Healthy Brownies with all the richness and fudginess you love. No flour, refined sugar, butter, or eggs needed.
Or check out my popular Applesauce Brownies or Gluten-Free Brownies!
Author’s Notes
Hide the Pan, I’m Weak.
Brownies are one of my favorite desserts. The richer and fudgier, the better! BUT. If I don’t have a plan to share the batch with friends, family, or neighbors, I’ll end up eating every. single. piece. I wish I were exaggerating, but I’m not.
So, I came up with these healthy brownies. They still give me that same rich, chocolate fix, but if I eat a few too many, I don’t get the sugar crash afterward.
What to Expect
This is one of my all-time favorite recipes. These brownies are rich, fudgy, and made with simple, feel-good ingredients.
- Texture: Best cold. After a few hours in the fridge, they turn into dense, chocolatey fudge-like dessert. Warmed, they’re softer and more cake-like.
- Flavor: Strong dark chocolate flavor.
Ingredients In Healthy Brownies
| Ingredient | Notes |
|---|---|
| Dark chocolate | I use Nestle’s 53% cacao dark chocolate chips. Anything darker can taste bitter. |
| Greek yogurt | Key ingredient. Honey vanilla Greek yogurt works best. |
| Coconut oil | I use LouAna and find it doesn’t leave a noticeable coconut flavor. |
| Vanilla, salt, baking soda | Add flavor and help with structure. |
| Coconut sugar | Can swap with light brown sugar 1:1. |
Quick Tip
These brownies use old-fashioned oats instead of flour. Blend the oats into a fine powder before adding them to the batter.
The Frosting (Optional)
The frosting is optional. It’s made with just four ingredients and is much lighter than most, but it does include powdered sugar. If you’re avoiding refined sugar, skip it.
It uses more dark chocolate and Greek yogurt, plus milk and powdered sugar.
The frosting is thick and ganache-like. It firms up when chilled but softens in warm temps, so keep these healthy brownies cold.
Tips For Making Healthy Brownies
- Stick to the recipe: Swapping ingredients can change the texture and flavor.
- Line the pan: Use parchment and leave an overhang to lift them out easily.
- Chill before slicing: A few hours in the fridge makes them easier to cut.
- Use a sharp knife: Run it under warm water and wipe between cuts for clean slices.
Featured Comment
These brownies were delicious! I’ve been looking for a recipe that actually tastes good AND is healthy! SO SO SO GOOD!
-Rachel
More Desserts Made Lighter:
Healthy Brownies
Video
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups dark chocolate chips 53% cacao, divided, see note 1
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons coconut oil see note 2
- 1 cup honey vanilla Greek yogurt see note 3
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar or light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup oat flour just blend regular oats in a blender
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened vanilla almond milk or whatever milk you have on hand
- 2 tablespoons vanilla Greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F (176°C). Line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang. Lightly spray with cooking spray.
- Add 1 cup of chocolate chips to a large bowl. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the coconut oil. Pour the hot oil over the chocolate chips and stir until melted. If needed, microwave in 10–15 second bursts, stirring between each, until smooth. Let cool slightly.
- Whisk the Greek yogurt into the melted chocolate. Add vanilla, salt, baking soda, and sugar; whisk until completely smooth.
- Blend oats into a fine powder. Measure out 3/4 cup after blending. Stir into the batter along with the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
- Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan (it will be thick). Bake for 28–32 minutes or until a fork inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake; slightly underbaking gives a fudgier result. Let brownies cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
- Optional Frosting: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and milk. Microwave in 15-second bursts, stirring between each, until smooth. Stir in Greek yogurt, then whisk in powdered sugar. Briskly whisk until completely smooth. Let sit at room temp for 10 minutes to thicken before spreading over cooled brownies.
- Cover the pan and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight. These brownies are best cold. Once chilled, lift out using the parchment and cut into squares.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Storage
Keep brownies in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–5 days. For longer storage, freeze individually wrapped pieces for up to 2 months.
Healthy Brownies FAQS
Not for the melted base, but they’re fine to use as the add-in chips.
Yes! Chopped nuts or toffee bits can be folded in before baking.
Other oils haven’t worked well in testing. Coconut oil is recommended for best results.
Some readers have tried dairy-free yogurts, but results may vary since the texture is different from Greek yogurt.
Make sure to blend the oats into a fine powder and measure after blending. Also, don’t skip the chill time.
Reader’s Notes & Tips
Tips & Variations from Chelsea’s Messy Apron’s Community
- No Frosting: Kelsey added extra chocolate chips on top instead.
- Yogurt Swaps: Tricia used plain, Tina used salted caramel, Anna used applesauce and sour cream.
- Sugar Swaps: Several used brown or white sugar instead of coconut sugar.
- Vegan Ideas: Asma suggested almond or coconut yogurt.
- Pan Options: Heather baked in a muffin tin, Tessa’s came out thin in a larger pan.
- Chill Time: Kelsey and others said they’re best cold after chilling.
- Sharing Wins: Many, like Stephanie and Faith, shared with friends and family—everyone loved them!
Haha seriously?! Trying that right now!! haha!!
Hi there. I see in your healthy brownie post from Oct/15 that you mention a healthy brownie recipe with a lot of peanut butter. Can you direct me to that recipe please?
Absolutely! Here it is! https://axis-framework.live/skinny-double-fudge-brownies-no-beans/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
OMG I have to tell you that at first I was skeptical. I’ve tried (and hated) the chickpea brownies, avocado brownies and was about to try the black bean ones until I found your recipe. They just came out of the oven and I couldn’t wait for them to cool completely to give them a try. Let me say THEY ARE EVERYTHING YOU CLAIMED THEY’D BE!!! Amazing and I don’t feel guilty! Now as long as I don’t inhale the entire pan I’ll be good. Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
Haha!! I have hated them all too so I’ve been on a mission to make some yummy ones WITHOUT any of those ingredients 🙂 I am so thrilled with this comment I am so glad these were so well enjoyed! Thank you Andrea!
Has anyone done a calorie count on these? Just curious. I made these and they were great! Very rich, but great!
So glad you’ve enjoyed them!! Not sure on the calories, but perhaps someone else can chime in 🙂
I just did the count it’s 210 for serving of 6 and 105 for servings of 12 with no frosting – replaced coconut sugar with Boresha Sweet.
Awesome!! I’m sure there are so many people that will appreciate this count. Thanks Misty!
They sound amazing! Can you find coconut sugar in the supermarket? and any idea how many calories per serving?
I’ve found coconut sugar at Walmart, Smiths (Kroger stores), and Harmons. It’s also at pretty much any health food store or online 🙂 I don’t know the calories per serving, but My Fitness Pal is a great resource! 🙂
These are AMAZING, I am making them right now for the second time. You were right warm out of the oven amazing, esp with ice cream but cold the next few days even better!!! I will be making these for the next pot luck thats for sure. Thanks:)
Yay!! So glad to hear you’ve loved these! Thanks so much for the comment Sonja!! And ice cream on top sounds PERFECT!
Love these! Thanks! I didn’t have vanilla yogurt on hand but I did have OIKOS chocolate yogurt on hand. It worked yummy too. For the frosting I didn’t use regular powered sugar I used stevia. With a few pulses in the blender (like the oats) it turns Stevia into sugar-free powered sugar. I will probably be making these more often.
Ooo chocolate yogurt sounds divine! 🙂 So happy you enjoyed these! And thanks for the stevia tip — that sounds like an awesome and healthier frosting! 🙂
OMG!!! I am on this new diet and i am craving junk foods so bad but i know i cant eat them so i googled healthy brownies and this came up first.. I am sooo excited to tried this out making them tomorrow!
Yay! I am so happy you found these and I hope you love them! 🙂
I can’t wait to make these brownies…???
I hope you love them! 🙂
I JUST MADE THIS RECIPE TONIGHT.. .AND I AM SO HAPPY FOR THE HEALTHY INGREDIENTS I USED IN THIS RECIPE.. I DIVIDED THE RECIPE INTO 25 SERVINGS AND THAT EQUALLED 6PTS ON WEIGHT WATCHERS A SMALL BITE BUT WELL WORTH IT.. I ALSO CALCULATED THE ICING, WHICH BY THE WAY IS SO SO TASTY.. HARD TO BELIEVE ITS JUST A FEW INGREDIENTS.. I ALSO DIVIDED IT INTO 25 SERVINGS WHICH EQUALED 2 PTS ON WEIGHT WATCHERS.. BUT AGAIN ITS NOT LIKE YOU ARE GOING TO EAT THE WHOLE PAN BY YOURSELF.. ( I HOPE NOT LOL).
I LOVED THIS RECIPE AND HOW CLEVER TO PUT ALL THESE INGREDIENTS TOGETHER.
Thank you so much! I’m thrilled you enjoyed these brownies 🙂 And thanks for calculating the WW points! I’m sure that will be so helpful to others! 🙂