Healthier Brownies

Published January 13, 2018. Updated June 1, 2019

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Healthier Brownies are made with almond flour instead of white flour, coconut oil instead of butter and they’re sweetened with honey and dates instead of sugar. So now you don’t have to feel like you have to resist the chocolate temptations! These are the perfect indulgence that you can feel fine about eating.

stack of healthy brownies with strawberry on top

Healthy Brownies From Scratch

I could have called these Healthier Date” Brownies but then like 99% of you wouldn’t be wanting to try them, right? So instead if we leave out the “date” and just think of them as a healthier brownie that tastes amazing and don’t focus on the dates in them, then aren’t we all in :)?

I recently bought a date-sweetened brownie at the store and loved it so I decided to do a homemade version. Surprisingly enough, you don’t really taste the dates and you don’t notice that these are healthy homemade brownies. They’re still super fudgy, amazingly chocolatey, so rich, and they have a perfect texture.

These will be your new January best friend. Because January is all about those resolutions that are so hard to keep, but these decadent healthy brownies make it that much easier!

Note that I cut these fudge brownies into 9 servings here, but I thought 12 was more fitting and next time I’ll cut them into 12. The calories listed are based off of my package labels and 12 servings (including chocolate chips, but without chocolate sauce).

They aren’t really intended to be a low-calorie dessert, but rather a smarter choice made with healthier ingredients versus that of your traditional brownie.

And believe it or not, my family actually loved these brownies. That’s proof that these are so good because my husband and kids… and, who are we kidding, I MYSELF, can be picky and we all approved.

You just can’t go wrong with a healthier chocolate treat! Hope you love them!

healthy brownie ingredients in a food processorHealthy Brownie Ingredients

  • Almond flour
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder
  • Salt
  • Baking powder
  • Medjool dates
  • Honey
  • Coconut oil
  • Vanilla
  • Eggs
  • Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

healthy brownie batter in a pan with parchment paper

How to Make Brownies Healthier

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 by 8 inch baking dish with coconut oil (you can also line with parchment if you want to be able to easily lift them from pan).
  • Add almond flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, dates, honey, coconut oil and vanilla to a food processor.
  • Process until well blended and dates have been finely ground down, about 1 minute.
  • Add in one egg and pulse about 15 times (or as needed) to blend then repeat with second eggs. Stir in chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.
  • Spread mixture evenly into prepared baking dish. Bake in preheated oven until brownies are set (a toothpick will still come out with crumbs), about 20 – 25 minutes.
  • Let cool about 5 minutes before cutting and serving. Once cool store in an airtight container.

If you are in for a little extra, add the mini chocolate chips into the batter. They aren’t healthy, but they add in some decadence.

Then for the chocolate sauce, I mostly just added that for looks but feel free to add that too if you’d like. I listed it in the notes at the bottom. Or you could sprinkle these fudge brownies with a hint of powdered sugar!

healthy brownies sliced into squares

Can I Use Maple Syrup Instead of Honey?

Most likely, yes. But without having tried it myself, I can’t say for certain if maple syrup would work in these healthy brownies.

Can I Omit the Dates From These Easy Brownies?

I wouldn’t recommend that, as the dates add both sweetness and moisture to the brownies.

Can I Use a Blender Instead of a Food Processor?

You’d need to have a powerful blender to make the brownie batter, since the dates can be tough to process. However, a few readers have used a Vitamix to make these and said it worked perfectly!

stack of healthy brownies on white plate

Tips for the Best Brownies

  • Be careful not to over bake these brownies, as they can easily dry out in the oven. When in doubt, slightly under bake the brownies (they’ll just be fudgier that way!).
  • Let the food processor run for a good minute or two to fully break down the dates.
  • Make sure to buy almond flour and not almond meal — they’re two different almond products!

stack of healthy brownies topped with fudge sauce and strawberries

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Healthier Brownies
4.67 from 3 votes

Healthier Brownies

A healthier brownie made without white flour, butter and refined sugar. Still perfectly decadent and deliciously satisfying. Sure to curb those chocolatey cravings!
Servings: 12
Prep10 minutes
Cook20 minutes
Ready in: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 by 8 inch baking dish with coconut oil (you can also line with parchment if you want to be able to easily lift them from pan). 
  • Add almond flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, dates, honey, coconut oil and vanilla to a food processor. 
  • Process until well blended and dates have been finely ground down, about 1 minute. 
  • Add in one egg and pulse about 15 times (or as needed) to blend then repeat with second eggs. Stir in chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.
  • Spread mixture evenly into prepared baking dish. Bake in preheated oven until brownies are set (a toothpick will still come out with crumbs), about 20 - 25 minutes. 
  • Let cool about 5 minutes before cutting and serving. Once cool store in an airtight container.
  • If you want the optional chocolate syrup, in a microwave safe bowl heat 1 Tbsp coconut oil and 1 Tbsp honey in microwave until coconut oil is melted. Stir in cocoa. Let cool slightly for a thicker consistency.

Notes

  • Recipe source: inspired by Bites for Foodies
  • Be careful not to over bake these brownies, as they can easily dry out in the oven. When in doubt, slightly under bake the brownies (they'll just be fudgier that way!). 
  • Make sure to buy almond flour and not almond meal — they're two different almond products! 
Nutrition Facts
Healthier Brownies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 215
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

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29 Comments

  • Lucy

    These tasted okay after I poured a LOT of chocolate sauce on top with sprinkles, basically removing any healthy value. They were really dry and got stuck in my throat, and I did not overbake it for sure. I’m not really sure what happened…

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      Sorry to hear that they definitely shouldn’t be dry. We’re the dates used moist or very dry because that could make a differece? I might suggest adding in an extra 1 – 2 Tbsp coconut oil next time and cut back on bake time slightly and that should solve that issue.

  • Inma

    Hello, I don’t think coconut oil is a healthier option than other oils. It’s better to keep using sunflower oil. To have a reference, coconut oil is worse than palm oil if you look at the proportion of saturated fat they have. I can’t wait to try these brownies though. I really like your recipes!

    • Kristina

      It’s important to look at the source of fat and not just the saturated fat “number.” A certain amount of grapes when compared with a certain portion of soda can both give you 24gm of sugar, but, as we know, grapes are much healthier than soda. Coconut oil has been shown to do amazing things, and is currently being studied. One doctor I know started giving it to their patient with Alzheimer’s and the patient was able to draw a clock without trouble, where before coconut oil they failed the “clock test” miserably. While coconuts and avocados have “saturated” fats, their fats are being shown to be much healthier than other sources of saturated fat. It’s important to look beyond the numbers.

  • ken

    My wife’s brownies always come dry. i never have them but she insists. I’ll try and get her to do these.
    Is the Almond critical, because i doubt if its to found in this choked economy=Venezuela
    Thanks.

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      Sorry to hear that, I’d try baking for a shorter period of time maybe because they shouldn’t come out dry.

  • Amy

    I would love to make these for school lunch treats but the school is 100% nut free. What could I swap the almond flour out with?
    Cheers! Can’t wait to get baking

  • Laura | Tutti Dolci

    Such a perfect stack of brownies – I need these in my life! :)