Skinny Chocolate Brownies are the perfect guilt-free chocolate fix for your sweet cravings!
Guess who’s Birthday is this weekend??
Can you guess? Okay, fine. I’ll tell you. It’s MINE! It’s a pretty big Birthday, too. I’m turning 30 on Sunday!
I hate to say it, but I’m sort of freaking out about it. I can’t believe I’m going to be thirty. In a way, I feel like I’m already in my thirties seeing that I have four kids, one of which is a pre-teen, I’ve been a mother almost as long as I’ve been a kid and I have soooooo many grey hairs, it’s sort of ridiculous (thanks a lot, kids).
BUT that doesn’t change that fact that the day has finally come. Please wipe my tears and tell me it will be okay. 😉
To celebrate, my amazing, wonderful, fabulous mother is driving over from Arizona today to be my babysitter so my husband and I can get away on a little romantic weekend vaca. Our 11 year Anniversary is coming up on February 1st so it just sort of works out that we get to have some time together to celebrate both occasions.
My kids are so excited to spend the weekend with Grandma and I’m so excited to spend the weekend in a quiet hotel room, haha! No, I really am though. That and spending much-needed time with my handsome man. The hotel has a heated pool and you can bet your buns I’ll be sitting in it all weekend and I’ll have one of these brownies in each hand.
One of my very favorite things in the whole wide world, is a big chocolatey brownie. It’s one of my favorite desserts EVER. I like cake too, but brownies are by far my #1 pick. Chocolate, chocolate and more fudgy chocolate.
But what’s even better than a big chocolatey brownie? One that’s made skinny and still tastes like the non-skinny kind!
No joke guys. These brownies are the real deal. I’ve made SO many low-fat kinds, I can’t even tell you. These by far are the very best. They’re rich, moist and so chocolatey.
If you try only one skinny dessert from my entire blog, this is the one I want you to make. Amazing.
And then you can cut me off a big slice, and put a candle on it for me. Because if there’s one thing that can get me through turning thirty, it’s a big chunk of brownie!
Skinny Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or low-fat sour cream
- 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate melted
- 2 large eggs
- 2 Tbsp. canola oil
- 2 ounces semi-sweet or milk chocolate chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Spray a 8x8 square pan with cooking spray then line with a strip of parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. Spray paper with cooking spray, too.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda.
- In another medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, applesauce, greek yogurt, melted chocolate, eggs and oil. Add the flour mixture and stir until just moistened.
- Spread batter in prepare pan. Sprinkle the top with the chopped chocolate pieces.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, about 30-35 minutes.
Jen there is not one thing about these that looks ‘skinny’! I was fighting the mouthwatering as a I read the post not believing these decadent brownies could possibly be ‘light’. Love the use of yogurt and applesauce. I believe no one would ever guess! Fantastic.
Thanks Toni!! They are seriously the best light brownies I’ve ever had! Thanks for the comment! Off to check out your blog! 🙂
Nothing beats a moist, fudgy brownie!
Happy almost birthday Jen! I turn 30 this year too which seems so crazy! Have so much fun with your man this weekend. You deserve it!
These brownies looks SO amazing! Pinned these so I can make them!
What a delicious looking brownie… brownies are totally my thing also!
And Happy Birthday!!! I turned 30 last year, and although I was freaking out a bit, it turns out it’s not all that bad. Enjoy it!
This year is my 30th too! And I can’t think of a better way to celebrate that a mini vaca and some skinny brownies! Happy Birthday! Have a great trip, Jen!
Happy Birthday! Mine’s Sunday, too! These brownies look DIVINE!! YUM!
So young – Happy Birthday and I hope it’s a Wonderful one. Thanks for the nice recipe.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! You are still a young lady. Trust me I know. I am over twice your age.
Those brownies look great!!! YUM!!!
These look uhh-mazing! Skinny = eat the whole pan right?! Can’t wait to try these! I turn 30 next week and I’m slightly freaking out! Another great reason to eat a pan of skinny brownies:)
Love your site Jen! And Happy Birthday!
happy birthday Jen! Gonna try these this weekend. No worries about getting older, it only gets better!
Can u use coconut oil?
Yes! You should be able to! I just started using coconut oil right after I made this blog post – I can’t wait to try these brownies using it!
Happy Birthday, Jen! No tears because your 30s are awesome! You are still plenty young, but wiser and more sure of yourself. Seriously, I think you have your best years ahead of you!
I am cracking up at the thought of you in a pool holding two brownies right now. You’ll have to tell me how that worked out when you get back 😉 These look so, so good. I’m going to make a batch fo’ sho’!
Happy Birthday! These brownies look amazing! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Skinny brownies?! Where do I sign up?! I hope you have a fabulous birthday!
Pinning this. Looks fabulous. Hope you had a quiet, restful time!
Happy birthday sis!!!! LOVE you so much and these look insanely good! I can’t even wait to try them!
Yeah, I can so relate. I’ve been freaking out too because I turn 30 in June. I feel like I should have 3-4 kids by now but only have 1. 🙁 Gotta catch up with you girl! Hope you had a wonderful birthday at the beach!
I’m always looking for ways to make brownies skinny so I definitely cant wait to try these. Look amazing, and super fudgy!
Jen I love baking with applesauce and Greek yogurt, I cannot wait to try these out, they look divine!
Skinny. Chocolate. Brownies. All in the same recipe? I adore you!
30….you’re a baby! Ha 🙂 HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
Cathy, I literally woke up the day after I turned 30 and had a backache, haha! So far it hasn’t been too bad, actually! 😉
Happy belated 30th Jen! Hope you had an awesome time! I felt the same when I turned 30 but it isn’t so bad 🙂
These brownies look awesome, love that they are skinny – that means I won’t have to feel as guilty if I have more than one 🙂
Happy Birthday! 30 is a breeze-I turned 40 last year! Do you have the nutrition/calorie info on the skinny brownies? I count calories and need to line that info. Thanks!
Happy Birthday! I’m twice as old as you and can honestly say, my 30’s were my best, until now again that I’m 60 🙂 Going to try these light brownies on my grandkids, they look scrumptious, thank you!!
Holy cow, how do you do it with 4 kids woman?!?! I turned 30 this year and I’m a constant frazzled maniac between my two boys, working, and the blog. These brownies are AWESOME though, I hope you had a great weekend with the hubs!
Happy belated birthday! 30’s are awesome, I loved them and learned to love me a bit more, and my grey hair…it’s not grey it’s my own personal glitter! I’ll be 40 in August and I’m looking forward to that.
These just came out of my oven….OMG they are delicious!!!!! Nobody would ever know their skinniness!!!! This recipe is a keeper 100%!!
YAY!!! I’m SO happy you like them! My family loves them too! Thanks for the nice comment, Kim!!
Just made these and they are delicious! Mine came out really fluffy, almost more like a chocolate cake. The hubs loved them too and he’s always skeptical about “skinny” brownies/cookies bc I’ve made some pretty bad ones in the past. This recipe is a keeper!
This recipe sounds delicious. I am going to have to try it. Don’t worry about turning 30. I saw a magazine article which claimed that 50 is the new 30, so you have 20 more years to go before you have to worry. As for those kids…it seems like you blink your eyes twice and they’re teenagers. Then going to college. It all goes by so fast. Enjoy every minute.
You are so sweet! Thank you, Patty!!!
How many calories in these brownies
Hi Katie! I update this recipe with the nutrition information, they have about 139 calories per brownie.
one day I wanna like you jen.. 🙂