These über-chocolatey baked almond pulp brownies are an easy and delicious way to use up almond pulp leftover from making nut milk. They're gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free to boot.
What to do with Almond Pulp?
The question every nut milk aficionado finds themselves asking is "what to do with all the pulp?" I've recently found myself in the same quandary. I make a batch of my favorite homemade vanilla maple almond milk or this almond cashew milk that I like in my green smoothies once a week. The nut pulp quickly adds up.
Organic almonds and cashews aren't cheap. Tossing cups and cups of pulp into the compost every week feels a little like throwing wads of cash in the toilet. I managed to get the pulp down to more reasonable amounts by using a combination of cashews and almonds in the milk; since cashews are mostly fat, they have less fiber to leave behind. But still, the nut pulp increases.
Many recipes that use up nut pulp are of the raw vegan variety. During a previous nut milk phase, I tried making one of these – a layer cake comprised of nut pulp mixed with coconut oil, pureed dates, and flavorings. The recipe made about ten gallons of cake, with a soggy texture that I did not find delicious. We reluctantly ate it until we never wanted to think about nut milk or raw cakes again.
Next I tried drying out the nut pulp, whizzing it in a coffee grinder, and baking it into cookies loaded with chocolate chips and spelt flour. But the drying/grinding process was tedious, and the recipe didn't use enough to really put a dent in the growing mountain of pulp.
Almond Pulp Brownies to the Rescue
I needed a solution, and decided that almond pulp brownies might be a good way to go, since they're mostly held together with eggs, sugar, and chocolate or cocoa powder. But most of the almond pulp brownie recipes I found were both raw and vegan, and I wasn't about to repeat the dreadful cake experience.
Luckily, a couple of recipes set me on the right path: these Grain-Free Fudgy Brownies from Detoxinista, and this Amazing Chocolate Cake from The Veggie Voyager. I took a stab at a almond pulp brownie recipe using ingredients I had on hand – unrefined sugar, eggs, cocoa powder, nut pulp, coconut oil, and salt. They were some of the best brownies I've ever tasted – deeply chocolatey with a top note of coconut, and a melt-in-your-mouth texture reminiscent of flourless chocolate cake. (In fact, bake this in a round cake pan and serve wedges with whipped cream, and you'll have yourself one fancy-pants dessert.)
An Easy Almond Pulp Brownie Recipe
I like to whip the eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy, which gives the batter some lift; but I've also successfully made these by simply whisking all the ingredients together. The nut pulp goes in damp – no drying or grinding necessary. It will keep refrigerated for up to a week, or you can freeze it for a month or two. Despite my best efforts, the brownie tops refuse to form a pretty crust on top, but a flutter of cacao nibs disguises this fact, and also adds a habit-forming crunch. Or you can do as one commenter suggested and slather them with a layer of dairy-free chocolate ganache.
Despite tasting super rich and decadent, these guys are relatively healthy, being free of grains, gluten, dairy, and refined sugar. Best of all, they use up almost a whole cup of almond pulp.
Of course, the best accompaniment to warm, chocolatey brownies is a tall glass of cool, fresh almond milk, so you may find yourself in a bit of a vicious cycle.
Or a virtuous cycle, depending.
More almond pulp recipes:
- Make some nut milk first with my Vanilla Maple Almond Milk Recipe
- Almond Pulp Energy Bites with Chocolate and Hemp Seed
- Spelt Almond Pulp Chocolate Chip Cookies
More healthy chocolate recipes:
- Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Tahini Tart
- No-Bake Hazelnut Ganache Brownies {gluten-free, vegan, refined sugar-free}
- No-Bake Chocolate Cream Tart {vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free}
- (Raw, Vegan) Chocolate Cheesecakes
- Vegan Chocolate Chile Coconut Milk Truffles
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Almond Olive Oil Cake
- (Gluten-Free!) Congo Bars
*Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this brownie recipe, I’d love to see. Tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.*
Baked Almond Pulp Brownies {Grain-Free, Dairy-Free, Refined Sugar-Free}
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
For the brownies:
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups unrefined sugar (such as Alter Eco's Muscobado sugar, or coconut sugar) (7 ounces / 200 grams)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin coconut oil (4 ounces / 110 grams)
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed moist almond pulp or other nut pulp (6 ounces / 170 grams)
- 1 cup cocoa powder (preferably dutch-processed, though natural or raw will work, too) (3.25 ounces / 90 grams)
- 2-3 tablespoons cacao nibs (optional)
Instructions
Make the brownies:
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF (175ºC). Line the bottom and sides of an 8 or 9" square baking pan with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the eggs, sugar, and salt on medium-high speed until very light and fluffy, 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Meanwhile, gently melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan set over a medium-low flame. Add the nut pulp and stir to combine. Continue to heat, stirring frequently, until the nut pulp mixture is warm to the touch, about 5 minutes. (This prevents the batter from seizing up when all the ingredients are added.)
- Turn the mixer to low, and add the nut pulp mixture, stirring just to combine. Sift the cocoa powder over the egg mixture and mix on low until just combined; the batter will deflate a lot.
- Spread the batter in the lined pan, sprinkle with the cacao nibs, and bake until the brownies are matte on top, slightly puffed, and a tester inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging, 15-20 minutes. Don't overbake.
- Let cool completely, then lift the brownie out of the pan and cut into 16 squares. The brownies keep well, airtight at room temperature, for up to three days.
Notes
Nutrition
Baked Almond Pulp Brownies {Grain-Free, Dairy-Free, Refined Sugar-Free}
The best thing about these brownies, aside from being free of grains, gluten, dairy, and refined sugar, is that they use up the leftover pulp from making Cashew Almond Milk or Vanilla Maple Almond Milk, or any other nut pulp you may have on hand. The pulp should have been firmly squeezed dry but still be slightly damp, similar in texture to clay.
If you lack a stand mixer or are in a hurry, you can simply whisk together all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Do take the time to warm the almond pulp and bring the eggs to room temperature (you can place them in a bowl of hot tap water for 5 minutes) as this will prevent the batter from seizing once you add the coconut oil. I baked these in a 9-inch square pan; an 8-inch pan will yield thicker brownies. Alternatively, bake the batter in a round cake pan and serve wedges on plates topped with whipped cream.
Another way to fancy these up would be to top the cooled brownies with a layer of dairy-free chocolate ganache - yum!
All ounce measurements are by weight.
Makes 16 (2-inch square) brownies
For the brownies:
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups (7 ounces / 200 grams) unrefined sugar (such as Alter Eco's Muscobado sugar, or coconut sugar)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup (4 ounces / 110 grams) extra-virgin coconut oil
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed (6 ounces / 170 grams) moist almond pulp or other nut pulp
1 cup (3.25 ounces / 90 grams) cocoa powder (preferably dutch-processed, though natural or raw will work, too)
2-3 tablespoons cacao nibs (optional)
Make the brownies:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF (175ºC). Line the bottom and sides of an 8 or 9" square baking pan with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the eggs, sugar, and salt on medium-high speed until very light and fluffy, 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Meanwhile, gently melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan set over a medium-low flame. Add the nut pulp and stir to combine. Continue to heat, stirring frequently, until the nut pulp mixture is warm to the touch, about 5 minutes. (This prevents the batter from seizing up when all the ingredients are added.)
Turn the mixer to low, and add the nut pulp mixture, stirring just to combine. Sift the cocoa powder over the egg mixture and mix on low until just combined; the batter will deflate a lot.
Spread the batter in the lined pan, sprinkle with the cacao nibs, and bake until the brownies are matte on top, slightly puffed, and a tester inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging, 15-20 minutes. Don't overbake.
Let cool completely, then lift the brownie out of the pan and cut into 16 squares. The brownies keep well, airtight at room temperature, for up to three days.
Morgan says
Could maple syrup be substituted for the sugar? If so, any idea of how much would be needed? Or if any other changes to amount of ingredients or baking time would be required? Many thanks x
Alanna says
I think the batter will be very wet if you use maple syrup, but you could use maple sugar and it would probably not need any other changes! Let me know if you experiment!
Janet says
Thank you, thank you, thank you! We've tried several different recipes for using up our nut pulp and this is THE BEST! Okay...it's chocolate, and sugar, so probably not great for the waistline, but so good. I used regular oil and an 8x8 pan. It took a good bit longer than 20 minutes, but that could be due to a lot of different factors. But it doesn't matter.....these are yummy! I'll be making them again, but likely taking them into work rather than keeping them at home. Just the husband and me and already half the pan is gone!
Thank you again for your creative genius!
Alanna says
I'm so glad you like the recipe - thanks a bunch for the note! At least they're full of fiber from the nut pulp and antioxidants in the chocolate, right? ;)
Katlin says
Thank you so much for this recipe! I just started making my own almond milk and felt guilty tossing the pulp. I topped my brownies with shredded coconut instead of the cacao nibs. Turned out delicious!
Alanna says
Aw yay!! I'm so glad you liked them!
Amanda says
These are absolutely amazing.
Yum.
claudia says
All I can say is Yum. Didn't have a stand up mixer so used the whisk attachment of my immersion blender. No nibs. Even so they are so delicious. If you like chocolate then you are in for a treat. Thanks for the recipe! These may be my go to for pot lucks/birthday. Think would be great with ganache on top..
Alanna says
I'm so glad they were a hit! I LOVE the idea of putting ganache on top. I'll add that suggestion into the recipe - genius!
Dagmar says
Best use for the almond pulp so far!! These are delish! Cant wait to keep making them! Thank you!!
Alanna says
Yay, I'm so glad you liked them! Thanks a bunch for the rating and note. :)
Jennifer says
I love these brownies. I have tried a couple of other almond pulp recipes, but I keep coming back to these. I do freeze them because we can’t eat them within the recommended time period. Then I defrost one at a time to savor at my leisure.
Lida says
Hello, thank you for sharing this recipe. Have you ever tried it with coconut pulp? Do you think it might work ?
Thank you.
Alanna says
I haven't and I'm not sure it will work given that coconut flour is so much more absorbent than other nut flours. If you try it you might want to start with half the amount of pulp. Please let me know if you experiment!
Alix says
Excited to taste these. Ours are baking in the oven
Marzia Stefani says
Thank you so much baked these today and I am so glad I did they are fabulous
Alanna says
I'm so glad!
Jasmine says
How’s this dairy free with eggs in it? Is there an egg substitute for this?
Hannah says
Hi Jasmine! Dairy refers to milk products specifically, so eggs are technically dairy free. I would recommend using two flax or chia eggs, and then two eggs' worth of a powdered egg replacer that contains a raising agent.
Caroline Brown says
Hi!
I am new to the Almond Milk pulp leftovers. I just tried the Detoxinista's recipe and like it. This one uses more almond milk. I like that. I am going to try it. Question: why arent you using any Baking Soda? Doesn't that make it rise a bit?
I am also going to add 1/4 cup of ground flax seed and decrease sugar and oil. I am sure it will come out great.
Thank you for your response. I will let you know how it comes out.
Alanna says
Hi Caroline,
Those are great questions! I don't use baking soda because whipping the eggs with the sugar fluffs up the brownies enough. But if you want to try adding leavening after you test them once, by all means give it a try and see what happens! Let me know how it works with the ground flax and less sugar and oil. I hope you enjoy them!
Jess says
These are amazing! I made them with leftover macadamia nut pulp and the came out really well. Love the crunch of the cacao nibs on top. I did have to bake mine for closer to 35 minutes, but that may be because I used a different nut pulp. Either way, thank you!
Britney Grover says
I never comment on things, but these brownies are the best thing I've ever had and, to be honest, one of the great joys in my life right now! That sounds like an exaggeration but as a mom of a 2yo it's amazing to be able to sit down in the evening and slowly savor one of these melt-in-your-mouth, deeply chocolatey brownies. I follow the recipe exactly but embrace the coconut flavor and top with shredded unsweetened coconut. Thank you so much for this amazing treat.
Alanna says
I'm sooooo glad you love these brownies! I can imagine how essential it is to have time (and chocolatey treats) to yourself after wrangling a toddler all day long. Shredded coconut on top sounds absolutely delightful. I'll have to try that next time!
Jay says
These are fantastic!!!!!!! Thank you so much for publishing the recipe! Just baked a slightly modified version today and they turned out just perfect and are the best brownies I have tried so far.
(Used cashew pulp - a bit more than in the recipe, palm sugar mixed with a bit of coconut syrup - amount reduced slightly, added a bit of expresso powder. Turned out very light and moist at the same time, a bit bitter due of the type of cocoa used.)
Alanna says
I'm *so* glad you love the recipe! Thanks for sharing your recipe tweaks, that all sounds delicious!