These healthy brownies -- or let's say healthy-ish-- are gooey, chocolatey, and super satisfying, and you won’t miss the stick of butter or processed sugar that was adapted out of this recipe. These will be cakier brownies, so take care to underbake them so you can still get a decadent, fudgy brownie that will satisfy all your chocolate cravings.
You’re going to love these
Super chocolatey. In making these brownies healthy-ish, decisions were made, but cutting down on anything that would compromise the chocolatiness just wasn’t one of them.
No white sugar. All the white sugar in the brownie and frosting recipe was replaced with maple syrup. Which is still sugar, but it’s unrefined sugar. Also, maple syrup is sweeter than sugar, so I was able to use less of it. Plus, it’s rich in minerals and antioxidants.
Way less butter. Like, a whole stick and a half less. I only used ½ a stick of butter in the brownies and another ½ stick in the frosting -- 1 ½ less sticks of butter than the version this recipe is based on. I also subbed in pumpkin puree for some of the butter to add moisture -- and some antioxidants!
Team "cakey brownie" for the win. If you like a cakey brownie, these are for you. But, honestly, these kind of ride the line. The edges that always tend to get cooked a bit more are cakier, but the center is still pretty fudgy -- especially if you underbake them.
Not too sweet. How can that be? The frosting isn't coyingly sweet like so many chocolate frosting recipes are. It's not bitter, but it's just not overly sweet. The added chocolate embellishments certainly amp up the sweet factor-- so if you like less-sweet desserts, you may want to leave that off.
How to make Healthy Brownies
Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.
Whisk together maple syrup, melted butter, and pumpkin puree in a large bowl. Stir in eggs and vanilla extract. Sift in flour, cocoa, cinnamon, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Stir in mini chocolate chips.
Spread brownie batter into 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 18-25 minutes.
Check for doneness at 15 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the center. If the toothpick still has wet batter on it, return brownies to oven for 3-5 more minutes. If the toothpick has streaks of batter and some moist crumbs, they are fudgy in the center. If the toothpick is clean, the brownies will be cake-like and may be overdone.
Place pan of brownies on a cooling rack and let them cool completely before cutting.
Make the frosting for brownies. Sift cocoa powder, cinnamon, and espresso powder into a large bowl. Add butter, maple syrup, and vanilla. Mix on low setting to combine the ingredients, then increase speed to medium and mix until smooth and creamy. Spread evenly over cooled brownies.
Add MORE chocolate! Sprinkle chopped milk chocolate over the frosting. In microwave, melt white chocolate chips and coconut oil for 15 seconds. Stir. Continue to microwave at 10-second intervals until the white chocolate is smooth. Immediately drizzle over the brownies. Let the chocolate cool before cutting.
Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Healthy Triple Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups maple syrup
- ½ stick butter, melted
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 egg whites
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cups flour
- ¾ cup dark cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon espresso powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
Healthy Dark Chocolate Frosting
- ½ stick butter, softened
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
EVEN MORE Chocolate Toppings
- ¼ cup milk chocolate, chopped
- ¼ cup white chocolate chips
- ½ teaspoon coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.
- Whisk together maple syrup, melted butter, and pumpkin puree in a large bowl. Stir in eggs and vanilla extract. Sift in flour, cocoa, cinnamon, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir with wooden spoon until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Stir in mini chocolate chips.
- Spread brownie batter into 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 18-25 minutes. Check for doneness at 15 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the center. If the toothpick still has wet batter on it, return brownies to oven for 3-5 more minutes. If the toothpick has streaks of batter and some moist crumbs, they are fudgy in the center. If the toothpick is clean, the brownies will be cake-like and may be overdone.
- Place pan of brownies on a cooling rack and let them cool completely before cutting.
- Make the frosting. Sift cocoa powder, cinnamon, and espresso powder into a large bowl. Add butter, maple syrup, and vanilla. Mix on low setting to combine the ingredients, then increase speed to medium and mix until smooth and creamy. Spread evenly over cooled brownies.
- Add MORE chocolate! Sprinkle chopped milk chocolate over the frosting. In microwave, melt white chocolate chips and coconut oil for 15 seconds. Stir. Continue to microwave at 10-second intervals until the white chocolate is smooth. Immediately drizzle over the brownies. Let the chocolate cool before cutting.
- Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
How to Freeze Brownies
- If you would like to freeze your brownies, it is best to leave them unfrosted. Freeze the whole slab or individual brownies by wrapping them in plastic wrap, then sealing them in a freezer bag. Freeze them for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Tips
Do not overbake brownies. Check them 3-5 minutes before the earliest recommended baking time. If a toothpick placed in the center still has wet batter on it, they need to go back in for a few more minutes. If the toothpick has some batter and also some moist crumbs on it, they’ll be fudgy in the center. For cakey brownies, the toothpick will have moist crumbs on it.
Add some coffee. Add ¼ teaspoon of espresso powder with your dry ingredients to enhance the deep chocolate flavor.
Sift everything. Many recipes call for sifting just the flour, but I like to sift the lumps out of all my dry ingredients. Plus, it makes your brownies softer and fluffier.
Let brownies cool completely before cutting them. It’s so tempting, I know. But you’ll end up with cleaner slices this way.
Use the highest quality chocolate you can find that fits your budget.
For fudgy brownies, be careful not to overmix the batter. Mix the ingredients by hand until they are just combined.
How to freeze brownies
If you would like to freeze your brownies, it is best to leave them unfrosted. Freeze the whole slab or individual brownies by wrapping them in plastic wrap, then sealing them in a freezer bag. Freeze them for up to 3 months.
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