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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Can you post the receipe in grams? I’m in Europe and really want to try this. Thanks a lot.
Hi Raluca, you can quickly and easily convert anything to grams if you Google it! Most of our readers are located in the United States and it’s the form of measurement we’re most familiar with. Our nutrition labels are often times in cups and tablespoons as well.
is there gluten in this?
No gluten in any of our recipes 🙂
Hi,
For the nutrient facts, is that with the peanut butter and walnuts? If so, do you know what it would be without them?
We calculated the nutrition facts for everything in the recipe together 🙂
Made these with hazelnut flour instead of almond…I’ve been using it in place of almond flour for microwave muffins and it is yummy! So thought I’d try. Makes for a nuttier texture, that’s for sure, but still bakes up very well. I doubled the batch and baked in an 8×8 pan. Brownies were lofty, dark chocolatey, and you surely do not need to add any further nuts! The taste is like a Nutella cake.
Anything that tastes like Nutella cake sounds like a winner! Great idea 🙂
Just made this and it was awesome! Turned out perfect! Thank you for this recipe!!
You’re so welcome <3 Enjoy!
These are stupid GOOD! We baked them in a 8×8 non-greased glass pan and they turned out great. We substituted the erythritol for coconut sugar (same amounts). Baking time only took 25 minutes for us too.
Very moist, great smell, awesome taste. No joke, I thought I was eating the real thing.
Next time, I’d like to double the recipe for a thicker brownie.
Hey Sarah, we’re glad you enjoyed them! Be aware that using coconut sugar ups the carb count dramatically since it’s not a low carb sweetener.
Do you think it would it come out ok if I use a 12″ cast iron skillet and double the recipe?
Yes, I think that would work fine!
These are just stupid rich, could barely finish one serving. Definitely gotta cool them all the way down so all that butter sets up a little. Otherwise its an oily mess. Might try to figure a way to use liquid sucralose next time, but the cooling effect of the erythritol really wasn’t that bad in this compared to some recipes. Much better than any other keto brownie recipe I’ve tried so far.
Thanks Jason! That’s great to hear. I’ll update the recipe to remind people to let them cool – most low carb baking require cooling.
I just made these and had some difficulty melting the erythritol, when I first looked at the butter it looked like it had melted but when I poured it in to a mixing bowl, I saw it had crystalised at the bottom of the saucepan, will see how it turns out later after it has cooled. I often find that it turns out crumbly even after a few hours cooling so maybe I am doing something wrong. Usually tastes good tho, unless I over cook it oops
One of the downfalls of erythritol, I’m afraid.
Is it possible to substitute the butter with coconut oil and still get a nice chewy brownie? I used coconut in my regular brownies and boy does it enhance the taste!
We use coconut oil in place of butter all the time! I think it would work well in our Skillet Brownie recipe 🙂
If using Pyure sweetener, how much do you suppose I should use? I have a lot that I need to use so I hate to buy something else. Thanks!
Are you talking about their pure stevia or one of their blends? It would depend on the ingredients of the Pyure you’re using.
I believe so, what I have is the granulated Pyure. The website shows the following ingredients: Organic Erythritol, Organic Reb A (Stevia Extract), Natural Flavor.
That’s great – I think that’s the best one actually. Feel free to use the same amount of it as I used erythritol 🙂
Can i make this in a oven or pie dish instaid
Yes, that would be just fine! Just make sure to monitor it while it’s baking. A cast iron skillet can cook the brownies a bit faster as it heats up quite well and retains the heat even after removing from the oven.
Thank, I had that question too.
Yikes, this was a bust for me. Subbed coconut flour for the almond flour..not sure if that made the drastic difference, but at 12 minutes of baking time at 350, it was a super light dry crumbly mess. Like very light dusty sand when I picked it up. coupled with the minty cough medicine taste left in my mouth from the erythritol, a definite no go for me. Glad I found it to try though so I can see what works and what doesnt work–on to the next low carb brownie recipe!
Coconut flour is not a substitute for almond flour whatsoever. It soaks up all the moisture and leaves the crumbly mess you experienced. You won’t find a brownie recipe that uses only coconut flour for that reason.
Made this to help my feverish sweet tooth as I transitioned to keto. This is perfect! Rich in flavor and a great texture. A favorite!
Yay! We’ve got a sweet tooth too and these brownies definitely help 🙂
Followed recipe exactly except no nuts but it came out pasty not liquid
It’s not supposed to be liquid! More like a soft fudge that bakes wonderfully.
What size egg do you use for this? I think your eggs are a little smaller than ours I only had z large egg handy so used that but I think it might have been the reSin they are so soft and crumbly. They taste good but very soft and very crumbly.
We usually use large eggs. Make sure to let the brownies cool after baking to set. Most low carb baked goods need to set because of the lack of gluten protein which adds structure!
Made these brownies the other day but subbed the erythritol with xylitol because I had so much of it.
They came out so well! Thanks so much. This recipe saved me lol.
Yay, that’s great!