How to Make Flourless Fudgy Brownies

Ingredients

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (or coconut oil for dairy-free)
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup Swerve confectioners’-style sweetener or equivalent amount of powdered erythritol or monk fruit
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean (about 6 inches long)
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (or coconut oil for dairy-free)
• 0.33 cup Swerve confectioners’-style sweetener or equivalent amount of powdered erythritol or monk fruit
• 0.33 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ cup heavy cream (or full-fat coconut milk for dairy-free)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean (about 6 inches long)
• Coarse sea salt, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and grease well.
2. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the batter until smooth. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the brownies to cool to room temperature before frosting.
Meanwhile, Make the Frosting
3. Place the butter, sweetener, and cocoa powder in a mixing bowl and mix with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the cream and vanilla and mix until smooth.
4. Spread the frosting over the cooled brownies and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Cut into 18 pieces and serve at room temperature the day they are made. Once refrigerated, the brownies harden and must be warmed. An alternative solution is to bake them as individual servings.
5. If you plan on storing the brownies in the fridge for later, leave them unfrosted. Store the brownies and frosting in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. To serve, remove the frosting from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature; remove the brownies from the container and warm in the microwave for 20 seconds, or until just warm. Top the brownies with the frosting and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.