This recipe for rich and fudgy healthy brownies is so completely delicious that you will never believe the healthy ingredients!
The best healthy brownies
Imagine a homemade secretly healthy brownie recipe that can easily its own in taste and texture against any regular chocolate brownie.
There is no flour, no refined sugar, and more than five grams of protein packed into each and every super chocolatey fudge brownie.
The wholesome brownie recipe can be vegan, oil free, low fat, egg free, dairy free, and cholesterol free, with fiber, potassium, and iron.
Also try this healthy Frozen Yogurt Recipe
Flourless brownie ingredients
These super chocolatey low calorie brownies call for the following ingredients: unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, quick oats, pure maple syrup (or honey or raw agave), banana, nut butter, pure vanilla extract, chocolate chips, and black beans.
For flourless and grain free brownies, the half cup of quick oats can be replaced with an equal amount of almond flour if desired.
There is also keto and paleo brownie recipe option included in the recipe.
Feel free to use your favorite nut butter, such as almond butter, cashew butter, or peanut butter. Or for an allergy friendly option, sunflower butter also works well.
Use chocolate protein powder instead of the antioxidant rich cocoa if you want high protein brownies. Just be sure to choose a protein powder with a flavor you already know that you like for baking.
The gluten free brownie recipe calls for a standard fifteen ounce can of black beans. If you want to use cooked beans, measure out one and a half cups after cooking.
I have not tried any other beans or legumes in place of the black beans here. However, I do have a different recipe for Chickpea Brownies if you want to use garbanzo beans.
For the chocolate chips: I like to use Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips in the recipe, or you can use whatever chips you have on hand. My preference is for dark chocolate, but semi sweet, milk chocolate, and white chocolate all work too.
For a no sugar variation, Lily’s dark chocolate chips are a great option.
Or you can even make your own Sugar Free Chocolate Chips.
Liquid sweeteners that do well here include pure maple syrup, raw agave, honey (not for vegans), date syrup, or even keto syrup for sugar free brownies.
Healthy brownie recipe video
Above, watch the step-by-step video
Healthy brownies without banana
The recipe below uses banana to add natural sweetness without added sugar.
If you are allergic to the fruit, do not have any on hand, or just dislike the taste of banana brownies, make these popular Black Bean Brownies instead. It’s a similar recipe, but with no banana.
Or you might also really like these healthy Sweet Potato Brownies.
To answer a common reader question: You might be able to sub applesauce, avocado, or Greek yogurt for the banana if you also add some sweetener to replace the sugar from the banana. I have not tried this substitution so cannot say how it will taste.
Be sure to report back if you experiment.
How to make vegan healthy brownies from scratch
To make the plant based brownies, start by reading through the recipe instructions and gathering your ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and line an 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper or grease the pan well. Set it aside.
In a high quality food processor, blend everything until completely smooth. You can mix in the chocolate chips either before or after blending, but be sure not to leave them out!
Smooth the healthy brownie batter into the prepared pan. If desired, you can sprinkle some extra dark chocolate chips on top. Place the pan on the oven’s center rack.
Bake the healthy chocolate fudge brownies for fifteen minutes. Let them cool before cutting into bars or squares.
If you want them extra gooey and fudgy (definitely my preferred way to eat brownies!), you can eat them right away.
Otherwise, refrigerate the pan overnight, very loosely covered, and the delicious chocolate dessert will firm up considerably as excess moisture escapes.
They also have a deeper, sweeter, and richer taste a day after they are made.
Chocolate brownie storage tips
Store leftover brownies in the refrigerator for up to four or five days.
Or slice and freeze the brownie bars in a single layer or with parchment in between layers. Thaw the frozen brownies before serving, and enjoy for dessert or snack whenever a brownie craving hits in the future.
Try topping the recipe with cream cheese or chocolate frosting, melted chocolate chips or chocolate ganache, or Banana Ice Cream if desired.
With all the protein, fiber, vitamins and antioxidants, who is to say you couldn’t even eat these wholesome chocolate brownies for breakfast???
Health benefits
When cut into nine servings, each brownie is just 150 calories.
And the recipe contains 5.6 grams of protein and 5.7 grams of heart healthy fiber.
They are low in saturated fat, low sodium, and high in iron, with calcium, quercetin, and potassium.
Plus, the superfood black beans and unsweetened cocoa powder provide nutritious vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Easy healthy brownie recipes
Healthy Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 can black beans
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup quick oats (for low carb, try these Keto Brownies)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup or honey or agave
- 1 banana (see banana free options listed above)
- 1/4 cup nut butter of choice or coconut oil
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (not optional)
Instructions
- To make healthy brownies, first preheat the oven to 350 F. Blend all ingredients except the chocolate chips in a food processor until completely smooth. (A blender can work if you must, but the texture and taste will be better in a food processor. I use this food processor.) Stir in the chips. Smooth into a greased or parchment lined 8×8 inch baking pan. If desired, add extra chocolate chips on top. Bake on the oven's center rack for 15 minutes. Let cool before cutting. If they are too fudgy and gooey for your liking, you can place them in the fridge overnight, during which time they firm up even more. View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
Healthy Dessert Ideas
I tried these today, and they taste like regular brownies! I subbed tofu for mashed banana, you do NOT taste the banana! Awesome. Also, I used white flour and half of the amount of sugar with real sugar, the rest with sweetener. So, I could probably have made it healthier, but this is healthier than regular AND AMAZING!! 14 minutes in the oven, now in the fridge, they are SUUUUPER FUDGEY!
Hi Katie! I tried these brownies in two versions:the first with tofu, but I obtained a gummy frisbee!!! Probably it happened because the only tofu I was able to find wasn’t that creamy…so I tried substituting tofu with philadelphia balance (i don’t have problems with dairy products)) and baking them for 15 minutes….well, they were great! Nobody could guess what they did contain! My boss said “Uh, I have to run for an hour after this brownie”. Amazing! You’re definitely the best food blogger I’ve ever read! I’ve already read swhere that your granny is Italian, from where exactly? I live in a small city in northern Italy!
Hi and congratulations again for your work!
Hey, I just made the tofu brownies… They didn’t rise. Are they supposed to? Did I maybe miss something? They still taste delicious but are pretty thin.
Thanks
Colleen
I’m not Katie but I don’t think brownies are supposed to rise in general. Otherwise it would be cake. It sounds like you did everything correctly.
what are the measurements in metric grams?
I just made this in two variations, one with GF flour & erythritol. And one with white flour and splenda (wanted to see which one was better, it was GF) but they both turned out pretty bad. They were kind of rubbery and didn’t have a super great taste to them, I used 1/3 cup applesauce & 2 tbsp olive oil in them and also only had silken tofu on hand. They look fabulous and everyone says they liked them, so I am so sorry for totally butchering your brownies. Maybe this just isn’t the recipe for me, if you have any suggestions on how to fix them I’d love to make another attempt at the someday. Sorry :/
Suggestion: Make the recipe as written. It is always a good idea to make a recipe as written to see how it turns out before making changes.
hi katie! i’ve just tried this recipe and the end product tasted AMAZING!!!!!
the only variation i made was adding baking soda instead of baking powder (i hope that’s alright!!!!) these tofu brownies turned out to be fudge-like & are tasted even better when i sifted some cocoa powder on the top.
thank you so much for this recipe!!!!!! 🙂
I just made this, and they were chewy! Haha I don’t know if that’s how they were supposed to turn out.. But it was still yummy 😀 maybe I left them in for too long hmmm. I love your blog btw! I just discovered it a while ago. Really useful for a health-conscious sweet tooth like me 🙂
I love everything you do!! I wish I had your job!
I don’t have the smaller pan so always double your recipes for my 8×8 pan. In this case, how long should I bake? Especially if I want the extra fudgy ones 🙂
Try baking the same amount of time. The amount of batter is bigger, but so is the pan.
What chocolate sauce did you use in the pictures?
Barleans chocolate raspberry swirl.
Oh, goodness! I had no idea Barleans made one. That changes everything…….. 😉
HI Katie, i was wondering if i could sub one tablespoon of the oil for pureed prunes, because i heard that they are great oil subs in brownies!! So could I, or should i just not do that??