Oat Flour Brownies

Oat Flour Brownies are a must-try recipe! These gluten-free peanut butter brownies are chocolatey, fudgy and everything you want a brownie to be but with a healthy twist. They are sweetened with maple syrup and topped with a delicious nut butter swirl (you can use peanut butter like I did or swap for a seed butter like tahini). If you're looking for another gluten-free snack to try, check out my Buckwheat Flour Chocolate Banana Muffins.

These healthy Oat Flour Brownies are actually flourless, gluten free and refined sugar free. Although lower-carb and healthy, these brownies don’t require a lot of complicated ingredients and are easy to make. Oats are a pantry staple in most houses and if you have a blender it’s very easy to make oat flour at home by blending oats into a very fine powder.

With a few simple steps, you’ll have healthy brownies baking in the oven that you’re gonna love. Enjoy them with an ice cold glass of milk (or pumpkin seed milk if you’re dairy free) and top with whipped cream (or coconut cream) for an extra treat. 

For more naturally gluten free recipes try these Oat Flour Pancakes, Peppermint Crinkle Cookies, Coconut Oatmeal Cookies and Matcha Crinkle Cookies.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• A healthier twist on traditional brownies
• Naturally gluten-free
• Naturally sweetened with maple syrup
• Topped with a delicious nut butter swirl
• Freezer friendly
• A healthy dessert alternative for kids and adults alike

Ingredients

• Oat flour - you can make your own oat flour at home or purchase oat flour from the store.
• Cocoa powder - look for a high quality unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Baking powder
• Sea salt -enhances the flavor of the brownies and balances the sweetness.
• Butter -unsalted and softened
• Maple syrup - my favorite natural sweetener to replace sugar in this recipe. It also adds a subtle maple flavor to baked goods.
• Eggs
• Chocolate chips - I choose semi sweet but you can swap for dark chocolate or milk chocolate chips. You can also purchase sugar free chocolate chips sweetened with either dates or stevia for example.
• Peanut butter - smooth and unsweetened peanut butter is used for the swirl topping.

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Substitutions & Variations

• If you want a dairy-free option, you can substitute the butter with coconut oil.
• You can use dairy-free chocolate chips if you prefer or substitute them with chopped dark chocolate or sugar free chocolate.
• You can swap the peanut butter with almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, or tahini or any favorite nut or seed butter of your choice.
• Add chopped nuts like walnuts, pecans, or almonds to the brownie batter for extra crunch and flavor.
• Mix in dried fruit like cherries, cranberries, or chopped dates for a chewy and sweet addition.
• Sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt on top of the baked brownies to enhance the flavors and create a sweet-salty contrast.
• Serve brownies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream for a delightful dessert.
• Or serve with fresh berries and a dusting of powdered sugar.

I have not experimented with any other substitutions or alterations for this recipe. If you decide to make any changes by adding or substituting ingredients, I would love it if you could share your results with us by leaving a comment below.

How To Make Oat Flour Brownies

Here are the step-by-step instructions to make this recipe.

Step 1: Prep and preheat the oven and stir together the dry ingredients.

Begin by greasing an 8x8 brownie pan or lining it with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Blitz oats in a blender into oat flour. Carefully measure out half a cup of oat flour and add it to a medium-sized mixing bowl. (Or use half a cup of purchased oat flour.) Add cocoa powder, baking powder, espresso powder and salt. Stir together well.

Step 2: Combine the wet ingredients.

In a separate medium-sized bowl, mix together softened butter, room temperature maple syrup and room temperature eggs.

Step 3: Combine wet and dry ingredients.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Step 4: Add chocolate chips.

Stir in the chocolate chips until mixed evenly throughout the batter.

Step 5: Add brownie batter to pan and mix up the peanut butter swirl.

Pour brownie batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top.

In a separate small bowl, stir together peanut butter and maple syrup. Make 9-12 small dollops of the peanut butter mixture on the top of your brownie batter.

Step 6: Create swirl pattern and bake.

With the end of a chopstick or a similar kitchen tool, swirl the peanut butter through the brownie batter to create a beautiful swirl pattern.

Bake for 25 minutes and allow to cool completely or the brownies will be very crumbly when you cut them. Store in the fridge and enjoy!

Expert Tips

• To ensure you're measuring the dry ingredients accurately, use the spoon-and-level method. Spoon the dry ingredients into the measuring cups. Then, use the flat edge of a knife to level off the excess.
• You can also make this recipe in a blender if that’s faster for you. Begin by blitzing oats into oat flour and then follow with the rest of the ingredients (except the chocolate chips). Scrape down the sides of the blender to be sure everything is incorporated. Transfer the batter into the pan and then stir in the chocolate chips.
• It’s important that you let these brownies cool completely. Oat flour brownies have no gluten in them so they won’t have as much structure and may be crumbly when they’re warm. My favorite way to eat these brownies is chilled right out of the fridge. They’re delicious that way!
• Serve brownies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream for a delightful dessert.

Recipe FAQs

Storage

Room Temperature

I like to store these brownies in the fridge in an airtight container. They’ll be good that way for up to 5 days or you can store them in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. You can freeze them as well. They’ll be good in the freezer for months.

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