Fudgy mouth-watering brownies with all the healthy swaps without sacrificing any of the flavor. Jaws seriously hit the floor after taking a bite and learning they are gluten free, dairy free, paleo and refined sugar free. Taste for yourself!
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Key Ingredient Tips
High Quality Dutch Cocoa Powder: A high quality pure (unsweetened) cocoa powder is KEY to your homemade brownies having an amazing chocolate flavor. I've used too many low quality cocoa powders to know that they can take make a fudgy recipe dry and flavorless. You want to use a pure cocoa powder that is dutch processed with a high fat content (at least 1 gram of fat per 5 gram serving) for a rich and fudgy chocolate flavor. I LOVE Valrhona cocoa powder, I buy it in bulk on Amazon or get it at Whole Foods. I've read that Droste & Guittard are also great brands, but haven't tried them yet. And as an added bonus, unsweetened cocoa has no sugar and is a great source of iron and potassium!
Pure Maple Syrup: Let's be honest... brownies need some sugar or else they taste more like a chocolate protein bar than a delicious brownie. But we don't need to use cane sugar which has zero added health benefits. Pure maple syrup is a natural sugar from the sap of sugar maple trees that has been boiled down. It is lower on the glycemic index than cane sugar (so it doesn't spike our blood sugar as quickly) and it provides us with lots of nutritious anti-oxidants and minerals. Always buy 100% pure maple syrup, ideally from somewhere that is known for their maple syrup, like Vermont! There should be no other ingredients listed.
Neutral Oil: Brownies need a good amount of fat so instead of butter, I prefer to bake with avocado oil because it has a neutral flavor, is a monounsaturated fat (good fat) and I don't have to worry about burning the oil since it has a high smoke point of 400°F.
Eggs: Eggs add moisture, texture and rise to the brownies. If you can afford them, try and buy eggs that are pasture raised, non-GMO or organic, and certified humane. Pasture raised & certified humane eggs are from chickens who have lots of room inside and outside to be happy chickens and eat what chickens eat (bugs, grass, etc). These chickens may still need to be fed some feed which is why it's important to also look for a non-GMO or organic label. "Cage Free" and "Free Range" are marketing scams because the chickens are not free, they live indoors! Nutritionally it's also worth the extra cost and due diligence because pasture raised eggs have much more omega-3 fat, vitamin D, vitamin E and beta-carotene than conventional eggs.
Flour: Any type of baking flour or all purpose flour (gluten filled or gluten free) will work great for these homemade brownies. I use gluten free flour whenever possible because like most people, I'm sensitive to gluten. You may be sensitive to gluten if you notice symptoms like bloating, IBS, brain fog, upset stomach after eating gluten and if that's the case you may want to avoid gluten when possible because the gluten isn't being metabolized properly in your body.
Ingredient Substitutions & Variations
- Avocado Oil Substitutions: use the same amount of grapeseed oil, butter or plant based butter.
- Egg Substitution: to make these brownies vegan, the 2 chicken eggs can be substituted with JUST Egg, you'll need 6 tablespoons of it for this recipe (3 tablespoons = 1 egg). However, this will impact the taste to be a little bland compared to using eggs.
- Gluten Free Flour Substitution: use the same amount of any kind of all purpose or baking flour.
- Sea Salt Substitutions: If you aren't using fine sea salt, use this salt conversion chart to see how much salt you should use. Ideally, you should be using a finely ground salt for baking so that the salt distributes evenly without a crunchy texture.
- Variations: Add in a half cup of your favorite brownie toppings - chopped pecans, chocolate chips, dried cherries.
Expert Tips
- Use a ripe avocado: you should be able to make an indent in it easily when you poke it with your finger.
- Mashed avocado: The better your avocado is mashed or blended the less likely you'll be to have bits of avocados end up visibly in your brownies.
- Brownie Cutting: Let brownies cool to room temperature before cutting them with a sharp knife and remove with a mini spatula.
- Non-Stick: Use parchment paper and/or spray your pan with avocado oil before pouring the brownie batter into the pan for easily removal of the brownies. I like to buy pre-cut sheets of parchment paper, cut two sheets to the width of my pan and overlap them (one vertically and one horizontally). This is an easy way to add parchment paper without the annoying crinkled parchment paper creases that can impact the shape of the brownies. I then lightly spray the parchment paper with avocado oil.
FAQs
Be sure to store them in an air tight container - they can last up to 4 days at room temperature and up to 1 week in the fridge (since they have avocado in them).
Yes, you can but the texture might be a bit wet or different after they thaw overnight in the fridge.
Wait for the brownies to completely cool to room temperature or put them in the fridge to cool. Place a large sharp knife (I use an 8 inch chef's knife) under hot water until the blade is hot. Dry off the blade carefully and then cut your brownies! It's important to clean the knife and repeat the process for each cut. Never u0022sawu0022 your brownies, cut in one long motion. A mini spatula is also super helpful from removing each brownie from the pan cleanly.
Yes! Chicken eggs can be substituted with JUST Egg can also be used (3 tablespoons = 1 egg).
More healthy sweets you'll love!
- Healthy Gluten Free Banana Muffins
- Healthy Flourless Apple Crisp Without Brown Sugar (9x13)
- Healthy Blueberry Crumble
I hope you love these maple syrup brownies! If you make it I’d love if you could leave a rating & connect with me on Instagram @passthesprouts!
Recipe
Healthy Maple Syrup Brownies (no added sugar!)
Equipment
- whisk or large spoon / fork
- 9x9 inch metal baking pan for other sizes baking time will vary
- measuring tools (cups, teaspoons) or kitchen scale
- Fork
- parchment paper optional
- mini spatula optional
Ingredients
- 1 avocado, large mashed or blended
- 1 cup avocado oil
- 1 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 chicken eggs, large or 6 tablespoons of JUST egg replacement
- 1 cup all purpose or baking flour gluten free baking flour optional
- 1 cup high quality raw dutch cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Mash or blend avocado: Cut the ripe avocado open with a knife and remove the pit. Scoop out the avocado flesh into a large mixing bowl and mash it with a fork until completely smooth. You can also blend the avocado into a purée if you prefer.
- Combine wet ingredients: In the large mixing bowl with the mashed avocado, add the oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract and eggs. Mix the wet ingredients together rapidly with a whisk until all ingredients are combined (~1 minute). An electric hand mixer can also be used (~20 seconds). Be sure to scrape down the sides as you mix.
- Add dry ingredients: In the same mixing bowl with the wet ingredients, add the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Mix rapidly with a whisk until all ingredients are combined (~1 minute). An electric hand mixer can also be used (~20 seconds). Be sure to scrape down the sides as you mix.
- Prepare your pan: Take your oven safe baking pan (I use a 9x9 inch metal baking pan) and add parchment paper and/or a light coating of avocado oil to avoid the brownies from sticking. If a different sized pan is used, the baking time will vary.
- Bake: Pour brownie mix into the pan and smooth the top. Bake in a convection oven at 350°F for 20 minutes or until you can insert a sharp knife into the middle of the brownies and pull it out without any brownie batter sticking to it. You should be able to tell that all the batter is cooked, if the batter in the middle is still liquid they aren't quite done yet. *Note: You may want to check your brownies after 10-15 minutes depending on the size of your pan. Using a 9x9 inch metal pan my oven always takes 20 minutes but if I use a 9x13 pan, the baking time is much shorter.
Recipe Notes
- *It's recommended to use a 9x9 inch metal baking pan. If you use a different pan, cooking time will vary.
- Make sure you avocado is ripe - you should be able to make an indent in it easily when you poke it with your finger.
- The better your avocado is mashed or blended the less likely you'll be to have bits of avocados end up visibly in your brownies.
- Let brownies cool to room temperature before cutting them with a sharp knife and remove with a mini spatula.
- Avocado Oil Substitutions: use the same amount of grapeseed oil, butter or plant based butter.
- Egg Substitution: to make these brownies vegan, the 2 chicken eggs can be substituted with 6 tablespoons of JUST Egg (vegan egg replacement). However, this will impact the taste to be a little bland compared to using eggs.
- Gluten Free Flour Substitution: use the same amount of any type of all purpose or baking flour.
- Sea Salt Substitutions: If you aren't using fine sea salt, use this salt conversion chart to see how much salt you should use. Ideally, you should be using a finely ground salt for baking so that the salt distributes evenly without a crunchy texture.
Rachael says
I LOVE THESE. Gooey paleo brownies goodness that satisfies all my chocolate cravings.