t recommend it! We’ve tried it actually, so we can say with confidence they’re better left for the top of the brownies. When baked into the brownies themselves, the pretzels get really soggy, so it’s kind of gross. It also makes it really hard to cut clean lines into the brownies themselves, so it makes the brownies fall apart.

Can I Use Regular Granulated Sweetener For These Brownies?

Yes, you absolutely can use whatever your prefer. We just prefer the mixture of brown sugar replacement and granular sweetener for the best texture and flavor.

More Recipes To Try:

• Keto Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
• White Chocolate Raspberry Tart (Keto, GF)
• Keto Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Banana Dream Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Need more ideas? Be sure to check out this massive list of over 85+ low carb and keto friendly recipes on our site!

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Until Next Time,
Briana & Chamere