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Hi Bold Bakers!
Hi Bold Bakers!
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE My 5-Ingredient Flourless Brownie Roll features a double dose of chocolate and looks like it was made by a professional pastry chef. It was made with just 5 staple ingredients and baked in 15 minutes flat!
IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was updated and improved on 4/4/2023, to include notes for ingredients, re-organized video-guided written instruction, answers to the most frequently asked questions, and Pro Chef Tips.
I am beyond proud to be partnering once again with Ghirardelli Chocolate to celebrate the Season of Spring! Whether you’re looking for a showstopping Easter brunch dessert or an impressive flourless treat to make for your Passover spread, this chocolate-centric recipe is for you! But, here’s a secret — nobody is stopping you from making this incredible chocolate dessert year-round. Just take off the festive flair and you’ve got an incredibly sweet treat nobody is going to turn down because of the season.
Table of Contents
- What is Flourless Brownies Roll?
- Tools You Need
- Flourless Brownie Roll Ingredients
- How to Make Flourless Brownie Roll
- FAQ 1. Can I Substitute the Eggs?
- FAQ 2. How Long Does the Brownie Roll Last? How Do I Store It?
- Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
- Get more brownies!
What is Flourless Brownie Roll?
- What it is: A flourless brownie roll is a rich rolled-up brownie made with chocolate, water, sugar, and eggs, without any flour! If you’re looking for a gluten-free option for dessert, nothing is better than these flourless chocolate brownies. And on top of that, if you’re out of flour, this flourless brownie recipe save you a trip to the store.
- The consistency of your final product should be like a slightly fudgy brownie with some cracks across the surface. But not to worry, crackly tops are part of the charm of the dessert. Also, we are going to cover it with a ganache!
- The taste will be like your favorite Ghirardelli chocolate transformed into a brownie, with a perfect whipped cream center to balance out the flavor landscape.
Tools You Need
- Baking tray and parchment paper
- Small bowl
- Stand mixer and bowl with the whisk attachment
- Towel
- Wire rack
- Serving platter
- Piping bag
- Measuring cups
Ingredients You Need and why
Brownie Roll:
- Ghirardelli 60% Chocolate Chips and Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: Chocolate with a cocoa percentage around Check out my Ultimate Guide to the Different Types of Chocolate to know when to use which!
- Water: Water helps to melt the chocolate properly and adds extra moisture to the brownies.
- Sugar: Sugar adds sweetness, stabilizes whipped egg whites, and binds all ingredients together during baking.
- Eggs: Eggs enrich the flavor and incorporate air to make brownies rise.
Filling:
- Heavy Whipping Cream, whipped
Garnish:
- Chocolate ganache: Check out my easy recipe of How To Make Chocolate Ganache and 3 Amazing Ways to Use It
- Ghirardelli Dark Sea SaltEggs
- Ghirardelli Milk and Caramel Bunnies
How To Make Flourless Brownies
This flourless brownie recipe only requires a few simple ingredients and provides you with a new recipe that flips the script on homemade brownies, with limited baking time and no brownie mix needed (get the full recipe with measurements).
1. Prepare:
- Preheat oven and butter and line a baking tray with parchment paper, to help parchment paper stay in place.
2. How To Melt Chocolate Properly
- One of the most important ingredients in this 5-Ingredient Flourless Brownie Roll is obviously the chocolate! For this recipe, I’m using Ghirardelli 60% chocolate chips. These chocolate chips deliver a great depth of flavor and a silky texture, especially once melted and mixed into the brownie roll.
- To melt the chocolate chips properly, and add extra moisture to the brownie roll, I melt the chocolate down with a bit of water. I simply do this in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave 30 seconds at a time until the chocolate has melted. Then I gently stir until the chocolate is shiny and smooth.
- If you don’t own a microwave, you can always use this flourless brownie recipe over a bain marie.
3. Making the brownie batter:
- Whip up egg whites first to build a base.
- Then slowly stream in sugar to fully incorporate it, followed by the cooled melted chocolate until fully mixed.
4. Take care not to overbake it by baking it on the middle rack for 15-18 minutes until firm to touch.
5. After baking:
- Create “muscle memory” for the cake to roll better and easier: while still warm, gently roll up the roulade and carefully un-roll it. Refer to video 5:05.
- Don’t overfill your cake roll, less is more!
- Roll the brownie with the assistance of a towel into a log, refer to video 7:20.
- Garnish the Flourless Brownie Roll with ganache, whipped cream and Ghirardelli Dark Sea SaltEggs and Ghirardelli Milk and Caramel Bunnies.
FAQ 1. Can I Substitute the Eggs?
Eggs are an integral part of my 5-Ingredient Flourless Brownie Roll as nothing else whips up or bakes exactly as the eggs do. Since there are so few ingredients in the cake, each one has a very important purpose.
FAQ 2. How Long Does the Brownie Roll Last? How Do I Store It?
The chocolate inside keeps the roll rich and maintains the fudgy texture, and of course, the cream ensures it will not dry out. To store the Ghirardelli brownie cake, I suggest covering it tightly with cling wrap and storing it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
The trick to roll my Brownie Roll without it cracking:
- Before baking: Beating lots of air into the eggs before adding in the sugar or melted chocolate. This air not only helps the roll to puff up when baking (and become sponge-like), but it adds an almost elastic effect to the roll.
- After baking: For just a short time I allow the sheet of cake to cool slightly. Giving the whole sheet of brownie a careful roll up in the tin while still warm will ensure that after the roll cools it can be shaped into a perfect spiral shape without cracking.
Make a 5-Ingredient Flourless Brownie Roll ahead of time:
- You can make my 5 Ingredient Brownie Roll ahead of time and fill it the next day. This will ensure the roll has fully cooled and will make entertaining even easier. Because all you will have to do before serving up the roll is fill it with whipped cream and roll it up.
- To store the pre-made Brownie roll, cover it with cling wrap and store at room temperature until you’re ready to assemble.
- Also, don’t forget to pre-roll the brownie when it comes out for the oven.
If You Like This Flourless Brownie Recipe, Try My Triple Grands!
It’s a cookie, in the shape of a cupcake, with cheesecake in the center! Make my Triple Grands recipe!
Stock Up On Your Ghirardelli Chocolate!
Visit Ghirardelli for all your chocolate needs!
Get More Brownies!
- Best-Ever Brownies
- The Chewy Brownies of Your Dream
- Banana Bread Brownies
- Chewy Mochi Brownies
- 3-Ingredient Nutella Brownies
IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was updated and improved on 4/4/2023, to include notes for ingredients, re-organized video-guided written instruction, answers to the most frequently asked questions, and Pro Chef Tips.
And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!
Full (and printable) recipe below!
Try These Recipes!
Watch The Recipe Video!
5 Ingredient Flourless Brownie Roll Recipe
Ingredients
Brownie Roll
- 1 cup (6 oz//170g) Ghirardelli 60% Chocolate Chips
- 3 tablespoons water
- ⅔ cup (5 oz/142 g) granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup (3 oz/85 g) Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Filling
- 1 ½ cups (12 fl oz/360 ml) Heavy Whipping Cream, whipped
Garnish
- ½ cup chocolate ganache
- 3 Ghirardelli Dark Sea Salt Eggs
- 3 Ghirardelli Milk and Caramel Bunnies
Instructions
To Make the Brownie Roll
- Pre-heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter and line a 15 x 10-inch baking tray with parchment paper, leaving some parchment hanging over the sides to assist in rolling the cake. Set aside.
- In a small bowl combine the water and Ghirardelli 60% Chocolate Chips chocolate. Melt the chocolate gently either in the microwave or over a Bain Marie. Take care when melting chocolate as you don't want it to get too hot or it can burn. Set the chocolate aside to cool while preparing the rest of the cake.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment whip the eggs on high for 2-3 minutes until they begin to thicken slightly.
- While the machine is going, slowly stream in the sugar and continue whipping. Whip the eggs on high until very thick and pale in color, about 4-5 minutes. The mix should hold a ribbon shape when done.
- Next, pour in the cooled, melted chocolate and Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips and whip until the chocolate is fully mixed in. Run a spatula underneath to make sure it's totally combined.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking tray and sprinkles over an extra few Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips.
- Bake on the middle rack for 15-18 minutes. This roll bakes really fast, less is more as you want a slightly fudgy brownie.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 3-5 minutes, just until you can handle the roll. Important step: while still warm, gently roll up the roulade like you would if you had filled it. This will ensure fewer cracks once the cake is fully cooled (see video).
Assembling the Brownie Roll
- Once the cake has fully cooled, lay a clean towel over it followed by a cooling rack. In one swift motion flip over the cake where the baking tray is facing you (See video). Carefully remove the cooling rack from underneath so you are left with the cake laying on the towel. Gently peel away the parchment paper from the cake.
- On the side facing you, spread the whipped cream over the surface almost to the edge.
- Using the towel, carefully and slowly roll the cake up into a log. Roll up until you roll it on its seam. You will see cracks form but do not worry, this is part of the charm of the cake.
- Using the towel for leverage lift the rolled cake onto your serving platter.
- To garnish the roll, generously drizzle over the ganache and let it drip down the sides.
- Pipe some whipped cream down the center of the roll and place on some Ghirardelli Dark Sea Salt Eggs and Ghirardelli Milk and Caramel Bunnies.
- Serve as part of your Easter Brunch or Passover celebration. Any leftovers can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
love the recipe! huge fan
Once again congratulations!!!! Thank you for this amazing recipe. I will try it this week. I’ m a big fun of you. Greetings from Crete Greece.
Can you explain what Ghirardelli chocolate and chocolate chips are? I’ve never heard of them nor seen them to buy. Can it be substituted with ordinary chocolate as long as the cocoa content is as high?
This recipe looked intimidating to make but I can’t believe how manageable it was. My daughter and I made it together for Easter and it was delicious. Everyone loved it and the presentation for perfect. It was the first time that I made homemade ganache and it was super easy and so so so delicious. Also, I have never used Ghirardelli chocolate chips to bake but I will definitely start now. My family loves chocolate, I like chocolate but this recipe was not too powerful with chocolate just the right balance. So perfect for chocolate lovers and for those who… Read more »
Gemma, my batter came out way too thin, any idea what went wrong?
Could this be made like an artic roll? Use icecream instead of whipped cream ?
Hi Mam. I am Sai a 12 year old girl from India.I started watching your channel since 4 months. The more I watch your videos I feel soo happy,excited and inspired. My mom is a big fan of your photography she says it is so tempting.And in my school project they asked us to write about your favorite personality I am definitely going to write about you mam.In my break times I watch your videos only and it gives me a lot of happiness
Could one successfully use sugar substitute and sugar-free chocolate chips to make this a keto-friendly dessert?
Good morning from Crete! I have a question: can I put some strawberries in the cream? I also want to put strawberries on top instead of the bunnies and chocolate eggs. My grandson will be 1 year old in 2 weeks and I want to make this amazing brownie cake.
Cannot have sugar – is there a sugar substitute that you would recommend for the Brownie Roll recipe?