Surprisingly Decadent Brownies (Healthy, Whole Wheat & One Bowl!) … with Valentine’s Day Ideas!
This Recipe Is: • Make Ahead • Vegetarian •
Gather round, friends. It’s story time.
Once upon a time, back when we were dating, my husband wanted our first Valentine’s Day to be really special. Instead of going out to dinner at a restaurant in our little college town, he wanted to cook me dinner before we went to his fraternity’s date party.
I shopped for the perfect gifts, found the perfect card (I spent … oh, I don’t know … an hour reading cards!), and got all dolled up for a fun night with my guy.
When I got to his house, there was a note on the door to follow the rose petals. I walked along the (darling!) path he’d made, and finally found him in the kitchen cooking up a storm. He was all dressed up, looking so darn cute. And on the table he had flowers and gifts for me. Oh … and dinner smelled amazing!
Before we ate, we exchanged gifts … cards first, of course!
As I opened the card he’d gotten for me, my heart stopped. Oh no!
Did I open the wrong card?
While my mind was racing, he started laughing as he opened the card from me.
What was happening???
I’ll tell you what happened. We bought each other the SAME card. The exact one. Of all the thousands and thousands of cards available for that one day, we’d picked out the identical card.
Welp, that was it for me. I was going to marry this one. I already knew I loved him, but those cards solidified it. If we could pick out the same sentiments for how we felt about each other … well, I figured it was destiny. And by the next Valentine’s Day, I was knee-deep in planning my wedding!
Now that we’re married and have kiddos, February 14th isn’t quite the same. Instead of shopping for the perfect gift, I’m at the craft store picking up supplies for the perfect Valentine’s Day “shoebox” for the class party. Stickers, papers, duct tape, oh my!
But no matter! With brownies like these, any Valentine’s Day (heck any regular day!) is awesome … rose petals or duct tape! Whether you’re a kiddo hoping for the best candy at the class party, a teenager hoping for a smile from the cute guy in your math class, or a wife hoping for a little blue box with a big white bow (ahem … hint hint, honey) … these brownies are just the thing.
Deliciously fudge-y, perfectly chocolaty, wonderfully healthy, and a breeze to make … what better way is there to tell someone you love them?
Want to know how I know these are so easy to make? It’s because I made at least 10 test batches. Some were promising, others … notsomuch. But this version. Oh … this version … our taste tester panel families seriously loved ’em! My oldest didn’t believe they were healthy. So good. Shelley texted me in desperation when her supply ran out because she wanted more, and the rest were at my house. Yes, friends. These brownies are that good. And then, she texted to ask if I thought it’d be ok for her to make these once or twice a day. Told ya. They are just. that. good.
Oh … one more thing … this is all done in one bowl! Super fast. Super easy. Super clean. Seriously!
No doubt, these brownies say love any day of the year. Rose petals or no. Really … you need to enjoy these little beauties year-round. Every single day, in fact, would be best.
So … bake these brownies, and tell someone you love them! Any day … every day!
Surprisingly Decadent Brownies (Healthy, Whole Wheat & One Bowl!)
Rich, moist, delicious fudge brownies that are surprisingly healthy (with whole grains and less fat) and also super quick and easy to make (one bowl)!
• Make Ahead • Vegetarian •
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1-2 teaspoons granulated sugar for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir well with a whisk until ingredients are evenly combined and brown sugar is broken up.
- Add eggs, applesauce, oil, and vanilla, stirring just to combine and being careful not to over-mix.
- Pour batter into an ungreased 8x8 pan.
- Bake for about 28-33 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean with just a few crumbs. (Baking longer, to get a completely clean toothpick, will yield drier, more cake-like brownies.)
- Remove pan to a cooling rack and immediately sprinkle brownies with granulated sugar.
- Allow to cool before cutting.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 servings Serving Size: 1 brownieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 131Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 70mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 1gSugar: 9gProtein: 3g
Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.
Hey Gretchen! Sweet story, sweet recipe! 🙂 So, I’m going to continue the flour question by asking what you think about using white whole wheat flour?! All the same benefits as whole wheat? Thx!
Hi, Kristen! That’s a great question. White whole wheat flour is becoming much more widely available to consumers in typical supermarkets, so you’re undoubtedly not the only one wondering this! Buckle your seatbelt, though … this is gonna take a little explaining! Without getting super food-geeky on you, let me try to give you a quick overview (the nuances of wheat in baking can be a pretty lengthy discussion!).
White whole wheat is often a great option for people who don’t like the heartier flavor of regular whole wheat flour, or for baked goods where you want a lighter-colored finished product. Nutritionally, white whole wheat flour is considered to be basically the same as regular whole wheat flour. They’re actually just made from two different types of wheat (red wheat vs. a white wheat). If you’re craving a more detailed explanation, I found a great link for you at The Whole Grains Council. Also, you might enjoy a peek at the utterly fantastic book “Peter Reinhart’s Whole Grain Breads”, which has even more details on the subtle yet important differences in various types of wheat and their effects on baked goods. (Mr. Reinhart is incredible – I had the honor of learning from him when he taught at a local cooking school, and he is not only brilliant, but also funny, warm and personable. I highly recommend checking out his work!)
Any-who … the reason we didn’t use white whole wheat flour in this recipe is because white whole wheat flour (at around 13-16% protein depending on brand) has roughly the same protein content as regular whole wheat flour, which can yield tougher baked goods due to the increased gluten – not what we were going for in this recipe. A big reason why we normally mix regular whole wheat flour with all-purpose flour in some of our recipes (such as some of our muffins) is because, with their higher protein levels, whole wheat flours can make baked goods tough. A mix of all-purpose flour (usually around 11-13% protein) and whole wheat flour (usually around 13.5-14%) gets that protein level down to about the same level as that found in the Bob’s Red Mill whole wheat pastry flour we used for this recipe (12% max protein). One caveat … protein levels can vary between brands, and even within the same brand (you know … just to add to the confusion!). Bob’s Red Mill has a handy list of the protein levels in their flours. Yeah … that’s more than you wanted to know, right?!?!?
Bottom line: if you’d like to try these with white whole wheat flour, definitely give it a go! The main difference you may notice is that they may not be as tender, delicate and fudge-y in texture because the extra protein will give them more structure or toughness. A good option, though, if that’s what you have on hand, might be to mix half white whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour. (Although, as we mentioned in our earlier comment to Sue, if your whole wheat flour is coarsely ground, you may notice a textural coarseness in these delicate brownies.) Definitely … if you try it, let us know the results! 😀 ~Shelley
Hi Kristen! Just wanted to say thank you for your sweet comment! I see Shelley already answered your question about the different flours (she’s so smart … and incredibly thorough!!). Sorry I couldn’t get back to you right away – I was at a PTO meeting and then off to the Valentine’s party! 🙂 ~Gretchen
Aww, such a sweet story that proves your true love! Chocolate and strawberries are fantastic together, and that last picture of the strawberry and brownie skewers looks irresistible!
So true, right!?!? Strawberries and chocolate … quintessential pairing! And seriously, that dinner of shish-kabob-everything, as we were sitting on an outdoor terrace and laughing with our Romeos on a lovely, warm evening … it was fabulous! But whether you have strawberries (kinda tough this time of year, right!?!?) or not, … just whip up these brownies quick-quick (kabobs optional)! 😀 ~G&S
That is just the sweetest Valentine’s Day story ever Gretchen! To spend an hour pouring over cards and picking out the same one… It definitely sounds like you found your Mr. Perfect! 🙂 And I have such fond memories of making my own Valentine’s Day “mailboxes” from retired shoeboxes. I actually still have one or two at my parent’s house — red wrapping paper, glitter glue & pink heart stickers! Your kids are lucky to have you as a mom!!
Happy Valentine’s Day to you both, Gretchen & Shelley!
Aww thank you, Amy! You are so sweet!!
The part I laugh about is that men (in general!) can simply choose a card in five minutes! I know picking the right card is a huge process for me … I read and compare and hold multiple ones until I find just the perfect sentiment. But yes … we ended up choosing the exact same card! And I couldn’t be happier with my hubby! 🙂
This year we used duct tape for the shoebox decorating extravaganza. FYI – it’s much less forgiving than scotch tape! But, the end result was really cute – and held all those sweet cards and candy just fine! ~Gretchen
It’s so true! I spend at least 20 minutes on a simple birthday card, and those occasions where love is in the air… Goodness me. 😉 Good to know about the duct tape, especially now that they sell so many fun colors and patterns!
Oh my gosh. I am not sure what I love more? That adorable husband/wife Valentines Day story? The fact these are made in one bowl? Or the fact that they are healthy? Augh!!! This is hard. I just love it all!!! Pinning!
You’re so cute! And so right – just everything about these brownies is awesome! And you know what? If you met Gretchen and her Romeo, you would totally think that they’re every bit as adorable in real life as they sound like in this story! 😀 Happy, happy Valentine’s Day, Kristi! ~Shelley
What a story! You two are meant to be. Thanks for your kind words about George. I’m managing but it will take a while for the tears to stop. Hope you have another romantic Valentine’s Day and that he still does the cooking! and as for these brownies, I have just one question. If I eat them all, are they still healthy?
Awwww … thanks, Abbe! We were both so sad to hear about George and are sending you extra hugs of sympathy and encouragement. Hang in there … it gets easier. We hope you have a good Valentine’s Day, without too many tears today. And listen to you – funny as ever – considering your options on eating the whole panful! Ummmmm … we think that, at least for you, eating a whole pan of brownies today should get an absolute green light! 😀 Hugs, friend. ~G&S