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Chocolate Chestnut Brownies – Gluten Free and No Refined Sugar

This one-bowl chocolate chestnut brownie recipe makes rich, cake-like gluten free brownies made with chestnuts or chestnut flour and sweetened with honey. Chestnuts start showing up in grocery stores around the holiday season, so I'm experimenting with more chestnut recipes. Three out of our four baby chestnut trees are still alive, so hopefully one day we'll be able to use our own chestnuts.

chocolate chestnut brownies on white plate

My last experiment was Cranberry Chestnut Bars. This time around I made chocolate chestnut brownies, which for some reason were more popular with the boys. (Can you say, “brownies”?) I skipped adding extra nuts, but you could easily stir in a half cup for some crunch.

Chocolate Chestnut Brownies Recipe

Adapted from Jane's Healthy Kitchen

Ingredients

  • Chestnuts, cooked and shelled- 200 grams or about 1 cup packed tight or 1 1/2 cups chestnut flour (Buy organic chestnuts)
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup warm water
  • 1/2 cup butter or coconut oil
  • 3/4 cup raw honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla (homemade vanilla is great if you have it)
  • 6 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1/4 heaping teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Get out an 8-inch square baking pan. Line it with parchment paper so it hangs over the sides like handles.
If using whole chestnuts, grind into a fine powder in a food processor.
In a food processor or a mixing bowl, add the eggs, water, butter, sweetener, vinegar, and vanilla. Mix until smooth and creamy.
Add the cocoa powder, salt, soda, and mix well to a pudding-like texture.

gluten free chestnut brownie batter in food processor


Spoon the brownie batter into the baking pan.

gluten free chestnut brownie batter in baking dish

Bake for 40 – 45 minutes, until center is soft set.

Allow to cool 15 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.

gluten free chestnut brownies in baking dish

The texture of these chestnut brownies is moist and cake-like. The boys were nervous at first because they haven't exactly fallen in love with all of my gluten free creations, but one bite won them over.

chestnut brownies on white plate

You may also enjoy more made from scratch recipes, such as:

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Chocolate Chestnut Brownies

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 3 reviews

One bowl recipe for rich, cake like gluten free brownies made with chestnuts or chestnut flour.

  • Author: Laurie Neverman
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 16 slices 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • Chestnuts, cooked and shelled- 200 grams or about 1 cup packed tight or 1 1/2 cups chestnut flour
  • 3 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup warm water
  • 1/2 cup butter or coconut oil
  • 3/4 cup raw honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 6 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1/4 heaping teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Get out an 8-inch square baking pan. Line it with parchment paper so it hangs over the sides like handles.
  2. If using whole chestnuts, grind into a fine powder in a food processor.
  3. In a food processor or a mixing bowl, add the eggs, water, butter, sweetener, vinegar, and vanilla. Mix until smooth and creamy.
  4. Add the cocoa powder, salt, soda, and mix well to a pudding-like texture.
  5. Spoon into baking pan. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes, until center is soft set. Allow to cool 15 minutes, cut into squares and eat.

Notes

  • Stir in one cup chopped nuts before baking, if desired.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 slice

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chocolate chestnut brownies

Originally posted in 2015, updated in 2018.

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7 Comments

  1. I can’t do chocolate. Will this work without the cocoa powder? Maybe if I added more vanilla or ground vanilla?

    1. Hi Phil.

      If you need to ditch the cocoa, I’d add in at least a quarter cup of some other dry ingredient (4-6 tablespoons). A little more vanilla or other flavoring would probably be a good idea.

      Can you do carob powder? That’s the most straightforward substitution.

      Maybe just increase the chestnuts, or add some ground flax?

  2. I did need to add a little bit more water, but other than that, the brownies turned out great! ( If needed, you should add 2 tb of water, use preferably coconut oil, it turns out much better.)