Healthy brownies are your new guilt-free indulgence! They contain far less sugar and healthy ingredients like zucchini and yogurt to make a delicious, chewy dark chocolate brownie that’s even better than regular brownies.
I definitely have a sweet tooth. I can’t keep my hands off the treats I make, so when I make them, I look for ways to make them a little better for me. If you’re like me, you have to try these Skinny Muddy Buddies, these super delicious Skinny Cheesecakes and these delicious Healthy Oatmeal Cookies.
Healthy Zucchini Brownies
It’s that time of year when everyone is working on goals, and many of them are related to better health. These healthy brownies were inspired by my goal to eat healthier. I don’t want to give up all my sweets, because I know if I do, I won’t be sticking to my diet. I can’t help it, I have a super big sweet tooth! If you too have a sweet tooth, then you will definitely love this healthy brownie recipe!
I love brownies, I have some really delicious recipes on my blog like these easy caramel brownies and these awesome cherry cheesecake brownies. The problem is, once I’ve made them, I can’t help but eat way too many. That’s why I love these healthy zucchini brownies so much! They contain much less sugar and they are just as good! They are gooey and have lots of dark chocolate flavor, and the frosting is amazing. The best part is that they are just as easy to make!
Ingredients
The ingredients in these healthy brownies might just surprise you! There’s no butter, making this recipe dairy-free without giving up the sweetness you love in a brownie. You can add chocolate chips on top or in the batter before baking. You can find the measurements below in the recipe card.
healthy brownies
- Grated zucchini: You can use a food processor with a grater or use a cheese grater. You will want to squeeze out the liquid, but not everything.
- Egg: I only use one egg in this recipe. In the recipe box below, I share a way to use flax seeds instead of eggs in this recipe.
- Applesauce: Applesauce helps keep things moist and add sweetness without the need to add extra sugar.
- Dear: Honey is the perfect thing to use in place of sugar. It’s gentle and easier for your body to process.
- Vanilla extract: I like to add vanilla to add extra flavor and bring out the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Cocoa powder: I love cocoa powder because it has health benefits. It also adds all the flavor of the chocolate, so you definitely need to add it.
- Baking soda: This will help the brownies rise a little. They don’t rise like a cake but they would be too dense without a little baking soda.
- Salt: The salt helps bring out all the delicious flavors in this brownie and keep it from getting too sweet.
- Whole wheat flour: You’ll be amazed at how amazing these brownies taste with whole wheat flour! If you have picky eaters, you should let them try before telling them there is whole wheat flour. I bet they can’t tell the difference!
Chocolate Frosting for Healthy Brownies
- Fat Free Greek Yogurt: This makes for a perfectly balanced frosting that is both sweet and tart.
- Cocoa powder: This is how you will make the taste of the frosting even more chocolate. You will definitely want to add it! It has even been shown to help reduce inflammation.
- Dear: Honey is a great way to sweeten frosting without adding powdered sugar, and it has a great flavor.
- Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding Mix: This really is the key to icing. It makes it smooth and the right texture, as well as super chocolaty and delicious.
Healthy Brownie Recipe
This healthy brownie recipe is as easy as regular brownies! It’s just as delicious. You will seriously love this chocolate dessert! The frosting is so smooth and creamy, and the brownie base is so gooey and chocolatey. You will be so happy with how these turn out!
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line an 8X8 baking dish spraying with nonstick cooking spray and lining with parchment paper, set aside.
- Grate the courgettes: Grate your zucchini and lightly squeeze out the excess liquid, you don’t want to completely squeeze out all the juice. Put aside
- Whip Ingredients: In a large bowl, add your egg, applesauce, honey and vanilla. Whisk to combine. Add your prepared zucchini and whisk together.
- Sift the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift together your cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and flour. Whisk together.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients: Gradually add flour mixture to wet mixture and stir to combine. Once the batter is smooth, pour it into your prepared pan and bake for 24-26 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick in the center of the brownies, it should come out almost clean, there will be a little brownie on it, but not much.
- Make the icing: To make chocolate frosting, add Greek yogurt, cocoa powder, honey and pudding mix to a medium bowl. Using a hand mixer, whisk all the ingredients together.
- Spread the frosting: Spread frosting over cooled brownies and enjoy!
Tips for Making Healthy Brownies
There are lots of ways to switch up these healthy brownies. These are just a few suggestions of ingredients you can use and ways to modify this recipe to suit your needs.
- Other sweeteners: You can replace the honey in the brownie and frosting with your favorite sweetener of the same consistency like agave or maple syrup.
- Egg replacement: If you want an egg substitute, you can combine 1 tbsp flaxseed meal and 2 ½ tbsp water, let the mixture sit for a few minutes, and thicken. This amount replaces one egg.
- Make it gluten-free: I know many of you are interested in making this recipe gluten free. I haven’t tried other flours like almond flour or coconut flour, but I know there are many gluten-free flour blends you can use as a flour substitute. If the package says you can use it as a 1:1 substitute for flour, it will work great in this recipe!
Storing leftovers
These healthy brownies make amazing leftovers! Thanks to zucchini, they don’t dry out and stay deliciously moist for days. Here’s how to store leftovers.
In the refrigerator: These brownies are best stored in the fridge in an airtight container or in plastic wrap on the baking dish for up to 5-7 days, although they never last more than a few days in my house.
Other chocolate desserts to try
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Reese’s Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
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chocolate lasagna
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Mississippi Mud Cake
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The best no-bake cookies
To print
healthy brownies
Healthy brownies are your new guilt-free indulgence! They contain far less sugar and healthy ingredients like zucchini and yogurt to make a delicious, chewy dark chocolate brownie that’s even better than regular brownies.
Servings 12 People
calories 144calories
Ingredients
- 2 cups grated zucchini
- 1 big egg
- ½ Chopped off Applesauce
- ½ Chopped off dear
- 2 coffee spoons vanilla
- ½ Chopped off cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 Chopped off whole wheat flour
Chocolate icing
- 2 cups fat-free greek yogurt
- 2 soup spoons cocoa powder
- ¼ Chopped off dear
- 1 packet of sugar free chocolate pudding mix
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line an 8X8 baking dish spraying with nonstick cooking spray and lining with parchment paper, set aside.
Grate your zucchini and lightly squeeze out the excess liquid, you don’t want to completely squeeze out all the juice. Put aside
In a large bowl, add your egg, applesauce, honey and vanilla. Whisk to combine. Add your prepared zucchini and whisk together.
In a separate bowl, sift together your cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and flour. Whisk together.
Gradually add flour mixture to wet mixture and stir to combine. Once the batter is smooth, pour it into your prepared pan and bake for 24-26 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick in the center of the brownies, it should come out almost clean, there will be a little brownie on it, but not much.
To make chocolate frosting, add Greek yogurt, cocoa powder, honey and pudding mix to a medium bowl. Using a hand mixer, whisk all the ingredients together.
Spread frosting over cooled brownies and enjoy!
Nutrition
calories: 144calories | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 6g | Large: 1g | Saturated fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated fats: 0.2g | Monounsaturated fat: 0.4g | Trans fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 117mg | Potassium: 229mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 66UI | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 1mg
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