Keto Brownies
Published September 13, 2021 • Updated July 20, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
These fudgy, chewy keto brownies use zero nut flour. I use inulin powder and protein powder instead of almond or coconut flour, and each square comes in at only 2g net carbs.
I spent weeks testing brownie recipes before I landed on this combination. Most low carb brownies rely on almond flour or coconut flour, but I wanted something different. No nut flour at all. Instead, I use inulin powder, protein powder, egg white powder, and xanthan gum. The result is a dense, fudgy brownie that stays chewy for days.
My family had no idea these were sugar free the first time I made them. I set a plate out after dinner and they were gone in minutes. My husband went back for seconds, which is how I know a recipe actually works.
The texture is what sets these apart. They’re fudgy in the center with slightly crackled tops, and they don’t dry out the way almond flour versions do. I’ve kept them on the counter for five days and they still tasted fresh. The inulin and protein powder combo holds moisture better than any nut flour I’ve tried.
If you’re new to inulin powder, it’s a prebiotic fiber with zero net carbs. Your body uses as much energy digesting it as the inulin contains, so it’s basically a wash. I buy mine in bulk because I use it in everything from chocolate brownie protein balls to homemade candy.
For the chocolate, I use ChocZero sugar-free chocolate chips (use code KETOFOCUS for 10% off). Microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring between each one. If you tend to burn chocolate in the microwave like I used to, a double boiler works too.
The whole recipe comes together in one bowl. Melt the chocolate, whisk everything together, pour into the pan. I’ve also made these dairy-free by swapping the butter for coconut oil. The base already uses coconut milk, so the swap is seamless. The coconut oil version is slightly denser, which I actually prefer. It’s a solid option for anyone doing dairy-free keto.
I cut mine into 9 large squares, but one of my readers (Megan) cuts hers into 18 smaller pieces and freezes half the batch. They freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Pull one out and let it sit for 10 minutes, or eat it frozen. The texture is like a fudge pop straight from the freezer.
If you want even more fudge factor, add an extra ounce of melted chocolate or pull them from the oven 2 minutes early. They firm up as they cool, so a slightly underdone center is exactly what you want.
More chocolate desserts I make on repeat: low calorie brownies (when I want a lighter version), chocolate mousse, and lava cake muffins.
Explore hundreds of keto recipe videos with step-by-step instructions, tips, and tricks to make keto easy.
Ingredients
1/2 cup inulin powder -
1/4 cup low-carb protein powder
-
1 teaspoon egg white powder
-
1 teaspoon salt
-
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
-
1/2 cup coconut milk
-
1/4 cup monkfruit blend sweetener
-
1/4 cup golden brown monkfruit blend sweetener
-
2 eggs
-
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
-
1 teaspoon vanilla
-
7 oz sugar free chocolate chips, melted
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat oven
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a square baking dish with cooking spray and line all sides with parchment paper.
Mix dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together inulin powder, protein powder, egg white powder, salt and xanthan gum.
Slowly mix in coconut milk
Using an electric mixer on low speed, slowly stir in the coconut milk until combined and a goopy texture forms.
Add remaining ingredients except chocolate
Add monkfruit sweetener and brown monkfruit sweetener. Mix in eggs, butter and vanilla until combined.
Melt chocolate and add
Melt chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted. Or melt chocolate using the double boiler method. Add melted chocolate to the bowl and mix to combine.
Baking instructions
Scoop brownie batter into the prepared dish and bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until brownies are set in the middle.
Let cool
Let brownies cool before cutting into 9 squares. Store at room temperature or the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
Your Macros. Your Recipes. Calculated in 60 Seconds.
Get personalized keto macros and instantly see which recipes fit your targets. No more guessing what to eat.
Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I substitute the inulin powder in this recipe?
I've tested a few swaps. Oat fiber is the closest since it's also zero net carbs, and it gives you a similar dense texture. Coconut flour works too, but use about half the amount because it absorbs so much liquid. I'd start with oat fiber if you have it.
What can I use instead of low-carb protein powder?
I've used both unflavored whey and plant-based protein powder in this recipe, and both work. Just check the label for minimal carbs per serving. I haven't tested vegan protein powder myself, but based on what readers have told me, it should work the same way.
How should I store these brownies?
I keep mine in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the fridge for a full week. The inulin powder is what keeps them from drying out like almond flour brownies do. I've also frozen entire batches and they hold up perfectly for up to 3 months.
Can I freeze these brownies?
I freeze these all the time. I lay the squares in a single layer on parchment paper, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. They keep for up to 3 months. When I want one, I let it thaw on the counter for about 10 minutes. Sometimes I eat them straight from the freezer, and the texture is like a dense fudge pop.
Are these brownies safe for nut allergies?
Yes. I specifically developed this recipe without almond flour or coconut flour, so there are no tree nuts in the base recipe. Just double-check your protein powder and chocolate chips to make sure they're processed in a nut-free facility if your allergy is severe.
Can I use allulose instead of monkfruit sweetener?
I've tested allulose in this recipe and it works well. It dissolves more cleanly than erythritol-based sweeteners, so you won't get that grainy texture some people run into with Swerve. I still prefer monkfruit for the cleanest chocolate flavor, but allulose is my second choice. Use a 1:1 swap.
Can I use cocoa powder instead of chocolate chips?
I haven't tested this exact swap in this recipe yet, but I think it could work. I'd start with 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder plus an extra tablespoon of butter to replace the fat from the chips. You'll need to bump up the sweetener too since cocoa powder on its own is bitter. I plan to test this and update when I do.
How do I reheat frozen brownies?
I microwave a single square for 15-20 seconds and the center goes almost molten. That's my preferred method. You can also let one sit on the counter for about 10 minutes if you want it at room temperature. I don't recommend the oven for reheating because they tend to dry out around the edges.
Almost gave up at the batter stage. The xanthan gum made it weirdly sticky and stiff, nothing like regular brownie batter. Nearly bailed. Set a 20-minute timer and pulled them at 18, edges set, center still had give. Still wasn't sold. Left them overnight in the fridge and that's what did it. Dense and fudgy the next morning, no protein-bar aftertaste. Four stars because I'd dial the sweetener back slightly, but it works without the flour.
I made peace with missing brownies pretty early in my keto transition, told myself the texture just couldn't be replicated and moved on. That was apparently wrong. The inulin powder does something to the chew I didn't expect, that fudgy pull in the center you only get from an actual brownie. There's a faint coconut note in the background, not strong, but it shows if you're expecting pure chocolate. Might be my brand of coconut milk. Still made it three times. These brought back something I'd written off entirely.
is inulin powder something I can find at a regular grocery store, or do I need to order it??
Nobody at my house believed these were keto!!
no nut flour brownies that actually work, thank you annie
2g net carbs sent me down an inulin powder rabbit hole (worth it). First time buying it, sift it before you measure, it compacts in shipping and those clumps don't break down in the batter no matter how long you mix.
I should have put that in the post. Learned the hard way around batch three. A fine mesh sieve gets more of the lumps than a regular sifter.
Melted chocolate smell was the part I had crossed off the list. Fourteen months keto and I genuinely stopped trying to recreate that, but opening the oven on these caught me off guard. Four stars until I figure out the bake time. The 2g net carbs and fudgy center are worth it.
Fourteen months without that smell and then it just hits you. Mine caught me off guard the first time this batch came out of the oven too.
Two specialty ingredients I had to order (xanthan gum, inulin powder) but worth it. Texture is fudgy and dense. Four stars not five: let them cool completely before cutting. I got impatient, cut at 20 minutes, and they fell apart at the edges. Waited an hour and they held clean squares, flavor had settled too.
Cutting too early with these is rough. The inulin powder needs more time to firm up than almond flour does, so it falls apart if you go in at 20 minutes. Make that one-hour rest harder to miss.
Full-fat coconut milk is the detail I'd flag for anyone making this the first time. Found that out around batch four when I substituted the lite version and the texture came out noticeably thinner, less set in the center. Seven batches in now and I'm still going back to full-fat every time.nnThe 2g net carbs looked almost fictional to me at first, but once you understand what the inulin powder is doing the whole recipe clicks. No nut flour taste, just a fudgy bake that holds in the fridge and actually gets better by day two.nnI've started pulling them at 22 minutes instead of the full 20. Thirty minutes in the pan before cutting and the squares stay intact. Didn't think I'd have a go-to brownie recipe at this point but here we are.
22 is closer to right for most ovens. Cold from the fridge on day two they almost get denser, which I didn't expect the first time either.
We had a pool day Sunday and I made these for the cooler, mostly to skip heating up the kitchen. My sister ate one and immediately flipped the container over to read the label. She does that when something tastes better than it should. She bakes from scratch constantly and has real opinions about brownie texture, specifically the fudgy versus cakey argument (apparently a whole conversation). She started asking where the richness was coming from, kept landing on the coconut milk like that had to be it. The inulin powder answer confused her more than the coconut milk did. I've made these four times and I'm still a little surprised they hold up.
The label flip is always the tell. Coconut milk at least makes sense to a baker, fat doing fat things. Inulin is just fiber and there's genuinely no blueprint for why it works the way it does in a brownie that dense.
Used chocolate protein powder instead of vanilla and it basically turned into a truffle. The coconut milk didn't hurt either. Not complaining.
More cocoa solids from the chocolate protein on top of the melted chips, so the batter set up denser. Truffle texture makes complete sense. Going on my test list.
These are genuinely fudgy, which no keto brownie has any business being. The inulin powder thing threw me off but it works. One note though: the batter is thick enough that spreading it evenly is a fight, and I think my corner pieces over-baked because I spent too long pushing it around. Lining the pan with parchment and pressing it in from the start might fix that. Solid recipe, just worth knowing going in.
Yeah, that batter doesn't spread. I press mine in with damp fingers and it goes flat fast. Pull when the center still looks underdone, corners always finish a couple minutes early.
My mom made brownies every Sunday when I was a kid and I gave that up when I went keto, made peace with it, moved on. Made these last week and the fudgy pull in the center brought it all back. I wasn't expecting that. No almond flour, no weird gritty texture, just that dense chewy middle. That's what did it. Thank you for this one.
Sunday brownies are serious. That dense pull in the center is exactly what the inulin powder does that almond flour never could.
Browned the butter before mixing it in and the depth of flavor is completely different. That nutty smell hit when I pulled them from the oven and I knew before I even cut into them. Browning step from now on, no question.
Haven't tried browning the butter in this one yet. The melted chocolate already does so much for depth but browned butter layered on top of that sounds like a lot going on in the best way. Next batch.
Making a double batch for Easter brunch and I've been burned before scaling inulin-based recipes (texture goes sideways fast when you double it). Do the xanthan gum and egg white powder scale straight across, or do those need to come down a bit to keep things fudgy?
Egg white powder scales straight across. Xanthan gum I'd hold back a little - 3/4 teaspoon for the double batch instead of the full 1. Inulin adds some binding on its own and too much xanthan tips it past fudgy into dense.