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.
Oh I wish you had been my Valentine, just so I could eat these brownies.. Your story is so cute! It does sound like destiny that way. I don’t have a story like that to share, but.. this year my boyfriend came up to me grinning (you know, fancy clothes, shaved and all) “Do you know what day it is?” on the 13th. I laughed at him so hard, the poor thing. We ended up just celebrating Valentine’s twice 😀
Awww – that’s a really sweet story!! And two Valentine’s Days — gotta take advantage of that! 😀
We don’t need to be Valentine’s to share these brownies – they are awesome any day! I’ll ship ya some! Hmmm … how long would that take to get to you?? 🙂 ~Gretchen
Oh dear, a few weeks? I don’t want to know what kind of state they’ll arrive in 😛 I guess that leaves me no choice, I’ll have to make them myself! 😀
You can do it!! I promise this is a speedy quick recipe and comes together in a snap! Then … you and your boyfriend can celebrate all over again! Let us know how they turn out! 🙂 ~Gretchen
I was finally able to make it this weekend! 😀 It’s really easy and quick to make (Apart from that part in which I have to make my own applesauce first.) And gone just as fast&easily! It didn’t even survive long enough for me to put frosting on it! Definitely keeping this recipe 😉 Thank you!
Ohhh … this would be amazing with homemade applesauce! So happy you made these – and that you loved them! Yay!! We’ve gone through several batches here as well … 😀 ~Gretchen
You know, I made brownies with whole wheat flour the other day and they were better than with white! Who would’ve thought?! They were chewier but not in a bad way and softer! These look so yummy!! Hope you enjoyed Valentine’s Day!
Hi Jessica! I tested these brownies with all whole wheat flour, a half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat flour blend, and finally the winning batch was with the whole wheat pastry flour! We simply preferred the texture with the pastry flour (it has less gluten than the regular whole wheat flour, so these are not quite as chewy). But … you’ve got to remember that we were taste testing side by side. ALL of the brownies were really good! Isn’t it fun being a food blogger?!? 😀 ~Gretchen
These look super cute and delicious!
Thank you! We just used a cookie cutter to make them into hearts – so simple but it certainly makes them more festive! These brownies are so easy to whip up, you won’t mind making these for every holiday! Or every weekend! 🙂 ~G&S
Aw, that is such a gorgeous little story! Im such a sucker for a good love story! Im also crazy for anything chocolate brownie, so thanks for the recipe too, it sounds divine!
Thank you, Dearna! I’m also a sucker for a great love story – and I’m super happy this one is mine! 🙂 So lucky I found my perfect guy!
I hope you try these brownies! They taste so delicious, and you can even indulge a little bit! They are full of whole wheat flour and have less fat than any ‘ol brownie … so go ahead and have two (or three, or four …) 😀 ~Gretchen
I love your story Gretchen! What blows my mind is my husband and I have given each other the exact same card on multiple occasions. It is always so funny when we open them and see we did it again. Like you said, we are so connected and perfect for each other 😀
What also looks perfect are the beautiful heart shaped brownies! Yum! I love the sprinkle sugar on top. I too find a little sugar on top and you don’t miss the lack of it inside. 😀 Pinning!!
See Cindy … you know what I mean! 🙂 You’ve found your soul mate, too! It was so funny when it happened – I can’t imagine it happening more than once!!!
Don’t be fooled by the heart shape – you could totally make this into a shamrock, Easter egg, or snowman! Absolutely perfect every single day of the year! And that little teeny sprinkle of sugar makes all the difference! ~Gretchen