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
wow thats alot of chocolate!! Looks super yummy!! I love the pic of you and your daddy,soo sweet 🙂 My favorite dessert is from a local restaurant, RED VELVET CAKE!!
just finished making with Gluten-free flour and agave. Still delicious! I added in cocao nibs too.
Oh my gosh, I love the idea to add cacao nibs! Darn it, Angela, now I need to make more brownies!
Hi Angela, How much Agave did you use and did you have to change the amount of any other liquids? Thanks! Karen
Hi Karen,
I used a little less than 1/2 cup of Agave because of it being a little less sweet than sugar and reduced the applesauce to 1/4 cup as Katie suggested. I used 2T of melted coconut oil for the fat (another time I used 3T of almond butter instead and that was delicious too). However, you can’t really go wrong with 1/2 cup of agave because it will be no more sweet than regular boxed brownies. I always like mine a little less sweet. They tasted great with the agave and I’ve made 3 batches so far. I also tried some with a little coconut added to the mix.
And was that for the smaller batch or an 8 by 8 pan? I’m gonna try an 8 by 8 batch this weekend. Thanks a lot!
Hi Karen,
I made the 8×8. So, I just doubled everything and it turned out great. I figured if I was going to make brownies, might as well make a large batch because I know that the small one wouldn’t last long!
Ohh,sorry to be dense. But was it 1/2 cup agave in the doubled version? Or a cup after doubling?
They look so rich and delicious! Favorite dessert for me would be classic chewy chocolate chip cookies (ooh nice alliteration) warm from the oven!!! (My mouth is watering just thinking about it…)
Katie, thanks so much for this recipe! I’ve been looking for desserts I can make for the office to satisy everyone – the vegans, the clean eaters and the junk food addicts alike – this sounds like one absolutely everyone would fall for!
I made them for my friends, and everyone loved them. I went with the “fudgey version”. So so good! And my friends don’t even like healthy food!
What is the glaze/icing you have on top?
Oh lol just your average chocolate syrup… but that was just for the photoshoot. (Those are actually a reject batch of brownies from one of my many test batches!) These things don’t really need any icing. They’re sweet/fudgey enough on their own ;).
Ohmygoshhhh those photos are awesome!!! It’s hard to make brownies look good and you definitely accomplished that. My favorite dessert ever is gelato. I want to get the real stuff in italy one day!
You must!!! Even though we went in the winter, we got a lot of gelato! I have photos of me in gloves and a hat, eating Italian gelato. And a lot of the places have vegan gelato!!! 🙂
Absolute favorite dessert? Well, lately it has been my chocolate pb cake! But Brownies have an extra special place in my heart 😀 And Katie, they totally look fudgy in the picture!
Sooo fudgyyy! I can’t wait to try these out. Thanks for putting a GF variation in there Katie 🙂
My favorite desert would have to be anything coconut or chocolate. Even better if it combines the two!
Oh you should thank Steph (http://vegfortworth.com/) who told me that they work gluten-free! 🙂
I just made you blondie batter dip (can’t wait to have it when I get back this afternoon!)…. but this brownie is going to be made today too I think! I’m reading these comments and hearing they are fudgier than normal brownies? Yay! I love fudge, only I desist the gut-ache I get from eating it. These look like they would forgo making my tummy ache!
And btw, fudgy and fudgier should really be added to the Webster dictionary. Just sayin’, Merriam.
I think my favorite dessert depends on the season. I love cookies in the fall and winter. In the summer I am more about fruity or cool desserts. I can’t wait to see how you make the S’Mores version of those blondies! Yum! What do you use for the marshmallows to make them vegan? lol.
Smuckers marshmallow fluff is actually vegan! (Ricemellow cream too, but it’s super-hard to find!) Some health food stores sell vegan marshmallows, but I’ve never had any. I’m going to use the Smuckers stuff! 🙂