7 years ago

Gluten Free Amaretto Brownies

Happy December friends!

Tis’ the holiday season where the calories don’t count!  One of my absolute favorite desserts anytime of year (and that’s saying something because I LOVE sweets) are brownies.  Growing up, my mom made delicious, fudgy, rich brownies that had a hint of amaretto/ almond in them.  I set out to recreate them in gluten free form for the holidays, and these Gluten Free Amaretto Brownies have been a hit.  Plus what’s better than a little booze in your baked goods for Christmas!?

Cutting the Brownies

This will be my first entirely gluten free Christmas.  Last December, I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease (gluten allergy) out of nowhere; luckily, I didn’t have any of the typical problems associated with it.  But where most holiday seasons are filled with baking all your family favorites, it’s been a challenge to try and recreate all those recipes with a gluten free twist.  That’s something I’ll be doing a lot of on the blog moving forward.

Brownies fresh out of the oven

One of the biggest things I found lacking in the gluten free world was still making things a treat.  A lot of recipes/gluten free bakeries are focused on being paleo or vegan, which are both totally great.  But I wanted to find ways to make those traditional recipes we know and love, just gluten free.

Gluten free baking is incredibly challenging, because gluten is a binder, so many of the baked goods I’ve tried or made over the last year end up crummy and crumby.  One of the best tips I learned is to let your batter or dough sit for at least 30 minutes.  This has helped the texture of my baked goods immensely!

 

 

 Gluten Free Amaretto Brownies

 

 

Makes: 16 brownies

 GF Amaretto Brownies Recipe

What you need:

  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter 
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-processed is best)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup gluten free flour blend (I really like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-1 Baking Flour)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup chocolate chunks
  • 2 tbsp amaretto
  1.  Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Place the butter and sugar in a large microwavable bowl.  Heat until butter melts fully, about 3 minutes.
  3. Mix in eggs, vanilla extract and cocoa powder until blended.
  4. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt.
  5. Add the chocolate chunks and amaretto.
  6. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  7. Grease 8″ square pan.  Pour the batter in evenly.
  8. Bake for 25-30 minutes depending on if you like fudgy (25 mins) or more cake-like (30 mins).
  9. Cool until room temperature for cutting.
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