The best Healthy Brownies—rich, fudgy, and made without flour, refined sugar, butter, or eggs. Optional frosting included!
Try this popular Applesauce Brownies or Gluten-Free Brownies next!
Healthy Brownies
Brownies are hands down one of my favorite desserts—the richer and fudgier, the better! And if I don’t have a plan to share a batch (with family, friends, neighbors, etc.), I’ll end up eating every single piece. I wish I were exaggerating, but I’m not.
That’s why I’ve worked hard on a healthier brownie recipe I genuinely love—because let’s be honest, I probably shouldn’t eat an entire tray of Peanut Butter Cup Brownies. At least now, I get some health benefits with every bite!
What To Expect From This Recipe
This is one of my favorite recipes—and one I’m the proudest of. These brownies are rich, fudgy, and made with simple, better-for-you ingredients.
- Texture: Best cold. After 4–6 hours in the fridge, they turn into dense, dark chocolate fudge. Warmed, they’re softer and more cake-like. Either way, they’re thick, chewy, and rich.
- Flavor: Strong dark chocolate flavor (I use 53% cacao). If that’s not your thing, try milk chocolate instead.
Healthy Brownie Ingredients
Here are the ingredients I use and recommend for the best results in this recipe.
- Dark chocolate. I use Nestle’s® Dark Chocolate Chips. Not a fan? Swap with milk or semi-sweet chips.
- Greek yogurt. This is the key ingredient—it really affects the flavor. Honey Vanilla Greek yogurt (Greek Gods®) is my favorite.
- Coconut oil. Some brands have a strong coconut flavor, but I use LouAna®—no noticeable coconut flavor in the final brownies.
- Vanilla extract, salt, and baking soda. These add flavor and help the brownies rise.
- Coconut sugar. Brown sugar works too (1:1), but it’s refined.
- Old-fashioned oats. More on this below.
Let’s Talk Oats
If there’s no flour in these flourless healthy brownies, what are we using? Regular old-fashioned oats! (Make sure to use old-fashioned or rolled oats, not quick or steel-cut oats). The oats are blended up before being added to the batter, and they resemble flour and serve the same function; read the “quick tip” below for a breakdown of the process.
Quick Tip
How to make powdered oats: Add the old-fashioned oats to a food processor or small blender jar. Pulse the oats until they are ground into a powder-like consistency that resembles flour. Stir the oats around to be sure that all the oats have been finely ground and there aren’t any whole oats left. (This will affect the texture and liquid absorption of these flourless brownies.) Make sure to measure the oats once they’ve been blended into a powder and not before.
Healthy Brownies Frosting
The frosting on these is optional. While it is a whole lot healthier than most frosting recipes, it does have refined powdered sugar in it. If you are avoiding refined sugar, you’ll want to leave off the frosting on this recipe.
The frosting contains only four ingredients and uses similar ingredients in the brownie base — more dark chocolate and more Greek yogurt, plus some milk and powdered sugar. I use almond or macadamia nut milk, but any plant-based milk works great here.
The frosting is very thick and ganache-like. It will harden as it sets and firms up on the cold brownies. It can soften and get melty in a warm environment, so I recommend keeping these brownies chilled.
Healthy Brownies Tips
- Use the right ingredients: Look over the ingredient list first—these brownies really need it. The wrong ones can lead to not-so-great brownies.
- Line the pan: They’re really soft and gooey and hard to get out without parchment. Leave some extra on the sides to lift them out easily.
- Cool before slicing: They’re best after a night in the fridge, but even a few hours really helps.
- Cut with a sharp knife: Run the knife under warm water and wipe off between cuts.
More Healthy Dessert Recipes
- Healthy Apple Cake made in a blender
- Healthy Fruit Tart with a yummy base
- BEST Healthy Sugar Cookies made in one bowl
- Healthy Ice Cream without bananas
- Healthy Nut Bark no bake
Healthy Brownies
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
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal. Lightly spritz with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, place 1 cup (175g) of chocolate chips and set aside. Add the solid coconut oil to a separate, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the coconut oil, then measure the coconut oil in its hot, melted state. Pour the hot, melted coconut oil over the dark chocolate and stir the chocolate until completely melted. If needed, microwave the chocolate and coconut oil in 10–15 second bursts, stirring between each burst for 20 seconds until completely melted and smooth. Let cool slightly.
- Add in Greek yogurt; stir to combine. Stir in the vanilla, salt, baking soda, and coconut sugar.
- Add old-fashioned oats to a blender or food processor. Blend or process until the oats are fine and resemble flour. Measure the oat flour after blending. Add blended oats and remaining 1/2 cup (91g) chocolate chips to the brownie batter. Mix to combine.
- Spread the mixture (it is very thick) into the prepared pan in an even layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 28–32 minutes or until a fork comes out clean when inserted into the center. Do not overbake. Slightly underbaking is better and will yield a better taste and texture (more fudge-like). Remove from oven and allow the pan of brownies to cool completely at room temperature on a wire cooling rack. If desired, frost the cooled brownies (see next step).
- Optional Frosting: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and milk. Microwave in bursts of 15 seconds, stirring for 15 seconds between each burst until the chocolate is completely melted. Stir in the Greek yogurt until fully incorporated, then whisk in the powdered sugar. Frosting may seem thin—don’t worry; it thickens as it cools. Let stand at room temperature 10 minutes, then spread frosting evenly over the brownies.
- Cover the frosted (or unfrosted) brownies and place them in the fridge to fully chill. These brownies are best cold (I like them best after being chilled 6–8 hours). Once chilled through, remove the brownies using the parchment overhang. Cut into small pieces and enjoy!
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I question your sodium content. The baking
soda has a significant amount of sodium.
Delicious! I opted to make these without the frosting and instead sprinkled a few of the extra chocolate chips on top. When they come out of the oven, they’re a bit of a soupy mess, but if you let them sit in the refrigerator overnight they really do become the best, crumbly brownies ever. Thank you for sharing!
I am so happy to hear this! So glad you enjoyed! Thanks Kelsey! 🙂
These look delicious. I like to add protein powder wherever possible to up my protein intake. Have you tried adding it to these brownies?
I haven’t, but I would love to hear how it works out for you if you try!
Hi! Can I substitute grape seed oil for the coconut oil? I’m looking forward to making this recipe. Thanks!
I wouldn’t recommend that, sorry!
Is there another oil I could use instead of coconut oil, like olive oil?
Not in this recipe, sorry!
These were great, nobody would have guessed how healthy they are. 😉
That’s the best when that happens! 🙂
How can I substitute the coconut sugar with honey?I don’t like the taste of coconut sugar.
I wouldn’t do honey in these brownies, I would substitute it with regular sugar or brown sugar