Gluten-Free Crunch Bar Brownies
Made with fudgy gluten-free brownies and a chocolate crisp topping, these gluten-free crunch brownies channel all the flavor and texture of the classic candy bar!
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Servings: 16 -20 brownies
Ingredients
For The Brownie Layer:
- 1 ⅓ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (8 ounces/226 grams)
- 5 Tablespoons butter (71 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup gluten-free measure-for-measure flour (40 grams)
- 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder* (24 grams)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt use less if using fine table salt
For The Crunch Topping:
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (12 oz./340 grams)
- 4 Tablespoons butter, cut into pieces (57 grams)
- 1 ½ cups gluten-free crisp rice cereal**
Instructions
First, Make The Brownie Base:
- Preheat The Oven & Prep The Pan. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 metal baking pan with parchment paper. (Use metal instead of glass or ceramic, or the brownies will climb the sides of the pan.)
- Melt The Chocolate & Butter. In a small saucepan, gently melt the chocolate and butter together. on low heat, stirring until smooth. You can also do this in a microwave-safe bowl, melting in 20-30 second increments in the microwave, stirring after each interval. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir In The Vanilla, and mix until smooth and glossy.
- Whip Sugar & Eggs. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and eggs. Whisk or beat until the sugar has dissolved and the egg mixture has lightened in color significantly. (When you rub the mixture between your fingers, there should be almost no grit at all.) This will take several minutes by hand, or 2-3 minutes with a hand mixer.
- Combine Eggs. & Chocolate. Pour the partially cooled mixture into the egg mixture and stir to combine.
- Mix In Dry Ingredients. Add gluten-free flour, cocoa powder and salt to the batter and stir until just combined and no dry patches remain.
- Pour Into The Pan & Bake. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20-23 minutes, or until the brownies are set on the top. (Try not to over-bake here or the brownies will go dry.)
- Cool Completely Before Topping. Let the brownies cool to room temperature before adding the crunch topping. (You can speed this up by popping them into the fridge to cool down)
Then Make The Crunch Topping
- Melt Chocolate & Butter. In a clean saucepan, gently melt the chocolate and butter together until smooth. This mixture will be thicker than what you used for the brownie batter. If it's getting difficult to stir, you can add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract to help, but this isn't necessary. (Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate and butter in 20-30 second increments in a microwave safe bowl)
- Mix In Cereal. Add the cereal to the chocolate and stir to coat well.
- Top The Brownies. Pour the chocolate/cereal mixture onto the cooled brownies and gently smooth it out into an even layer. Chill the brownies in the fridge 30-60 minutes to allow the chocolate to set.
- Serve & Store. Cut the brownies into squares or rectangles and enjoy! Keep leftover brownies in the fridge 2-3 days, or freeze up to 2 months in an airtight container or bag.
Notes
- *COCOA POWDER. I use regular unsweetened cocoa rather than dark cocoa/Dutch-processed cocoa. It's personal preference, but I think the regular cocoa complements the crunch topping better!
- **STAY SAFE! Be sure your crisp rice cereal is certified gluten-free. (Rice Krispies brand contains malt and is NOT gluten-free) We like Barbara's or Aldi brands!
Video
Find the recipe:
sweetsandthankyou.com/gluten-free-crunch-brownies/