• Healthy Low-Carb Almond Butter Walnut Brownies

    March 31, 2026 /

    Brownies are always a good idea. Decadent, rich, chocolatey squares of joy! While there is much debate out there about what makes the perfect brownie – some like them super rich and fudgey, some people like them more cakey, some people don’t like nuts – there is a version out there for everyone. For me, I like them to be in a goldilocks zone between fudgey and cakey, and I love the texture introduced by adding chopped nuts. And last but not least, I like them with a good sprinkle of flaky sea salt – like a salted dark chocolate bar but in brownie form.

    Brownies are, in all honesty, hard to get wrong. They lend themselves to ingredient substitution and endless variations quite easily, which makes them easy to adapt to a low-carb version. The version below is bulked up by almond butter and cream cheese, given structure by eggs, and features only 1/3 cup of coconut sugar, yielding a keto-friendly brownie that is only about 7 g net carbs. Coconut sugar is used here because it has a slightly lower glycemic index and fewer total carbs for equivalent volume than regular cane sugar. You can use regular sugar though if you like. If you prefer to use even less sugar, you can also reduce it to 1/4 cup.

    These brownies are admittedly on the less sweet side, but that does allow the flavors of the walnuts and almond butter to shine through a bit more. The sea salt on top also helps accentuate all the flavors and enhances the chocolate. If you make these, I’d love to know what you think in the comments!

    Low-Carb Almond Butter Walnut Brownies

    These easy low-sugar brownies are rich, nutty, and deceptively healthy! At only about 7 g net carbs per brownie, they are a no-guilt but decadent snack to keep your belly full and your tastebuds satisfied.
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    Keywords: Chocolate, Keto, Low-carb
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 16
    Calories: 254 kcal
    Net Carbs: 7.4 g

    Ingredients
     

    • 1/2 cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter
    • 1 cup (260 g) smooth almond butter
    • 1/4 cup (22 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
    • 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese
    • 1 tsp vanilla
    • 1/3 cup (53 g) coconut sugar
    • 3 large eggs
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
    • 1 cup (130 g) chopped walnuts
    • 1/2 tsp Maldon sea salt

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 9×9 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
    • Melt the butter, almond butter, cocoa powder, cinnamon, cream cheese, and vanilla together in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir regularly to help break up the solids and continue until completely smooth, about 10 minutes. It could take longer if your ingredients came right out of the fridge, but lower heat is best here. Do not scorch the chocolate, or it will become bitter. When smooth, turn off the heat and let cool slightly.
    • Meanwhile, beat the coconut sugar and the eggs with an electric mixer until light and frothy and doubled in volume.
    • Add about 1/3 cup of the warm chocolate and nut butter mixture to temper the eggs, beating on low speed to incorporate. Continue gradually adding the chocolate blend and mixing until fully incorporated. The batter should be thick and velvety.
    • Sift in the baking powder and salt, and mix on low speed until no traces remain. Gently fold in the chopped walnuts.
    • Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with the 1/2 tsp of flaky sea salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a wooden skewer comes out clean with only a few moist crumbs attached.
    • Let cool completely in the pan before lifting the brownies out by the parchment paper to slice. Slice into 16 brownies. Serve right away or store in an airtight container for up to a week.

    Notes and Tips

    If you want to use even less sugar, 1/4 cup (~40 g) will also work well in this recipe. You can also use regular sugar if you can’t find coconut sugar, though coconut sugar has a lower glycemic index and lower total carb count by volume. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 254kcalFat: 22.7gSodium: 129mgNet Carbs: 7.4gSaturated Fat: 6.6gPotassium: 193mgCarbohydrates: 9.9gMonounsaturated Fat: 8.7gVitamin A: 319IUFiber: 2.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gVitamin C: 0.1mgSugar: 5.1gTrans Fat: 0gCalcium: 84mgProtein: 6.6gCholesterol: 57.4mgIron: 1mg