This post may contain affiliate links. Click here for my affiliate disclosure. If you purchase items through my affiliate links, I receive a small commission but your price doesn't change.
Recipe updated 7/7/16
Hold on to your hats, folks. Today is exciting. Today I’m giving you my ultimate healthy brownie recipe. (Sshh…it doesn’t taste healthy. Don’t tell.)
This brownie recipe has kinda been through the wringer. I first posted it when I premiered my baking mix recipe, but I’ve given it some tweaks as I’ve learned new things about baking with alternative flours and sweeteners. That happens a lot to folks like me who don’t have loads of experience in such matters. When we decide to write a cookbook and test 300+ recipes in one year’s time, we learn things, and then we went to make our old recipes better using new techniques that we’ve learned. At least I do. Maybe it’s my obsessive compulsive disorder coming out (not kidding).
So all that being said, this brownie recipe you see before you (the one marked at the bottom with a handy little note that says “This recipe was printed after the 7/7/16 update.” so you know if you have the latest and greatest or not) is fudgy, chocolatey, and everything a brownie should be. I finally hit on the right combination of ingredients. The brownies aren’t eggy or cakey, but they are moist and fudgy. Thank you, xanthan gum. Xanthan gum is one of my great alternative baking secrets. It helps replace some of the structure lost by gluten in regular white flour, and in this case, I used a substantial amount (more than normal) to aid in the fudgy quality possessed by any good brownie. If you don’t have xanthan gum, you can buy it online, find it at Walmart or pretty much any bulk food/health/grocery store, or substitute glucomannan in its place. I haven’t actually tested glucomannan in this recipe, but gluccie and xanthan are usually interchangeable in a 1:1 ratio. I do prefer xanthan gum for baking though, so if you have a chance to get some I advise that you do so.
You may have noticed that I used two kinds of sweetener in this recipe. THM Gentle Sweet is an amazing low-glycemic sweetener that gives that “real sugar” taste we all crave once in awhile; and unlike some sweeteners that contain stevia, it plays very nicely with chocolate. However, it’s not nearly as concentrated as some sweeteners, so I used Gentle Sweet along with THM Super Sweet Blend (a more concentrated sweetener) to give me the sweetness profile I wanted while staying at least somewhat economical. If you don’t have the sweeteners I’ve listed in the recipe, check out this sweetener conversion chart to help you convert to a sweetener you do have. As always, adjust to taste and remember that less is usually more.
These brownies may seem underdone when you take them out of the oven, but it’s OK – I promise. Don’t try to eat them warm. Just don’t. Refrigerate them to chill them completely; overnight refrigeration is great. Then cut and eat them cold. If you want a warm brownie, you can microwave a chilled brownie for a few seconds. Don’t do it too long or the brownie will get pretty soft. Trust me on this one: don’t try them warm out of the oven, but once they’ve been refrigerated you can warm them up and enjoy them like that as long as you don’t get them too hot. See, xanthan gum helps hold these babies together and provides their awesome texture, but if it gets too hot, it gets weaker and the brownies get mushy and un-brownie-like.
Need some ideas for recipes in which to use these brownies? I love them in this Mock Chocolate Xtreme DQ Blizzard! Some vanilla or peppermint ice cream would be a great addition to a brownie sundae made with these brownies!
Now that I’ve finally perfected my ultimate brownie recipe into something with which I am completely satisfied, I’ve used it as the base for a few other recipes. Like the Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies and Peppermint Double Chocolate Ganache Brownies that will be featured in my upcoming cookbook….
Want more brownie recipes? I have a single-serve S (low-carb) brownie, a single-serve E (low-fat) brownie, and a recipe for a pan full of allergy friendly fudgy brownies.
Pictured with Basic Ice Cream and a Skinny Chocolate topping (just coconut oil, cocoa powder, and sweetener; it turns into a hardshell because of the coconut oil):
Pages you might enjoy:
- Starting THM
- my recipe index (in pictures!)
- all my chocolate recipes
- my baking mix recipe
- all my recipes using my baking mix
You can find this recipe in my cookbook, Necessary Food.
- ⅓ cup Briana's Baking Mix
- ⅓ cup oat fiber (use gluten free if necessary)
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 2 T THM Gentle Sweet (or more, to taste)
- 1 T THM Super Sweet Blend
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ⅜ tsp. xanthan gum
- ¼ tsp. salt
- -
- 4 T salted butter, soft
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk (or carton coconut milk for a nut free version)
- ½ cup water
- 1 egg
- 2 T egg whites
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x8" glass baking pan.
- Whisk the dry brownie ingredients together. Add the wet ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour the brownie batter into the greased baking dish and shake the pan to smooth the top.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. The top will appear to be baked, but the brownies probably won't feel all the way done when you press lightly on the center. That's OK. Let them cool, them cover and chill them completely in the refrigerator before cutting and serving. Overnight refrigeration is ideal.
- Don't try to eat them warm! If you want a warm brownie, refrigerate them until completely chilled, *then* you can heat one for a few seconds in the microwave. Don't heat it too long or it'll get pretty soft.
- Yields 9 servings
You can make a double batch of these brownies in a 9x13" pan if you like.
This recipe was printed after the 7/7/16 update.
Here’s the recipe for my Baking Mix.
Suggested products:
- THM Gentle Sweet (and a bunch of other great products) can be purchased from the Trim Healthy Mama online store.
- THM Sweet Blend
- Oat Fiber
- THM Oat Fiber (gluten-free)
- Xanthan Gum
How much monk fruit sweetener or serve would you use?
I’m afraid I don’t have much experience with either of those, but I would personally just taste and adjust until it tastes right to you. 🙂 That’s the most foolproof way to get a result that you’re happy with. If you know how your sweetener compares in sweetness to sugar, you can use this sweetener conversion chart to help estimate how much you need: https://media.trimhealthymama.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2017/05/07222306/THM.Sweetener-Conversion-Chart.pdf
These are really tasty! I added walnuts and topped them with a Keto cream cheese frosting!
Thank you for sharing!
Sounds delicious, Erinn!
Briana, these are amazing! I’ve tried several on plan brownie recipes lately but they were all dense and cakey. These are so moist and fudgy. Extemely easy to make too. I can’t wait to try the cream cheese ones!
Wonderful! I’m so happy you like them! The cream cheese version in Necessary Food is one of my all-time favorite recipes.
Hi Brian … I’m new to THM. I made these last night and they are great. Just wondering though – I cut mine into 20 pieces … would these still be an S for 1 piece? Thanks
Because of all the S ingredients, I would consider these an S food no matter how much you have (I prefer to just separate ingredients rather than relying on numbers; it keep things simpler to me!). 🙂
Hi Briana, I made these yesterday and they are so good, I substituted 1/2 butter 1/2 coconut oil the brownies are so moist and one Serving is very filling. I baked mine in a nonstick metal pan and they came out perfect.
Thank you for your blog and all your creative recipes and fantastic photos.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying them!
These are delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe with us!
In your baking mix you have oat fiber as one of the ingredients listed. In your brownie recipe it says 1/2 baking blend and 1/2 oat fiber. Do I need to add the 1/2 c. Oat fiber even though it is already in the baking mix? Thx!
Yes, you do.
Hi Brianna,
I have tried using the Sweet Blend and powder stevia in brownies, cookie, cakes, etc. and I find the taste to have the “hollow” sweet taste. Is the Gentle Sweet a lot better and easier on the palette? Tonight I made the chocolate cream pie, but used the Sweet Blend and it was the same problem. I’ve had to throw out 6-7 desserts lately due to this taste issue. 🙁 What could I be doing wrong?
Thank you for your help and all your great recipes. I
Hi Pam! Gentle Sweet is said to be easier on a more sensitive palette, but I haven’t used it much personally. I enjoy the stevia and Sweet Blend, and they’re easier on the budget. 🙂 I’ve found the key to be not using too much sweetener. Most people complain that I don’t sweeten my recipes enough, but to my tastebuds, a lot of people sweeten way too much and then you get that stevia aftertaste. You definitely just have to find the amounts that work best for you. If in doubt, always start with less sweetener than the recipe calls for, then taste and add more in increments. Your taste buds will get more and more friendly with alternative sweeteners the longer that you’re off of sugar, so don’t give up! This page has some suggestions for baking with alternative ingredients, including stevia: https://www.briana-thomas.com/substitution-faqs-and-baking-tips/
It’s a pleasure to “meet you”, Briana. Your cookbook is a must-have. I love your recipes and want to thank you for sharing. Loved every recipe I’ve made of yours. ?
Aw, thank you, Wendy!
Hi Briana, so excited to have found your blog. I’m new to THM and slowly learning. What would you recommend as a substitute for eggs? (i’m deathly allergic). Thanks in advance!
Hi Betsy! Unfortunately I haven’t experimented much with egg replacements, but Tina over at Oil of Joy has. Maybe you could ask her for some recommendations: http://anointedwithoilofjoy.blogspot.com/
Do you have a nutritional count (“Total carb” count & protein) on your recipes? I follow a 30 ‘total carb’ limit, daily. I’d love to try your recipes but I have to know the ‘counts’ before I’m able to. Thanks
No, I don’t. The healthy eating lifestyle I follow stresses not having to count, so I don’t. 🙂 You’re welcome to put things into MyFitnessPal to find out, though.
I don’t have a glass baking dish available… Can I use one of the tin disposal ones?
That should be fine.
So glad you are coming out with a cookbook!!!! I am still learning THM , and your website has helped me out so much . I liked the video and it was so helpful , please do more on THM lifestyle /cooking , it is so helpful to learn that away ! I love the Rock and Roll cake , or angels cake , it would be neat to see your take on a cake like that . Blessings, I am excited to try this recipie for Brownies !
So excited to hear about the cookbook that you are putting together. My husband and I are sugar and mostly gluten-free. We both enjoy it. My youngest still at home, he is 22, also enjoys our whole foods approach. That is what I like to say when others ask how were eating. What really pushed us forward on this whole foods eating is my husband two years ago was diagnosed with melanoma cancer that had moved to his lymph. This furthered my research into how foods effect us, especially sugar and high carbohydrates. Cancer feeds off of sugar…We are so blessed, I am so blessed in this journey with food. That is learning flavorful and healthy choices. I do appreciate you, and what you do with recipes. Thanks…:)
Love the video, those look great! Wish you could have shared!
Briana, I loved the video! It was so interesting to hear how you go about coming up with a new recipe, especially from an existing one. At one point you mentioned adding a little more cocoa, was that for volume (with less flour) or for taste? I am so excited to hear that you are working on a cookbook! I pray for great success with that endeavor!
The extra cocoa was to make up for some of the extra flour (because cocoa powder tends to make things with a good texture that’s like “normal” flour) as well as some extra chocolate oomph. 🙂