I love my healthy banana brownies so much that I had to try a version using applesauce. The result is as good, less sweet of course because applesauce contains less sugar than bananas. That’s also because applesauce is watery. So, to make brownies with just 3 ingredients with it, you must use more unsweetened cocoa powder, which results in a more bitter flavor. But don’t worry, I found a quick fix to that! If you love your brownies healthy but sweeter, add 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips or up to 1/3 cup of coconut sugar to the batter.
Why You Will Love This Brownie Recipe
Egg-free Dairy-free No added sugar No flour needed and gluten-free Just 3 ingredients Easy and healthy
Ingredients and Substitutions
You need just 3 ingredients with another optional one to make these brownies.
Unsweetened Applesauce – I tested store-bought canned, unsweetened applesauce and homemade applesauce. The results are a bit different, and if you have a few minutes to spare, I highly recommend making your own to make these vegan brownies. I keep the skin on my apples and use ultra-sweet apple varieties like Jazz, which enhance the sweetness and firmness of the apple brownies. Note that the skin also helps the brownie batter hold better since it adds fiber to the recipe. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder or cacao powder, but this second option makes the batter very bitter. Peanut Butter or almond butter. Make sure you use natural nut butter that has no added oil, no added sugar for best results. Use a fresh jar with drippy nut butter to have the brownies’ texture at its best. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips – This is optional, but they make the brownies sweet, less bitter and I highly encourage them. Otherwise, try 1/3 cup of any granulated sugar you like. I love coconut sugar or brown sugar in brownies.
How To Make Applesauce Brownies
Serving Applesauce Brownies
Cut the cooled brownies into 9 squares and serve them with some of the following:
A scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream Vegan whipped cream Vegan ganache Protein frosting
Expert Tips For Apple Brownies
I’ve made this recipe so many times that I can give you a few tips to make it perfect every single time.
Make your own applesauce using sweet apples. This makes the brownies less bitter. Add chocolate chips for a boost of sweetness or 1/3 cup of coconut sugar. Add crunchy ingredients to the batter, like 1/3 cup of chopped walnuts, pecans, or unsweetened shredded coconut. Store the brownies in the fridge in an airtight container to increase the firmness and keep ultra-fudgy brownies.
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