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.
These made a great birthday dessert tonight — which we paired with the Shamrock Shakes 🙂 Super yummy! Thanks for all of the great healthy ideas!
Wow! We’re so thrilled (and honored!) that these brownies joined your family’s birthday celebration! And, that’s a brilliant idea to combine the decadent chocolate of the brownies with the minty Shamrock Shakes! Yum! Thanks so much for stopping by to give us feedback – we always totally love hearing from readers and finding out how our recipes worked for them! 😀 ~G&S
These brownies look delicious AND they’re healthy! Wow! I love what you did by putting them on skewers with strawberries! These look great, thanks for sharing!
Yes, Danielle – it’s like the best of both worlds … yummy and good for you!! Hope you try these brownies – I think you’re gonna love this recipe! Add the strawberries and you’ve got a healthy twist on chocolate-covered strawberries! 🙂 ~Gretchen
Sounds great! I’ll definitely try them out!
Wow!! THese look so delicious!! I love them on the fruit sticks! so cute and perfect for Valentine’s Day! YUM!
Hi Cailee! You’ve got to try these! They ARE delicious!! 😀 And we just had to share the idea of using the skewers with brownies and strawberries – it was just genius … and now perfect for Valentine’s Day! ~G&S
These sound amazing, gotta love brownies you can make in one bowl! Great tips about putting the sugar on top (and I even love the explanation of flour protein in the comments, ha).
Hi Kelly! I’m a huge fan of quick and easy recipes (who isn’t?!) but when it can be made in one bowl, I’m totally sold!! Yes, the sugar crunch on top is perfect for this recipe – it’s the first thing you taste so you won’t miss the sugar on the inside! Glad you enjoyed the flour lesson, too! 🙂 ~Gretchen
Great Valentines Day story. I had to laugh when I saw you brownie recipe. After looking it over I thought that’s what I would have done. Perhaps a minor variation with flavoring or something like that, but it’s right on. Great recipe for healthy eating.
Thanks Mireya! We were pretty happy with this recipe – and it only took 10 test batches to get here! Lol!! I didn’t really hear too much complaining from the taste testers! 🙂 Well … I take that back. There was one batch that had no redeeming qualities! And yes – the whole wheat and reduced fat are very friendly to a healthy diet! Thanks for stopping by! ~Gretchen