These almond brownies are incredible! They are easy to make with cocoa powder to create an extra fudgy middle. Then we bake them topped with lots of toasty almonds and a bit of sea salt.
You likely have everything you need to bake these incredible almond brownies! They’re based on our popular brownie recipe, with over a thousand happy reviews, and use simple ingredients like cocoa powder, butter, and sugar.
We based these on my favorite chocolate bar, which has dark chocolate, bits of almonds, and sea salt. Like my favorite chocolate bar, these brownies lean to the dark chocolate and bittersweet side, which works nicely with the sea salt and chopped almonds.
Key Ingredients
- Almonds and Sea Salt: I love brownies with nuts so much! Walnuts are popular, but in this recipe I go for whole almonds and chop them roughly since I love the extra texture. If you’d prefer more finely chopped or sliced almonds, go for it. You can mix them into the brownie batter instead of adding them to the top, as I do in the photos. I love flaky sea salt (like Maldon sea salt flakes) but use what you love. If you have extra almonds, make some homemade almond butter (which would be amazing swirled into these brownies) or save them to make our apple almond coffee cake.
- Cocoa powder: Use any unsweetened cocoa powder in this recipe. I’ve used natural, Dutch-processed, and even raw cacao in this recipe. For a chocolate flavor similar to Oreo cookies, try Dutch cocoa.
- Butter: We use 100% butter in the recipe. If you use salted butter, leave out the salt called for in our recipe below.
- Granulated sugar: This balances the bitterness of unsweetened cocoa powder. Brown sugar works in our recipe, but you might lose the crinkly top. It may also make the brownies softer and more fudgy in the middle.
- Eggs add richness and provide structure to the brownies.
- All-purpose flour: These easy brownies need a small amount of flour for structure. We want extra fudgy brownies, so keeping the flour to a minimum helps. For gluten-free, many readers have used a gluten-free flour blend like Bob’s Red Mill in this recipe.
How to Make Almond Brownies
These brownies with almonds are based on our fudgy brownies, which has a video, so for extra help with making the brownie batter, I highly recommend hopping over to our brownies recipe to watch the video.
You’ll make the batter in a saucepan, meaning you don’t need a bunch of mixing bowls and fewer dishes! First, melt your butter, then immediately stir in sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and a bit of salt. This heats the mixture, which we consider one of the best tricks for amazing brownies. The sugar heats up, and the cocoa has a chance to bloom, which means it will taste even better when you take your first bite! I often use this trick of heating cocoa powder in chocolate recipes (as an example, I do it when making these chocolate cupcakes).
After a minute or two of letting the mixture cool, I add my eggs one at a time and then the flour. From there, you’ll spread the brownie batter in a baking pan and top with lots of chopped almonds and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
Bake the brownies in a 325°F oven until the edges are set and the middle looks slightly underdone. You can use a toothpick to tell when they are ready to come out of the oven and look for a small amount of batter left on the toothpick. And remember, brownies continue to firm up as they cool, so even though they may look underdone, they will be perfect when cooled to room temperature.
Salted Almond Brownies
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PREP
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Our almond brownies are dense and fudgy in the middle and generously topped with toasted almonds and sea salt. They aren’t overly sweet. If you are like us and find yourself reaching for darker chocolate over milk chocolate, these are most certainly for you. They are easy to make from scratch and come together in minutes. There’s also a good chance you already have all the ingredients on hand.
Makes 16 Brownies
You Will Need
10 tablespoons (145g) unsalted butter
1 ¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (75g) unsweetened cocoa powder, spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 large cold eggs
1/2 cup (65g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
2/3 cup (80g) whole roasted almonds, roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt, like Maldon
Directions
1Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 325°F (162°C). Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on opposite sides to help remove the baked brownies from the pan.
2Add the butter to a medium saucepan. Place over medium-low heat and cook until the butter melts completely, then turn off the heat. Stay close, and do not let it brown.
3While the butter is hot, stir in the sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt. Stir well until blended. Don’t worry if the batter looks gritty. Once you add the eggs, the brownie batter will become smooth.
4Set the saucepan aside to cool until the mixture is warm, not hot, 5 to 10 minutes. Test the temperature by touching the batter, it should be comfortable to hold without feeling hot.
5Add the cold eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously after each egg.
6When the batter looks thick and well blended, add the flour. Use a spoon to beat the flour into the batter until it is very thick and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. I use a wooden spoon or spatula and beat for 40 to 50 strokes (see our brownies video for reference).
7Spread the thick brownie batter evenly in the prepared pan. It can be hard to spread because it is so thick. Do your best to push the batter to the corners and even out the top.
8Scatter the chopped almonds and sea salt on top.
9Bake the brownies until the edges look dry and the middle is slightly underbaked, 20 to 30 minutes. A toothpick plunged into the center should emerge somewhat moist with batter. As the brownies cool, they firm up but will always be moist and fudgy in the middle.
10Cool completely before removing the brownies from the pan (this step is essential and helps the brownies set). Cut into 16 squares. For clean edges, use a chef’s knife and wipe it clean after each slice. For guaranteed perfect edges, chill the brownies in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours before slicing.
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
- Storing: Keep your baked brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Or store them in the fridge for 2 weeks. You can also freeze brownies for up to 3 months! I like wrapping them individually so I can take one or two out of the freezer.
- Baking pan: We use a metal 8-inch square pan. Ceramic and glass pans may affect bake time. Check on doneness 5 minutes early and every 5 minutes after that. Double the recipe for a 9-inch by 13-inch pan. The brownies will be slightly thicker.
- Measuring flour and cocoa powder: Either weigh them or use the “spoon and level” method: Fluff the flour/cocoa, spoon it into the measuring cup, then level off the top with a flat edge. See our video for a demonstration.
- Longer bake time: These take 20 to 25 minutes in our oven. Still, ovens vary, so use our tips in the recipe to tell when your brownies are done. Remember, brownies continue to cook and firm up as they cool, so don’t be afraid to take them out of the oven with the center still a little underdone.
- Alice Medrich’s Cocoa Brownies inspired this brownie recipe. Medrich revolutionized brownie recipes years ago when she used cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate. This change allows for better control of ingredients, resulting in incredibly moist brownies with a perfectly fudgy center and a shiny, candy-like top.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Nutrition Per Serving
Serving Size
1 brownie (16 total)
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Calories
191
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Total Fat
11.3g
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Saturated Fat
5.2g
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Cholesterol
42.3mg
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Sodium
71.6mg
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Carbohydrate
22.3g
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Dietary Fiber
2.1g
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Total Sugars
16g
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Protein
3.3g
We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? To inspire you to get in the kitchen and confidently cook fresh and flavorful meals.More About Us →
