Although we’re the proud new owners of a pretty awesome TV, we don’t actually have cable. As a big baseball fan (it’s practically the only thing I watch!), I figured that wouldn’t bother me until April… Until I remembered the Super Bowl.
Instead of missing out on all of the commercials and game plays, I drove down to visit my parents and watch the game with them. Every year, they host a potluck party and invited a few couples to gather around the TV, and when I found out that 12 other people would be attending, I immediately devised a sneaky, ulterior-motive plan.
I’ve been working on a new project for you (stay tuned—the big reveal will come soon!), which means that my countertops are always overflowing with baked goodies and my freezer constantly threatens to burst open for the same reason. Hence my brilliant idea: take all of those treats home so other people would eat them for me!
I set out at least 10 different baked goodies on my parents’ kitchen counter and prayed that nobody else would bring dessert. Thankfully, everyone stuck with savory stuff! At halftime, they began loading their plates with all of the potluck dishes, and as the seconds ticked by in the third quarter, they slowly started trickling back into the kitchen for the sweets.
I watched excitedly as the plates of cookies and cheesecake disappeared, but by the end of the night, everyone agreed: these Clean & Fudgy Dark Chocolate Frosted Brownies were by far their favorite. The treats were rich, fudgy, and extremely decadent, so not a single person guessed just how healthy they actually were!
The recipe starts with one of my favorite brownie bases. It’s clean-eating friendly, meaning it contains nothing processed or overly refined, so we’ll use maple syrup and white whole wheat flour instead of granulated sugar and all-purpose flour. White whole wheat flour contains the extra nutrients of regular whole wheat flour but has a more tender texture, which is ideal for these fudgy brownies. (And no, you can’t taste it or the maple syrup’s flavor—just chocolate!)
All of the chocolate flavor comes from cocoa powder, so these brownies are about as easy to make as a box mix! The key to really dark, rich brownies is to use about as much cocoa powder as flour. This little trick also helps keep them moist and fudgy instead of cakey.
For ultra fudgy brownies, we’ll bake these low and slow at 300°F. This temperature allows the center to set without drying out the edges, but make sure to pull the brownies out of the oven when the center still looks glossy. They’ll continue to cook through in the pan as it cools.
The true star of the brownie show is this dark chocolate frosting. It’s like a cross between ganache and frosting, making it highly tempting to eat it straight from the bowl with a spoon! Three types of chocolate provide its decadent taste, while Greek yogurt makes it creamy and fudgy. I dare you not to lick the bowl!
By the time everyone left after the game, not a single crumb was left… And I’m not surprised at all! 😉 When you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy chocolate frosted brownies!
| Healthy Fudgy Dark Chocolate Frosted Brownies | | Print |
- for the brownies
- ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- ¾ cup (60g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120mL) pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- for the frosting
- ¼ cup (56g) dark chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp (30mL) warm nonfat milk
- ¼ cup (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp (10g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 2 tbsp (10g) dark cocoa powder (also called “Dutched”), sifted (measured like this)
- Preheat the oven to 300°F, and lightly coat an 8”-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- To prepare the brownies, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, eggs, and vanilla. Add in the maple syrup and Greek yogurt, and stir until no large lumps remain. Mix in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 300°F for 15-19 minutes (15 minutes yields the fudgiest brownies; 19 minutes yields slightly cakier brownies). Cool completely to room temperature in the pan, and let the brownies sit for at least 8 hours at room temperature for the fudgiest texture before frosting.
- To prepare the frosting, add the chocolate chips to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 20 seconds. Stir and microwave for another 20 seconds. Stir for at least 1 minute, or until the chocolate chips are completely melted. (If necessary, return the bowl to the microwave for an additional 5-10 seconds). Add in the milk, Greek yogurt, and two cocoa powders, and stir until smooth. Spread on top of the cooled brownies, and slice into squares.
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE: It's really important to measure the flour and cocoa powder correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much flour and cocoa powder in the brownie batter will make your brownies dry and crumbly, rather than chewy and fudgy. Too much cocoa powder will also make your brownies taste bitter, rather than rich and chocolaty.
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the regular whole wheat flour.
IMPORTANT COCOA POWDER NOTES: It's really important to use regular unsweetened cocoa powder (like this) in the brownie batter. I do not recommend substituting dark cocoa powder (like this; also called "Dutched" cocoa powder). This is because unsweetened cocoa powder and dark cocoa powder have different acidity levels, which will affect the taste and texture of your brownies.
However, you may substitute regular unsweetened cocoa powder for the dark ("Dutched") cocoa powder in the frosting. (Because the frosting isn't baked, it won't affect the texture, and the taste will still be nice and rich!)
SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup.
MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
CHOCOLATE CHIPS ALTERNATIVE: Regular dark chocolate may be substituted for the dark chocolate chips.
IMPORTANT FROSTING NOTE: It’s important to sift the cocoa powders in the frosted because they tend to clump. Sifting will make it much easier to stir the frosting until it’s smooth.
GLUTEN FREE OPTION: For the gluten-free flour, I used as follows: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) brown rice flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will also work, if measured like this.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
I’d love to try these, but I’m not a fan of the more bitter taste of dark chocolate – do you have any recommendations on a way to tweak this recipe to lessen the bitterness? If not, no worries, I just figured I’d ask. 🙂
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Jayie! To make these brownies not so “dark chocolaty” in flavor, you can replace ¼ cup of cocoa powder with an additional ¼ cup of flour in the brownie batter (aka use 1 cup {120g} of flour and ½ cup {40g} of cocoa powder). The baking time and temperature should remain the same with this modification.
Then for the frosting, to increase its sweetness, you can replace the milk with pure maple syrup, honey, or agave.
I’d love to hear what you think of these brownies if you try making them! 🙂
Can you use egg whites?
You can use egg whites, Sharon! To replace the large eggs, use 2 large egg whites AND add 1 tablespoon of milk (any type!) to compensate for the missing volume from the yolks. We’d love to hear what you think if you decide to try this recipe!
I made these once with regular flour and yogurt and really liked them. Do you think it would work to substitute coconut cream for the yogurt? Thanks!
I’m so glad you liked these brownies, Melody! Thank you for taking the time to let me know. It means a lot! 🙂
I don’t have enough experience baking with coconut cream, so I’m not personally sure and don’t want to lead you astray. If you decide to give that a try, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
I’m vegan, any egg substitute? Also would date syrup work instead of maple? 🙂
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Sydney! I haven’t tried using date syrup, so I’m not sure and don’t want to lead you astray. My main concern is that many brands don’t taste as sweet as pure maple syrup, so your brownies may end up tasting more dark or bitter.
For the eggs, Ener-G is my favorite substitute. (My brother is allergic, so I have a lot of experience with using it as a substitute!) If you haven’t worked with it before, Ener-G is a flavorless shelf-stable powder that keeps for ages. It works perfectly as an egg replacer in nearly all of my recipes, including this one! For my recipes, use 1 ½ teaspoons Ener-G + 2 tablespoons warm water for each egg white, and you’ll need an additional ½ tablespoon of stick-style vegan butter or coconut oil for each egg yolk.
I’m so sorry I’m just now responding too. I had some family things I needed to take care of, but if you do end up making these brownies, I’d love to hear what you think of them!
Hi Amy! For the frosting: to use just unsweetened cocoa powder and not Dutch, should I use sweetener and how much?
I hae powdered monkfruit and stevia on hand. Thanks!
We really appreciate your interest in this recipe, Marianne! The flavor and sweetness is personal preference, so I would recommend making the frosting as written, just using unsweetened cocoa powder in place of the Dutch, and then tasting it. If it tastes too dark to you, you can easily add either of those two sweeteners to taste until you achieve your desired sweetness level!