Who loves brownies? Me, me me!!!! These healthy fudgy brownies truly are the BEST dessert I have ever made. Plus they contain less than 10 ingredients and no guilt.

I love that these brownies are: low fat, gluten-free and low in sugar but are still decadent, chocolatey and ooey, gooey.  Nobody will believe they are a healthy dessert!  

A brownie recipe that is healthy and easy to make?  YIPEEE! Also, super fudgy and just melt in your mouth the moment you take a bite.

So many people are trying to eat healthier, as we all should but sometimes we just want a chocolate filled, fudgy-charged brownie topped with vanilla ice cream or whatever you fancy and call it a day. Hey, we all work hard so a little treat once in a while is necessary but if we can still keep it on the healthier side than it’s a win for all of us.

How to make healthy brownies

This brownie recipe is super healthy thanks to a few substitutions I made to remove the gluten, bad-fat, cholesterol and refined sugar.

To make these gluten-free: I used unsweetened dark cocoa powder and almond flour in place of plain white flour. Which also intensified the chocolatey flavor, which is incredible! If you don’t like your brownies decadent and chocolatey, then these may not be your jam but give them a try because when it comes to healthy brownies, these are pretty awesome!

To add more healthy fats and remove the bad-fat: I swapped the butter and canola oil with peanut butter. You could also use coconut oil or almond butter in place of the peanut butter if you have a peanut allergy. This may alter the taste a bit but they will still come out delicious!

In an effort to reduce the refined sugar: I substituted the traditional white sugar with coconut sugar and maple syrup.

Super simple substitutions that make these brownies both healthy and so good!

How to make these healthy fudgy brownies with only a few ingredients

• Mix up the wet ingredients – applesauce, peanut butter, egg, maple syrup
• Mix up the dry ingredients – cocoa powder, almond flour, coconut sugar, baking powder
• Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and stir to combine it all together.
• Fold in the mini chocolate chips if you are using them.
• Pour the batter into an 8×8 baking dish and bake at 375F degrees for 40-45 minutes. See baking time recommendations based on desired results (cakey vs, fudgy) below.
• Remove, let cool and enjoy!!!

I added a scoop of Halo vanilla ice cream and it was literally the greatest dessert EVER!!!!  They are great just on their own as well.

How do you substitute eggs in brownies?

Want to make these brownies vegan? You can easily substitute the egg with egg replacer or flax egg and you still get that decadent, chocolatey, gooey result you would get with using eggs.

Can you substitute butter for oil in brownies?

Absolutely! In this recipe I left out the butter and canola oil and used peanut butter ( I like chunky peanut butter but you could also use creamy). You could also swap the peanut butter and use coconut oil which contains MCT’s that help our bodies burn fat. Which is pretty awesome!

How long do you bake brownies?

Any brownie recipe will include a recommended bake time like this one that bakes in about 40-45 minutes. Since ovens vary it is a good practice to use the “toothpick” or “butter knife” test.

To use the “toothpick/butterknife test”, simply insert a toothpick or butter knife into the center of the brownies about 5 minutes before they are supposed to be done (according to whatever recipe you are following). Pull it out quickly and if you have some wet crumbs than you will get a nice cakey, semi-fudgy brownie. If you have some semi-baked batter on the toothpick or knife then you will get a more fudgy, less-cakey brownie.

Keep in mind that the brownies will continue to cook a little after you remove them from the oven. You definitely do not want the toothpick or knife to come out clean since that is an indication that you over-baked your brownies which will yield a drier, non-cakey, non-fudgy brownie.

How do you store brownies?

The method for storing brownies depends on how long you wish to store them.

To store brownies for up to a week: Pack them in layers with wax paper/parchment in-between each layer in an airtight container. The brownies should stay fresh for a few days or up to a week depending on the recipe recommendations.

Freezing brownies is the best way to keep them fresher longer: To freeze brownies it’s a little bit more work but very much worth the effort.

How to freeze brownies

Wrap each brownie individually in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn.

Place the individually wrapped brownies into a freezer-friendly storage bag that tightly seals shut.

Label and date the brownies. They should be good for a few weeks or even up to a month. When ready to eat, simply thaw them on the counter or warm in the microwave in 30 second increments until thawed.

Check out some of my other Healthy Dessert Recipes!

4-Step Gluten-Free Macaroons

Gluten-Free Almond Flour Blondies

Healthy Peanut Butter Chocolate Covered Dates