Avocado Brownies are moist, decadent and ultra delicious. They’re easy to make and are the perfect guilt-free dessert the whole entire crowd is going to love.
Yep, you definitely read that right! I said Avocado Brownies aka the secret ingredient you didn’t know you needed! They’re flourless, gluten free, slightly addicting and are whipped up right in the food processor. So, easy, peasy. And y’all, these are as chocolatey, fudgy and delicious as any brownie you’ve ever had. Maybe even more so. Annnnnnnd this is coming from an avocado hater. So, just trust me on this one. They’re dang good.
Ok, I know, I know. I get it. Avocado Brownies?! That sounds wierd as F*ck. But when I say these brownies are the ultimate brownies – in that they are SUPER fudgy, perfectly moist, decadently full of chocolate and just plain and simply deeeee-lish, you gotta believe me. Or, you can just make them for yourself and see.
FROM THE AVOCADO HATER HERSELF
I’ll be the first to admit that this whole coronavirus is making me bat shit CRAZY. Well, I mean, you people going bat shit crazy over the fear of the virus making things bat shit crazy is actually making me bat shit CRAZY. I’ll talk in words you understand: I bought a bag of avocados the other day. I repeat, mid-panic and in the middle of an absolutely packed grocery store, my hands somehow reached for a bag of avocados the other day. And I drove around the grocery store, barely able to move between isles, knowing they were there in my cart. Stood in a 45 minute check-out line, never once asking myself what I’m going to do with a bag of avocados when I don’t even like avocados!!! See? Bat shit crazy.
So there I stood, with 6(!!!) beautifully ripened avocados, begging to be used in its prime in the hands of a person who normally steers far and clear. When I came back to my senses and realized/remembered my hatred for this poor fruit, I just knew I had to do something to totally and completely disguise it. You know, something other than guacamole. So, enter these Chocolate Avocado Brownies who definitely rose to the occasion. I mean, name one thing chocolate doesn’t make better. I’ll wait.
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE THE BEST AVOCADO CHOCOLATE BROWNIES
You only need a few simple ingredients to whip up these extra decadent chocolate avocado brownies. So, let’s get into them in a little bit more detail down below:
- Avocado: The secret ingredient in these decadent brownies (I bet you no one will ever guess!). Replaces the need for any oil or butter. Makes these brownies incredibly moist and rich while adding in some extra health benefits. Avocados are full of fibre, offer a great source of many vitamins and nutrients, are high in omega-3 fatty acids and contain high levels of healthy, beneficial fats. A medium size ripe avocado works best for this recipe however, you can use 2 small ones if that’s all you have on hand. You want it to be soft (but not mushy) to the touch.
- Cocoa Powder: Where the deep, smooth chocolate-y flavour comes from. Adds a rich, velvety texture to these avocado brownies. You can use raw, natural or dutch-process cocoa powder. However, unsweetened is best.
- Sugar: Balances out the bitterness of the cocoa powder and adds just the right amount of sweetness to these brownies. Since the sugar liquifies as it bakes, it also helps with texture making the insides soft and the tops crackle. I used coconut sugar but you can use whatever sugar you have on hand or prefer.
- Milk: Helps blend/blind our ingredients into a smooth and velvety batter. I used almond milk but you can use whatever milk you have on hand/prefer.
- Nut Butter: Adds flavour, texture and structure. I used peanut butter but you can use whatever nut butter you have on hand or prefer. Surprisingly, you don’t really taste it at all.
- Eggs: Adds richness, flavour and structure to the brownies. Also helps bind the ingredients together once in the food processor.
- Salt: For balance. It may seem odd to add salt to a dessert like these avocado brownies but trust me, they need it and it will enhance the overall flavour of the brownie.
- Baking Powder: Lifts these brownies up and provides a cakier result.
- Vanilla Extract: Really awakens and brings all the flavours in this recipe together.
- Chocolate Chips: Cause who doesn’t love some extra chocolate? Adds texture and crunch as well.
HOW TO MAKE THESE FUDGY AVOCADO BROWNIES (KEY TIPS)
- No need for an electric mixer or hand held blender! Throw everything into a food processor for easy clean up.
- Make sure the batter is well combined before pouring it out into the baking dish. If you have to, stop the food processor and scrape the sides as needed.
- Add chocolate chips to both the batter and the tops before baking. They provide texture, crunch and visibly make the brownies look irresistibly delicious. PRO TIP: Mix the rest of the ingredients up in the food processor first. Then, after everything is well combined, STIR in the chocolate chips using a rubber spatula. This ensures they remain whole providing crunch and melted pockets of chocolate throughout the brownies. *Drools*
- Make sure you grease the baking tray reeeally well before adding the batter. There’s nothing worse than brownies that are fresh out of the oven but completely stuck to the pan!
- Spread the batter evenly into the baking dish. Use the back end of a rubber spatula to help you get it as even as possible. You want all your brownies to be relatively the same size after baking so take care to evenly distribute the batter in the pan beforehand.
- The KEY to these avocado brownies (and I know you’re going to hate me for this one): Allow them to cool for at least 2 hours (I’m SORRY!!!) before digging in. If you have them even slightly warm, the unpleasant taste of the avocado will shine through. Besides, cooling the brownies will also make them easier to remove from the pan and ultimately produce a gooier/fudgier brownie. Trust me, it’s worth the wait!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
I love the Brownie Pan I got off Amazon a few years back. It’s easy to use and produces perfectly cooked, uniform brownies every single time. However, if you don’t have one, don’t sweat. Use an 8-inch by 12-inch or 9-inch by 13-inch rectangular pan. For slightly thicker brownies, you can use an 8-inch square pan. SIDE NOTE: Light-coloured or shiny metal baking pans cook more evenly as opposed to dark pans or non-metal pans like glass. So, if that’s all you have on hand, just keep a closer eye on the brownies as they bake starting at the 35 minute mark. Keep checking every 5 minutes after that, until they are done.
The Brownies are done baking when a toothpick is inserted into the center and comes out with a few moist crumbs attached to it. If wet batter comes out on the toothpick, the brownies need more time. If no crumbs appear, definitely take them out of the oven. That means they’re done (maybe even over-done!)
Leftover brownies should be stored in an airtight container. Keep them on the counter for 3-4 days or up to one week in the fridge. Alternatively, you can stick them in the freezer (wrapped tightly in plastic wrap) for up to 4 months. Simply thaw and eat when ready.
No! You can’t! And that’s the beauty. I don’t think anyone would ever guess that there is actually avocado in these brownies if you didn’t tell them. So, they’re perfect for the kiddos (shhh!!!) and a great way to sneak in some healthy fats. However, keep in mind that the brownies should be 100% cooled before digging in. Or else, the unpleasant taste of the avocado will shine through.
FUDGY AVOCADO BROWNIES
Hide yo veggies. Eat yo veggies. These Avocado Brownies will make you feel like you ain't even eating yo veggies. But, ya are! 😉
Ingredients
- 1 large Avocado, ripe
- 1 cup Granulated Sweetener of Choice (I used Coconut Sugar)
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 cup Milk of Choice (I used Almond Milk)
- 1/3 cup Chocolate Chips (dark, semi-sweet, milk - whatever you prefer)
- 1/4 cup Nut Butter of your Choice (I used Peanut Butter)
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°. Line an 8-inch by 12-inch or 9-inch by 13-inch rectangular pan with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray. I used this brownie tray which evenly makes about 18 small brownies but you could use a normal baking dish* (see notes)
- Add all of the ingredients except for the chocolate chips and almond milk in a food processor and blend until smooth. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides as needed ensuring you're not left with any chunks. Alternatively, you could use an electric mixer or a spoon.
- Slowly pour the almond milk down the feeding tube while the food processor is still on to thin out the batter a bit. The batter should look a lot smoother.
- Stir/fold in the chocolate chips.
- Evenly pour the batter into your greased dish and smooth out the top with the back of a spatula. Top with more chocolate chips if desired.
- Bake for 45 minutes and then remove from the oven. Cool completely before digging in* (see notes).
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 85Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 92mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 2g
Nutrition is only an estimate and calculated using Nutritionix.
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