The Holy Grail of Low Carb Brownies!
So many things went right in this recipe, it’s a wonder people eat “normal” brownies at all! Cast iron skillet brownies are easy to make and will give you both crispy edges and a delicious softer center! We finally broke in our small cast iron skillet that’s perfect for desserts like these. Our skillet is about 6 inches in diameter and can produce desserts to feed 4-8 people, depending on the sweet tooth ;). Read about how to season and clean your cast iron skillet so make it last forever.
To make this recipe even better, the TOTAL net carb count for a giant brownie is 12g of carbs! Split that between 4 hungry people and each would eat only 3g of carbs! Split it with even more friends and family and you’re all staying in ketosis just fine.
Erythritol, a sugar alcohol that is not digested by human bodies, was a miracle for us, so we use it quite frequently in baking. It’s low carb, low calorie and has a glycemic index of 0 so it does not spike blood sugar and does not cause an insulin response. It also doesn’t cause tooth decay like sugar does! A sugar alcohol that doesn’t sit well for us, however, is maltitol, so we try to avoid it. It’s commonly found in sugar-free syrups and Atkins bars. Then again, some people report no problems so it all depends on the body eating it.
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In this recipe, we used a smaller amount of erythritol than we would’ve sugar. And because it is only 70% as sweet as sugar, this seemed counter-intuitive; shouldn’t we be adding more? We thought that after so long in ketosis, our tastebuds and bodies should be desensitized to very sweet foods. A normal recipe would call for ⅔ cup sugar for about 4 people. We only added ⅓ cup, and at 70% the sweetness, that’s a lot less! We tested it, and the brownies turned out amazing. They were still sweet, but the rest of the flavors were able to shine through! The cocoa, the nuts, the peanut butter and vanilla were all noted!
The consistency was dense, moist and super filling. You can substitute walnuts for any nuts; chopped hazelnuts would make this recipe taste a little like Nutella! If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, try doubling this recipe and pouring it into your regular brownie pan or baking dish.
Try this keto recipe, we guarantee they’ll be the best low carb skillet brownies you’ve ever tasted! Check out those macros, they’re unbelievable!
A note on safety: cast iron skillets get HOT! That includes their handles, which are the same material as the entire skillet. Use an oven mitt to handle this pan whenever it comes out of the oven. Use an oven mitt even after it’s been cooling for a long time. They retain heat very well and will take a long time to cool off. Safety first!
If you loved this recipe and are looking for more tasty brownie recipes, check out these keto fudge brownies from Simply So Healthy! They are easy to make and are perfect for a quick dessert when you don’t have a lot of time.
Let’s make some skillet brownies!
| Servings: servings |
- 6 tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup So Nourished erythritol sweetener
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1 tbsp peanut butter
- 1 tbsp butter
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- Melt your butter on a small pan and let erythritol, or your choice of granulated sweetener dissolve it in. This takes a little longer than regular sugar, about 5 minutes.
- Pour the butter and erythritol into a mixing bowl and add your cocoa powder, salt and vanilla extract.
- Add in an egg and beat until thoroughly combined.
- Add almond flour and baking powder to help the brownie rise a bit.
- This step is optional: fold in your choice of nuts or add-ins. We added chopped walnuts for that classic brownie taste.
- Pour your brownie batter into a 6 inch cast iron skillet.
- Optional peanut butter drizzle: melt a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of peanut butter in the microwave or a small pan. You have a choice of baking the brownie with this drizzle, or adding it after baking. We added it before, but think it’ll look a little better if added after.
- Place the skillet brownie into the oven and bake for about 30 minutes. The top will be set but slightly jiggly. Do not over-bake, the brownie will continue cooking even out of the oven (cast iron skillets retain heat very well).
- If you haven’t already, add your peanut butter drizzle. You can also top it off with whipped cream or sugar-free chocolate syrup.
Loved this recipe? Let us know! Something didn’t quite turn out right? Ask us in the comments below or contact us– we respond to comments every day and would love to hear from you and help you out! And check out all our keto recipes to learn to make more delicious and healthy meals!
NUTRITIONAL DISCLAIMER
The content on this website should not be taken as medical advice and you should ALWAYS consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. We provide nutritional data for our recipes as a courtesy to our readers. We use Total Keto Diet app software to calculate the nutrition and we remove fiber and sugar alcohols, like erythritol, from the total carbohydrate count to get to the net carb count, as they do not affect your blood glucose levels. You should independently calculate nutritional information on your own and not rely on our data. The website or content herein is not intended to cure, prevent, diagnose or treat any disease. This website shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on the Website or actions you take as a result. Any action you take is strictly at your own risk.
You’ll Love Our Dessert in Five Cookbook!
We believe that the key to success is simplicity and satisfaction with your diet. That’s why we created Dessert in Five – 30 low carb dessert recipes all using just 5 ingredients and 5 net carbs or fewer!
Enjoy strawberry cheesecakes, brownies, coconut cream pies, raspberry Danish cookies and much more every day of the month.
Dr. Rosmy Barrios, MD is an aesthetic medicine specialist whose work focuses on patients who are treated for obesity, metabolic syndrome, and other weight-related issues through nutritional analysis, keto diet programs, and supporting medications.
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why does the butter/sugar mixture look like curds?
I’m not sure what you mean, Tonya. It might be the erythritol which doesn’t dissolve well in liquids.
I wonder why you have a recipe that says to do that then when you know it doesn’t work well? For me the erythritol instantly melted into a sticky gummy paste and I’ve been stirring for twenty minute and finally gave up. There is no sign of it dissolving and the only thing left to is throw out the butter erythritol mixture. I used to love baking. But I have tried many of these low carb/keto recipes claiming to be just like the original and they have all turned out to be revolting. I had gotten my hopes up with this one as the end result looked very promising. But I was utterly shocked to not be able to proceed past the first step.
Charissa, we’ve made this recipe dozens of times with great results, as have many of our readers who thank us for the recipe so often. If you make it to the baking process, the erythritol has another chance to dissolve because of the high oven temperature. Furthermore, some brands of erythritol may dissolve better than others. Consider a powdered erythritol next time you try a low carb dessert! I promise it won’t be “revolting” 🙂
Would it be the same directions if you don’t have a skillet?
Yes, although I’d double the recipe since most brownie pans are much larger than the skillet we used in the recipe.
This looks delicious! I love brownies. Need to try making them in a skillet like this.
The skillet makes an awesome presentation too 🙂
Yummy! I made these great brownies when I was having a chocolate craving. Very fast to whip up. I used a 4×8 loaf pan since I don’t have a 6inch skillet. Turned out wonderfully!
Good to know the pan worked out for you! Glad you liked them 🙂
Thank you, I’ll happily double it. Last question- does the erythritol leave a cooling taste in the brownie after it’s cooked?
A bit, yes. If you want to avoid that feel free to reduce the amount we used and add a little stevia in. This is one of our earlier recipes and we’ve since started using less erythritol because our taste buds have become more sensitive to sweet things. One of the benefits of going low carb I guess!
Hi, I would like to make this for tonight- but I only have a 10.25 cast iron skillet, how much time should this be in the oven? Thanks!
I would caution against making this amount in a larger skillet. The brownies will be very very thin. I would try doubling the recipe for a skillet that size and baking it for around 40 minutes. Bake the brownies until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, which may take longer than 40 minutes but I think that’s a good starting point. Good luck!
We’ve made this recipe a dozen times and simply love it! To reduce carbs we’ve either subbed a single tablespoon of coconut for the almond flour, or simply left the flour out altogether for an even fudgier texture. Sometimes we use a skillet, sometimes we don’t. This recipe has never failed and it’s simply delicious!!
That’s so great to hear, Caren! I’m so glad it’s been working for you. Fudgey is really the way to go with brownies 🙂
Can you use Stevia instead of the erythritol? There are no local stores who have erythritol, but they have plenty of Stevia.
I wouldn’t recommend stevia unless you’re using a baking blend that’s 1:1 ratio to sugar. Using very little stevia extract will affect the size and consistency of the brownies.
Try looking for Truvia, it’s a stevia/erythritol brand. Or order some off Amazon!
Made these tonight, excellent brownies! Thank you so much for this recipe, calms my chocolate craving while keeping my carbs low. 🙂
That’s so great to hear, Shirley! I’m glad you enjoyed them 🙂
These were awesome! I made them a second time and added another tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of psyllium husk to give it more of a natural sponginess. Amazing now, I’ve been looking for something this close for a while!
That’s so great to hear! These brownies are our go-to recipe so we’re glad they worked out just as well for you!
I am deathly allergic to almonds but this looks delicious! Can I make it with coconut flour?
Coconut flour is a bit harder to work with since it absorbs a lot of moisture! You would have to add in extra egg and butter, but not sure how much exactly.
A safer alternative would be to use hazelnut flour, or maybe flaxseed flour. Hope this helps!
Just starting out on low carb and I was really craving chocolate last night. These brownies hit the spot!! Thank you so much for the recipe!
So glad you like them Rhonda! Tag us in a pic if you had a chance to take one 🙂
How big is a serving? ounces/grams thx
We didn’t weigh the serving for this recipe, but to give you an idea of the size of the serving: the entire skillet was 6 inches in diameter and the brownies were about an inch thick.
We made 4 servings using this skillet, but you can cut the brownies into smaller wedges and feed 6 people easily.
Hope this helped!
Is there a way to make this recipe without a cast iron skillet? I don’t have one, and it’s out of my budget for a while. It sounds absolutely delicious, though!
We would suggest doubling the recipe and using a regular brownie pan or baking dish. You may have to adjust the baking time if the brownies are a little thicker, so keep an eye on the tops of the them. They should be set on top and a toothpick inserted should come out clean.
Also, if you have a Marshall’s or TJMaxx, or maybe even Homegoods, check there! We got a small cast iron skillet there for under $10! The bigger ones shouldn’t be much more expensive.
Hope it works out! Enjoy!
Do I have to revise the recipe if I use regular baking pan instead of the skillet? Really want to try the recipe!! 🙂
We would suggest doubling the recipe and using a regular brownie pan or baking dish. You may have to adjust the baking time if the brownies are a little thicker, so keep an eye on the tops of the them. They should be set on top and a toothpick inserted should come out clean 🙂
Hope it works out! Enjoy!
Wow, making this tonight. I have all the ingredients. This site is great. I have been low carb for years and look forward to cooking more of your recipes in the future.
Thank you so much! Let us know how they turned out 🙂
Hi, I’m new to your blog! I’m also keto paleo and its so nice to see other foodie bloggers out there who are the same. Do you have any dairy free, nut and avocado free recipes that are very very low on total carbs ?
looking forward to reading your blog from now on!
We use dairy in a lot of our recipes actually. Our paleo diet is more primal (lots of fat and allowed dairy such as grass-fed butter and heavy cream). A lot of recipes do use non-dairy milk such as almond, cashew or coconut, so hopefully that’s helpful!
Try our matcha latte, it’s a great way to start your day 🙂
Thanks for the kind words!