For the couple years before I got pregnant, I had stopped eating eggs. Then, being pregnant I’ve been back on the egg train. They seem to be doing ok with my body for the time being. We’ll see if that sticks beyond pregnancy. Just in case not, I thought I should make some gooey, fudgy egg-free brownies, so I can still enjoy a favorite treat sometimes if I end up having to get back off the eggs. And lots of you seem to have egg allergies or sensitivities, so this one is a great option for you as well!
Something about being pregnant
There’s just something about the hormones and my immune system being depressed that has seemed to make me tolerate some things I haven’t always tolerated well – mainly eggs and grass-fed dairy. I’ve been eating both quite regularly and feeling pretty great, so I’ve just kind of gone with it. I’m trying to keep an open mind, listen to my body and trust that it will tell me if/when it’s time to pull back again if needed. And just in case that time arrives…these egg-free brownies will be my go-to. Honestly, I even like them when I am eating eggs just to get a little more gelatin in my diet, which is also important during pregnancy. So, there’s that!
What’s the difference between gelatin and collagen and why do you use gelatin in these egg-free brownies?
Good question. The main difference between gelatin and collagen is water solubility. Collagen is the stuff you put in your coffee or smoothie in the morning – it dissolves right into your beverage and you’d really never know it was there. Gelatin, on the other hand, only dissolves in warm fluids and then becomes gelatinous as it cools. It’s the ingredient in Jell-O that makes it jiggle. If you make bone broth at home and notice that it gets gelatinous in the fridge – that’s also gelatin! It’s great for your bones, skin, hair, nails, etc. And it’s exactly what you want in these eggless brownies to act as an egg substitute.
Make these eggless brownies extra fudgy
It’s optional, but you can make these brownies just that much more fudgy and gooey by adding in some chocolate chips. If you want to keep the recipe refined sugar-free, make sure to use a chocolate chip that doesn’t have added cane sugar. You can get either 100% cacao chocolate chips (we use the brand Pascha from Thrive Market). They also have sweetened options, or you can use another option that sweetens them with stevia, like the brand Lily’s. We also recently found the brand Wild Roots at Costco, and their chips are sweetened with coconut sugar.
Your turn to try our egg-free brownies
Doesn’t matter if you’re egg-free or just want a gooey, delicious, chocolatey treat! Try these egg-free brownies and get the added benefit of grass-fed gelatin! Leave a comment below to let us know how it goes. Also, take a pic to share on Instagram, and tag us @realsimplegood so we can see! Make sure to give us a follow if you don’t already – let’s stay connected!
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Egg-Free Brownies (Paleo, Gluten-Free + Refined Sugar-Free)
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond butter, (or sunflower seed butter)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cacao powder
- 1/2 tsp paleo baking powder
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 tbsp grass-fed gelatin, (make sure it's gelatin, not collagen peptides or hydrolyzed collagen)
- 1/4 cup allergy-friendly chocolate chips, (Optional, get no sugar added for refined-sugar free. We love the brand Pascha and we get it at Thrive Market or recently found Wild Roots brand at Costco, which is sweetened with coconut sugar)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit, and line a square baking dish with parchment paper.
- Add all of the brownie ingredients to a large mixing bowl, except for the water and gelatin and chocolate chips if using.
- In a small bowl, whisk together warm water and gelatin until combined and pour into the larger bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
- Mix everything together until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips if using.
- Transfer to lined baking dish and spread out in an even layer.
- Place in the oven and bake for about 14-15 minutes. It should be a little squishy still when you take it out. Let it cool completely to harden up a bit. Then, slice and serve!
I’ve made this recipe four times in the last 5 months, and today finally remembered to try replacing the gelatin with chia seeds. I soaked about 2 Tbs of chia in 1/4 c water for around 25-30 minutes. The taste and consistency is the same as I remember the original recipe as being. And still utterly delicious, of course!
Oh I love that substitution! Thanks for sharing. I’ll have to try it out next time I make them. 🙂
I made these brownies today and they are delicious! Almond butter is a weakness of mine, along with chocolate, so of course I had to try these despite having “given up” baking after contracting cancer over two years ago. It’s amazing how a baked product without eggs or flour could turn out so wonderfully. I used barely warm water to dissolve the gelatin in and there were no clumps at all.
I wonder if you tried soaking chia seeds for 15-20 minutes for the “gel”? I may try that next time just for fun.
so glad you enjoyed this one! I haven’t tried the chia seed gel for an egg replacement, but have thought it might work. You’ll have to let me know if you give it a try!
These look really good. Need to try them when I have all the ingredients on hand. Can never have to many Brownie recipes.
Agreed, hope you like them!
Ok, I dunno about this recipe ? it had a strange flavor, wasn’t very sweet, and the gelatin turned the batter into a ball of dough! What did I do wrong?! Lol
Hey there! They’re definitely a more dark chocolate flavored brownie and not super sweet, I’d agree with that. It’s funny how I don’t tend to lean toward super sweet treats anymore. You could try adding more coconut sugar though (up to 1 cup, but it will be harder to mix in for sure). Also, using sweetened chocolate chips helps add a bit of sweetness as well. As for the batter consistency, it is thicker than a traditional brownie batter between the nut butter and gelatin mixture. But also, if you let the gelatin mixture thicken up and cool much before stirring it in, it would definitely make it much thicker so maybe that happened? Hmm…I’m curious now.