Slimmed Down Brownies Recipe

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Slimmed Down Brownies Recipe

August 21, 2008

I consider brownies the perfect barbecue dessert. My standard recipe is similar to most; it contains a whole stick of butter, a couple of eggs and a cup and a half of sugar. Shape magazine recently featured brownies in their new recipe makeover column. I was more than curious and since I was craving chocolate I decided to whip up a batch. It didn't hurt that in making over the brownies, the final calorie count per brownie dropped by 170 calories.

To see the recipe and what I thought of these slimmed down brownies, just read more!

Shape

Slimmed Down Brownies

Ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons espresso
1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

I found this recipe in Shape and was curious to see how Greek yogurt would fare in brownies.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil; spray foil lightly with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, salt,and baking powder. Set aside.
With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar at medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until combined. Add egg, egg whites, vanilla and coffee. Continue beating until incorporated.
Scrape down sides of the bowl and reduce mixer speed to low. Slowly add flour mixture to the bowl, followed by yogurt, and mix gently until combined. The batter will be thick.
Stir in chocolate and walnuts if using.
With a spatula, spread mixture evenly in pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of pan comes out dry. Cool on a wire rack before removing from pan and slicing into 16 squares.

Recipe makes 16 2-inch by 2-inch servings.

114 calories
5g fat
16g carbs
2g protein
1g fiber
16mg calcium
61mg sodium

For a "lite" recipe, these brownies were really rich and tasty. The texture was a bit rubbery though due to the lack of fat in the recipe, I think. To keep the flavor quality high, my trick is to use good quality cocoa and chocolate chips.

Try baking these brownies and tell me what you think.

16 Comments

lilxmissxmolly 3 years 50 weeks

i made the nopudge brownies with tofu and they were a huge hit ... I made them for my mom's birthday, and didn't tell my family they were "healthy". my dad, who HATES all "lite" foods, raved about them!

3 years 51 weeks

Try Devil's food cake mix and one can of pumpkin. Seriously. Fat free, low cal brownies. They are very fudgey and the batter is almost so thick you can't mix it, but it works and they are really good. Or the no pudge fudge, you can make them with just milk too, instead of yogurt, they are better with milk, although a little cakier...

soapbox 4 years 38 weeks

I wonder, can I omit the expresso? Oh and I refuse to use butter in anything besides birthday cakes. Smart Balance/I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light goes in everything.

soapbox 4 years 38 weeks

I wonder, can I omit the expresso? Oh and I refuse to use butter in anything besides birthday cakes. Smart Balance/I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light goes in everything.

Aestuo 4 years 38 weeks

So I saw this recipe earlier and decided to make them this afternoon; well, they taste good but the texture is definitely a little different...

amh 4 years 38 weeks

My fave way to health up treats (esp chocolatey stuff) is with King Arthur white whole wheat flour. It's whole wheat, but not as heavy. It blends right in with chocolatey yummies. I don't use it for sugar cookies or pound cake, but it'd work like a charm in this recipe.

Allytta 4 years 39 weeks

sounds more expensive than the usual ones :) but i'll try them next month. this month cheesecake from Yum was already made. one dessert per month.

nancita 4 years 39 weeks

Those look rich and indulgent. I love the idea of using Greek yogurt.

cdelphine 4 years 39 weeks

It sounds ridiculous but an easy low cal brownie is a box of brownie mix and a can of black beans, pureed. If you really puree the beans so that there are no big bits, you can't tell.

rumpel2 4 years 39 weeks

try No Pudge brownies - they are fudgy and gooey! you wont be able to tell that they are fat-free and so easy to make. you can even make single servings in the microwave in just 1 minute!

tlsgirl 4 years 39 weeks

I've been looking for a lighter dessert, so I'm definitely going to try these.

SomethingWicked 4 years 39 weeks

sounds good..may try this weekend!

ilanac13 4 years 39 weeks

i';ve come up with a great recipe that cuts down on what you're eating - instead of oil or butter, use applesauce...and instead of eggs - use eggbeaters. they taste a bit more cake like since the applesauce gives it a different baking quality - but it's still healthier.

sonya ina 4 years 39 weeks

I love baking... especially brownies! I need to remember to make these next time I'm in the mood for brownies -- usually every week, ha!

Alyssa9986 4 years 39 weeks

TOTALLY saw this article in Shape last week...visited the rents this past weekend, made them, and let me tell you - they were a huge hit. I'll be saving this recipe forever :) True, they're still brownies and you can't "go to town on them", but I love the fact that they're reduced both in caloric and fat content. Try making them, they're delicious!