No beans were harmed in the making of these healthy brownies. Their secret ingredient gives them the perfect brownie texture while keeping them completely 21 Day Fix approved!
You're about to love me. No really. I've come up with a super-healthy, delicious brownie that doesn't include beans. Now I know that there are plenty of you out there that don't mind black bean brownies (myself included) but lets be honest, they're still not exactly brownies, are they? They may taste chocolatey, they may look like brownies, but the texture is... well... bean-y.
A while back, a reader requested that I work on a Fix-approved brownie. It took me a while to get around to it because I already had a bunch of things planned and then holiday recipes, etc. Anyway, once I was ready to start working on it, my first thought was a black bean brownie. I mean, isn't' that the first thing we all think of when we think "healthy brownie?" So I mention this to my notoriously picky little sister, who basically makes gagging noises at me, when it occurs to me that she may not be the only anti-beaner out there.
I wanted this brownie to have the traditional texture which in my eyes is sort of in the middle between cake-y and fudgy (though I know that this is a hotly debated topic and you may feel differently). I also wanted to use a vegetable if possible for counting purposes and I came up with these butternut squash & banana brownies. I know, it sounds kind of crazy, right? Ok, let me explain my thought process here (and why it works): butternut squash has a slight sweetness to it, but not a very strong flavor. You could probably also use canned pumpkin if you'd like, it would eliminate a step and make these super quick to put together, but I feel like it has a stronger flavor than butternut that you can taste in the brownie, it's up to you. I decided to add the banana because I was trying to add some sweetness without adding more sugar. The sugar itself is only 2 teaspoons per brownie, which is where I like to keep it for a treat. Your average brownie recipe has anywhere around 8 teaspoons for each piece of the same size.
The only real issue that I had when making these was that in the first batch or two, you could taste the banana in them. Just a little bit, but I wanted these to be uber-chocolatey and I felt like the slight banana flavor was taking from that. To fix this problem, I added some instant coffee powder and it was just what the doctor ordered. That slight roast-y flavor in the background was exactly what the recipe needed to make these taste even more chocolatey.
Here's a little tip about the butternut squash: if you have a crockpot, you have the easiest way to make butternut squash puree EVER. Put it in the crockpot (no water needed, I swear!), put it on high for 3 to 4 hours - I haven't done it on low, but I would guess 6-7 hours for that - cut the thing in half lengthwise, scoop out and discard the seeds (or hey, roast 'em if ya got 'em), then scoop out the flesh. At this point, the squash is already basically puree. This is what I did and I didn't puree it any further, I just whisked it up a bit to break up any lumps. This makes it crazy-easy to do this part ahead (the only time-consuming part of this recipe), then you can just whisk everything together, bake and voila! Healthy brownies, at your service.
If you've been missing your real-deal brownies (like me!) you should definitely try these out. These are brownies that I feel good about serving to my kids and they absolutely love them.
Enjoy <3
If you make this recipe be sure to snap a pic and tag me @thefoodieandthefix on Instagram so I can check it out! It makes me ridiculously happy to see what you guys are making 🙂
📖 Recipe
21 Day Fix Secret Ingredient Brownies {No Beans!}
Ingredients
- 3 ½ Tbs coconut oil, melted
- ¼ cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
- 1 Tbs grass-fed butter
- â…” cup cooked and mashed butternut squash (you can either peel, cube, steam or boil or put the whole thing into a crockpot on high for 4 hours, then just cut in half, scoop out the seeds and scoop out the flesh) or canned pumpkin puree if you're in a pinch!
- ¼ cup mashed banana (about ½ of a banana)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 6 Tbs raw sugar
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- â…“ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon instant coffee granules (not optional, trust me!)
- ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour (I haven't tested this with any other flours, just fyi)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, spray an 8X8 baking dish with olive oil or coconut oil cooking spray and set aside.
- In a small bowl, melt together the coconut oil, butter and chocolate chips, set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed butternut squash, mashed banana, eggs and vanilla until fully combined (it's ok if it's not completely smooth). Next, add in the raw sugar, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder and coffee granules and whisk again until fully combined. Whisk in the melted chocolate chip mixture and the whole wheat pastry flour, taking care not to overmix.
- Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Keep a close eye and don't over-bake 😉
Notes
21 Day Fix Container Equivalents per Serving: 1 Yellow Treat Swap, 1 ½ Tsp, 2 teaspoon sugar
Weight Watchers Freestyle Points: 7
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 9 Serving Size: 1 brownieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 180Total Fat: 10g
Suzi Moore says
I made them and love them! I’m going to try applesauce next time instead of banana because I could taste banana. Don’t get me wrong, I love bananas but I want to see if the next batch will just taste like brownies! Thanks!!!
Stephanie says
Hi! I've also tested it with extra squash/pumpkin puree and that worked really well, too!
Christine says
I can’t wait to make these but I worry I’ll eat too many at once? Have you tried freezing them?
Stephanie says
Yes, they freeze beautifully!
Selina says
Great recipe! I used cake flour because I had it on hand and they still came out like your pictures! I'll need to freeze my extra butternut squash so I can make these again!
Stephanie says
Yay! I'm so glad they were a hit!!
Kristen says
Can I use coffee extract instead of the instant coffee. If so, how much?
Stephanie says
Hmm... you definitely can, but I'm not sure how much. I've never used it before so I'm not sure on it's strength. I would probably start with 1/4 tsp and go from there. Hope you love these, Kristen!
Marsha says
Hi Stephanie,
Have you tried to freeze these? My hubby won't touch anything with squash (or pumpkin) so in order to prevent me from eating the entire pan full, I would need freezer option.
Thanks,
Marsha
Stephanie says
I haven't personally, but I know people who have and said it worked out great!
Maria says
Since you’ve answered so many substitution recipes. What would you recommend to sub for the butter? We have a new dairy intolerance here. I have found dairy free chocolate chips so I was wondering about butter subs. Thank you!
Stephanie says
Hey Maria, I would just sub it for coconut oil 😊
Jasmine says
I would love to try this. Is there a substitute for banana. Go figure, of all things and I am deathly allergic to it. I almost died from it so no option here 🙂 May I pls ask what you suggest I try? Thank so much
Stephanie says
Oh no! Allergic to bananas?! That's awful. The only thing that really comes to mind as a possible replacement would be applesauce. I'd been considering testing it that way myself but hadn't gotten around to it yet. I think it would work though 🙂
Averie says
This sounds so great! I'd love to try it for my family:) my.son has an egg allergy and so I try new things with different egg Substitutes, what would u recommend using as an egg Substitute for these?
Stephanie says
Hi Averie! I'm sorry I'm so late getting back to you! I don't have a ton of experience with egg substitutes, but my buddy Demeter over at beamingbaker.com always uses flax eggs, so if I were in your shoes that's what I would do 🙂
Lyndy says
I just made these! Yum! I substituted canned pumpkin as that's what I had on hand. I'm amazed at the chocolatey flavor of these!
Before I baked them, I tasted a tiny bit of the batter and you could taste the pumpkin. However, once they baked and cooled, I could not taste anything but fudgy chocolate.
These were comparable to my homemade brownie recipe that I make with melted chocolate chips ... Ahem that I used to make. 😉
Kudos to you and this blog! This is the second recipe I've made from your blog plus I've also made one that you linked to (Mexican lasagna - delish!) and I just found your blog this past week. 😀
Stephanie says
Isn't that Mexican lasagna the bomb?! Thanks for trying out my recipes, I'm so glad you're liking them!! I think I might need to make a batch of these today, something chocolatey sounds so good right now 🙂
demeter | beaming baker says
Stephanie, you ALWAYS crack me up. So, are you suuuuure no beans were harmed in the making of this recipe??? Hahaha. Meanwhile, I CAN'T believe you managed to use butternut squash AND bananas in this recipe. You know what though, picky little sisters can be good at pushing you to go in directions you might normally not go. As a little sister, I would know something about this. Hehe. And btw, it's too late. I already love you!!! And I haven't even tried these brownies yet. Who knew until now that Real-Deal brownies were the sign of everlasting friendship? Haha. Wonderful recipe, Steph. <3 <3
Stephanie says
Thanks, Demeter! There were definitely no beans harmed in the making of this recipe, cross my heart and hope to die. And you're absolutely right about picky little sisters, mine has been the source of many an inspiration 🙂 Also, this whole idea of brownies being the sign of everlasting friendship makes complete sense to me! They would also make a Way better bff exchange than those ugly heart necklaces that come apart, just sayin'. 😉
demeter | beaming baker says
LOL. Stephanie, how is it that you manage to be funny AND cute? It's inspire and amazes me. 😉 It's so sweet to hear about your little sister. How old is she? IMy big sisters still call me little... even though I'm taller than them now! Ha. YES on brownies = everlasting friendship. After all, what is more sincere and sweet? And yeah, let's go ahead and skip those break apart necklaces and shoot straight to the bracelets! Now all we have to decide on is a matching color scheme... 😉 <3
Stephanie says
Back at ya, Demeter! You crack me up! My "little" sister is 30 AND she's taller than me 🙂 Ok, as far as colors go, I generally lean towards greens, but I'm can be flexible 😉
Katie @The Semisweet Sisters says
Looks like a terrific recipe, they look delicious to me! Love the ingredients, adding banana to brownies was a genius idea! I've added them to cookies before & they always turned out good.
Stephanie says
Thanks, Katie!
Jessica says
Can you sub olive oil instead of using coconut oil? (I have a coconut allergy)
Sounds really good though!
Stephanie says
Absolutely!
Amy says
What's the measurement on the semi sweet morsels?? 1/4 cup!??? Thank you!!
Stephanie says
Oops! Yes, 1/4 cup!
Valerie says
Could I use Coconut sugar or honey in place of the raw sugar? I think I might try these on my husband and kids! Muahahahha 😀
Stephanie says
Absolutely! I would go with the coconut sugar over the honey though as the added moisture would probably change the texture. Also, I highly approve of your evil laugh 🙂
Linda | The Baker Who Kerns says
These brownies look AMAZING! I really like this twist on a healthy brownie, never seen vegetables used in them and I love bananas so I probably won't mind the taste coming through. Happy I came across your blog!
Stephanie says
Thanks, Linda! Nothing like a sneaky veggie if you ask me 😉
Meghan | Fox and Briar says
Wow! This is such a great idea! I have always been wary to try the bean brownies, but I love that these have butternut in them, what a great way to make a healthier treat!
Stephanie says
Thanks, Meghan! I know what you mean about the beans, I don't mind them, but you can tell right away that there are beans in there. It's not one of those things where you just can't believe that ingredient is in there 🙂
Ashley | The Recipe Rebel says
These look WAY better than any bean brownies! Love the idea of using the butternut squash!
Stephanie says
Thanks, Ashley!
Chelsea @chelseasmessyapron says
What an AMAZING idea to use bn squash in brownies!! I bet they are so fudgy and tasty! YUM!
Stephanie says
Thanks, Chelsea! Yes, LOVE their texture 🙂
Amber Kanos says
Hi,
I have a question about the brownie recipe. In the Ingredient section it says to use 3/4 tsp. of Baking Soda, although in the instruction section it says to put in baking powder. Which is the right one I am suppose to use?
Stephanie says
Aaaahhh!!! Whoops! Great catch, can't believe I missed that. It's baking powder. I'm fixing it now. Thanks!!
Claudia | The Brick Kitchen says
Crazy how healthy these are, you have done SO well!! I would never have picked that it had banana and butternut squash in it, but will have to give it a go for a healthier treat sometime <3
Stephanie says
Aww, thanks Claudia! I couldn't believe how well it worked out!