Looking for a Healthy Brownie Recipe? Look no further – these Healthy Brownies are so freaking delicious, dairy-free, gluten-free, grain free, and the best part? They are not even a treat swap on the 21 Day Fix and only 5 points on WW, no matter the plan! This post contains affiliate links for products I’m obsessed with.
Guys.
These brownies.
They should not be as good as they are. But omg, they are.
So. Freaking. Good.
And they defy all the things that typically make brownies good:
- There’s no chocolate in the batter besides cocoa powder
- There’s very little oil and no butter
- There’s no flour besides a small amount of coconut flour
- There’s no refined sugar
And because of all these things, these healthier brownies are not even a treat swap for those of you following the 21 Day Fix. I mean, the container count is 🤯. They clock in at just around 100 calories each (107 to be exact) and they are only 5 WW points on all plans.
So they may not be the prettiest brownies you will ever see, I think you could overlook that…am I rite?
Ingredients for Healthy Brownies
So I told you what you don’t need for this healthy brownie recipe…but here is what you do need:
- coconut oil – use refined for less coconut flavor, or you can swap out avocado oil
- cocoa powder
- maple syrup or honey (WW – use maple syrup)
- eggs
- vanilla
- coconut flour
- salt
- a smidge baking soda
- (optional) hot water + 1 tsp instant coffee or 1 tablespoon of brewed coffee
How to Make Healthy Brownies
- Preheat oven to 350° and line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper. Spray with non-stick spray and set aside.
- In a small saucepan or microwave, heat the coconut oil until melted. Remove from heat and stir in cocoa powder and maple syrup. Allow to sit for a moment to cool a bit, then add in the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Stir in coffee + water.
- Add in the coconut flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix until no dry pockets remain.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely before cutting and enjoying – these are even better after being in the fridge overnight!
Important Tips:
- These brownies are a bit crumbly, as you can see from the photos. #healthybrownieproblems This improves dramatically, though, after they cool, so be patient before cutting them if you can! I put them right in the fridge, and omg – something really magical happens and they get crazy fudgy!
- The brownies are less crumbly if you use honey, but I love the maple flavor. It might be fun to try a mix of both!
- Definitely use parchment paper or parchment liners
- If you cut your brownies with a plastic knife they cut better (super fun reader tip).
- You can also make these in cupcake tins, muffin tins, or mini muffin tins for easier portion control!
Can I make these Vegan?
While these are dairy free and gluten free, they are not vegan because of the eggs. I haven’t tried using flax eggs or applesauce, but I plan to soon, so I’ll keep you posted!
Can I swap out another flour?
Sadly, no. Coconut flour isn’t easily swapped, so no swapping for this recipe. If you would like a treat swap brownie that uses whole wheat flour, check out this Secret Ingredient Brownie Recipe from The Foodie and The Fix.
If you are craving chocolate and have almond flour, make my yummy Gluten Free Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting.
I don’t like coffee, do I have to add it?
You truly don’t, but since these are made only with cocoa powder and no actual chocolate, the coffee works to intensify the flavor of the cocoa powder. If you don’t have it on hand, you can leave it out, but still include the water.
Looking for more healthy, no-yellow desserts? Check these out:
Caramel Apple Dip | Caramel Apple Nachos
No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies [Vegan | GF]
Whipped Ricotta Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries
Healthy Samoas Cookie Bars [Gluten Free]
Healthy Brownies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Diet: Low Calorie
Description
Looking for a Healthy Brownie Recipe? Look no further – these Healthy Brownies are so freaking delicious, dairy-free, gluten-free, grain free, and the best part? They are not even a treat swap on the 21 Day Fix and only 5 points on WW, no matter the plan!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper. Spray with non-stick spray and set aside.
- In a small saucepan or microwave, heat the coconut oil until melted. Remove from heat and stir in cocoa powder and maple syrup. Allow to sit for a moment to cool a bit, then add in the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Stir in coffee + water.
- Add in the coconut flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix until no dry pockets remain.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely before cutting and enjoying – these are even better after being in the fridge overnight!
Notes
Makes 12 servings
21 Day Fix: 1 TSP, 2 sweetener teaspoons, ⅙ orange (which I don’t count, but I tend to round these up to 1.5 TSP each to account for it)
WW: Green, Blue, Purple – 5 points (per brownie) [Calculated using maple syrup]
Keywords: Healthy Brownies, Healthy Brownie Recipe, Chocolate Brownies
Angela Calhoun says
Nancylynn, you have outdone yourself with these. They are amazing and taste just like a brownie to me, but not overly sweet. I ended up eating one while it was hot and I can’t even wait until tomorrow to eat another one!
★★★★★
Nancylynn says
You absolutely made my whole day, Angela! Thank you! ❤️
Evonne R. says
Hi – Nancylynn
What happens if you don’t use salt? I’m not a be fan of salt with my food.
Thanks!
Evonne
Nancylynn says
They won’t taste quite as sweet (sounds funny, right?) and could come out a little flat. Go with a 1/4 tsp… over 12 brownies each one will have very little added salt!
Kathy Roussis says
These brownies are EXCELLENT!
★★★★★
Bridget Brown says
I made these today delicious! I used avacado oil and honey instead of maple syrup. I put them in the fridge right away but had to have a taste after 30 min while still semi-warm. Very good BUT like you said they tasted better after completely cooling. Tried many healthy brownie recipes only to throw them away. This one is a keeper. Thank you!
★★★★★
Christine Maxmeister says
Delicious! Amazing! Outstanding! Super chocolatey and rich! I added 10 minutes of cooking time in Denver due to the elevation.
★★★★★
Nancylynn says
Thank you so much for that tip!!
Sol says
OMG!!!!! They are delicious, I used agave instead of honey and they are sooo good!!! Love it!! Same here put them from the oven to the fridge and the results are amazing!! Thank you!
★★★★★
Nancylynn says
I am so happy!!!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Amy says
Do you think you could use a TBSP of cold brew instead of the coffee?
Hannah says
These are AMAZING! Taste just like a regular a regular brownie without the guilt. Even my picky husband loved them!
★★★★★
Nancylynn says
Yay!! So glad you liked them!
Kate Allen says
These are beyond delicious!!!
Nancylynn says
Thank you!
Carrie says
Soooooo super good! Amazing flavor and I can’t believe how satisfying they are! I didn’t even feel like I wanted to binge in them! Yes, brownies certainly cut best when a plastic knife is used! I always keep disposable plastic knives on hand for brownie-cutting-tasks! I cut them all up and froze the leftovers… I think they’ll be amazing chilled and firm from the freezer! I mean, are you totally serious I don’t need to count this as a treat swap? I can’t wait to see what the scale will tell me in the morning after “splurging” on this tonight! Haha.
★★★★★
Marsha says
Can you use Coconut Sugar in place of the maple syrup?? And approximately how much??
Nancylynn says
I haven’t tested this and I really think you need the liquid from the maple syrup bc coconut flour is so dense…
Andrea Keith says
Hello! How do I see the measurements? Also, what’s the containers for UPF?Thanks!
Nancylynn says
It’s all in the recipe card – let me know if you still can’t find it
Sara says
Is there any other options than the coconut flour? Thanks
Nancylynn says
The post has some alternate recipes to try if you don’t want to use coconut flour. That’s really the best option for this recipe.
Jen Ricciardi says
Can I use a different type of flour?
Nancylynn says
No, sorry, not with this recipe. The post has some alternate recipes to try if you don’t have coconut flour in your pantry right now!
Autumn says
These are AMAZING!!
I can’t believe that these are just a tsp of oil and 2 sweeteners! They taste incredible and freeze really well which is super helpful since I want to eat them all!!
Thank you thank you!!
★★★★★
Bethany says
Does the baking time change if I bake them in a muffin tin? I’m excited to try these!
Stephanie says
Could I sub almond flour?
Nancylynn says
Unfortunately, no. But this recipe is super yummy if you want a chocolate recipe made with almond flour… https://confessionsofafitfoodie.com/clean-peanut-butter-cup-chocolate-cake-dairy-free-and-gluten-free/
Stephanie Kyle says
Love all of your recipes!!! I’m out of coconut flour….😱 Do you think I could make the brownies without???? I would be ok if they were on the “fudgy” side. Thank you for all of your time and effort to save us the leg work on amazing healthy recipes!!!
Nancylynn says
Unfortunately, no! In the FAQ of this post, there are some alternative recipes with other flours, check them out!
Kati says
Will using Cacao Powder instead of Cocoa powder change the recipe? I don’t have any Cocoa powder. I know they are very similar, just wasn’t sure. Thanks and can’t wait to make these after all the rage about them in my groups!
Nancylynn says
From a quick google search, it looks like using cacao powder WOULD change the recipe some. https://www.myrecipes.com/how-to/cooking-questions/cocoa-vs-cacao This article explains a little bit about some subs that could make it work, but may be best to wait until you have some cocoa powder to try the brownies. If you do end up trying the cacao powder, let us know how it goes and what you end up subbing!
And so happy to hear people are loving them, thank you!!
Kati says
Thanks! Any suggestion for a good Cocoa powder? Is Hershey’s ok? When I hear Hershey’s I automatically think unhealthy, but it looks like it is just Cocoa powder. Thanks!
Melissa says
Thank you! I have such a sweet tooth and a weakness for brownies. Now I can have them and still eat healthy! These were DELICIOUS and absolutely hit the sweet spot!
★★★★★
Laura says
These are amazing!!! They came out moist and chewy and good! I served mine warm with a little whipped Greek Yogurt sweetened with a touch of maple syrup. I chopped up a strawberry to put on top. Delicious!!! Thank you for all of your amazing recipes!! My gluten free neighbors loved them too!!!
Nancylynn says
You are a very nice neighbor to share them!! These toppings sound dreamy! Thanks for the comment!