• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Sugared & Stirred

dairy-free. still delicious.

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Bars + Brownies
    • Breads
    • Cake
    • Cookies
    • Gluten-Free
    • Ice Cream + Popsicles
    • Pies + Pastries
    • Vegan
  • About
  • Contact
  • Resources
    • FAQ
    • Shop
    • Work with Me

Grain-Free Orange Brownies (dairy-free!)

March 31, 2019 by Rachael Ng 22 Comments

Jump to Recipe

Where are my fudgy brownie lovers at?! I love an ooey-gooey fudgy brownie! You know, the kind that you’re not quite sure are even done. There’s just something so good about warm, melt-in-your-mouth brownies.

These Orange Brownies are by far one of my favorite recipes. They’re made with low GI coconut sugar (and also a cup and a half of chocolate chips!), coconut oil, and arrowroot starch in place of any flour. So they’re gluten/grain-free and dairy-free. And seriously delicious! I adapted this recipe from Amanda at Running with Spoons, and it’s one of the best “healthier” brownie recipes!

For this recipe, you’ll use the double boiler method to melt the chocolate and oil together, whip up the sugar and eggs, and zest a few oranges. As long as you follow the recipe and instructions exactly as-is, then you’ll end up with ultra-fudgy, perfectly crinkle-topped brownies that rival any other traditional brownie. For real.

I baked this recipe up three times and found that it’s vital to use chocolate chips instead of chopped chocolate in order to get that beautiful, shiny top. I used chopped dark chocolate for one batch, and the brownies came out dull and smooth – not crinkly at all! So I suggest only using chocolate chips!

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Coconut sugar is a low GI, unrefined sugar. This means that it places lower on the glycemic index scale than cane sugar, honey, and maple syrup, so it has less of an effect on blood sugar levels. It tastes nothing like coconut, and, in my opinion, tastes less sweet than regular white sugar.

Coconut oil is a great dairy-free alternative to butter (and it’s better for you!). These brownies are so rich I don’t taste the coconut, but if you prefer a dessert with no trace of coconut then I recommend making these with refined coconut oil.

Arrowroot starch is a gluten-free, corn-free starch that can work with any recipe that calls for corn starch. It lends to a softer, lighter texture in baked goods.

Instant coffee (as well as espresso powder) is great for adding to chocolate baked goods, because it enhances and intensifies the chocolate flavor. So your brownies will taste more chocolate-y!

Continue to Content
Yield: 16 Brownies

Grain-Free Orange Brownies

Grain-Free Orange Brownies

Ultra-fudgy chocolate brownies flavored with freshly grated orange zest. These rich brownies are loaded with delicious chocolate and made with no dairy or grain!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup coconut oil, solid
  • 1 1/2 cups dairy-free chocolate chips
  • 2 tsp instant coffee granules
  • 6 Tbsp cocoa powder
  • 3 large eggs, room temp
  • 1 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 Tbsp finely grated orange zest (2-3 medium oranges)
  • 4 1/2 Tbsp arrowroot starch
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare an 8x8" baking dish with non-stick spray (I like to use olive oil spray) and parchment paper. Cut your parchment paper long enough that it hangs over the sides of your dish for easy brownie removal. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes.
  2. In a heatproof bowl, add the chocolate chips, coconut oil, instant coffee, and cocoa powder. Place on top of a pot of simmering water (making sure it's not touching the water), stirring the mixture frequently until everything is melted. Set bowl aside to cool off.
  3. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add your eggs and coconut sugar. Set to medium speed and add in the vanilla extract. Whisk for 5-10 minutes or until mixture has thickened and is light brown in color.
  4. Slowly pour the chocolate mixture into the egg and sugar mixture. Gently fold the ingredients together until totally combined - move slowly so you don't deflate the mixture. This will take a couple of minutes. Stir in the orange zest and then the arrowroot starch and salt.
  5. Pour the batter into your prepared baking dish and bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, or until the center looks set and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a little batter. You want to under-bake these brownies a bit so that they stay fudgy.
  6. Allow brownies to cool in the baking dish on top of a cooling rack (or dig in while they're warm!). Once cool, use the parchment paper to lift the whole dish of brownies up and onto the cooling rack. Slice into 16 squares, wiping the knife clean between each slice. For serving, use a fork or small spatula to gently lift each brownie onto a serving dish. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

For a richer chocolate flavor, you can use dutch-process cocoa powder instead of regular, natural cocoa powder

I only recommend using chocolate chips for this recipe as my test with chopped chocolate came out with a dull, smooth surface instead of a shiny, crinkly one

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Arrowroot Starch
    Arrowroot Starch
  • Coconut Sugar
    Coconut Sugar
  • Unrefined, Virgin Coconut Oil
    Unrefined, Virgin Coconut Oil

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1 brownie

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 210Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 89mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 2g

calculated nutrition information may not always be accurate

© Rachael Ng | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Brownies

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

Other recipes you may like:

Grain-Free Almond Butter Brownies
Dairy-Free Salted Chocolate Rye Cookies
Orange Cranberry Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Recipe adapted from Running with Spoons

Share this:

  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: Bars, Brownies, Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Grain-free Tagged With: brownies, chocolate, chocolate and orange, dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, orange

Previous Post: « Chocolate Chip Muffins (dairy-free!)
Next Post: Glazed Orange Almond Muffins (dairy-free!) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. heidy zhu

    August 31, 2019 at 2:49 am

    hello.. may i know how much does the coconut oil solid in ml? does using AP flour will change the texture?

    Reply
    • Rachael Ng

      September 21, 2019 at 2:39 am

      I would use 150ml of liquid coconut oil – hope that helps!

      Reply
  2. Nada

    October 3, 2019 at 10:43 pm

    Hi I love the recipe I was going to jump and make it but I don’t have arrowroot starch, can I use regular corn starch?

    Reply
    • Rachael Ng

      October 6, 2019 at 10:16 pm

      Yes! Regular corn starch should be okay 🙂

      Reply
  3. Merlin

    October 27, 2019 at 6:42 pm

    Hi Rachael, I just realized I don’t have instant coffee granules. If I make strong coffee and substitute it will it still turn out okay or would that alter the dry and wet ratio too much?

    Reply
    • Rachael Ng

      October 29, 2019 at 2:18 pm

      You can just leave it out! The instant coffee adds some depth to the chocolate flavor, but these brownies are just as delicious without it 🙂 (I wouldn’t add liquid coffee as this will affect the texture)

      Reply
  4. Niya

    January 29, 2020 at 6:45 am

    Hi can i use almond flour instead of the arrowroot?

    Reply
    • Rachael Ng

      February 11, 2020 at 3:35 am

      Hi Niya! I haven’t tried this recipe with almond flour. The arrowroot thickens the batter, so you may or may not need more almond flour in its place. Do you let me know if you try it out!

      Reply
  5. Niyatee Ravipati

    January 31, 2020 at 12:41 pm

    Hi can i sprinkle orange zest on the brownie like you did on the top of the brownie to add to the appearance or will it affect the flavor as zest can be bitter?

    Reply
    • Rachael Ng

      February 11, 2020 at 3:37 am

      Definitely! That’s how I like mine! When zesting your orange, do your best to only get the orange part of the peel, avoiding the bitter yellow/white peel underneath.

      Reply
  6. Stephanie

    April 17, 2020 at 6:59 pm

    Hi! Can I use all purpose flour if I don’t have arrowroot starch?

    Reply
    • Rachael Ng

      April 19, 2020 at 6:29 pm

      Hi Stephanie! I haven’t tried this recipe with flour, so I’m not sure of the exact measurement you would need. Corn starch would be a fine substitute if you have that on hand. If not, check out these Classic Weeknight Brownies for a recipe with AP flour – you can add orange zest 🙂

      Reply
  7. Grace

    June 4, 2020 at 2:46 am

    These look absolutely amazing!! Do you think I could use tapioca flour in place of arrowroot starch?

    Reply
    • Rachael Ng

      June 7, 2020 at 3:45 pm

      Yes, I believe that will work 🙂

      Reply
  8. NATASHA

    September 3, 2020 at 6:31 pm

    How can I replace eggs?

    Reply
    • Rachael Ng

      September 15, 2020 at 3:42 am

      For egg-less brownies, I recommend my Vegan Classic Brownies 🙂

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Glazed Orange Almond Muffins (dairy-free!) | Sugared & Stirred says:
    April 3, 2019 at 1:54 am

    […] Grain-Free Orange Brownies […]

    Reply
  2. Grain-Free Caramel Turtle Brownies (dairy-free!) | Sugared & Stirred says:
    May 25, 2019 at 2:09 am

    […] Grain-Free Orange Brownies […]

    Reply
  3. Orange Loaf with Almond Buttercream (DF) | Sugared & Stirred says:
    January 17, 2020 at 11:57 pm

    […] Grain-Free Orange Brownies […]

    Reply
  4. Chocolate Orange Cupcakes (DF + vegan option) | Sugared & Stirred says:
    March 16, 2020 at 8:17 pm

    […] Grain-Free Orange Brownies (dairy-free) […]

    Reply
  5. Classic Weeknight Brownies (DF) says:
    July 20, 2020 at 2:36 am

    […] I decided to take my favorite brownie recipe (which happens to be gluten-free) and make classic, gluten-full, fudgy brownies! For the folks […]

    Reply
  6. Grain-Free Almond Butter Brownies (DF) says:
    July 20, 2020 at 2:40 am

    […] Grain-Free Orange Brownies (DF) […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Meet Rachael

Hi! I’m Rachael, a home baker who creates dairy-free, indulgent treats. As a sweets lover and former candy addict, I believe we shouldn’t have to give up everything we love in pursuit of wellness. That’s why I create delicious and approachable desserts that you can enjoy, in moderation, no matter your goals! Because, let’s face it, sometimes you just need a giant slice of frosted cake, sans guilt! Read More…

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Never miss a recipe!

Instagram

Top Recipes

  • Rocky Road Brownie Cookies (dairy-free)
  • Brownie Sandwich Cookies with Peanut Butter Frosting (dairy-free)
  • Cranberry Coffee Cake (dairy-free)
  • Chewy Black Sesame Olive Oil Cookies (dairy-free!)
  • Vegan Chocolate Flax Cookies

Footer

Connect with Me

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Copyright © 2021 · Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.