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Keto Avocado Brownies with Hazelnuts (Lectin-Free, Vegan)

October 18, 2021 (Last Updated: November 24, 2024)
Keto Avocado Brownies with Hazelnuts

Indulge guilt-free in these rich, chocolaty Keto Avocado Brownies with Hazelnuts. Made with creamy avocado, crunchy hazelnuts, and raw cacao powder, these brownies are sweetened with just a touch of natural sweetener.

As a gluten-free, lectin-free, and vegan treat, these keto brownies deliver nutrition and indulgence in every bite, catering to various dietary preferences.

Egg-free, dairy-free, grain-free, sugar-free baking

This unique recipe creates incredible vegan brownies without using typical binders like applesauce, bananas, eggs, or sweet potatoes. The secret? Avocado – a surprisingly effective and flavorful ingredient for vegan and low-carb baking.

My husband, who is usually indifferent towards baked goods, absolutely loved these avocado brownies. They boast a rich, dark chocolate flavor that appeals to both the sweet-toothed and the health-conscious.

I initially crafted them with a deep, dark chocolate profile (I used 100% dark chocolate!), but I’ve since increased the sweetener and decided to use 85% dark chocolate to cater to a broader range of palates.

The recipe doesn’t call for traditional flour; instead, we use coarsely ground hazelnuts processed into a flour-like consistency. We love the crunch given by the coarse hazelnut texture.

You can easily find 100% pure hazelnut butter in most stores; if not, check out the SHOP page for suggestions. Alternatively, you can make your own at home using a food processor. We make hazelnut butter as a base for our sugar-free Nutella recipe.

The quantities given in the recipe card are perfect for a small 5 x 7-inch baking dish, yielding six generous servings. However, you can also double the recipe for larger gatherings.

Each serving of these vegan avocado brownies contains just 6 grams of net carbs and packs 6.7 grams of protein, making these brownies delicious and nutritious.

keto avocado brownies vegan

Ingredients for these keto avocado brownies

  • 1 cup of hazelnut flour (made from raw hazelnuts, processed in a food processor)
  • 1 1/2 ripe avocados (use two if they are small)
  • 1/4 cup of raw cacao powder
  • 3 tablespoons of hazelnut butter
  • 4 tablespoons of monk fruit or another granulated sweetener like Allulose)
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon of avocado oil or MCT oil, plus more for greasing the dish
  • A pinch of Himalayan pink salt
  • 1/3 cup of dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate (above 80% cacao), set a few aside for garnish
  • Sea salt flakes for garnish (you can also sprinkle some ground hazelnuts on top)
Coarsely ground raw hazelnuts
Coarsely ground raw hazelnuts

For more information or giving up sugar and better alternatives to sugar, check out our articles:

How to make these vegan brownies

  • Preheat your oven to 350F (175C). Line a 5 x 7-inch baking dish (or a similar size dish) with parchment paper. The paper should be long enough to extend over the sides of the dish, creating ‘handles’ to aid in removing the cake after baking.
  • In a food processor, grind the raw hazelnuts until they reach a coarse flour consistency. This coarseness will add crunch and texture to the brownies. Measure out one cup of this hazelnut flour and set it aside.
  • In the food processor, combine all the ingredients except for the hazelnut flour and chocolate chips. Process until well mixed into a thick paste (I used an immersion blender).
  • Add the hazelnut flour back into the food processor and pulse briefly to combine, or, if you use an immersion blender, mix it into the paste with a spatula.
  • Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in most of the chocolate chips, reserving a few for garnish.
  • Pour the batter into the greased baking dish, smoothing the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips over the top, and some sea salt flakes.
  • Bake for about 25 minutes. The top may still be soft but it will firm up as it cools.
  • Allow the brownies to cool completely on a cooling rack. For best results, refrigerate them for about an hour before serving to allow them to fully set.
The ingredients for the keto avocado brownies in a mixing bowl
Processing the ingredients
The chocolate chips have beed added to the mixture in the mixing bowl

The batter has been transferred to the baking sheet and ready to go into the oven
The baked brownie batter
Keto avocado brownies decorated with sea salt flakes

Other lectin-free brownie recipes

I hope you love these keto avocado brownies. Check out more vegan brownie recipes:

For more healthy desserts, check out our Sugar-Free Desserts Recipe Round-Up, featuring over 30 recipes of delicious gluten-free, lectin-free, and sugar-free sweet treats.

This recipe is also part of our round-up Top 15+ Lectin-Free Desserts You Must Try. Check it out for more delicious, lectin-free dessert ideas.

The brownies in a baking sheet

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Keto Avocado Brownies with Hazelnuts (Keto, Vegan)

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (61 votes, average: 3.70 out of 5)
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By Claudia Curici, Health Coach Serves: 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Indulge guilt-free in these rich, chocolaty Keto Avocado Brownies with Hazelnuts. Made with creamy avocado, crunchy hazelnuts, and raw cacao powder, these brownies are sweetened with just a touch of natural sweetener. As a gluten-free, lectin-free, and vegan treat, these keto brownies deliver nutrition and indulgence in every bite, catering to various dietary preferences.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of hazelnut flour (made from raw hazelnuts, processed in a food processor)
  • 1 1/2 ripe avocados (for a more fudgy texture use 2 avocados)
  • 1/4 cup of raw cacao powder
  • 3 tablespoons of hazelnut butter
  • 4 tablespoons of monk fruit or another granulated sweetener
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon of avocado oil or MCT oil, plus more for greasing the dish
  • A pinch of Himalayan pink salt
  • 1/3 cup of dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate (above 80% cacao), set a few aside for garnish
  • sea salt flakes for garnish

Instructions

1

Preheat your oven to 350F (175C). Line a 5 x 7-inch baking dish (or a similar size dish) with parchment paper. The paper should be long enough to extend over the sides of the dish, creating 'handles' to aid in removing the cake after baking.

2

In a food processor, grind the raw hazelnuts until they reach a coarse flour consistency. This coarseness will add crunch and texture to the brownies. Measure out one cup of this hazelnut flour and set it aside.

3

In the food processor, combine all the ingredients except for the hazelnut flour and chocolate chips. Process until well mixed into a thick paste (I used an immersion blender).

4

Add the hazelnut flour back into the food processor and pulse briefly to combine, or, if you use an immersion blender, mix it into the paste with a spatula.

5

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in most of the chocolate chips, reserving a few for garnish.

6

Pour the batter into the greased baking dish, smoothing the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips over the top, and some sea salt flakes.

7

Bake for about 25 minutes. The top may still be soft but it will firm up as it cools.

8

Allow the brownies to cool completely on a cooling rack. For best results, refrigerate them for about an hour before serving to allow them to fully set.

Notes

If you use 1 1/2 avocado, the texture will be more cake-like (drier), if you use 2 avocados the texture will be more fudgy. I strongly recommend refrigerating the brownies before eating. If you don't have hazelnut butter, you can use any nut butter.

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7 Comments

  • Reply
    Claudia
    September 17, 2019 at 7:18 am

    Hi Claudia, just wondering if the chocolate chips are 1/3 cup or 1/3 package?
    Thank you! 🙂

    • Reply
      Claudia
      September 18, 2019 at 2:41 pm

      Hi Claudia, 1/3 cup! Thanks for bringing this to my attention, fixed it now xx

  • Reply
    Sue S.
    February 13, 2019 at 9:15 pm

    First of all, you have a great site and am always inspired by your creations. I am at the 6 week mark of the plant paradox and it has been a lot of fun trying new foods and recipes. I made these for Valentine’s Day tomorrow but had to test the product and they are rich and satisfying. I used 2 avocados, tahini, 2 T. Swerve, half hazelnut/pecan flour and Lilly’s 55% stevia sweetened mini chips. They are almost moouse like, they may needed longer due to the extra avocado, but honestly I would make them again the same way or enjoy tweaking the recipe another way. I am writing this recipe down to keep it handy. Thank you for sharing and supporting others on a healthful journey.

  • Reply
    Gigi
    July 25, 2018 at 6:46 pm

    Hi Claudia, what are your thoughts on switching out the hazelnut butter for almond butter? TIA.

    • Reply
      Claudia
      July 25, 2018 at 8:15 pm

      I think it will work well. There is something about hazelnut and cacao that works really well (we all know how good nutella is) but it works with any kind of butter. Taste will slightly differ. I haven’t tried this version yet but have made other brownies with almond butter. Make sure is blanched almond butter if you follow the plant paradox. xx

  • Reply
    Liz Brumer-Smith
    July 7, 2018 at 4:28 am

    I tried these as our 4th of July dessert. They were a hit dry and ended up being bitter even though I put 2 tablespoons of swerve in. Next time I will put a 1/4 cup and be really careful with my hazelnut flour measurements so it’s not as dry.

    • Reply
      Claudia
      July 7, 2018 at 5:27 pm

      Hi Liz, regarding the bitterness, yes for some people this might be too bitter, not for anyone who doesn’t enjoy 90% and above chocolate. Regarding the dryness, it can be the size of your avocados too. You can up your avocado oil too. Usually with these type of brownies, if you add a little extra fat it’s not going to ruin the cake, it’ll just make it more moist. So yea, if your avocados run on the small size, maybe just add 2 of them instead of 1 1/2.

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