Healthier Brownies
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Healthier Brownies are made with almond flour instead of white flour, coconut oil instead of butter and they’re sweetened with honey and dates instead of sugar. So now you don’t have to feel like you have to resist the chocolate temptations! These are the perfect indulgence that you can feel fine about eating.
Healthy Brownies From Scratch
I could have called these Healthier “Date” Brownies but then like 99% of you wouldn’t be wanting to try them, right? So instead if we leave out the “date” and just think of them as a healthier brownie that tastes amazing and don’t focus on the dates in them, then aren’t we all in :)?
I recently bought a date-sweetened brownie at the store and loved it so I decided to do a homemade version. Surprisingly enough, you don’t really taste the dates and you don’t notice that these are healthy homemade brownies. They’re still super fudgy, amazingly chocolatey, so rich, and they have a perfect texture.
These will be your new January best friend. Because January is all about those resolutions that are so hard to keep, but these decadent healthy brownies make it that much easier!
Note that I cut these fudge brownies into 9 servings here, but I thought 12 was more fitting and next time I’ll cut them into 12. The calories listed are based off of my package labels and 12 servings (including chocolate chips, but without chocolate sauce).
They aren’t really intended to be a low-calorie dessert, but rather a smarter choice made with healthier ingredients versus that of your traditional brownie.
And believe it or not, my family actually loved these brownies. That’s proof that these are so good because my husband and kids… and, who are we kidding, I MYSELF, can be picky and we all approved.
You just can’t go wrong with a healthier chocolate treat! Hope you love them!
Healthy Brownie Ingredients
Healthy Brownie Ingredients- Almond flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Salt
- Baking powder
- Medjool dates
- Honey
- Coconut oil
- Vanilla
- Eggs
- Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
How to Make Brownies Healthier
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 by 8 inch baking dish with coconut oil (you can also line with parchment if you want to be able to easily lift them from pan).
- Add almond flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, dates, honey, coconut oil and vanilla to a food processor.
- Process until well blended and dates have been finely ground down, about 1 minute.
- Add in one egg and pulse about 15 times (or as needed) to blend then repeat with second eggs. Stir in chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.
- Spread mixture evenly into prepared baking dish. Bake in preheated oven until brownies are set (a toothpick will still come out with crumbs), about 20 – 25 minutes.
- Let cool about 5 minutes before cutting and serving. Once cool store in an airtight container.
If you are in for a little extra, add the mini chocolate chips into the batter. They aren’t healthy, but they add in some decadence.
Then for the chocolate sauce, I mostly just added that for looks but feel free to add that too if you’d like. I listed it in the notes at the bottom. Or you could sprinkle these fudge brownies with a hint of powdered sugar!
Can I Use Maple Syrup Instead of Honey?
Most likely, yes. But without having tried it myself, I can’t say for certain if maple syrup would work in these healthy brownies.
Can I Omit the Dates From These Easy Brownies?
I wouldn’t recommend that, as the dates add both sweetness and moisture to the brownies.
Can I Use a Blender Instead of a Food Processor?
You’d need to have a powerful blender to make the brownie batter, since the dates can be tough to process. However, a few readers have used a Vitamix to make these and said it worked perfectly!
Tips for the Best Brownies
- Be careful not to over bake these brownies, as they can easily dry out in the oven. When in doubt, slightly under bake the brownies (they’ll just be fudgier that way!).
- Let the food processor run for a good minute or two to fully break down the dates.
- Make sure to buy almond flour and not almond meal — they’re two different almond products!
More Brownie Recipes You’ll Love:
- Microwave Mug Brownie
- Chocolate Frosted Brownies
- German Chocolate Brownies
- Small Batch Brownies (Makes 3 to 4)
- Brownie Fruit Pizza
Follow Easy Cooking Zone
Healthier Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 2 Tbsp (110g) super fine almond flour (spoon and level to measure)
- 1/2 cup (43g) unsweetened cocoa powder (spoon and level)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup (170g) pitted Medjool dates (about 11)
- 1/4 cup (80g) honey
- 1/4 cup (60g) coconut oil, melted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (42g) mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 by 8 inch baking dish with coconut oil (you can also line with parchment if you want to be able to easily lift them from pan).
- Add almond flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, dates, honey, coconut oil and vanilla to a food processor.
- Process until well blended and dates have been finely ground down, about 1 minute.
- Add in one egg and pulse about 15 times (or as needed) to blend then repeat with second eggs. Stir in chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.
- Spread mixture evenly into prepared baking dish. Bake in preheated oven until brownies are set (a toothpick will still come out with crumbs), about 20 - 25 minutes.
- Let cool about 5 minutes before cutting and serving. Once cool store in an airtight container.
- If you want the optional chocolate syrup, in a microwave safe bowl heat 1 Tbsp coconut oil and 1 Tbsp honey in microwave until coconut oil is melted. Stir in cocoa. Let cool slightly for a thicker consistency.
Notes
- Recipe source: inspired by Bites for Foodies
- Be careful not to over bake these brownies, as they can easily dry out in the oven. When in doubt, slightly under bake the brownies (they'll just be fudgier that way!).
- Make sure to buy almond flour and not almond meal — they're two different almond products!