This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Add a little cayenne pepper and cinnamon to your brownies and you have the best sweet and fudgy Mexican Brownies! They are gluten free and topped with a creamy chocolate frosting.
I couldn’t tease you on Instagram and not share this recipe with you. After all, I tested these brownies many many times to get the flavor perfect. Or maybe that was just an excuse to eat more brownies. Don’t tell anyone my secret.
Brownies are a great way to start the weekend. But these are not just any brownie, they are packed with a little spice and topped with creamy sweet frosting. Bake a batch of these flourless Mexican brownies, share them with your friends and family and I promise that they will love you forever.
It is amazing how much flavor a few teaspoons of spices can add to a dish. Chocolate enhances and complements the flavor of spices. The cayenne pepper adds a little kick. In fact, if you didn’t know cayenne pepper was in these brownies, I’m not sure you could guess what spices are added. The flavors combine to create a brownie that you will love.
If you don’t like frosting or want to cut back on the sugar, you can eat these brownies without the frosting. Sometimes I am impatient and eat the batch before I get a chance to frost them. Without the frosting they are just as rich and flavorful.
Flourless Mexican Brownies
Ingredients
For the brownies:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the frosting:
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick )unsalted butter,, at room temperature
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened or Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
To make the brownies:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 square pan with foil and spray lightly with baking spray; set aside.
- In a small saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter. Stir in the sugar until incorporated. Add the chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and add the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla extract and stir until incorporated.
- While mixing, slowly add the cocoa powder, cornstarch, salt, cayenne pepper and cinnamon. Using a hand mixer on high speed, beat the batter until smooth and shiny, 1 to 2 minutes. (You can also do it by hand, beating vigorously.)
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the brownies are set in the center. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for at least one hour.
To prepare the frosting:
- In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter and beat on medium speed for one minute. Slowly add the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, cayenne pepper and cinnamon. Mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the heavy cream and mix until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Spread the frosting over the brownies, remove from pan and slice before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
A few of my favorite gluten free desserts:
Flourless Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache
Can I just say: WOW! These are amazing! I have made these many times and have even scaled the recipe and made them for 100 people, for one of our Mexican themed dinner. Most adored them. I had a few kids that thought they were not great but their palates have not developed yet. haha. 😉 5 stars all the way!
Thank you for sharing this.
These were heavenly! Everyone loved them and raved about them. Very decadent and flavorful!
Does the center need to come out clean when testing with toothpick. My center is set but dies not come out clean.
The center should be cooked (ie: not gooey), but it doesn’t come out as clean as traditional brownies. These brownies are more dense than traditional brownies so the center may be more sticky or have more crumbs.
Do you think these would be ok frozen, I want to make them as a thin layer then Put cinnamon icecream on them, as icecream bars. But not really sure how they will freeze.
Hi, Lauranne! That’s a good question. I’m not entirely sure as I’ve never tried to freeze them before. I don’t see why it couldn’t hurt to try though. Let us know if you try it!
Do these need to be refrigerated if not eating right away? Thanks!
Hi Erin! I would refrigerate if you aren’t going to eat within 18-24 hours. Bring them to room temperature before serving.
These look amazing but my husband is allergic to lactose. Can I replace the heavy cream with something else?
You can use a dairy-free milk substitute such as coconut milk, almond milk or dairy free half and half.
These look delicious, and appear simple enough to make on a week night! One question, why do you call for two different type of cocoa powder? Will it make a difference in the taste of the icing if I just use what I have on hand, which is unsweetened cocoa powder. Thanks!!
Hi, Allison! You can use unsweetened or Dutch processed cocoa powder in this recipe. I updated the recipe to say that.
Wow! I made these for my daughters birthday, the brownie was the bottom layer of a small ice cream cake, and everyone LOVED them! Loads of people asked for the recipe. I left out the spices for this occasion, but with fall coming, I’ll try making them with the spicy flavors. I’m sure they’ll be just as delicious! THANK YOU!!
I made these for my husband, a notorious brownie lover, in honor of Cinco de Mayo. The texture of the brownies are good and the frosting to brownie ratio was perfect. But in the end, neither of us really thought the spices were necessary. After tasting the batter (spicy!) I did not include any cayenne in the frosting in hopes of balancing out the flavor. These brownies are good and I will probably be making them again, though sans spices.
Hi, Kaitlin! I’m glad to hear you liked the brownies. But I’m sorry to hear you didn’t like the spices. The brownie batter will be spicier than the actual brownies. Once they are baked, the flavors spice is less noticeable. You can certainly omit the cayenne pepper and cinnamon if you want.