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
Ah, YUM!!! These looks too good! I love everythink dark and chocolaty!! I could live on it, dark chocolate is the only thing I NEVER get tired off!
You and your daddy are so cute, and you are so pretty! I love you hear, so shiny!
Oh, and I LOVE the chocolate mousse cake from Candle Cafe too! Candle cafe was The high light when I was in New York last year.
I have the recipe, do you want me to send it to you?
Awwww thank you SO much!!!
I have their recipe from the cookbook… but I made it once, years ago, and it didn’t taste the same! 🙁
I’m thinking I might try it again, omitting the almond extract. I don’t remember that flavor when I ate it in NYC. Maybe that’s why their cookbook version disappointed me? Or maybe they’re just not giving out the real recipe in their cookbook… because they want to keep it secret! Evil lol!
I tried to make it once too, but didnt have the right kind of tofu, so it didnt turn out too good:P Ill make it away though, since we finally have got silken tofu to Norway. Haha.. we are SO behind 😛
They look terrific!
One of my top desserts is tiramisu, but I have never, ever seen a vegan version – care to take up the challenge!?
Ooh ya know what? I do! I wonder if I could do it without the tofutti cream cheese, though, since a lot of readers/commenters don’t seem to like that stuff or can’t find it. Must experiment!
I think I have to make these after all the rave reviews but soy does not agree with my body at all. Anything I could use instead? Thanks!!
Hi Maddy,
I haven’t personally tried this, so I can’t say for sure how it’d work… but a few other commenters have used banana. If you try it, let me know how it works!
I can’t just pick one, but pumpkin pie, banberry pie, and anything citrus flavored!!! 0_0 and these DO look fudgey on the photos Katie!
these look amazing and healthy which I love!!
The pic of you and your dad is great! U should frame that and give it to him for fathers day!
Love you!
Aw thank you, Katie. You are always SUCH a sweetheart. Your comments (and fun tweets) light up my days :).
Omigosh those look delicious and definitely fudgey! And oh man- I don’t think I could ever choose just one favorite dessert! There are too many yummy ones that I love. A family one is my Grandma’s German Chocolate cake– it’s to die for! As for desserts out, it depends on my mood, but I always love a Creme Brulee or some sort of Chocolate creation. The other day I had chocolate pop rocks which were pretty amazing!
These look so good – as expected! Anything fudgey (which is a word) is delicious 😉
I can’t choose a favorite dessert… but one dessert I can’t get out of my mind was Butterscotch Bread Pudding I had a few months ago at California Cafe in Los Gatos, CA. It was to-die-for!!! I can’t wait to recreate it, even though it won’t be quite as good as the original!
I have been on a hunt for vegan butterscotch chips! I used to love butterscotch dipped ice cream cones at Dairy Queen… my sister thought it was gross. Her loss ;).
Me too.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/71938970/vegan-butterscotch-chips
You’re welcome! 😉
thanks
Hey Katie, These are new at VeganEssentials http://store.veganessentials.com/vegan-butterscotch-baking-chips-by-liebers-p3422.aspx
I like hair that length — and you have such thick hair that I think it looks great! But do what makes you feel more comfortable!
Favorite dessert — I love pie. Cherry pie, blueberry pie, BANANA CREAM PIE. yum. But brownies, cookies, baklava, etc — I will never turn those down.
Every time you say I have thick hair, I want to reach through the screen and hug you! Or maybe let you reach through the screen and see that it’s not true! 😉 I always joke that my sister stole all the hair in the family! It takes her 45 minutes to blow dry!
And I’M obsessed with YOU. I am SO trying those brownies!! Fudgey and chocolate is SO the best thing ever!! Mmm chocolate fudge cake/brownies/cookies are ALL my gave desserts! 😀
P.S. GORGEOUS photo of your and your dad!! 🙂
I love how these brownies are MONSTERS :). I’m so trying these!
These look scrumptious. I tried a batch of vegan chocolate peanut butter cookies (using Dark Chocolate Dreams, of course) yesterday that totally flopped — they were super salty from an excess of baking powder. These look like they’d taste much better, for sure! You can’t go wrong with fudgy brownies.
My favorite dessert is the “banana” cream pie from R&D Kitchen, which you may have heard of since you live in Dallas. It’s actually vanilla cream with banana slices on top, so I just ask them to leave off the banana slices because of my allergies. It’s an oat crust with a layer of dark chocolate, topped with the vanilla cream, homemade unsweetened whipped cream, and a salted caramel drizzle. It tastes beyond heavenly. Although this is by no means a vegan dessert, if you ever get a chance, you should stop into R&D and try their veggie burger — it’s probably the best I’ve ever tasted.
I haven’t heaard of it! But I’ll definitely look it up and see if the veggie burger is vegan. Off to do that… 🙂