Lighten-Up Whatever Floats Your Boat Brownies #32204

Junebug's Note:

The original recipe for these brownies was submitted by Chef Karen =^..^=. I tried this recipe for the lighten up game. I substituted the butter with an equal amount of applesauce to try to lower the fat content. WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR BOAT is what you add in. Like 1-2 cups of chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, m&m's, nuts, raisins or whatever you like. I did not include any in this recipe so you would what the nutritional values were before adding in whatever floats your boat! The original recipe had 180 calories and 9.9 grams of fat.

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 16

• 1/2 cup applesauce (or a little less)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Spray an 8 inch square pan with cooking oil.
3. In a medium bowl mix applesauce and cocoa until the cocoa is dissolved.
4. Add sugar and mix well.
5. Add eggs one at a time until well combined.
6. Stir in vanilla, flour and salt until you can no longer see the flour.
7. Do not overmix!
8. Fold in WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR BOAT.
9. Put in pan and bake for 25 minutes.
10. Do not overbake or your brownies will be dry. If you do the toothpick test it should come out with moist crumbs.
11. Cool completely and cut into squares.

Reviews

[Chef #825447]

Another way to reduce the fat content (without diminishing fudgy flavour) is to substitute "baby food prunes" for the applesauce. I don't know why, but the prunes totally enhance the chocolate flavour - and would contribute a bit of fibre as well. A friend regularly makes this brownies when her young son is a bit "irregular" and she finds giving him a couple of brownies at snack time is a lot easier than coaxing him to down some fibre beverage or swallow some medicine -- and the prune brownie has him back on track within a day or so. Also if you sub 2 eggwhites for the eggs, I would guess the cholesterol and fat content would come down...heck, by that point this recipe would surely be "Health food", right?

[sconehead]

For a low fat version of a brownie....this was delicious!!! I used pumpkin instead of applesauce and I used 1 cup rather than 1/2 because it seemed dry and was hard to mix in the cocoa......I also used egg substitute and only 3/4 cup sugar....next time I will use 1/2 cup. Definitely a keeper! I will be making these again! Made the regular version of this recipe and it was definitely delicious and just like a boxed brownie only you know what you are putting in it! I will make the regular version again too, but this low fat version is a great treat! Thanks for posting!

[Chef #887209]

I made these and the original full-fat version. The full-fat version was better, obvs. This version was way drier. I would recommend making the full-fat version and eating less to save calories instead of making these; however, if you are desperate for chocolate and on a serious diet, these will do. Maybe use one less egg. Or maybe half butter and half applesauce.