You’ve been so virtuous and faithful. Sure, your eyes have wandered and you’ve had a few impure thoughts, but you made a commitment and plan to stick to it. Yet, there’s only so much temptation a person can take . . . .
Well, give in to the temptation and stay true–to your healthy diet! This Valentine’s Day, indulge your craving for chocolate without straying from your commitment to a low-fat, vegan way of eating. You will be amazed at how moist, rich, and delicious a low-fat brownie can be.
Fatfree and Fabulous Fudgy Brownies
These brownies are actually better the second day…if you can make them last two days! They are about as fudgy as it gets without added oils or chocolate chips, so you can indulge your sweet tooth without worry.
Ingredients
- 1/2 tbsp. ground flax seed
- 1-1/2 tbsp. hot water
- 3/4 cup lite silken tofu (firm), crumbled
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup unbleached white flour or cake flour
- 1 cup unbleached cane sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional–depending on how nutty you like your brownies)
Instructions
- Mix the ground flax seeds with 1- 1/2 tablespoons of hot water and set aside. (Mixture will thicken slightly.)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mist an 8-inch x 8-inch x 2-inch glass baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside.
- Blend the tofu, water, maple syrup, cocoa powder, flax mixture, and vanilla extract until completely smooth. (I use a hand-blender, but you can do this in a regular blender.)
- Place the remaining ingredients, except the walnuts, in a medium mixing bowl and stir them together until they are well combined. Pour the blended mixture into the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl, and stir them until they are just combined–try not to over-stir. Fold in the walnuts, if using.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Completely cool the brownies in the pan. Cut and serve.
Preparation time: 15 minute(s) | Cooking time: 30 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 12
The nutritional breakdown, based on 12 brownies:
Nutrition (per serving without walnuts): 163 calories, 9 calories from fat, 1g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 75.4mg sodium, 124.5mg potassium, 37.7g carbohydrates, 2.2g fiber, 24.9g sugar, 3.3g protein, 2.9 points.
Nutrition (per serving, with walnuts): 179 calories, 22 calories from fat, 2.6g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 75.5mg sodium, 135.2mg potassium, 38g carbohydrates, 2.3g fiber, 25g sugar, 3.7g protein, 3.3 points.
This recipe is an adaptation of Ultra-Fudgy Fudge Brownies from the first edition of Vegan Vittles.
Chandra
October 6, 2009 at 4:17 pmI was wondering if it really makes a difference if you use a metal pan rather than a glass one?
SusanV
October 6, 2009 at 4:45 pmChandra, they will cook more quickly in a metal pan. Just check them early and often and take them out when they're done.
Astrid
October 24, 2009 at 3:32 pmI wanted to say that these brownies are the best vegan brownies in this planet! They are so delicious and moist and.. everything. Instead of maple syrup I used agave (same amount). Thanks for this simple, yet amazing recipe! Now I have one good vegan recipe that I can easily share with non-vegan friends 🙂
Anonymous
October 29, 2009 at 9:13 amHi Susan, I tried the brownies and they came out rubbery, kind of spongie. Any ideas as to why? I'd love to try them again.
Chloe Hait
November 7, 2009 at 11:40 amThese look fabulous. I am wondering if there is a good, vegan substitute for the tofu besides (or in addition to) applesauce.
SusanV
November 7, 2009 at 11:46 amChloe, I haven't tried making them with anything but the tofu, so I can't promise how they would come out with apple sauce or something else. If you're willing to experiment, I would love for you to leave another comment telling how they come out.
Shannan
January 3, 2010 at 1:04 amThis blog is fantastic! I have just recently become a vegan and I like to stay fit and healthy so I really appreciate low fat vegan recipes! Especially because I'm a chocolate fanatic! I made these brownies the day after I saw the recipe and they turned out perfect. My mum's friend (who is not vegan or vegetarian) turned up and had one and said they were delicious too. You're the best!
Tanya
January 5, 2010 at 3:09 pmI've been staring at these on my computer screen for a couple of days now….they look amazing! Are the flax seeds to make up for the lack of egg? Can I use EnerG egg replacer instead? They have less fat than flax seeds…..wondering how much then?
Joseph
September 17, 2011 at 6:05 pm1 T. cornstarch plus 3 T. water also substitutes for one egg in baking according to the back of a bag of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free choc. chip cookie mix
SusanV
January 5, 2010 at 3:18 pmTanya, I haven't made them with EnerG, but you could try substituting the equivalent of one EnerG egg for the flax and hot water. Though, to tell you the truth, the amount of fat from the flax seed (2 1/2 grams) would be negligible spread out over 12 brownies. Even with it, they have only 1 gram of fat.
onlyme
January 26, 2010 at 5:09 pmOh my word, these are fudge-tastic! The texture is fabulous and the recipe cooked up perfectly for me. I used a metal tin and they were done in 25 mins.
My only criticism is that despite all the maple syrup and sugar, they still weren't sweet enough for my taste, so next time I'll see what happens if I had an extra 1/4 cup sugar.
onlyme
January 27, 2010 at 5:31 amOh, and for UK folk – 1 1/2 cups crumbled silken tofu is about half a 349g packet, so roughly 175g.
Anonymous
February 15, 2010 at 2:31 ami dont have pure maple syrup right now, but i do have "aunt jemima light syrup"
would using this affect the recipe at all?
also- does 1/2 tbsp flax replace one egg?
SusanV
February 15, 2010 at 7:06 amI haven't tried it with light syrup, but I think it would probably work. Yes, the flax replaces one egg.
Anonymous
April 3, 2010 at 10:26 pmYour blog is a real inspiration. Interesting brownie recipe, good to find this recipe. What substitutes for the fat ( butter/oil) in this. Tofu??
SusanV
April 3, 2010 at 11:02 pmThanks! Yes the tofu substitutes for both the fat and the egg in this recipe.
jennifer
May 2, 2010 at 2:33 pmLove the idea of a fat-free, gluten-free, dairy-free brownie. However, is there any way, do you think, to make them soy/tofu free for those of us with soy allergies? Thanks!
SusanV
May 2, 2010 at 3:10 pmJennifer, you could try using cooked white beans instead of the tofu. I haven’t tried it, but other people have said it works.
Jennifer
August 13, 2010 at 2:29 pmThank you, Susan!
Joseph
September 17, 2011 at 6:11 pmhttp://happyherbivore.com/2009/05/vegan-blackbean-brownies/ – this is a recipe for black bean brownies…not fat free but very low in fat (only 1 gram per serving)…and I hate to say it to you Susan since you put in all this work crafting what I’m sure is a wonderful brownie recipe but these brownies look even fudgier than yours….the picture of a batch of them on the website almost looks like candy-shop fudge….these brownies take no flour either….which is a plus if you’re running low on flour
Sharon Herbitter
May 27, 2012 at 11:27 amI made these black-bean brownies and threw them away. Sure, they looked good. Taste? Not so much.
Heather Landon
May 27, 2012 at 3:07 pmMe, too, Sharon. I LOOOOOVE almost all of HH’s recipes but this one just fell way, way, way flat. I have higher standards when it comes to sweets. The black bean brownies were just awful 🙁
Marsha
January 8, 2013 at 8:01 pmI just made these too and though they looked delicious, the taste was not. I think I can make them work by mixing them in vegan icecream, but even my baby wouldn’t eat these and he love everything!
Lilly
May 2, 2010 at 11:40 pmI am new to program and I copied a couple of recipes that I want to try. I love sweets and want something I can eat . I am starting the chip program so am not sure about the sugar so will use substitute plus I need to get other supplies before I can begin this adventure. Will let you know how it comes out. Thank you. Blessings
Kris
July 2, 2010 at 7:02 amI am new to this site. My husband has recently come on board regarding a vegan diet so I was looking for some new recipes to “WOW”him with. I made these the other night. Wonderful texture and taste! I made half with walnuts and the other half without (for the kids) and decreased the sugar by a quarter cup. VERY GOOD!!! Thank you so much for your blog and including the nutritional values. I so appreciate that!
Keep up the great work!
Mary
July 6, 2010 at 5:44 pmI found this website by mistake one day and am very glad I did!! I was looking for a healthy vegan brownie recipe and this one is definitely a keeper. Today I baked these brownies and they came out wonderful. I was wondering if they freeze well?
Thanks for the great recipe!!
Lorri
August 12, 2010 at 2:44 pmHi Susan,
I just made your FF Fudgy Brownies…divine by themselves…and even better when I covered them in your chocolate peppermint pudding and sugar free whipped cream. I will seriously never, ever buy pudding again…So simple, so healthy…why haven’t I thought of this? Thank you for your fabulous blog…I just voted for you on the VegNews site….good luck!
May-Z
October 10, 2010 at 12:46 amI made these last night, Pretty good! Im going to add craisins next time so they have little bits of chewy goodness! Love your blog! x May-Z
Bert
January 23, 2011 at 3:59 pmI made these last weekend and made my second batch last night…they are so freaking delicious. I added 2 teaspoons of granulated (instant) coffee to make mocha fudge brownies and they were awesome!!! Susan I may have to sue you for making me fat on these brownies…lol. Thank you so much!
-Bert
Brooka
February 9, 2011 at 12:44 amYour recipes have always blown me away in how good they taste and how healthy they are at the same time. But I have to say… I’m a bit disappointed with this recipe. It has the potential to be really great though. I like the texture. Needs more chocolate flavor, and I’ll leave out the cinnamon next time. Maybe I’ll add a little bit of coffee or a bit more cocoa powder? I’m going to experiment.
Amira
March 4, 2011 at 8:59 amI’m kinda confused. Should I use silken or firm tofu????
SusanV
March 4, 2011 at 9:17 amAny silken tofu will do, but I used lite firm silken tofu, as seen here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LKTY7Y?ie=UTF8&tag=fatfreevegank-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000LKTY7Y
Amira
March 4, 2011 at 1:53 pmThank you so much Susan. I’ll definitely give your wonderful recipe a try soon. Let’s cross our finger and hope i won’t screw it up ;DDD
Megan
March 29, 2011 at 9:53 amYum! I made these last night for a “moms’ night out.” I wanted them to be chocolatey and decadent, so I withheld a bit of the tofu and added two ounces of melted semi-sweet Baker’s chocolate. We definitely enjoyed them, and they went very nicely with a glass of red wine!
Christie
April 20, 2011 at 6:48 pmHi Susan!
I LOVE your site! I am a new vegan (4 months or so), and I am learning that many (many) sites and books do not really feature what I consider healthy vegan recipes! I am new to baking anything vegan, but have dreams of doing ONLY that when I make treats for my family. When this recipe calls for tofu, would I need to press it? I have learned this step is quite often required with tofu, whether or not they tell you to. And I know you told another reader to use ‘silken’ tofu – is all tofu silken or no?? Thanks!!
SusanV
April 20, 2011 at 7:06 pmThanks for the kind words, Christie! Silken tofu is a special kind of tofu, used mostly for desserts and creamy sauces (but also in things like miso soup). You will find it on the shelf, not in the refrigerator section. This is what the package looks like: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007KQYA8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=fatfreevegank-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=B0007KQYA8
Silken tofu never needs to be pressed. If you tried, it would totally fall apart. It’s got a soft, gelled texture that works well in blended desserts such as chocolate mousse pies and puddings.
Kathleen
April 24, 2011 at 4:34 pmI noticed one of the readers mentioned substituting applesauce for the silken tofu…I tried this, as it was what I had on hand, and wouldn’t recommend. It gave the brownies a weird texture. I am sure they would be delicious though with the silken tofu, so I will have do that next time!
Connie Fletcher
May 31, 2011 at 2:50 pmHelp!! there was a recipe for brownies that was made from a can of black beans, a couple of bananas, cocoa powder, some cinnamon, and I can’t remember what else, but I can’t find the recipe….can you help?
SusanV
May 31, 2011 at 2:57 pmThat’s not one of mine, but it sounds like this recipe:
http://happyherbivore.com/2009/05/vegan-blackbean-brownies/
Good luck with it!
sarah
June 1, 2011 at 1:37 pmthese sound great!
is there a way to not use the cane sugar or as much maple? I am trying to cut out processed sugars but need a sweet treat now and then!
Christie
June 29, 2011 at 9:27 pmHi!
I made these brownies recently and they were great, but I had 2 questions: the batter was very very pasty; you said ‘pour’ it into the pan – I would have needed a trowel? So I blended up a can of black beans and added it?? Also, I try not to use white flour, will they come out ok with any other sub. like oat flour? Thank you!!
NicholeCooley
January 2, 2012 at 8:36 pmI am making these now and very hopeful for the out come. Im not a huge fan of tofu and realized I needed it half way through mixing so I used 3/4 of mashed banana instead. Im going to lure my family into trying them when they are finished and will let everyone know the consensus.
NicholeCooley
January 2, 2012 at 9:06 pmSo the first bite my husband, 16 yo step son and I werent sure but we warmed up after the second bite. My 9 yo step daughter wasnt having it and mt 2 1/2 yo actually cried. Not sure what that was about. We made them with banana instead of tofu and the center was moist. So I dunno. Im going to try them again tomorrow. Ive got nine left. Hopefully they keep pretty well. I think Im eating them all by myself from here on out.
Theresa
July 30, 2012 at 5:30 pmHow do I make these gluten free? And do they still turn out as good?
Regina
August 6, 2012 at 8:07 pmI just put my first batch in the oven!! I’m sooo excited to try them!! I love your website and look forward to trying many more recipes!!!
Mary Massa
October 1, 2012 at 8:21 pmI don’t use white flour. Is it possible to use all wheat flour?
Susan Voisin
October 1, 2012 at 9:18 pmYes. If you have whole wheat pastry flour, it would work best.
Regina
October 17, 2012 at 7:08 pmMy brownies are rubbery, what did I do wrong?
Susan Voisin
February 11, 2014 at 9:42 amTry not to over-stir the batter. That can make fat-free baked goods rubbery.