There are two types of brownie people in this world: fudgy brownie people and cakey brownie people. This recipe is not for the cakey brownie people. These babies are fudgy, gooey, and decadent. Raspberry Swirl Chocolate Brownies are honestly the best brownies I have ever made. There's no flour, no refined sugar, but lots of amazing chocolate flavor. The raspberry swirl is optional and they will still turn out amazing.
This recipe starts with an unsweetened raspberry sauce that is ready in about five minutes. All you need to do is add some fresh or frozen raspberries to a sauce pot with a slurry of tapioca starch and water until everything is nice and thick. The brownie batter comes together in one bowl and is added to a greased 8x8 baking pan and then the raspberry sauce is swirled on top. Pretty darn easy. And before you ask, I left out a sweetener in the raspberry sauce recipe on purpose. The brownie batter is sweet enough and the tartness adds a little contrast.
A couple notes about Raspberry Swirl Chocolate Brownies:
What if I don't want a raspberry swirl?
That is completely OK! These brownies can absolutely be made without the raspberry swirl! I just love that little bit of tartness that the raspberry brings to the brownie. The brownies will cook for the same amount of time in the oven, so there's no adjusting.
Let's talk about cocoa powder vs. cacao powder:
When I make chocolate baked goods, such as these brownies, I use cacao powder. My favorite brand is Nativa's Organics. If you don't have cacao powder on hand, cocoa powder will work just the same. To learn more about the two differences, check out this post on the way chocolate is made.
Additional batter items:
Feel free to add whatever you want to jazz up the brownies. I like to add a bittersweet chocolate bar thats has been chopped up to my brownies for a little crunch. I have also added pecans and walnuts to these brownies in the past. But the list goes on and on. Get creative.
Looking for more chocolate dessert recipes? Try my No Bake Chocolate Almond Butter Tart or Chocolate Pudding
Raspberry Swirl Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients
Raspberry Swirl:
- 4 cups fresh raspberries or 1 8oz bag frozen raspberries
- 2 tsp tapioca starch
- 2 tsp water
Fudgy Brownies:
- ½ cup cacao powder or cocoa powder
- ½ cup almond butter
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 tbsp coconut flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Optional: ½ cup chocolate bar pieces or chocolate chips
- Optional: ½ cup chopped pecans or walnut pieces
Instructions
For the raspberry swirl:
- Place the raspberries in a small sauce pot and place on the stove over low heat
- While the raspberries are cooking, mix the tapioca starch and the water together in a small dish
- Bring the raspberries to a low boil and gently mash with a spatula or spoon. Your goal is to break the raspberries down completely with no chunks. Once the raspberries are gently boiling, add the tapioca-water mixture and stir with a spatula. The mixture will start to thicken. Once thickened, remove from the heat and set aside while making the brownie batter
For the brownie batter:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease and line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper
- In a medium sized bowl, add the almond butter, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine
- To the wet ingredients, add the cacao powder (or cocoa powder), melted coconut oil, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt. Fold into the wet ingredients. If adding chocolate chips or chocolate bar pieces or chopped nuts, fold them in last
- Once the batter is mixed, pour into the baking pan. Take a spoon and scoop the raspberry sauce in a few spots on top of the batter. Take the spoon and make swirls
- Place the brownies in the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes. The brownies should be cooked through but still slightly soft in the center
- Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!
These brownies were amazing. I loved that they were gooey rather than cake brownies. I didn’t do the raspberry swirl, but I’m planning on trying them with that next time. I ate them plain and with ice cream.