About once a month, my grandma invites her best friend over for a movie night. They typically gravitate towards older classics, and they nibble on pizza and popcorn while enjoying the films in Grandma’s living room.
The ladies welcomed me to join them for their most recent movie night, so that Sunday evening, I headed over to watch “The Shop Around the Corner,” a black and white film that came out in 1940. (“You’ve Got Mail” is a modern-day take on it!)
We enjoyed the cute romance with its old-fashioned snail mail letters and naïve innocence, and once it ended, Grandma’s friend mentioned that she brought chocolate cake from a local bakery. She cut us each a thick slice to slowly savor as we chatted before departing for the night.
My eyes lit up as she presented me with my plate… The cake had a generous layer of smooth, rich, fudgy chocolate frosting — more like ganache than buttercream — my all-time favorite kind! And the sides were even decorated with rosettes of the same frosting. Pure chocolate heaven!
Yet I purposely refrained from asking for directions to the bakery… If I knew its location, I’d be much too tempted to dart over on a weekly basis for a chocolate fix! So this week, I baked a batch of these super easy healthy sugar-free brownies to satisfy my dark chocolate cravings instead. They literally taste like a cross between fudge and brownies!
I even thought ahead and popped half of them in the freezer to save for future chocolate fixes! I can’t be the only one who thinks chocolate should be its own food group… 😉
KEY INGREDIENTS TO MAKE HEALTHY SUGAR-FREE BROWNIES
Let’s go over what you’ll need to make these healthy sugar-free brownies! I’m assuming you have common baking staples like vanilla extract and salt, so we’ll mainly cover the key ingredients required for this recipe.
Flour. To make these sugar-free brownies, you’ll start with white whole wheat flour White whole wheat flour sounds a bit strange, doesn’t it? Almost like a blend of white (aka all-purpose) flour and whole wheat flour? But it’s not — and I promise it’s actually healthy!
Here in the US, white whole wheat flour is made from a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. White wheat has a lighter taste and texture, similar to all-purpose flour, but the same exact health benefits as regular whole wheat flour. That makes it perfect for these sugar-free brownies and lets their fudgy texture shine!
Hint: It’s like the difference between red and green grapes. Noticeably different appearance, slightly different taste, but the same health benefits!
Unsweetened cocoa powder. You’ll need regular unsweetened cocoa powder to make these brownies. You’ll use equal amounts of flour and cocoa powder, so your sugar-free brownies will taste really decadent, even without any melted chocolate!
Tip: Don’t substitute Dutched or special dark cocoa powder! These have different acidity levels, which can change the texture of your brownies. They also have a more muted flavor, so your brownies won’t taste as rich or chocolaty if made with either of these. Stick with regular unsweetened cocoa powder for the best results!
Unsalted butter or coconut oil. Instead of a stick or two of butter found in many traditional brownie recipes, you only need 1 tablespoon to make these. That really helps keep your sugar-free brownies low calorie and low fat!
Egg whites. The egg whites act like glue and hold the other ingredients together. They also add a protein boost!
Sweetener. Instead of sugar, you’ll sweeten your brownies with liquid stevia. Stevia is a plant-based, sugar-free, no-calorie sweetener that contains nothing artificial or refined (aka it’s clean-eating friendly!). It’s very concentrated, so a little goes a long way!
This is the kind I use because I love its sweet flavor and don’t notice any aftertaste, like with some other stevia products. You can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, but I generally buy mine online here because that’s the cheapest price I’ve found. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
Hint: Many stevia brands and products have different sweetness levels, so they’re not necessarily 1-for-1 substitutes for each other. For the best flavor and texture, I highly recommend using the same one that I do!
Greek yogurt. It’s one of my favorite healthy baking ingredients! In this recipe, Greek yogurt creates an extra fudgy texture. It adds the same moisture to the batter as extra butter or oil — but for a fraction of the calories. It also gives your brownies a protein boost!
Milk. Because liquid stevia is so concentrated, you’ll add a bit more milk than you’d usually find in more traditional brownie recipes to achieve the correct batter consistency. Almost any type will work, so you’re welcome to use whatever you already have in your fridge! I typically reach for nonfat milk and unsweetened vanilla almond milk the most, and both perform equally well.
HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY SUGAR-FREE BROWNIES
Time to quickly talk about how to make the best sugar-free brownies! Like I promised earlier, this recipe is easy and straightforward. I also have some tips to ensure your brownies turn out perfectly chocolaty, moist, and fudgy!
Use the correct pan. I specifically developed this recipe for an 8”-square pan. Pan sizes are determined by their top edges, not the bottom ones, so measure your pan before you begin! It needs to be 8” per side across the top rim.
Some square pans have sloped sides, so their tops are 9” across while their bottoms are closer to 8½”. That’s still a 9”-square pan and too big for this recipe! There isn’t enough batter to properly fill it, so your brownies would turn out very thin and be prone to overbaking.
Tip: If you don’t have an 8”-square pan, then substitute a 9”-round pan. These have very similar surface areas (64 in2 and 63.6 in2, respectively), so your brownies will bake the same and turn out just as thick.
Measure correctly. This is extremely important! For the flour and cocoa powder, measure them using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!)
Do not scoop either one directly from its container with your measuring cups! This can result in adding 1 ½ times as much as called for in the recipe. Too much of either ingredient will dry out the batter and make your brownies cakey, rather than moist and fudgy. Too much cocoa powder will also make them taste bitter, instead of rich and dark chocolaty.
So for the best taste and texture, take those few extra moments to measure correctly. I promise these sugar-free brownies are worth it!
Mix by hand. Leave your stand mixer and hand-held mixer alone! These tend to overmix low-fat and sugar-free batters, like this one. Overmixing often yields a tough, gummy, or rubbery texture… Rather than the moist, soft, and fudgy brownies that we want.
Instead, use a whisk where explicitly instructed and a fork for everything else.
Yes, a fork! The open spaces between a fork’s tines lets the ingredients pass through a mix more efficiently, compared to the flat sides of spatulas and spoons, which helps guard against overmixing.
Bake. Once you’ve spread the batter into your 8”-square pan (I love using these mini spatulas — they’re so handy!), slide that into the oven and set a timer. These brownies bake very quickly!
They’re done and ready to come out of the oven when the edges look fully baked but the center still looks a bit glossy and squidgy. This is my #1 tip for the best fudgy brownie texture!
The residual heat from the warm pan will cook the center all the way through while you let the brownies cool and rest. If the edges of the brownies pull away from the edges of the pan within 10 minutes of pulling them from the oven, you’ve baked them long enough!
Cool + rest. Please promise me that you will not skip this step! The brownies turn fudgier as they cool and rest. If you cut into them sooner, they taste more cake-like. Leaving them alone lets the brownies work their magic, so once they’ve sat for at least 6 hours after they’ve reached room temperature, they’ll have a texture just like fudge!
So… Umm… I might need to make another batch to restock my freezer this weekend… 😉 And 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 sugar-free brownies!
Healthy Sugar-Free Fudgy Brownies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (90g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- ¾ cup (60g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large egg whites (room temperature)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ tsp liquid stevia (or adjusted to taste – and see Notes!)
- ¼ cup (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ¾ cup (180mL) nonfat milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F, and coat an 8”-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, vanilla, and liquid stevia. Stir in the Greek yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain. Stir in the milk. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 300°F for 13-16 minutes. Cool completely to room temperature in the pan, and let the brownies sit for at least 6 hours after they've reached room temperature for the fudgiest texture before serving.
Notes
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy One-Bowl Fudgy Brownies
♡ Healthy Small-Batch Fudgy Brownies
♡ Healthy Dark Chocolate Frosted Fudgy Brownies
♡ Healthy Dark Chocolate Chunk Fudgy Brownies
♡ Healthy Cheesecake-Swirled Fudgy Brownies
♡ Healthy Sugar-Free Chocolate Bundt Cake
♡ Healthy Sugar-Free Chocolate Cupcakes
♡ Healthy Sugar-Free Chocolate Ice Cream
♡ …and the rest of Amy’s healthy brownie recipes and sugar-free recipes!
Hi Amy, can you substitute solid stevia for this recipe?
It might be possible, Remi! What’s the exact brand and stevia product that you’d like to substitute? Many brands and products have a different sweetness level, so once I know the exact brand and product name, then I’ll have a better idea of whether it’ll work and if you’ll need to make any other recipe modifications. 🙂
Hi, just found your site.. FANTASTIC! I’ve been trying to find some healthy recipes for all my favorite chocolate treats and desserts. I love your recipes, (Tried the Fudgy Triple Chocolate Cookies yesterday – they’re all gone already!!) I’m gonna try this one out during the weekend.
Thanks so much!
Julie
I’m so glad you loved the cookies Julie! That’s the best kind of compliment if they’ve already disappeared — thank you for sharing that with me! 🙂 I’m really excited to hear what you think of these brownies too!
I really dislike Stevia. I just put these in the oven and tasted the batter and it was horribly bitter! I am hoping something changes with the finished product. Is there any other liquid sweeteners that could be substituted in??? My husband is a diabetic so the sugar free aspect is important.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Amanda! Your husband is so lucky to have you to make him diabetic-friendly homemade treats. I completely understand; my mom is exceptionally sensitive to the flavor of stevia and can’t stand just about anything that contains stevia. I’d be happy to help you adapt this recipe to better suit your tastes! What’s your favorite no-calorie sweetener? 🙂
Hello! Thanks so much for your reply. I tend to use Splenda. I have been unable to find liquid Splenda in stores but it is available on Amazon for a premium price so I tend to use the granular Splenda. My husband is newly diagnosed (10 months ago) so sugar free baking is still new to me but one thing everyone in the house can agree on is we do not like Stevia! I would appreciate any tips and advice you might be able to give.
It’s my pleasure, Amanda! One of my relatives is diabetic as well, and his preferred sweetener is also the granulated Splenda (the kind that comes in a big bag and is supposed to sweeten cup-for-cup like sugar!). Since that granulated Splenda dissolves differently than regular granulated sugar, it isn’t quite a straight 1-for-1 substitution. You often need to add more liquid to a recipe than you would if using granulated sugar! So for this recipe, I’d recommend using ½ cup of that granulated Splenda and ½ cup of milk to start. You may need to add the remaining ¼ cup of milk to get the correct batter consistency, but it’s much easier to add more milk than try to remove it from the bowl! 😉 I’m excited to hear what you and your husband think of this Splenda version of the brownies!
And if you find any of my other recipes that you’d like to try making with the granulated Splenda, just leave me a comment on each of those recipes and I’ll help you figure out how to adapt them as well!
Can the flour be substituted for almond flour?
In this particular recipe, almond flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour. That’s not always true for my recipes, but thankfully it works for this one! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these brownies Chloe!
I just made the brownies and didn’t realize the the vanilla Stevia was liquid, I should have checked on the hyperlink. I used granulated Truvia and they are not nearly sweet enough. I tasted the batter before I put them in the oven and through some chocolate chips on top which saved them. Can this recipe be made with Truvia, how much would I add?
Yes, the vanilla stevia is a liquid and has much more concentrated sweetness than Truvia! If you’d like to use Truvia to make these brownies, you’ll need ½ cup to replace the vanilla stevia, and you’ll need to reduce the milk to ½ cup as well to compensate for the added volume. (For my recipes, I’ve found that Truvia seems to be a 1-for-1 granulated sugar sweetness equivalent, even though I believe their website says otherwise. Just my personal experience!) 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of that version if you decide to try making these brownies that way, Craig!
Hi, love your recipes! For the Sugar Free Fudge Brownies, I have to substitute the milk with something non dairy- do you have a suggestion? I would use almond milk, but suspect there’s some property in dairy milk that enables the recipe in some way to work?
I’m honored that you’d like to try making this recipe, Cheryl! I’ve actually covered what other milks will work in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions!). I know it can be easy to miss that bit! 🙂 I’m really excited to hear what you think of these brownies!
Is the amount of flour (3/4) cup correct? Your batter looked thick—my batter was as liquidy as a melted milkshake. The only change I made was that I used granulated Truvia instead of the liquid vanila stevia, but otherwise kept everything the same. Any ideas?
I’m honored that you tried my recipe, Kim! That sounds really strange and not like how this batter should be, so I’d love to work with you to figure out what happened. 🙂 The amount of flour is correct, as are the rest of the ingredient amounts. Did you make any modifications to the recipe, other that the Truvia? How much Truvia, milk, and cocoa powder did you use? Did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups to measure the ingredients?
I know I just asked a LOT of questions, but I’ll have a much better idea of the culprit once I know your answers to all of them!
I followed the recipe as written except for the Truvia. I used measuring cups, but will use a kitchen scale next time. Side note: I also made your Peanut Butter Banana Bread Brownies and they came out perfect! That batter was just fine, but the flour content was also greater. My husband ate three ate three squares!
I’d like to try to make the brownies again, but want to sub out coconut sugar. How would I have to modify the rest of the recipe if I used coconut sugar in place of Truvia?
Thanks for sharing, Kim! How much Truvia did you use? I didn’t see your answer to that question I asked previously, but I could’ve missed it. (I’m asking because I think that’s the culprit, but I can’t confirm that until I know how much Truvia you used!)
If you’d like to use coconut sugar, then there’s a paragraph in the Notes section of this recipe that includes links to two other brownie recipes of mine that don’t call for stevia. The first one calls for coconut sugar, and it has the same exact texture as this recipe! 🙂
I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed my Peanut Butter Banana Bread Brownies too! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know. That really means a lot!
I have regular liquid stevia. Can I use that in this recipe and then just add a bit of vanilla.
If it’s the same brand that I used, just their original flavor instead, then yes! You can substitute it for the vanilla stevia, and you don’t need to add any vanilla extract. (The vanilla flavor is really subtle, so it’s not necessary!) I can’t wait to hear what you think of these brownies, Marlene!
The brownies are in the process of baking, so I don’t know yet how they will taste when done. I put almost 1/4 cup of Vanilla Stevia sweetener in the batter, but it still taste bitter. I gave up adding the sweetener and just put them in the oven. I like dark chocolate, but this is the bitterest dark chocolate I have ever tasted.
It really means a lot that you tried our recipe, Martha! These brownies are supposed to taste similar to 75% dark chocolate, but they shouldn’t be excessively bitter or taste like purely unsweetened 100% chocolate. If that’s how your brownies tasted once they were fully baked and cooled, then we’re happy to help figure out what went wrong and how to fix it! We know how disappointing it is to end up with treats that don’t taste they way you expect — especially when you’re craving brownies or chocolate! 😉
If I’d like to double the recipe is it as simple as doubling all of the ingredients into a larger pan or should I adjust anything else?
We really appreciate your interest in this recipe, Wanda! We honestly haven’t tried doubling any of our brownie recipes, so I’m not quite sure and don’t want to leave you astray. I’d love to hear how it goes if you decide to try. We always get through a pan of brownies pretty quickly in our house, so doubling sounds like a great idea! 😉