Chocolate Skillet Brownie (flourless, gluten free, paleo, vegan)
This Chocolate Skillet Brownie is dense, fudgy, gooey, chocolatey. All the things a brownie should be! It’s got the added bonus of being gluten free, refined sugar free, paleo and vegan!
A Little Backstory …
When I lived home in Trinidad, my family and I used to go to Tony Roma’s almost exclusively for their skillet brownie. Seriously — that dessert was legendary.
Fast forward to today: I spotted a skillet brownie on a menu, felt instantly nostalgic, and knew I had to recreate a version I could actually enjoy without the sugar crash. One mixing bowl later… this brownie was born. Gluten free, paleo, vegan, and just ridiculously good.
Luckily I already owned this cute mini cast iron skillet
. It’s perfect for this ‘single’ serving dessert.
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Skillet Brownie
- Fudgy, gooey, warm, and decadent
- Flourless!
- Naturally gluten free, grain free, dairy free
- No refined sugar
- Comes together in ONE bowl
- Bakes in 15 minutes
- Perfect with a scoop of ice cream on top 😍
Ingredients You’ll Need
(Full amounts in the recipe card — here’s the “why” behind a few star ingredients.)
Nut Butter
This is the base of the brownie, replacing flour entirely. Almond butter, peanut butter, and cashew butter all work beautifully. It gives structure, richness, and that fudgy texture.
Banana
Acts as a natural binder and adds subtle sweetness — without making it taste like banana.
Espresso (Optional but magical)
A splash of espresso or strong coffee deepens the chocolate flavor. It won’t taste like coffee, just more chocolatey.
Egg Alternatives
You don’t need eggs here — banana + baking powder + moisture from nut butter do all the heavy lifting.
How to Make It (So Easy)
You’ll love how quick this comes together:
- Mix everything in one bowl. The batter will be thick — totally normal.
- Melt a little coconut oil in your cast iron skillet.
- Spread the batter into the warm skillet.
- Bake 15 minutes. It will look gooey, but it keeps cooking in the hot skillet.
- Top with ice cream, chocolate drizzle, shredded coconut… whatever makes you happy.
It’s the kind of dessert that makes you feel like you’re treating yourself and still taking care of your body. Win-win.
It was really hard to photograph this brownie. I had to fight everything in me not to take a huge bite. After the photoshoot I cut myself a slice, sat down with a tall glass of Chicory Root Coffee and counted my blessings that this was a perk of my job.
Chocolate Skillet Brownie FAQ
Yes! An 8×8 glass or ceramic dish works really well.
Just lightly grease it, spread in the batter, and bake as directed.
The edges may bake slightly faster than in cast iron, so keep an eye on it in the last few minutes.
This happens if:
-the skillet wasn’t greased enough
-the brownie wasn’t fully cooled
-your cast iron wasn’t well-seasoned
Next time:
Generously grease the skillet with coconut oil, let the brownie cool at least 10–15 minutes, and if your cast iron is older or not well-seasoned, line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper for guaranteed release.
Correct!
This recipe is naturally egg-free. The combo of mashed banana, nut butter & baking powder does everything eggs would normally do.
Yes — use a seed butter instead of nut butter.
Sunflower seed butter or tahini both make gorgeous, fudgy baked goods.
Absolutely!
This brownie keeps beautifully for 2–3 days on the counter or up to 5 days in the fridge. Warm it for 10–15 seconds before serving for maximum gooeyness.
More Healthy Chocolate Desserts You May Also Enjoy
Hazelnut Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Chocolate Skillet Brownie (gluten free, paleo, vegan)
Ingredients
Wet
- 1 cup runny nut butter I’ve used homemade almond butter and peanut butter with success
- ¼ cup maple syrup or honey if not vegan
- 1 medium banana mashed
- 2 tablespoons brewed espresso or instant coffee optional but really enhances the chocolate flavor
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Dry
- ¼ cup unsweetened raw cacao powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon pink himalayan salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325ºF / 150ºC
- Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk with a hand mixer.
- The batter will be extremely thick!
- Melt 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a 6.5 inch cast iron skillet on stovetop.
- Place batter into the cast iron skillet.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- The brownies will appear wet and gooey but the cast iron skillet retains heat for a very long time and brownies will continue to cook.
- Garnish with ice cream, chocolate syrup,
- Enjoy!
This only feeds one, right? ;) I don’t think I could share. Well, maybe with my hubby for a date night… Thanks so much for sharing this amazingness at Savoring Saturdays, Krystal! :)
Ha ha but if course! It is really hard to share I suggest making a double batch :)
This looks amazing!!! I wish I had some right now. Hope you’re doing well. xo Thanks for sharing it with us at Savoring Saturdays linky party. Pinned.
If I don’t have a cast iron skillet, can I use a 8×8 glass dish in the oven?
Hi Ashley it may work but I have never baked this in anything else. You may need to bake it a bit longer as the cast iron retains heat and continues to ‘cook’ the brownie after it’s removed from the oven. If you try it let me know how it turns out.:)
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When you say 2 tablespoons espresso, do you mean coffee grounds? Or brewed?
Thanks!
Brewed espresso ?
Do you think thos could work in a Pirex pan? Thank you! :)
It might but I haven’t tried it. Next time I make this I’ll bake it in pirex and report back.
Hi Krystal!
I made your brownie recipe today and the batter itself is delicious. I baked it for the amount of time indicated. However, upon transfering the skillet brownie onto another dish (I flipped the skillet), it got stuck to the skillet in the center. Any idea as to how to what to do next time?
Otherwise, what was left was PHENOMENAL!
Hi Alexandra ! I’m not sure why that happened. I’ve never transferred the brownie from the skillet because we tend to finish it the same day and if not I cover it with plastic wrap and place the skillet in the fridge. Did you lightly grease the skillet with a bit of coconut oil before pouring in the batter?
Hi Krystal,
I lightly greased the skillet with coconut oil but perhaps it was too light. Also, maybe I should leave the leftovers as you indicated, in the fridge, on the original skillet.
Thank you for responding & for such a delicious treat.
Alexandra
Also make sure it cools COMPLETELY before trying to transfer.
Hi Krystal,
I made this for a New Year’s Day dessert, and it was DELICIOUS! Thanks for the recipe.
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for popping back in and leaving your thoughts :)
You spoke of using egg substitute in the article to make it vegan. But there is no egg in the recipe. Is that an over site. Or is there no need for eggs? Thanks.
HI, there is no egg needed. A typical brownie has eggs though so I was describing what I have used in the recipe to do the job of an egg. Hope that makes sense … :)
Hi Krystal. Could I substitute Earth Balance for the nut butter to make it nut-free?
Hi Carol, sorry but I have no experience using Earth Balance. If you’ve had success subbing nut butters with it in the past give it a try. Otherwise I would suggest a seed butter as a sub. Sunflower seed butter and tahini in particular make lovely baked goods.