Healthier Avocado Brownies

Healthier Avocado Brownies recipe is a great new way to use avocados in baking. Although they are not guilty as the regular ones, these brownies are wonderfully fudgy and delicious. Plus, the avocado frosting gives a nice creamy touch that balances the flavors.

I know making avocado brownies sounds weird to some of you while some of you might already use it in their baking. Just like zucchini, avocado is one of my top favorite ingredients and I can use it any recipe. Have you seen our Chocolate Yogurt Zucchini Bread? These brownies are as surprising and scrumptious. They taste so good that everyone will ask for more.

Why are these avocado brownies healthy?

The first thing that makes these brownies less guilty is that the recipe doesn’t call for butter. Avocado is an amazing substitute for it and you won’t even feel its taste. I use a little coconut oil, which is considered as one of the healthiest oils. I think when combined with avocado, it helps these brownies get fudgy and rich.

Secondly, unlike traditional Double Chocolate Brownies, this recipe doesn’t start with melting butter and chocolate. No need for these two when you are making healthy yet delicious brownies. The combination of a quality cocoa powder and the wet ingredients already gives you that chocolate feeling.

Another thing that makes these avocado brownies healthy is the type of sweeteners in them. I combine brown sugar and banana in the batter. One large ripe banana is enough to reduce the amount of sugar in this recipe. If you don’t have brown sugar on hand, you can use maple syrup or coconut sugar as in Erin’s gorgeous looking Zucchini Brownies.

In addition, these chocolate avocado brownies don’t have all purpose flour. They are made with whole wheat flour. If you want a gluten free version, you can use coconut flour, almond flour as in Sandy’s Almond Flour Chocolate Brownies or even rice flour as in our Fudgy Gluten Free Brownies recipe. The texture might be a bit different but the taste will be as good.

Healthy Avocado Frosting

As for the frosting on these brownies, it is healthier too. Unlike the Avocado Buttercream Frosting I shared with you before, this one doesn’t have sugar. If we are trying to make a healthy brownie recipe, it’s better to avoid sugar when we can, right? Plus, no butter is needed for this wonderfully creamy frosting. It is just the combination of three ingredients: avocado, lemon juice and maple syrup. Optionally you can add vanilla too and substitute honey for maple syrup.

Although you won’t taste the avocado flavor in these brownies, the frosting tastes like avocado. The flavor is light though and balances the dense brownies.

I don’t recommend preparing the frosting ahead of time so that it won’t lose its color.  It’s better to frost the brownies right before serving. The bright green color stays for about an hour but then starts to get darker.

Healthier Avocado Brownies

★★★★

4 from 1 reviews

Healthy avocado brownies with healthy dairy free avocado frosting

• Author: Zerrin
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 9
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Brownies:

• 1 large ripe avocado
• 1 large ripe banana
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

Frosting:

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

Instructions

Brownies:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Line a 8×8 inch baking pan with baking paper or grease it well with coconut oil. Put aside.
3. Blend avocado, banana and coconut oil in a food processor. Transfer to a large bowl.
4. Whisk in eggs and sugar.
5. Sift in whole wheat flour, cocoa powder and salt. Stir until combined using a spatula and pour it into the prepared pan.
6. Bake for 25 minutes.
7. Cool completely before cutting and frosting.

 

Frosting:

1. Blend avocado, lemon juice and maple syrup in a food processor. Optionally add in vanilla extract.
2. Slice the brownies and then frost each.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 slice
• Calories: 212
• Sugar: 18.3g
• Sodium: 168.9mg
• Fat: 12.4g
• Carbohydrates: 28.8g
• Protein: 3.7g
• Cholesterol: 46.5mg