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OKAY, these Paleo Mexican Brownies are pretty much the perfect brownies in my eyes. You would NEVER know that they are paleo-approved, grain-free, and dairy-free. Like, insane.
Mexican Brownies have all the chocolate-ly richness of regular brownies but with an added kick of extra spice and flare from cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Y’all know how much I love spicy, and these are RIGHT UP MY ALLEY. If you aren’t into spicy, just omit the cayenne pepper. The cinnamon still adds a fabulous touch. Full disclosure, my girls took a bite and were devastated that Mommy ruined the perfect brownies they (so adorably) helped me make by adding spicy stuff to them. They didn’t eat them! haha. So if you are making these for a group of picky kids, definitely say goodbye to the cayenne pepper.
But for me and my friends, we LOVED THEM. They aren’t extremely spicy, but they do have a little kick to them. These Paleo Mexican Brownies would be the perfect make-ahead treat to bring to any party. Your friends will freak out when you tell them that they are made with Paleo ingredients, too! They are perfectly fudgy in the middle and cake-y on the edges, just how I like my brownies! YUM.
Enjoy, friends!


- 1/2 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup creamy and smooth cashew butter (can use creamy almond butter)
- 2 tablespoons ghee, melted
- 1/4 cup dairy free chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp. coconut oil
- 4 tbsp. dairy free chocolate chips
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Using a whisk, stir so that there are no longer any clumps.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, maple syrup and vanilla extract until well combined. Now add the smooth cashew butter and melted ghee (I microwaved the ghee in a small bowl for 15 seconds to gently melt). Stir until well combined.
- Add 1/4 of the dry mixture to the wet and stir until combined, continue adding the dry mixture into the wet mixture slowly, while folding with a silicone spatula until it is well combined with no clumps.
- Fold in the 1/4 cup of chocolate chips.
- Pour mixture into a greased or parchment paper lined 9x9 inch square baking pan and spread until even.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until just set in the middle.
- Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.
- In a microwave safe bowl, combine 4 tbsp. dairy free chocolate chips with 1 tbsp. coconut oil and 1/8 tsp cinnamon. Heat gently in the microwave, 15 seconds at a time and stirring in between, until just melted. Allow to cool and thicken for about 5 minutes before drizzling or spreading over your cooled brownies.
Made these again this week. They’re SO delicious.
Love, love this recipe. So easy to make and SO tasty on a cold Colorado night. We love both of your cookbooks! Thank you so much!
Hi, what would be a good egg replacer?
These are amazing! We are big fans of a warm mug of Mexican hot chocolate and these tasted exactly the same! Love that heat that hits the back of your throat and that warm cinnamon flavor. So good!
Love these!! Made these for the first time last week and ate them all myself! Made them again last night and added bananas instead of sugar (since I knew I’d eat the whole pan again). Worked fairly well.
I have made this recipe multiple times over the last year and am astounded each time by how good it is! My husband reminded me tonight that its one of the best desserts I make. We serve it with a little freshly made whip cream. I am stunned to see you have no comments or reviews for it. It is definitely a 5 star recipe. Thank you!
Aw thank you!! I am so glad someone likes this one, because I was feeling like maybe I should remove it from the blog! Your comment changed my mind! 🙂
I’m so glad you left it up, Alex! I’ve been making your recipes for almost a year now, but never thought to search desserts on your site until today. I’ll be making these brownies tonight after we enjoy our “Steak House Caesar Salad”!
I love this recipe! Love the cayenne and cinnamon and the deep darkness of the chocolate. All the flavors balance so nicely. Thank you!
Meggan