Gluten free and naturally sweetened—with these Healthy Brownies, you can have your cake brownies and eat them too!
Any time I have attempted to reform my diet, even for a temporary period, I meet the same insurmountable barrier: chocolate.
It’s both my greatest food weakness and my greatest source of food happiness.
Rather than attempt to give it up, drive myself crazy with cravings, then feel bad when I slip, I find it far more pleasant to create healthier chocolate desserts like today’s healthy brownies.
Although I don’t adhere to a specific diet (Paleo, vegan, gluten-free, etc.), I am certainly no stranger to the feeling that my body sometimes needs a bit of a reset— especially following the holidays when I realize that I’ve been subsisting primarily on cheese boards, Brownie Cookies, and champagne.
I suspect a few of you may share the same feeling, and that’s where this easy, healthy brownie recipe comes into play.
(These Avocado Brownies or Black Bean Brownies are other great healthy brownie options.)
How to Make Healthy Brownies
Made with almond butter, unsweetened cocoa, hefty hunks of dark chocolate, and a rich fudge frosting, this recipe is gooey, decadent, and…healthy?!
Yep, it’s true!
Flourless, gluten free (and grain free), dairy free, and naturally sweetened with maple syrup and coconut sugar (no sugar of the granulated variety here!), these healthy brownies will satisfy any chocolate craving in a wholesome way.
Tip!
For another healthy brownie option that sneaks in a serving of veggies, check out these Sweet Potato Brownies.
The Ingredients
- Almond Butter. Provides the brownies with all the richness and fat they need without adding any butter, vegetable oil, or canola oil to the recipe. Almond butter is packed with vitamin E and contains healthy monounsaturated fats.
- Coconut Sugar + Maple Syrup. My choices for natural sweeteners that take the place of refined granulated sugar.
- Cocoa Powder. The trick to making traditional brownies (like my One Bowl Brownies and Brownie Bites) and healthy brownies such as these ultra-decadent.
- Egg. Adds richness, improves texture, and gives the brownies a little lift and chew.
- Vanilla Extract. Balances and intensifies the chocolate flavor.
- Chocolate Chips. Get stirred into the batter and sprinkled on top.
- Fudge Frosting. Made with a few of the wholesome ingredients above, along with almond milk and coconut oil to make it rich and spreadable, this easy fudge frosting is the perfect way to finish off these healthy brownies.
The Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl, prepare the brownie batter.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter into a greased and lined 8×8 square baking pan.
- Bake healthy brownies at 350 degrees F for 17 minutes. Let cool.
- Prepare the frosting in a small saucepan on the stovetop.
TIP!
The mixture will look very separate at first but will come together as you continue to stir.
- Spread the frosting over the brownies and sprinkle with additional chocolate chips. Allow the frosting to set, then slice and serve. ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Keep the brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. Enjoy leftovers at room temperature or, to make them extra fudgy, warm slightly in the microwave.
- To Freeze. Cover the brownies uncut in the pan with foil and store frozen for up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
