Chocolate brownies have been given a healthier twist and some added fruit and they couldn't be easier to make! These Healthy Brownies take just 5 minutes to prepare - and they're vegan and gluten free too!
These raspberry brownies are made with oat flour, sweetened with banana and a little liquid sweetener and have some fruit added to make them lighter than traditional brownies.
They are lower in calories than the average brownie too - at just 70 calories each. But this healthy brownie recipe is still really fudgy and delicious.
These healthy chocolate brownies are a great way to use lots of raspberries. If you are looking for more recipes that use raspberries, why not try our Make Ahead Smoothie Packs, Raspberry and Mint Water or Croissant French Toast or our delicious Chocolate Raspberry Peanut Butter Cups.
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Why You Will Love Them
- Low calories - These healthy brownies taste far more indulgent then they actually are. Only 70 calories per brownie
- Vegan, gluten free and low carb - A few adaptions make these healthy brownies suitable for a vegan and gluten free diet.
- Kids will love them - Kids love chocolate brownies and they will love helping to make these too.
- Really easy to make - Everything done in one bowl for this healthy brownie recipe.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Bananas - This is what helps to make them deliciously fudgy. The key is to use ripe bananas, as it will help to make them nice and sweet. We don't think these taste very bananary. However, if you are really sensitive to the flavour of banana, you could use 2 avocados instead and then add some extra sweetener.
- Nut butter - This contributes to the fudginess. We used Almond Butter, but you can swap it for cashew or peanut butter instead.
- Cocoa powder - We used unsweetened cocoa powder. It adds a lovely rich chocolate flavour.
- Sweetener - To keep this lower in sugar and calories, we used a liquid sweetener (we used Sweet Freedom which is made from fruit, so these are sugar. You can swap it for caster sugar though.
- Rolled oats - Instead of plain flour, we have made an oat flour. This is done by blending up oats until they are a flour consistency. This makes it gluten free and adds some fibre to the healthy brownies too
- Almond milk - We used almond milk to keep these dairy free brownies. You could swap it for oat milk or another plant based milk, or even use a dairy milk.
- Vanilla extract - This adds lots of flavour and vanilla does to sweet food what salt does to savoury - it helps to bring out all the other flavours. Make sure to use extract and not essence.
- Raspberries - You can swap these for strawberries or blueberries if you prefer. We used a combination of fresh and frozen as that's what we had, but either will work.
- Sea salt - A small pinch of salt adds lots of flavour to chocolate recipes.
Variations
Fruit - Chocolate and raspberry is a delicious combination, but you don't have to use raspberries - you could use pitted cherries, chunks of strawberries, blackberries or blueberries. You could even use a mix of them all.
Additions - You could keep these raspberry brownies as they are, but there are so many other things that you can add into them. Some of our favourite additions are walnuts, pecans, dark or white chocolate chips, Nutella, peanut butter or Oeros.
How to Make Healthy Brownies - Step by Step
Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Line an 20x150cm/8x6" brownie tin with baking paper.
- Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas until they are smooth.
- Step 2: Add the oats to the banana.
- Step 3: Add the cocoa powder and salt.
- Step 4: Add the nut butter, milk, vanilla and liquid sweetener.
- Step 5: Mix well to form a smooth batter and pour into the lined baking tray.
- Step 6: Drop the raspberries on top of the batter, pushing them slightly into the mixture (a). Put into your oven and cook for 25 minutes (b).
- Step 7: Leave to cool completely before cutting and keep them in the fridge so they stay firm.
Healthy Brownies
These raspberry brownies are healthier! You can't go wrong with a chocolate brownie. It's a classic dessert choice and the gooier and fudgier the better in our opinion. Thanks to the banana and cashew butter in these chocolate raspberry brownies, they are both those things, but they are also low in calories and carbs too. Woooo Hoooo for healthy chocolate brownies!
We have used a liquid sweetener instead of sugar, but you could use sugar instead if you prefer. We use the sweet freedom brand as it is made from just fruit, so these are sugar free and nothing artificial.
As these healthy chocolate brownies haven't got any eggs or butter in them, they are a great low fat brownie option.
Storage
Store: They keep for a good few days in the fridge, so there is no need to eat them all quickly before they go bad. Although the temptation is strong - they are that good!
Freeze: You can freeze these, making them perfect for batch cooking. Cut them into portions and then individually wrap them and put them in a freezer bag. They will keep for up to 2 months.
Defrost: You can defrost these at room temperature.
Extra Tips
- We have used a combination of fresh and frozen raspberries. This gives a mixture of textures when they are cooked. You could use only fresh or only frozen if you wish.
- You don't have to use raspberries - you could use pitted cherries, chunks of strawberries, blackberries or blueberries. You could even use a mixture of them all.
- These brownies are vegan, however you can use cow's milk if you don't want to use nut milk.
- Love peanut butter? Swap the almond butter for peanut butter.
- You can make these even more indulgent by adding in some dark chocolate chips.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don't think these taste like banana - it gives it the sweetness rather than the flavour. But, I have heard from some people (who dislike banana), that it does taste like it. So, is there an alternative?
Banana is pretty much what makes up the majority of the topping, so it's fairly important. But, you can swap it for avocado which will give it the same creamy texture, but not the sweetness.
Yes, they are. Just make sure that you are using certified gluten free oats. Also make sure that there is no cross contamination.
These are vegan if you use almond milk. You can use another milk if you prefer.
More Chocolate Recipes
If you’ve tried these raspberry brownies, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Healthy Chocolate Raspberry Brownies
Ingredients
- 3 Bananas
- 3 tablespoon Almond butter - heaped
- 35 g (0.33 cups) Cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoon Liquid sweetener
- 30 g (0.33 cups) Rolled oats - blended to make flour
- 60 ml (0.25 cups) Almond milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 pinch Sea salt
- 16 Raspberries
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6. Line an 20x150cm/8x6" brownie tin with baking paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash 3 Bananas until they are smooth.
- Add 30 g Rolled oats, 35 g Cocoa powder and 1 pinch Sea salt.
- Add 3 tablespoon Almond butter, 60 ml Almond milk, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract and 2 tablespoon Liquid sweetener.
- Mix well to form a smooth batter and pour into the lined baking tray.
- Drop 16 Raspberries on top of the batter, pushing them slightly into the mixture. Put into your oven and cook for 25 minutes.
- Leave to cool completely before cutting and keep them in the fridge so they stay firm.
Recipe Tips
- We have used a combination of fresh and frozen raspberries. This gives a mixture of textures when they are cooked. You could use only fresh or only frozen if you wish.
- You don't have to use raspberries - you could use pitted cherries, chunks of strawberries, blackberries or blueberries. You could even use a mixture of them all.
- These brownies are vegan, however you can use cow's milk if you don't want to use nut milk.
- Love peanut butter? Swap the cashew butter for peanut butter.
- You can make these even more indulgent by adding in some dark chocolate chips.
- To ensure this recipe is definitely gluten free, use oats that are certified gluten free.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Abbie says
Can I use an egg and 2 bananas instead of 3 to tone down the taste of bananas in the brownie?
Dannii says
I haven't tried this myself, but I don't think the consistency would work. I personally don't find the banana flavour overpowering in this with 3 bananas though.