Oat Flour Brownies
Soft & dense fudgy brownies made with oat flour. Gluten free!
Ever since those oat flour blondies, I’ve had an oat flour brownie on my mind. While it was easy enough to figure out how to balance the oat flour in a blondie recipe, brownies proved a bit trickier: they were either too soft or too dry, the flour hadn’t fully dissolved after baking or, err… baked into something that was rather unpleasant.
Two tricks to this recipe, which will be new if you haven’t made any of my brownies yet: the batter has a bit of cream in it, to help the oat flour blend into the ingredients, and it will also need a little rest. Just around half an hour at room temperature. These two steps make a lot of difference in helping oat flour act like its gluten sister, ap.
And if you are not gluten-free and wondering, why should I make this recipe? Let me offer that: a. Oat flour adds a layer of delicious flavor in anything you use it in (cookies and bars included) and b. Because it is such a light and delicate flour, it gives the brownies a softer, more fudge-like texture.
Ingredients for Oat Flour Brownies
Oat Flour: there are at least three good brands I use and can recommend: arrowhead mills, bob’s red mill and anthony’s. Can you use homeground oat flour? I have never had success with it but if you have in the past (maybe your food processor is quite powerful) then it could probably work here.
Sugar: Granulated sugar. Don’t use brown, it’ll make the brownies overly soft.
Butter: Unsalted but if using salted, simply reduce the amount of salt added to the recipe. No need to soften it.
Cocoa: Dutch process cocoa which has been alkalized gives you a deeper, richer taste.
Milk: Helps the oat flour dissolve better into the batter.
Chocolate: An eating chocolate bar or good quality chocolate chunks will work here, use something between 45% – 72% cocoa solids. The most important thing is that at least half of the chocolate is very finely chopped.
Why do I need to heat the butter and sugar this way?
First we partially melt the butter alone, then fully once the sugar is added. Then when everything is quite hot we’ll add the cocoa.
Doing this accomplishes two things: begins to melt the sugar granules and blooms the cocoa so that the batter is better blended before going into the oven, and the cocoa flavor is coaxed out for a deeper taste.
For a flaky, shiny top: finely chopped chocolate
I get into this more in this shiny top brownie recipe but basically, having those tiny shards of unmelted chocolate will be the reason you get that signature, shiny, shattering brownie top.
FAQ on Oat Flour Brownies
Can I toast the oat flour for more flavor?
YES! I’ve done it for my oat cookies and oat blondies and loved it in both.
Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes, but I’d say not more than a day ahead of when you plan to serve them.
Can I make eggless oat flour brownies?
Not with this recipe. I’d find a recipe that was made to be eggless and adapt from there.
Can I make these oat flour brownies dairy-free?
With dairy-free butter and milk, yes!
Can I add any mix-ins to these oat flour brownies?
But ofc! Any nuts or dried fruits or even chocolate chunks are welcome.
Oat Flour Brownies
Ingredients
- 170g or ¾ cup unsalted butter cold is fine
- 250g or 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 85g or ¾ cup dutch process cocoa
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 egg plus 1 yolk
- 90g or ¾ cup oat flour
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 80g or ½ cup finely chopped chocolate
Method
- Line an 8 square pan with parchment paper on both sides.
- Warm the butter in the microwave until it’s almost, but not fully melted. Add the sugar then return it to the microwave for 30 seconds (on 100% power). Whisk the sugar and butter together well. Add the cocoa and whisk well.
- Add the egg, yolk, vanilla and salt, whisking very well. Stir in the flour and milk. Fold in the chopped chocolate, scraping the chopping board to incorporate all the little chocolate shards.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and let set for about 20-30 minutes at room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Bake brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester comes out with a thick batter (like goo, it should not be runny).
Did you make this recipe?
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just tried these and I loved them!
I was originally looking for a brownie recipe with cane sugar, so that’s what I used. Other things I did different was to brown the butter and used two eggs (that was what the original recipe I found called for but then I thought will it make a difference with oat flour? I better look just in case). Don’t know if browning the butter help but it sure smelled good while cooking. Unfortunately, no chocolate chips so I didn’t add any. Would love to try again with a lighter cocoa, since I used dutch processed, and with chocolate chips.
For me this didn’t come out. Maybe my measurements were off? Way too buttery so I’m thinking : try to measure better and add more oat flour next time ..
These are SO good, SO easy, and my husband (who has a pretty discerning palate!) says these may be the best brownies he’s ever had!!
My new favorite, go-to brownies. They are fudgey and chewy and rich and chocolatey. They are also easy to make. Replacing our long time favorite boxed brownies!
These were delish! Fudgy and super chocolatey.
Really lovely and fudgy brownies. I added a half cup of chocolate chunks to my batch. So very delicious!
Awesome fudgy brownie! I chose to add almonds to mine. I was 2 grams short of the amount of oat flour I needed ???? but it turned out fine. I’ll be adding those to my baking rotation!
What if I don’t have a microwave?
Amazing….I halved the sugar and used dairy free almond milk and it was still good! Kids enjoyed it and this will definitely be my new go to brownie recipe.