Gluten-Free Brownie Brittle: Crispy Chocolate Crunch

Gluten Free Brownie Brittle is thin, crisp, and full of chocolate-fudge flavor. This flourless, crunchy treat captures the best part of a brownie — the crispy edges — and makes a wonderful Passover cookie or an everyday gluten-free snack.

Why you’ll love this recipe

This brownie brittle yields an entire sheet of crisp, crunchy cookies that taste like the best edges of a fudgy brownie. The batter is mixed in one bowl and spread paper-thin so every bite is light and shatteringly crisp. Topping with chocolate chips, nuts, or other mix-ins intensifies the chocolate flavor and adds texture.

Instead of wheat flour, this gluten-free version uses starch to provide structure and crispness. For Passover use, potato starch is recommended. Outside of Passover, corn starch or rice flour work equally well and produce excellent results.

Ingredients

Use the simple list below to prepare one large sheet of brittle (about 32 pieces):

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup potato starch (or substitute corn starch or rice flour for non-Passover use)
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 large egg whites
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (or 1½ teaspoons vanilla sugar)
• ¾ cup chocolate chips or other desired topping

Instructions

This overview summarizes the method; follow the recipe steps below for best results.

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and secure the paper with binder clips so it does not shift while you spread the batter.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, potato starch, and cocoa powder until evenly combined.
3. Add the egg whites, vegetable oil, and vanilla to the dry mixture. Stir until the batter is smooth and homogeneous.
4. Using a silicone spatula, spread the batter as thinly and evenly as possible on the prepared baking sheet. Aim for a rectangle about 11″ x 13″. The thinner the layer, the crispier the brittle will be.
5. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top, distributing them evenly.
6. Bake for 20 minutes. The surface should appear crisp and shiny. Remove the pan and, while still warm, use a pizza wheel to slice the sheet into individual pieces. Leave the pieces in place on the pan—do not separate them yet.
7. Return the pan to the oven and bake an additional 15 minutes, or until all pieces are fully crisp.
8. Allow the brittle to cool completely on the baking sheet before separating the pieces. Once cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Storage

Store the cooled brittle at room temperature in an airtight container for up to one week. Note that freezing will cause the brittle to lose its crispness, so freezing is not recommended.

Tips

• Even if the batter looks like a small amount in the bowl, it spreads into a full sheet. Thin spreading is essential.
• Take care to spread the center of the batter evenly; the middle of the pan often ends up thicker if you aren’t attentive.
• Binder clips are helpful to secure parchment paper during spreading.
• A pizza wheel cuts through the still-warm brittle cleanly and without sticking; knives tend to drag and stick.
• If some pieces remain slightly chewy and you prefer them crisp, return them to the oven for 5–10 minutes until they firm up.
• Experiment with alternative toppings such as nuts, cacao nibs, toffee bits, or different chip varieties.
• For non-Passover versions, corn starch or white rice flour are reliable substitutes for potato starch.
• To replace 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, use 1½ teaspoons of vanilla sugar.
• Serve brittle on its own, or pair with fresh fruit or a scoop of ice cream for an elegant dessert presentation.

Frequently asked questions

More gluten free recipes

Try other flourless cookie and brownie recipes for Passover or everyday gluten-free baking. Some popular options include marzipan cookies with crunchy almonds, flourless almond cookies (Pasticcini di Mandorle) with almond and lemon flavor, peanut-butter s’mores style cookies made without flour, almond flour cookie bars with melted chocolate swirls, flourless fudge brownies, and flourless chocolate crinkle cookies. Each provides a different texture and flavor while remaining flour-free and Passover-friendly when prepared with the proper ingredients.