Gluten-free brown rice flour brownies are a moist, fudgy, decadent dessert sweetened with pure maple syrup. You’d never know they’re gluten-free!

Hereโs whatโs going to happen.
Youโre going to go out and find yourself a legitimate tragedy prior to baking these brownies. Because if youโre already happy before eating these, you will, in a word, implode. With jubilation.
You may want to put on CMT right now and grab a box of Kleenex. Let it out. You just let it right out.
These brownies will slap you upside the head and right all the wrongs. All of them. Plus anyone else’s wrongs that happen to be strolling within a 100-foot radius.
They are gluten free and are made with brown rice flour, but haste: that does not make them good for you. These are little chocolate sugar bomb babies, reserved for CMT and Kleenex sessions.
They are the kind of brownies you only eat while youโre wailing to your girlfriend in a pitch so high only dogs can hear it as sheโs painting your toenails and force-drinking you delicious wine.
Okay, you can eat them on a good day too.
Rice Flour Brownie Ingredients:
Brown Rice Flour or Regular Rice Flour: We need a small amount of flour for these beauties. I use brown rice flour to make them gluten-free, but regular white rice flour, gluten-free all-purpose flour, and regular all-purpose flour all work too.
Eggs: A few chicken eggs bring richness to this easy brownie recipe and are also responsible for the fluffy texture.
Butter: Bringing that iconic creamy flavor, we need a stick and a half of butter to serve as the dream maker.
Pure Maple Syrup: We need some form of sweetener for these gluten-free brownies. I like using pure maple syrup, but any kind of granulated sweetener works too.
Cocoa Powder: The chocolate portion of the recipe! I prefer using raw cacao powder, but any kind of unsweetened cocoa powder works.
Pure Vanilla Extract: We use a generous amount of pure vanilla extract to enhance the flavor of these fudgy brownies.
Instant Coffee: Adds more nuance and flavor! Don’t skip it!
Optional Additions:
- 2/3 cup chocolate chips
- 2/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans.
How to Make Rice Flour Brownies:
Guess what?! You prepare the brownie batter on the stove top. Have you done this before? I promise it is easy.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the sugar, then the cocoa powder and vanilla extract.
What happens is epic. You have buttery smell good. On the stove top. For brownies.
You then whisk in the eggs one at a time and test the mixture for salmonella…using your mouth. Just kidding, I don’t encourage eating raw batter. Unless you’re me. ๐
Add in your dry mixture, do more mixing and then in the oven it goes. For what seems like eternity.
Allow the brownies to cool at least 20 minutes before diving in. With a spatula + your face.
Next, what happens is between you and the brownie. No witnesses. What happens to the brownie pan stays in theโฆbrownieโฆpanโฆyeah.
I highly suggest enjoying these brownies with some form of ice cream. My 3-Ingredient No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream is a marvelous companion!
More Delicious Brownie Recipes:
- Flourless Avocado Brownies
- Black Bean Brownies
- Flourless Zucchini Fudge Brownies
- Paleo Pumpkin Brownies
- Garbanzo Bean Brownies
- Gluten Free Blackberry Brownies
Party on, Wayne!
Brown Rice Flour Brownie Recipe
Ingredients
- ยพ cup unsalted butter melted (1.5 sticks)*
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup or brown sugar
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips plus more for mixing in the batter, optional
- 3 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup brown rice flour
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ยพ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons instant coffee or ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly oil an 8โ x 8โ baking pan (or line with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, mix together the brown rice flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and instant coffee granules. Set aside.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter (or coconut oil) over medium heat with the chocolate chips and pure maple syrup, stirring constantly. Avoid letting the mixture get too hot because you’ll want to cool it.ย Remove saucepan from the heat and allow it to cool.
- Whisk in the vanilla extract, then the eggs one at a time. Whisk until the mixture is thick and glossy and looks like pudding or ganache.
- Pour in the dry mixture and mix until just combined.
- If you are adding additional chocolate chips, do so now (allowing the batter to cool before adding the chocolate chips will ensure they stay intact).
- Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until cooked through.
- Allow brownies to cool for 15 minutes before serving!
Notes
Nutrition
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I can’t have eggs, would flax eggs work in this recipe?
Hi Felicia!
I haven’t tested the recipe using flax eggs or any other egg replacer so I’m not 100% sure it would work. My guess is they may turn out fairly dense, but probably will still taste great. Let me know if you try them! xoxo
Wow! I just made these today (03/26/22). I was looking for something without all the granulated sugar and wheat flour, for a healthier alternative for my chocolate cravings. I had to substitute semi-sweet baking chocolate for the chocolate chips. It wasn’t quit sweet enough, but texture was wonderful, more cake like, than brownie, but very yummy. I’m going to use the exact ingredients again and just add a cup of chocolate chips, or caramel chips, or both. I didnt include nuts this time either. I was thinking of substituting 1/2 coconut oil and 1/2 ghee for the butter at a later time, too. ๐ข๐
Thanks so much for the thorough review, Lynette!! I’m betting the additional chocolate chips or caramel chips would be absolutely amazing, and I’m always all for a nutty brownie. Also love the idea of experimenting with the fat! I’ll have to try all of these adaptations, myself! xo
Hi can I swap the maple syrup for sugar? Iโve searched everywhere but I canโt find a conversion for it.
This deep chocolatey goodness is just what I needed today. And another way to use my brown rice flour. They are delish. Thank you.
I’m so happy you like the brownies! Thanks so much for the sweet note. xoxox
Hey there, can i use honey instead of maple syrup? Thank you for the great recipe
Hi Tishya,
Yes, you can use honey but be sure to keep a watchful eye on the brownies, as honey has a low burn temperature – it tends to burn in baked goods if left just slightly too long ๐ Hope you enjoy! xo
Dude! Dude. Dude. You mouth maiden of mouth magic these were insanely delicious. The last rice flour brownies I tried were mega dry and like cake but I just made these and used white chocolate instead of the dark chocolate and did a ratio with 1/3rd ghee and added some cocoa nibs and these are the best brownies I’ve ever made (gluten or no). Super spongy and moist with just enough chocopunch. Thank you thank you. I feel way more comfy with the idea of gf now.
You had me laughing out loud, Sy! I’m so happy you like the brownies! Thanks for the sweet note!! xo
I’d like to make this in a mini-muffin pan but worry they will dry out too much. Any advice?
Hi Julie,
I would think it should be fine, but I’ve never tested it using a mini muffin pan, so I can’t say for sure. I would add a couple tablespoons of coconut oil or even olive oil just to be sure! Hope you enjoy! xo
I just made these and I agree that these are too dry. I thought there was also too much cocoa powder which made the texture powdery. I read in the comments and have heard others using apple sauce. Does anyone know how to add in apple sauce?
Hi Jane,
I just re-made the recipe and noted my changes in the recipe card. Let me know if you have any questions!
I have these in the oven right now. My daughter is gluten intolerant so I am hoping these turn out for her. Xx
Tried this recipe last night. It was very, very dry. My family did not like them.
Hi Naomi, I’m sorry the brownies didn’t turn out! I’ll revisit the recipe this week and will make any necessary changes.
Taste was dark-chocolate good, but really dry. The taste and texture was more like a dry cake than a brownie. For me, it needs a lot of modification.
Thanks for the laughs on a depressing day with floods and death and sickness and the New York primary.
I have a number of immune problems and recently decided to go Gluten and lactose free. I’m also trying to stick close to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. I replaced the sugar with honey (which is a lot of honey by the way). I just put them in the oven and I can’t wait to take them out. They look great and I’ve been “cleaning” the bowl for a while now. I just hope they make it to my new years eve party!
Thanks for this recipe…my first try at brown rice flour – I’ll let you know how they come out!
Delicious. Wonderful. Thank you for this recipe! Even replacing the sugar with honey they are fantastic.
I’m so happy to hear it worked out with honey! I love the idea of using all-natural sweeteners, and honey is one of my faves, so I’ll have to make the recipe with honey, myself! Feel free to reach out any time if you have questions on gluten-free (or allergy-free) cooking! While I don’t have any serious food allergies, I love making whole food recipes – I find this way of cooking is always a guaranteed way of making you feel good. Happy New Year, and thanks so much for the sweet notes!