These healthier no refined sugar chocolate brownies will be sure to satisfy your sweet tooth without causing sharp spikes in your blood sugar. A perfect waist friendly pick-me-up snack. Vegan, gluten free and sugar free.
I’ve just got back from a short work trip to Spain and was going to have a relaxing Sunday doing nothing but then my sugar cravings hit and I thought it was a good idea to knock up some quick healthy-ish chocolate brownies to accompany my cup of coffee… As much as I like traditional brownies, I find them too sweet, as well as far from healthy, so I set off to bake my own, waist friendly chocolate brownies.
I must say, baking doesn’t come naturally to me – probably because it’s too precise! I normally make up my recipes by ‘putting a little bit of this and a little bit of that’ but this approach doesn’t really work with baking. I’ve had so many epic fails with my bakes that some of them put me off from baking for a long time!
So, off I went into the kitchen cupboard rummaging for ingredients and keeping my fingers crossed for something delicious to come out at the end of it. And it sure did!
HOW TO MAKE HEALTHIER VEGAN CHOCOLATE BROWNIES
To make these healthier chocolate brownies, I used buckwheat flour (which is naturally gluten free and scores low to medium on the glycemic index, so it shouldn’t cause unhealthy spikes in blood sugar levels) and ground almonds, which I find make bakes rather moist and give them a little more texture. If you’re allergic to nuts, just double up on the buckwheat flour and omit nuts altogether (although it might affect the overall texture of brownies).
Although I made these chocolate brownies vegan friendly by using chia seeds as egg replacement, you can always sub it for egg for non-vegan version.
To avoid refined sugar, I used maple syrup (and rather sparingly, so not to make these brownies too sweet). You might want to use a little more maple syrup if you prefer yours a little sweeter.
So, to make these healthier chocolate brownies, combine buckwheat flour, ground almonds, soda, baking powder and raw cacao in a big mixing bowl and mix until all the lumps are removed. Next, in a small saucepan heat up coconut oil, maple syrup, nut butter and dairy free milk. Whisk the mixture until smooth, take off the heat and pour into the bowl with dry ingredients. Add chia egg (or normal egg) and mix until well combined. Transfer the brownie mixture into a square baking tin lined with parchment paper, sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts and bake in the oven for 20-25mins at 180C (fan).
If you’re looking to make this recipe nut free, replace ground almonds with buckwheat flour, like I’ve mentioned above, skip the nut butter and sub hazelnuts with dark chocolate chips.
I really hope you get to enjoy these decadent yet waist-friendly vegan chocolate brownies. If you make them, be sure to drop a comment below and tag me on Instagram (@fit.foodie.nutter #fitfoodienutter), so I can see your take on them.
If you’re after some more delicious yet healthy chocolate treats, check out my other recipes:
- Chocolate and blood orange tart
- Healthy banana, peanut butter & oat cookies
- Vegan strawberry mousse cake
- Healthy vegan chocolate tarts
- Healthy chocolate cookies
See you next week.
Healthfully yours,
Tania x
- 1 tbsp ground chia seeds mixed in with 3tbsp water
- 1 cup buckwheat flour
- 1 cup ground almonds
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
- 1/3 cup coconut oil , melted
- ¼ cup maple syrup (or to taste)
- 2 tbsp nut butter of choice
- ½ cup + 1/3cup dairy free milk
- ¼ cup roughly chopped toasted hazelnuts
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1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan and line a 9’’ baking tray with parchment paper.
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2. To prepare the chia egg, combine 1tbsp ground chia seeds with 3tbsp water, mix well and set aside.
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3. In a big mixing bowl, combine buckwheat flour, ground almonds, baking soda, baking powder and cacao powder and mix well until all lumps are removed.
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4. In a small saucepan, combine coconut oil, maple syrup, nut butter and dairy free milk over medium heat and whisk until smooth.
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5. Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with dry ingredients, add chia egg and mix well until the mixture in smooth.
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6. Transfer the mixture into the square 9” cake tin lined with parchment paper and spread evenly around the tin. Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts and slightly press them into the brownie mixture with the back of a spoon. Bake in the oven at 180C (fan) for 20-25mins or until cooked in the middle.
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Looking good Tania! I can never try enough healthy brownies!
Thank you so much Nele! And you’re totally right – never enough brownies! Have a great weekend my friend x
I’d love to make these as an after school treat for my kids. So much better for them than what they usually have.
Thank you Jen. I hope your children will love these as much as my daughter did! x
These look perfectly delicious! I think the toasted hazel nuts on top sound awesome.
Thank you Andrea. Hazelnuts definitely add a great texture and extra flavour to these brownies.
You totally had me at those gorgeous hazelnuts on top, and I always keep buckwheat flour around, the flavor is amazing ~ love this recipe!
Thank you so much Sue. Buckwheat flour works wonders in this recipe. Have a great day x
These Sugar free brownies look delicious. Love to grab all of it.
Thank you so much Veena, I was addicted to these indeed and perhaps had too many during taste testing:) x
I love that you added toasted hazelnuts to this tasty vegan dessert. Looks so good!
Thank you Marly. Toasted hazelnuts finished it off so nicely:)
How long will they keep. Thankyou for any reply
Hi Carolyn. Mine kept for 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge & still tasted good. My daughter also microwaved her brownie slices for 10-15seconds and they tasted as if just out of the oven! Happy baking:)
Is it still waist-friendly if I eat the whole pan…? Yummy-o-looking!
Oh yes Brigitte! At least that was my excuse haha x
Although we are allergic to nuts, this still looks so good! I just love brownies.
Thank you Nicole!
wow, seriously cravings these now! I’m totally a sucker for healthy vegan desserts 😉
Thank you so much Alena! I’m a total sucker for these kind of things too! x
Hi this recipe looks nice yumm.. Thx for sharing.. Can you skip coconut oil?I am following wholefood plant based diet and so excluding oil. Thx
Hi Jaksh. Oil keeps the brownies moist and helps the brownies bind. I’m not sure if the recipe will work without it. Maybe you can use alternative oil?