Healthy and gluten-free desserts tend to get a bad reputation but let’s set the record straight! These avocado brownies are gluten-free and healthy while still being indulgent and flavorful. When serving these, no one will even notice the difference. They may notice that it’s even more fudgy and delicious, but who will complain about that?!
You might be feeling a little skeptical about avocado added to a chocolate dessert, but the addition of heart-healthy fats from an avocado is a game-changer. What can’t avocado do? Want another avocado-based recipe? Try my Avocado Ice Cream or Avocado Egg Salad!
Key Ingredients You Need
- Avocado — The ripeness of your avocado matters! Even though you use a food processor to blend the batter and a firmer avocado can be used, it must be ripe. Unripe avocado has a bitter taste to it. To tell when your avocado is ripe, give it a squeeze it and the avocado should yield to pressure.
- Maple syrup — I like the subtle sweetness that maple syrup provides this avocado brownies recipe. It’s paired with coconut sugar as the batter will be too wet if you use only maple syrup.
- Almond flour — I love that almond flour has a natural sweetness and has more nutrients than all-purpose flour. Almond flour also keeps this recipe gluten-free and grain-free as well.
- Cocoa powder — I used a gluten-free and sugar-free cocoa powder, but you are welcome to use whatever cocoa powder you have on hand.
How to Make Avocado Brownies
Step 1: Grease an 8” x 8” baking pan and line it with parchment paper. Allow the parchment paper to hang over the sides a little so that you can use the parchment paper to remove the brownies once baked.
Step 2: Add the avocado, eggs, coconut sugar, maple syrup, butter, and vanilla extract to a food processor and process until smooth.
Step 3: Add the cocoa powder, almond flour, and baking soda and process again until well combined.
Step 4: Add in the chocolate chips and fold them in with a spatula.
Step 5: Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan.
Step 6: Top the batter off with more chocolate chips and then bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
Tips For This Recipe
- Feel free to change the chocolate chips to a different variety, such as white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, mint chocolate chips, and more!
- Instead of chocolate chips, you can cut up a chocolate bar as well.
- If you’re making these avocado brownies for a bake sale or for guests, you can make clean cuts into the brownies by running your knife until hot water between cuts.
- Always double-check that the baking soda has not expired. Your brownies may come out flat if the baking soda has expired.
- If you do not have a food processor, a blender works as well. I would avoid mixing the batter by hand as you want the avocado to melt into the batter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Avocados contribute to giving brownies a fudgy texture and making them moist and rich without adding a ton of butter to the batter. The creamier and more ripe your avocado, the better! It also adds health benefits to the brownies since avocados are pretty good for you. However, don’t worry about the avocado taste if you’re not a huge fan, there is not a strong avocado taste in these brownies.
To make sure they’re nice and gooey, avoid over mixing the batter and over baking the brownies. Once the batter has come together, stop mixing or use a spatula to finish combining the batter. If you overprocess the batter, you might end up with dense brownies. Also, be sure to start checking on the brownies at the 25 minute mark, so you don’t end up with overbaked dry brownies.
Once the brownies have cooled to room temperature, transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and store them in the fridge. They should last for up to a week, but they might disappear before then! You can enjoy these brownies straight from the refrigerator or microwave them a bit to warm them up.
You can freeze brownies! I like to freeze them individually so I can pull out a square or two whenever the cravings hit. Wrap them up in plastic wrap and then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag and freeze them for up to 3 months.
IF YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE TRY THESE OUT!
If you’ve tried this Avocado Brownie Recipe, then don’t forget to leave me a 5 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Avocado Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 large avocado pitted and peeled
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- sea salt for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8” x 8” baking pan and line with parchment paper. Allow the parchment paper to hang over the sides a little so that you can use the paper to remove the brownies once they are done cooking.
- In a food processor, add the avocado, eggs, coconut sugar, maple syrup, butter, and vanilla extract. Process until smooth.
- Add in the cocoa powder, almond flour, and baking soda and process again until well combined.
- Remove the blade from the food processor and fold in half the chocolate chips. Using a spatula, mix them around the batter until well combined.
- Scrape the batter into the baking pan and add the remaining half of the chocolate chips. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. At the 25 minute mark, check the doneness of the brownies by placing a toothpick into them. If the toothpick comes out clean, they are done. If not, cook for another 3 minutes and test again.
- Once done, let the brownies cool in the pan. Cut into squares and garnish with sea salt.
Video
Notes
- Feel free to change the chocolate chips to a different variety, such as white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, mint chocolate chips, and more!
- Instead of chocolate chips, you can cut up a chocolate bar as well.
- If you’re making these for a bake sale or for guests, you can make clean cuts into the brownies by running your knife until hot water between cuts.
- Always double-check that the baking soda has not expired. Your brownies may come out flat if the baking soda has expired.
- If you do not have a food processor, a blender works as well. I would avoid mixing the batter by hand as you want the avocado to melt into the batter.
Thank you for the avodaco brownies. They are healthy and yummy but i do not agree with you when you use that amount of brown sugar and you will use maple syrup and chocolate . I have M.S and i avoid too much sugar. I will try this nice recipe with 1 or 2 t.b.s.p of errythrithol only. Please, think of us - we sick folks- in your baking recipes. I appreciate your nice work and good attitude.
Thank you.
Maria.
WA state.
Hello Maria-
You can skip the brown sugar if it doesn't work for you. Glad you liked the recipe.
Justin