Super Moist Chocolate Keto Brownies
Published October 13, 2019 • Updated March 3, 2026
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Ultra moist chocolate brownies made with a secret ingredient and loaded with chocolate!
Brownie Base Ingredients
4 oz unsweetened chocolate or keto approved chocolate chips -
1 cup ricotta cheese
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2 eggs
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1/3 cup monk fruit
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1 tablespoon instant espresso
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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1/3 cup 100% dark cocoa or cacao powder
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1/4 cup coconut flour or 1/2 cup almond flour
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1/4 cup heavy cream
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1/2 teaspoon baking powder
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1/4 teaspoon salt
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1/4 cup sugar free keto approved chocolate chips
Chocolate Frosting Ingredients
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1/4 cup butter or coconut oil
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2 oz unsweetened chocolate or keto approved chocolate chips
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1/3 cup powdered erythritol
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1/4 cup 100% dark cocoa or cacao powder
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1/4 cup heavy cream
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Microwave it
Microwave 4 oz of the unsweetened chocolate in a microwave safe bowl at 30 second intervals until melted.
Mix ingredients
In the same bowl, add ricotta cheese, egg, monk fruit, espresso, vanilla, cocoa powder, flour, heavy cream, baking powder, and salt. Mix until combined. Once combined, stir in remaining chocolate chips.
Spread batter
Spread onto baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Don’t over bake – mixture will still be wobbly when finished baking. Cool before frosting.
Make the frosting
For the frosting, melt butter, erythritol, and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in cocoa powder and heavy cream. It will thicken up.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I substitute the ricotta cheese in the brownies?
Absolutely! You can use cream cheese or Greek yogurt as a substitute for ricotta cheese. Just expect the texture to vary slightly.
What can I use instead of monk fruit sweetener?
If you don't have monk fruit sweetener, you can use erythritol or stevia as alternatives. Adjust the quantity to your taste since different sweeteners have different levels of sweetness.
How should I store the leftover brownies?
Store the brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze them for longer storage; just make sure to wrap them well to prevent freezer burn!
Are these brownies suitable for a gluten-free diet?
Yes, these brownies are gluten-free as they use coconut flour or almond flour instead of regular flour. Just ensure your chocolate chips are also gluten-free.
Can I make these brownies dairy-free?
You can try using dairy-free cream cheese and coconut milk instead of heavy cream for a dairy-free version. The texture and flavor will be slightly different, but they should still be delicious!
These chocolate brownies are super moist and chocolaty. This recipe uses both cocoa powder and unsweetened chocolate for maximum chocolate flavor. The ricotta cheese keeps them soft and chewy – just like grandma used to make!
These brownies are also nut free – use coconut flour instead of almond, and you’ve got a safe dessert for anyone with tree nut allergies.
The chocolate you’ll use in this recipe is 100% unsweetened baking chocolate or sugar-free chocolate chips. The two brands I recommend are:
ChocZero: Sweetened with monkfruit, ChocZero chocolate chips contain no sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners. They are 50% chocolate so they are perfect for your keto chocolate baking.
We owe all the moistness in these brownies to the ricotta cheese. When I use sugar substitutes like erythritol and monk fruit, or alternative flours like coconut or almond, my baked goods tend to dry out faster than traditional ones. Sugar and gluten hold moisture better than the alternatives.
Using ricotta maintains the texture and moisture in these brownies. Ricotta does contain carbohydrates, but the per-serving amount is minimal. This recipe yields 9 large brownies.
Store these ricotta brownies at room temperature or in the refrigerator in an airtight container to preserve the texture and moisture.
My teenager inhaled two of these before I could get a photo, then demanded to know what made them so moist. Told him it was ricotta and he literally Googled it to make sure I wasn't lying.
Ha, the ricotta skepticism is real. It's the real stuff too, not a small amount. 1 cup in the whole batch. That's what keeps them fudgy instead of cakey.
I only have a 9x13 pan right now and I want to make sure these turn out perfectly! The 30 minutes is for a square dish, right? Do I need to shorten the bake time so they don't dry out? I would be so sad if I messed up these chocolate keto brownies!
Yeah, 30 minutes is for an 8x8. In a 9x13 the batter spreads thinner so I'd check around 18-20 minutes. Pull them when the edges look set but the center still has a little give. They'll firm up as they cool.
My husband ate three and asked if I used real chocolate
Ha, yeah it's the real stuff. 4 oz of actual unsweetened chocolate plus the cocoa powder. The ricotta keeps it from tasting like a protein bar.
First of all, Wow! I made these exact and I’m so overwhelmed by the flavor and the texture and WOW is all I can basically say. I have tried and failed so many times to get that perfect brownie and with keto it’s not easy, at all! That’s until today when I found this wonderful recipe you all have created. I’m so grateful. I’ve been at this for close to a year and a half and bought so many recipe books and spent so many hours online acquiring recipes that it’s amazing I’m still Keto or sane! However, days like today make it all worth wild. I have finally filled a void for brownies. I will from this moment on only use your brownie recipe for keto. Thank you so much for sharing and will be going through the rest of your recipes to see what other treasures I can come out with. Yay, if I could do a cartwheel I would!!!
Fe this made my whole week. The ricotta is the secret, it keeps them fudgy without all the extra fat. So glad you found your go-to brownie recipe.
I found your recipe for FUDGY KETO BROWNIES on the choc zero website, and don't see the exact same recipe here. The recipe calls for 1/3 sugar substitute. I use stevia, monk fruit tends to upset my stomach. Wonder how I can use stevia in these, since that would be way too much stevia.
Betty, stevia is way more concentrated than monk fruit so you'd use much less. I'd start with about 1 teaspoon of liquid stevia or a stevia-erythritol blend like Truvia where you can use it 1:1. Pure stevia at 1/3 cup would be way too much.
What is the cacao percentage recommended of the dark chocolates used to melt, add in batter before baking, and the frosting? Assuming all the same percent but your and choczero sites don’t state which percent. We baked for first time last night and they smelled really good. I used the dark chocolate I had on hand that wasn’t sugar free (Ghiradhelli 86%) but very low and the one piece I tried was yummy, could really taste the espresso, and chocolate taste may be more bitter. Am going to try again with recommended percentage keto dark chocolates.
Most sugar-free dark chocolate runs around 70-85%. ChocZero's is about 70% which is what I use. Your 86% Ghirardelli would work fine, just a touch more bitter. You could add a little more sweetener to balance it out.
Could you sub cottage cheese for ricotta?
I haven't tried that yet. I think it would work, but let me know if you try it.
If using unsweetened chocolate, would you increase the amount of sweetener. If so, how much more would you recommend?
Yes, but not that much more. Maybe 1-2 tablespoons. Taste the batter before you bake.
What size pan for the brownies? 8" or 8" square?
Yes! That will work!