I don’t know about you but I am a lover of AIP brownies. I always choose chocolate over vanilla no matter what the circumstance is.
My mom is a really good cook but she is an even better baker (including brownies). She baked something for our lunches every week growing up. Old habits die hard right?
Jump to RecipeWell I definitely don’t bake something every week because I know my gut can’t handle it, but when I do bake I am always trying to recreate my childhood favourites.
I’ve said it before and I will say it again…food is a part of our culture. The last thing you want is to feel deprived so an AIP treat every now and then is actually a good thing.
I am really happy with how this recipe turned out.
These Easy AIP Brownies are not overly sweet and they are really fluffy and hold together so well! It’s sort of like eating a dark chocolate brownie.
Love baked Paleo AIP treats? Try my Black Forest Cake Cookies and my (almost-famous) Cinnamon Coffee Cake, too!
These are super easy to make and you can store them in the fridge or freeze them. I like to cut them into individual portions and freeze them so that I can pull one out when I want a quick AIP treat.
If you have a sweet tooth then you will want to add more honey or even add a 1/4 cup of coconut palm sugar instead. I really have to watch my sugar intake so these are only slightly sweet as is. Adjust accordingly.
You will need tiger nut flour for this recipe.
It is one of my favourite flours to bake with as it is very similar to almond flour (not AIP friendly). Perfect for making AIP brownies and all the other AIP baked things!
Tiger nuts are tubers and are actually not nuts although they remind me of a slightly tougher almond. If you haven’t tried tiger nuts yet you are seriously missing out! If you don’t tolerate coconut oil you can use palm shortening instead.
I hope you will enjoy these AIP brownies as much as I do!
Serve them with some fresh strawberries and some whipped coconut cream for a special treat!
XO Meagen Ashley
Easy AIP Brownies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
- 3 tbsp carob powder
- 1 tsp alcohol free vanilla
- 1 cup tiger nut flour
- 3 tbsp arrowroot starch
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1.5 tbsp grass fed gelatin Red can from Great Lakes
- 2 tbsp room temperature water
- 4 tbsp hot water
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 inch baking dish with parchment paper.
-
Combine the coconut oil, honey, carob, and vanilla in a medium pan over low heat. Stir until everything is melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool until warm.
-
In a large bowl mix the tiger nut flour, baking soda, salt, and arrowroot starch together. Add the liquid chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients bowl. Stir until thoroughly mixed.
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Prepare the gelatin egg. Add the 2 tbsp of room temperature water to a small dish. Sprinkle the gelatin over top and allow to sit 2-3 minutes. Then add the hot water. Whisk vigorously until the gelatin egg is frothy. Pour into the brownie mixture immediately and stir to combine.
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Transfer the batter to the lined baking dish and use a spatula or spoon to smooth evenly.
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Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean (only a few crumbs, no batter).
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Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan completely. Remove the brownies by lifting up the parchment paper. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 10-12 squares.
Recipe Notes
Store in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
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Can you use Almond flour instead of Tiger nut flour?
Yes almond flour would be a great substitute it just isn’t AIP friendly. If you don’t follow the autoimmune protocol then yes go ahead and use it!
I’m unable to get tiger nut flour and I am AIP. What do you recommend?
Hi Erin,
Can you get tigernuts and just grind them in a blender or food processor to make your own flour? Almonds our not aip but if you have successfully reintroduced them then you could try almond flour. Otherwise I cannot say how other flours would work in this recipe as I haven’t tested them and tigernut is unique in how it performs compared to coconut flour or cassava say. Hope that helps!
Mine came out oily, can’t figure out what I did wrong!
Hmm..maybe the gelatin egg didn’t get thoroughly mixed?
How does one measure the coconut oil? Melted first or using a dry measuring cup? That could make the recipe oily, if you are using a wet measurement vs. dry.
You measure the coconut oil dry, then melt.
Thank you! All other carob aip desserts I’ve tried have been disappointing. Yours was great! I made 2 adjustments: I used strong chicory tea instead of the hot water & cassava flour instead of the arrowroot starch. I’ll definitely make this again- thank you!
Hi Gabrielle,
I appreciate you stopping by to let me know that you enjoyed these! I love your innovative substitution ideas, too. Isn’t it wonderful when we make a substitution and the recipe is still a success?
xo,
Meagen
Hi can I use cocount flour instead?
Hi Paula,
You could try it although coconut flour is much more dense so I think it would make the brownies really heavy. If you can tolerate almond flour it is a great substitute for tiger nut flour.
did you use coconut flour? I wonder if it worked…
I am not sure if she tried it or not, sorry! But if you do try it let me know.
I used coconut flour 1:1 and it came out quite heavy and dry, even though I reduced the cook time to 20mins. Wouldn’t recommend. But I will try the recipe again when I get access to tiger nut flour.
Hi Alexis,
Sadly, coconut flour is very dry, highly absorbent of liquids and, in my opinion, quite unforgiving as a substitute in baking (especially egg-free baking).
Please let me know what you think of the brownies if you do decide to get a bag of tigernut flour and retry the recipe!
xo,
Meagen
So I’m back to try it again! I still haven’t got Tiger nut flour, but I have used cassava flour. And 1) it’s already looking sooo much better. 2) I’m wondering if I made another mistake when I first made this as I followed the recipe to a T this time, and the batter was much runnier than last time. Whether that is just the HUGE different coconut flour (used last time = fail) or whether I made a mistake when baking – not sure. But it’s very much more brownie than cardboard this time! 5 out of 5 🙂
Hi Alexis,
Oh yay!! I’m so glad they came out better for you this time. <3
Thank you for sharing your adaptations with me.
xo,
Meagen
i love it! it is deliciouse! not to sweet, texture brilliant! as real brownie! ???
awe thank you, Teresa! I am so glad you enjoyed them!
I’ve tried a few aip brownie recipes and this one is the best so far! Thank u
Awe thank you so much! I am glad you liked it!! 🙂
Right now I’m doing AIP with eggs. If I didn’t do the gelatin egg, how many real eggs should I put in? Should I still add some of the water??
This recipe looks yummy!!!
Hi Suzanne, just use one egg and no water!
I just made this today. Didn’t have the right sized Tim so made it in a small long loaf time so it was a bit thicker than normal. Cooked it for longer and it is superb! Crunchy on the edges and cooked all the way through. I’m on my third slice now. Thank you for the recipe!!
So glad you enjoyed these brownies, Melissa! Thank you!
What can you swap for arrowroot starch?
tapioca starch which is also AIP friendly or if you tolerate it (not AIP) corn starch.
I am so happy to have found this recipe! After 4 months of doing the strict AIP elimination diet, this recipe has been my saviour… I keep coming back to it. I’ve tried SO many AIP-compliant baked goods and this is by far the best one I’ve tried. Thank you!
Hello Molly,
Thank you for your lovely comment! I love hearing that this has been a go-to for you during your elimination journey. We all deserve brownies! 😉
Have a wonderful day,
Meagen
I used 2 1/2 tablespoons of sweet potato flour instead of arrowroot and it was perfect!!!
Thanks for letting me know about the substitution working well! Glad you enjoyed them!
Yum. I would like to try this but have reintroduced eggs. How many gelatin eggs would you say your mix is please?
Hi, this is just two gelatin eggs! I would replace with 2 or 3 eggs!
Can I use the orange can gelatin? That’s all I have.
Yes!
Hi! Can’t wait to try this! Do you think agar agar could be used in place of gelatin? I’m having a reaction to gelatin…thanks in advance!
Hi Karen,
I’ve not tried it with agar but I do believe it would work. I’d love to hear your results if you try!
-Meagen
Had to add tons of water about 3 cups and olive oil to smoothen it out. Im guessing since i substituted tiger nut flour for coconut flour. Hope at least taste good
Did you use coconut flour instead of tigernut flour? Coconut flour is very dense compared to tigernut flour. If you tolerate almonds you could sub almond flour, but I wouldn’t sub coconut flour for tigernut flour as they behave very different when baking.
I hope they still tasted good!
Christopher… how did these work out with the coconut flour??
Could i try flax eggs instead of gelatin? My kids are sensitive to free glutamate (gelatin is one such item). I know it isn’t AIP friendly. Thank you!!
Yes I think a flax egg would work, or a regular egg if your kids tolerate them!
Thanks you so much for this recipe! These came out great!! AIP dessert recipes with coconut flour, flakes, milk and/or cream seem to be a dime a dozen, but if you can’t have coconut, it gets tough. Like really, really tough. This is perfect!
I am so happy to hear this recipe worked out well for you! I will keep that in mind when creating future recipes!
Can I use unflavored gelatin?
I am not sure what gelatin you mean but it is probably not AIP. If you are not following the AIP then you should be able to use it!
Hi. Gelatin is AIP. Many aip recipes call for gelatin. Am I missing something? Thanks, I’m looking forward to trying this recipe.
Hi Tina,
Yes, gelatin is AIP provided that it is grass fed gelatin. I like the brands Vital Proteins and Great Lakes.
Nutrition values?
Sorry I don’t have any nutrition values for this recipe. But I think you could probably enter it into a website such as myfitnesspal.
I made these and LOVE them!! I think I didn’t get the gelatin egg quite right. I initially stirred it together with the first amount of water, then when frothing the additional water, It’s was still pretty much liquid. They’re super tasty and fluffy, but I’m thinking they’d have been a little thicker and maybe more dense if I got the gelatin to ‘stiff peak’ egg white consistency..
Hi Amy, I am so glad you enjoyed these brownies! I remember my first few months baking AIP recipes and I really struggled with the gelatin egg. You do want it to be liquid but you want it to get to that egg white consistency. I always find that a common mistake is not adding enough heat to melt the gelatin fully. Hope that helps!
Is maple syrup and honey allowed on AIP diet ??
Can use banana flour instead of tiger nut flour?
I am not sure, I haven’t tried it. Let me know how it goes if you do try it!
yes in moderation!
I have never used tigernut flour before trying this recipe…is that the gritty texture I am tasting?
It could be, but I didn’t find them to be gritty so I am not sure! Tiger nut is one of my favorite flours to work with.
Would I be able to swap cassava flour for the tigernut flour?
I have not tried it, but it likely would work! I can’t make any promises though. Let me know if you try it!
I see all the comments about coconut flour and your questions about how it worked.
I tried it this evening with coconut flour (which I know is not a good 1:1 sub, but I tried it regardless).
The flavor is great, but the texture is definitely off. They didn’t rise much (if at all), and are fairly crumbly. They definitely need additional liquid, and possibly more of gelatin egg.
Thanks for the update, Ann! Yes coconut flour and tiger nut flour do behave differently. You might even try upping the amount of arrowroot. Do half arrowroot and half coconut flour.
[…] Brownies – It’s All About AIP […]
I’m new to baking AIP, so I made a couple of mistakes with this (I didn’t bake it long enough and I used collagen instead of gelatin, so my “egg” was all wrong)…but even with my snaffu’s, the FLAVOR of this recipe was AMAZING! It definitely hit the spot and I will be making this again.
Hi Dani,
I use to confuse gelatin and collagen all of the time when I started AIP! I am glad they still turned out okay, I hope you will make them again!
I tried it again today with the correct product (gelatin—nasty smell! 🤢). The recipe came out perfect! It was slightly chewy, which I actually preferred the texture, but I did wonder if I over mixed it, or if it’s suppose to be chewy. Either way, it’s waaaay better than even regular brownies! I also didn’t pack the Tigernut flour last time, so I think my recipe was too fudgy. Came out perfect this time!
Hi Dani,
I am so glad they came out better this time! Yes the smell of gelatin isn’t good, but it is a great egg replacement! They are to be a little chewy but if they are a lot chewy then the gelatin egg may have been overmixed. Enjoy!
Good to know, thank you!
You are very welcome!
Last year, I made AIP carob covered strawberries for Valentine s Day, which were cute and classic, but I must say that these brownies totally stepped it up. Though they re not at all reserved for just Valentine s Day and can easily be made any time of year, I just love that they re shaped like hearts!
So glad you enjoyed them!
Is that gelatin egg recipe for 1? And the recipe calls for two? Thank you
Hi, the recipe calls for 1.5 gelatin eggs. The egg recipe is correct, but if you find that you need more water to bloom the gelatin then just add another little splash of water.
[…] Easy AIP Brownies […]
I am using cacao powder vs carob powder as it’s what I have on hand and using equal amounts. Hope they turn out well for my 2.5 year old daughter who is AIP.
the substitution will work fine, just that Cacao powder is not AIP.
YUM YUM! The best AIP version I’ve tried yet.
Even my Daughter who is not AIP said they were good, she didn’t realize there’s no chocolate in them.
love hearing this! Thanks for the feedback!
Thanks, Holly! xo
I have sweet potato flour on hand for a cookie recipe of yours (that I haven’t gotten around to making yet). Out of curiosity, I tried substituting some of the tiger nut with the sweet potato (I always double the recipe, so I used 1.5 cups tiger nut and .5 sweet potato). It had an obvious sweet potato flavor (which I happened to like), but also the texture was really good. I was too nervous to try upping the ratio of sweet potato because I didn’t know what it would do and I didn’t want to waste the ingredients. Much respect to you and all the experimenting you do!
Hi Dani,
Thanks for letting me know how the substitutions went. Yes- sweet potato flour has a strong taste which is why you will notice I only used a little bit in the cookie recipe. I tested that recipe many times and all I could taste was sweet potato, so I finally got the right amount to keep the texture but also not have the taste overpower. Interesting to know it worked in this recipe too!
I made two batches… one as written and another with a couple substitutes (2 1/2 Tablespoons sweet potato flour for the arrowroot and date lady syrup for the honey!) Both were absolutely amazing! This will be my go to brownie recipe!!!! Thanks!!!
I loved these! I still can’t get the hang of the gelatin. I’ve made cookies before that’s don’t require me blooming the gelatin. Have you tried just putting it in the dry ingredients?
Hi, thanks! I haven’t tried these without gelatin, I think they wouldn’t hold together very well without it.
Omg this is so good! This one reminds me my old brownie i used to make before i got sick!
I added 1-2 tbsp of coconut milk wilst mixing coconut oil, carob powder and maple syrup. It helps melt and combine all the ingredients.
Also i added 3-4 more tbsp of water. The dough was thick.
Instead of areowroot flour i used tapioca.
My boyfriend who’s not on a diet loved it! Asked me to make more next time 😀
Thank you for trying the recipe, Olga! So glad you enjoyed it!
I made this recipe using Palm Shortening instead of coconut oil and it worked out great! Thank you so much! I have been dying for a brownie and even my husband said it tastes like chocolate. This is a real keeper recipe!
You are so welcome, Cindy! Thanks for sharing the ingredient swap, glad it works!
Amazing. No one would ever think this is AIP friendly. I would prefer them over normal brownies any day.
I do have a slight improvement though:
1) Use twice the amount of gelatin
2) After baking, immediately cover with aluminum foil, let it cool until you can touch it for 10 seconds without having to withdraw your hand… Put it like that into the freezer.
3) Once frozen, slice & package to your liking
Tipp: After freezing, they are amazing to eat in their frozen state. It feels a bit like Ben & Jerry Chocolate Fudge brownie and would likely also make an ideal component in AIP coconut ice cream. Of the possibilities…
I think without the cocoa, this will also make a good basis for a lot of other baking recipes, like apple pie, etc.
Thanks, Chris! Glad you enjoyed them!
Chris,
Did you also double the water or just the gelatin? Were your brownies more cake-like or more fudgy-chewy-like?
Thank you,
Char
I must say these had the best most cake-like texture of any dessert AIP recipe I’ve tried so far. I made these for my mom’s birthday, and she loved them. Thanks for coming up with a light, fluffy dessert. I’m so tired of how heavy and dense most AIP indulgences are
Thank you for the lovely feedback, Gina. I am so glad you and your mom got to enjoy these brownies!
Hi! I’m going to try subbing tigernut flour (which is SO expensive in my country) for half arrowroot / half coconut flour. One question about measuring the coconut oil – is that 1/2 c melted or unmelted? I’m guessing melted, right…..? Thanks.
I measure it unmelted always in my recipes, and then I melt it. So its 1/2 cup unmelted, then you melt it.
Hi! These look great! I have a coconut sensitivity. Can I replace the coconut oil with ghee?
I believe that would work!
Can you replace the gelatin “egg” with apple sauce? I’m vegetarian but would love to try these!
I haven’t had anyone try it, they likely just won’t rise the same. You could also try a flax seed egg!
These are the best AIP Brownies I’ve made yet! I rarely see any of my baked goods “rise” but these did! (Is that because of the tigernut flour?) They have a GREAT texture and taste chocolatey- I made them with honey and will try with the maple syrup next go around. It seems every baked good I make with tigernut flour is just so much better than the rest. Going to raid your page for more recipes with it! 🙂 Thank you for this!!
Hi Kristin! Thank you for loving these brownies! Tigernut flour does yield a different texture for sure! Coconut flour can be very dense compared to tiger nut flour. Thanks again! xo
I made this recipe FODMaP proof (I replaced the carob by cacao) and I like it a lot! Put the pieces in the freezer, so I can take one at the time. Thank you for your inspiration!
Greetings from the Netherlands🙋🏼♀️
You’re welcome! I am happy that this recipe worked for you! Enjoy!
Made these last night and knew from the second I tasted the batter that they were going to be fantastic. They truly did not disappoint! My husband, who is extremely picky, said that they were amazing, and could hardly believe they weren’t made with chocolate! The recipe was easy to follow, I made no substitutions or changes, and they came out beautifully. Thank you!
Thank you Chelsey! So happy you loved them!
Hi,
I would like to try this recipe. But I do not have any gelatin. Could I replace it with banana ? I’m on AIP (no reintro yet). Thanks.
Hi Claire,
I have never tried it with bananas so I am not sure. My only guess is that they won’t hold together as well.
These are so great! I followed the recipe exactly and they came out perfect and a bit cakey rather than fudgey which I prefer. My husband who’s not on the diet thought they were really good also. Only negative is they are so good, I ate the whole thing in 2 days! Probably not a good case of maple syrup in moderation 🤣
Hi Nasima!
Thanks so much for the feedback. I am glad they turned out great. I do the same thing so I always make sure to share or I will eat them all myself!
These are amazing!!
Thank you so much Kristine!
These are amazing!!
These are FANTASTIC!! 10 out of 10! A great treat and still staying in the AIP boundaries. I included tiger nuts as well for some nutty texture.
Thanks so much Jennifer!!! I miss you already!
I used maple syrup and avocado oil instead of coconut, as I was out, and these turned out perfectly. I always sift tiger nut flour before baking with it to remove clumps. Thank you for this recipe. I agree that it is nice to be able to have a treat once in a while!
So glad you could enjoy a little treat!
Hi! I just made these for the first time and they are AMAZING!!! Wondering if you have the nutrition info?
Hi Ali,
I’m so happy you loved them!
I am sorry, I don’t have the nutrition facts. This is a great free app to help plug in ingredients, though! https://www.myfitnesspal.com/
xo,
Meagen
Yes sifting really helps with the tigernut flour and coconut sometimes too! You are welcome, so glad you enjoyed these!
Made these and they are great! Now I have a new go to recipe for brownie’s. I had a Paleo one that I didn’t think could be beat, but these are pretty darn close. I like them both equally, but now that I am on AIP, these will be in my regular rotation for sweet treats. Thank you for your time and effort you took in developing this yummy recipe and sharing.
Hello Nicole,
Thank you so much for your kind comment! I love that these brownies are your new go-to. (They are one of my favorites, too!)
Have a lovely day,
Meagen
Hello! This recipe sounds great, but I’m sensitive to coconut. Can I replace the coconut oil with avocado oil?
Hi Marcela,
Yes I think the avocado oil would work perfectly as a substitute. You *may notice a little less browning, since avocado oil has a higher smoke point, but the brownies should still come out delicious. 🙂
Let me know what you think if you try them!
xo,
Meagen
These had a good flavor, but mine came out super sponge-y … not a great texture . Any idea where I may have went wrong …?
Hey Jessica,
Sorry to hear they came out spongey! It’s possible that either elevation and/or climate can be an issue here. Also, tapioca starch/flour is known to be naturally a little “gummy” in AIP desserts. You could try adding about 1.5 Tbsp of coconut flour next time to help soak up some of the tapioca-gumminess (or to troubleshoot climate issues with possible excess moisture) and see if that texture works better for you. 🙂
xo,
Meagen
It was delicious! It tasted just like normal brownies. I however like my brownies to be a little bit harder on the outside, and these were very soft. Still loved them, but any recommendations to get a crispy outer layer?
– AB
Hi there Arman,
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the brownies! To make them a little more to your preference, I feel that you could try adding a little less oil and cooking them a little bit longer. You could also try adding a touch more flour, like 2 Tbsp, and see how that works for you. 🙂
Have a lovely day,
Meagen
Hello, this recipe looks amazing, but I have a coconut sensitivity. Could I replace the coconut oil with palm shortening?
I tried them with the palm shortening and they turned out great1 Thanks for such a great recipe, I love being able to make such delicious treats again 🙂
These are great! New to AIP so still using up some old produce – I swapped the gelatin out with an egg (and a tablespoon of water as the batter was thick) and tapioca flour instead of arrowroot. The flavours are spot on, and the outside texture was perfect. The inner consistency was a little drier than I had hoped. I will try these again without the additional water (or perhaps some extra oil instead), and will get some arrowroot. Thanks for this! I’ve been craving something for dessert and my previous attempts at various ideas were total flops.
Hi Isobel,
Thank you for your sweet comment! I am happy to hear you enjoyed these and that the brownies worked well with your substitutions. 🙂 You may try decreasing the tigernut flour by 1 to 2 Tbsp or even reducing your oven temperature by 10 degrees, and see if they come out less dry for you.
xo,
Meagen
Yum!! Do you think you can replace the tiger nut flour with coconut flour instead??!
Hey there Kim!
AIP baking is a delicate balance of kitchen-tested flours and ingredients that each perform a different task in the recipe. This can make subbing out flours more miss than hit. For example: coconut flour helps to dry out the stickiness of tapioca starch; tigernut flour helps to add texture to otherwise-dense pastries. I’m sorry to be a bearer of bad news!
xo,
Meagen
This looks so good! What a great way to enjoy a great while sticking to the good stuff!
Hi Suzanne,
Thank you for your sweet comment! I hope you enjoy the brownies if you make them. 🙂
xo,
Meagen
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Hi Vanessa,
You are very welcome! I would keep this in the fridge for up to 1 week, or you can freeze it for longer storage. 🙂
xo,
Meagen
Mmmmm, easy and delish! Just made these tonight and they are very good! I think next time I will add some extra carob just to up the chocolate factor even more, but it doesn’t need it. I am one week into AIP to give my body a break and find out what foods don’t work for me and this recipe and another one (a simple breadsticks recipe) have really helped me adjust without feeling deprived. Thank you! <3
Hello A,
It makes me so happy to hear that you found some comfort in this recipe and the breadsticks recipe you found! I feel that the AIP is much easier to start when we have something familiar to eat.
Have a lovely day and best wishes for your AIP journey!
xo,
Meagen
I tried to make this recipe twice. The first time, exactly as stated in the recipe and it was WAY too oily and a bit spongy. I measured the coconut oil hard and then melted it. I tried it again using avacado oil and tigernut flour and cassava flour (50/50 mix) and a real egg in case I had messed up the gelatin egg. This batch was super dry. No idea what I’m doing wrong :(. I have yet to have an AIP baked item turn out well. Good thing I prefer fruit salad anyway, but I was trying to make something for company that’s coming tomorrow.
Hi Lisa,
Sorry to hear the recipe is not working out for you!
If you do try it again, you can slowly add coconut oil as needed. Then if the batter seems too oily, add more flour until the batter more closely resembles brownie batter.
xo,
Meagen
I am allergic to pork and beef so I am trying your recipe with agar agar. I am only a week into AIP so fingers crossed! I’ll let you know how it goes 🤞
Hey Maria,
Oh, I do hope your replacement works out well for you! Please do report back when you can. *fingers crossed* 🙂
xo,
Meagen