This gluten-free brownie brittle is a crunchy, chocolatey snack. It’s a perfect grab and go snack or sprinkle it over ice cream for an awesome crispy topping. The recipe is super easy and mixes up in one bowl.
For more gluten-free snacks, be sure to check out my gluten-free chex mix and my super easy chocolate strawberry tartlets.
How to Make Brownie Brittle From Scratch
There are so many recipes that use a box mix to make brownie brittle. But box mixes are expensive, especially gf box mixes, and this recipe has only 4 dry ingredients. No need to pay $6 for that! So this recipe uses my classic brownie recipe with just a couple of tweaks to make it work for a brittle.
The key to making brownie brittle is controlling the heat and cook time. The batter is spread very thin onto a parchment lined sheet pan. In order to cook it long enough to dry out without burning, it is baked at a lower than usual baking temperature. It will come out of the oven a little soft in the middle, but as it cools, the middle will become crispy brittle.
If you want clean consistent shaped pieces, score the brittle with a knife as soon as it comes out of the oven. Then, once it’s cool, break it apart. Or just let it cool and then break apart.
Ingredients
This recipe uses a combination of solid chocolate and cocoa powder for a strong pop of chocolate. For the solid chocolate you can use chips or bars – measurements are given for both. Semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate will both work but if you like dark chocolate, I recommend using bittersweet.
For a gluten-free chocolate option, I love Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips. They are certified gluten-free, free of other common allergens and have excellent flavor. Hershey’s cocoa powder is also gluten-free.
A stick of unsalted butter adds awesome flavor to this brownie brittle. If you prefer a dairy-free option, Miyoko’s Cultured Vegan Butter is a good substitute. Of all the vegan butters I have tried, it’s flavor is the closest to real butter and it comes in an unsalted version.
It is very important that the egg is at room temperature because this recipe uses melted butter. If you add a cold egg to warm melted butter (and warm chocolate), it could curdle the butter, turning it into tiny lumps. To warm up a cold egg, place it in a bowl of warm water before you start the recipe. By the time you need to add it, it should be warm enough.
Gluten-free flour – King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour is my go-to flour for gluten-free baking. It works well in almost all of my recipes and is widely available. I like to use a flour that is easily found so you, my readers, can get consistent results. Gluten-free flours vary WIDELY in their results and baking recipes doesn’t always work when you use a different gf flour than the one recommended.
Brownie Brittle Flavors
Here are a couple of super easy ways to add different flavors to this recipe:
- Add 1 tsp mint flavor or extract along with the vanilla for a minty brownie brittle
- Add 1 tsp orange extract or flavor for an awesome chocolate orange combo
Brownie Brittle Toppings
I tested this recipe once with chocolate chips scattered on top of the batter. I was not happy with the results. With the long baking time, the chips dried out and looked funky. So my preference is to drizzle some chocolate on the cooled brittle pieces. Use your favorite chocolate whether it be white chocolate, milk, semisweet or bitter sweet, they all add a nice creamy texture to the top.
Candy melts (large wafers of white chocolate type chips) in different colors can dress this brittle up for any occasion. Melt the chips and drizzle onto the cooled brittle pieces using a spoon, piping bag or squeeze bottle. Note that the Wilton candy melts linked above are manufactured on equipment that processes products with wheat,
If you like even more toppings, sprinkle one or more of the following on the chocolate drizzle before it sets:
- crushed pretzels for a salty addition
- crushed freeze dried strawberries or raspberries
- crushed peppermint candy for a festive treat
- mini white or chocolate chips
- salted chopped nuts
Gluten-Free Brownie Brittle (From Scratch)
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Ingredients
- ΒΎ c semi sweet chocolate chips or 5 oz solid chocolate
- 8 Tbsp (Β½ cup) unsalted butter
- 1 c sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperatureΒΉ
- 1 tsp vanilla extract, powder or bean paste
- Β½ tsp salt
- Β½ c gluten-free flour blend
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
- Β½ c chocolate chips (white, bittersweet or semi sweet) for drizzle topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325Β°F. Line an 13 x 18 inch sheet pan (aka half sheet pan) with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Important notes: If you don't have a 13 x 18 inch pan use 2 smaller ones.Β²Do not skip the liners. The brittle will stick without it.
- This recipe can easily be mixed by hand with a wire whisk and rubber spatula.
- Place the chocolate and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds on high. Stir for 15 seconds. Heat for another 30 seconds and stir until all of the chips are melted. If they do not all melt, heat for another 15 seconds.
- Add the sugar and stir with a wire whisk for at least 30 seconds.
- Add the room temperature egg, vanilla and salt and stir until smooth.
- Sift the flour and cocoa powder directly into the chocolate mixture. Stir until smooth.
- Pour the batter onto the lined pan. Spread the batter to within ΒΌ inch of the edge of the liner. It is best if it has a slightly thicker edge (kind of like a pizza). This will keep the edge from burning.
- Bake 20 minutes. Rotate the pan 180Β° and bake another 15-20 minutes.ο»ΏIf you wat your brittle crunchy bake 40 minutes total. If you want some of the pieces to be a little moist and chewy, bake 35 minutes total.
- If you want a specific shape and size for the brownie brittle pieces, use a sharp knife to score it while hot. Otherwise let it cool and break up with your hands.
- Cool the brittle on the pan on a wire rack.
- Break the brittle into pieces.
- Melt the topping chocolate and drizzle over brittle pieces. Let set.
- Store the brittle in a sealed container.
Notes
- If your egg is straight out of the refrigerator, place it in a bowl of warm water to bring to room temperature.
- If you are using two smaller pans and they are larger than 9 x 13 inches, do not spread the batter all the way to the edge or it will be too thin and may burn. Try to keep the layer of batter at 9 x 13 inches.
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