Gluten Free Peanut Butter Brownies are the sweet treat you’re craving. And gluten free, too!
Coconut and peanut butter isn’t a very popular combination and I have no idea why. They’re perfect together!
And peanut butter and coconut in combination with chocolate? To die for.
These brownie bites are ultra chewy, fudgy and dietary-friendly. I used buckwheat flour to make them grain-free and gluten-free, but if you don’t need these brownies to be gluten-free, you can use whole wheat flour.
They’re also dairy-free if you use dairy-free chocolate and coconut oil instead of butter.
If you’ve tried buckwheat flour before but weren’t impressed by the "earthy" taste – fear not, for these brownie bites taste of nothing but chocolate! And in case you’re wondering how buckwheat can be grain-free: buckwheat isn’t related to wheat at all and is actually a so-called pseudo-grain!
It’s a pretty nifty flour, which also happens to be whole grain (despite it not being a grain!) It all seems rather confusing and contradictory, but what’s really important is that it’s absolutely amazing in chocolate baked treats.
My favorite part is the frosting, which is a combination of peanut butter, honey and coconut butter (which is the ground up meat of a coconut). I realize most people don’t have that on hand so I first tried the frosting using coconut oil.
This resulted in a runny frosting that wasn’t firm enough to be spread on top. So I tried coconut butter which worked out much better!
The coconut taste is more intense and it creates a nice creamy texture. Store bought coconut butter is expensive so I recommend making your own homemade coconut butter.
All you need is shredded coconut and a food processor or a high-powered blender!
If you don’t have a mini muffin pan, you can use an 8"x8" pan and bake for 16-20 minutes. It also cuts down on the preparation time! As cute as brownie bites are, I don’t always have the patience to fill individual muffin liners.
Note that you’ll likely need more frosting to fully cover an 8"x8" pan of brownies. I’m guessing you’ll need to do 1.5 times the frosting recipe – but as I haven’t tried it, I can’t say for sure.
If you’re worried about making too much, make it as written and make more, if needed. It only takes a minute to whip the frosting together!
Can’t get enough chocolate and coconut? Try these vegan chocolate cookies. They’re full of chocolate and coconut goodness as are these gluten-free no-bake cookies.
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Gluten Free Peanut Butter Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
- 1/2 cup Natural Salted Peanut Butter
- 1/4 cup Coconut Butter See notes
- 2 tablespoons Honey
- 1/3 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Melted for piping, optional
- 1 cup Buckwheat Flour
- 3/4 cup Dutch Processed Cocoa Sifted if lumpy
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 3/4 cup Unsalted Butter Plus 1 tablespoon (or coconut oil), melted and cooled slightly
- 1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
- 3 large Egg Room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 mini muffin pans with 32 liners.
- Place the coconut on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 5-8 minutes, stirring after every 2-3 minutes. It turns from perfectly browned to burned in seconds so keep a close eye on it! Set aside to cool while preparing the brownies.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients; buckwheat flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the wet ingredients; unsalted butter or coconut oil, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and eggs.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet and stir just until combined. Do not over mix!
- Fill the mini muffin liners about 4/5 full and bake for 11-13 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the side (and not the center) of a brownie comes out clean.
- Let cool for 5 minutes in the pans and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once the brownies have completely cooled, prepare the frosting.
- Mix together the natural peanut butter, coconut butter, and honey in a small bowl. It should be firm enough to roll into small balls or spread on top of the brownies. If it isn’t, refrigerate for 10-15 minutes or until it is.
- Roll small balls of frosting (approximately 1 teaspoon in size), place on the brownies, and flatten. Top with roasted coconut and pipe chocolate on top, if desired.
Notes
- Coconut butter is the ground up flesh of a coconut. Don’t use coconut oil, which is just the fat.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days.