Hi! Hi! Hi! Is anybody still lurking around this abandoned blog? I wish I had posted at least once a week, that was my plan initially, but we all know that executing a plan is not as easy as we think it is. So here I am nearly after 2 months of my last post. We recently bought our first home and it has taken me so much time to settle down and I went on a baking spree last week after 4 months. So you can expect a couple of interesting egg free baking recipes in the days to come.
It all started with this "Nearly No Fat Fudge Brownie" recipe I found in the yogurt container. A baking recipe couldn't possibly be any simpler. I had all the ingredients at home and it was already egg free; so I was good to go. This is also a one bowl recipe if you have a large microwave safe bowl. If you are a regular follower of this blog you would know that I try to bake healthy; include a lot of whole grains, reduce the quantity of fat, sugar. So our taste buds have accustomed pretty good. The brownies tasted very good. We did not miss the fat at all. It was chewy and fudgy. Maybe those with a sweeter tooth can increase the quantity of sugar to 3/4th cup, but it was fine for us.
TOP RATED
Almost Fat Free Fudge Brownies Recipe
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Prep Time
Cook Time
Makes
15 Mins
25 Mins
One 8x8 inch pan (16 squares)
Author
Category
Method
Madhuram
Brownies
Baking
Almost Fat Free Brownies4.6 from 18 reviews
Check out this awesome recipe for almost fat free brownies!
Dry Ingredients:
3/4 cupAll Purpose Flour
1/2 cupGranulated Sugar
1/2 cupCocoa Powder
1/2 teaspoonBaking Soda
1/2 cupChopped Pecans (or any other nuts optional)
Wet Ingredients:
1/2 cupSemi Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 cupPlain Yogurt (I used fat free)
1/2 cupWater
Procedure:
Preheat oven to 350F/180C for 15 minutes. Lightly grease an 8x8 inch square pan and line it with aluminum foil, with some extra foil hanging around the edges so that it is easy to lift the brownie. You wouldn't believe how much time saving and mess free is this simple step of lining with foil.
In a large microwave bowl melt the chocolate chips. It took about 45 seconds for the chocolate to melt. Do not set the time all at once, melt it in increments of 15-20 seconds because the cooking time in microwave ovens differ from one to another. Use a whisk to stir the melted chocolate to see that its smooth. Let this stand for a minute or two.
To the melted chocolate add the yogurt and sugar; mix until combined.
Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and nuts (if using) and stir until just combined.
To this mixture add water and stir carefully until the batter comes together. This batter looked more like a cake batter.
The original recipe mentions to bake the brownies between 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Mine actually took 32 minutes. So start with the minimum amount of time mentioned in the recipe and increase the time in small increments if it doesn't bake.
Remove the pan from the oven and leave it on a cooling rack for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes carefully lift the foil and let the brownies cool completely before you can cut it. If you don't use the aluminum foil the cooling time will be much longer. You would have to leave it overnight too. I was able to cut it beautifully within 2 hours.
My Notes:
If you have a sweet tooth I would suggest increasing the quantity of sugar to 3/4th of a cup. I also felt a mild sourness from the yogurt (my husband and son did not notice it). So I think the increased quantity of sugar will mask that too.
If you do not want to increase the quantity of sugar try testing/tasting the yogurt before hand. The original recipe had mentioned to use Balkan style yogurt, maybe that isn't as sour as the plain yogurt I used. I have tried the Stoneyfield organic yogurt and it is not sour at all (at least immediately after opening). Maybe you could try that in this recipe.
Update: Forgot to write this point before. I was not sure if the melted chocolate mixture would curdle if I immediately added yogurt to it. So I waited for about 5 minutes after I melted the chocolate in the microwave oven before adding the yogurt. To be even more sure I first mixed the sugar to melted chocolate; mixed it well and then added the yogurt.
This is my go to recipe for brownie. I have rated this recipe before as well. Today while preparing brownie, chocolate just seized very badly while adding curd and sugar. So I boiled half cup water and kept adding it to the mixture in small batches while whisking and scraping the bowl for chocolate lumps. When 90% of the chocolate was almost lump free,I added dry ingredients. This turned out to be my all time best brownie. Just sharing my experience as there is a good chance that chocolate will harden.
I tried this recipe twice, both times with dark chocolate and I must tell you it came out really well. Used half cup wheat flour instead of all purpose flour, 4tsps jaggery powder in place of sugar and added some milk towards the end. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Hi Madhuram, I have a pot of Greek yoghurt (set). Would this work or would I need to add more water due to the high fat content. If so, how much water would be required?
It would work, but as you said it is very thick. You may have to add about 1-2 tablespoons of water. Also I personally feel that sour yogurt might work well and Greek yogurt is not sour. Try you luck!
hi,
One more suggestion you can make red velvet cake using beetroot. I love seeing your recipes because they are quiet simple. I used to conduct baking classes in USA and India(eggless). Try doing 3D birthday cakes. using fondant(like trains,school bus). for best fondant recipe there is a site called fondant101. Keep going you are doing a fantastic Job.
Yes Meera, I too have seen such recipes and meaning to try it for sometime now. Maybe that’s what I should be baking for my eldest son’s birthday. I’ll check out the fondant website.
I keep visiting your site on and off to see what is new, Because I am a baker too. I think you have missed on how much baking soda to use in the recipe.
I am struggling a lot in making stabilized whipped cream for decorating, have you done any research on the same. i have tried instant pudding, gelatin but it is not working.the whipped cream melts in room temperature,Kindly help.
Thanks Meera. I have mentioned the quantity of baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon. I haven’t even tried making whipped cream for decorating. I’m not a professional baker to begin with and I have cut back even more in the past few months. But my sons’ birthdays are coming back to back, so I’m looking for cake/frosting ideas and if I find something, I’ll send you an e-mail.
I’ve made these brownies twice, they’re really good but I’ve had to bake them for 35-40 minutes each time for a toothpick to come out clean.
It cracked this time round also.
I was wondering, even after cooking that long, if my brownies are under cooked? They’re really soft and gooey. Please check the picture below, I took one of the brownies.
The oven was at the correct temperature. And it was heating up properly. I waited until it got to 180C before putting the brownie mixture in.
I used the correct measurements and it was even in the oven for 40 minutes! I guess I’ll just have to leave them in for longer.
Anyways, I make these brownies, cut them and then freeze them. They’re wonderful frozen, nice and fudgy and you can keep them for at least 2 months – if they last that long! Frozen brownies are the best, and having them with a scoop of frozen yogurt makes them even better!
These are amazing! And the fact that they’re not all that bad for you is a massive plus. Adding the yogurt really does make these stand out, they’re practically the moistest brownies I’ve ever had.
Thanks for the recipe, this one’s a keeper, and will be a regular, at least once a month! Super quick, and I think I may alter it by adding less sugar, or using a sweetener instead.
They do take nearer to 30 minutes in the oven, I wonder how long they would keep for though? And can I freeze them after baking – how will they keep after a couple of weeks, after thawed?
Yuuuuuuuummm! I loved these and they satisfied my sweet tooth without feeling the guilt that I would have if I ate a full fat brownie. I accidentally left out the baking soda, but they were still good and a great consistency. I used Chobani plain Greek yogurt and Ghiradelli chocolate chips. Soooo freakin’ good! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
LOVED IT! I just wanted to give them a try keeping in mind that I should not be dispapointed if no one eats them but these came out awesome. With the amount of sugar mentioned in the recipe my husband, who is really health conscious and doesn’t like chocolates, ate several of them and he was the one who finished them. My kids have been asking to make them again and here I am going to make it again today with twice the recipe.
One question though, can we try it with wheat flour instead just to make it even healthier…..
[…] 1. Baked a batch of (almost)fat-free brownies… I hear what you are saying.. fat-free only because I had to humor Prat who is working his way to adonis-land (while yours truly is contended with couch-inhabiting:)) btw they tasted really really good. Recipe� here […]
I made these brownies with greek yogurt plain and used water as required(eye balling) it came out awesome..best recipe..I also added some white chocolate morsels..awesome
[…] � and even better if your secret is that the recipe is actually pretty healthy!� Try Robin�s Almost fat-free Brownies and check out this Apple Crisp Recipe for delicious sweets without the guilt. […]
Dear Madhuram,
I tried this brownie and it turned out awesome.My kids and my husband loved it .I will try your carrot cake and fruit cake.Keep posting more.Great work.
Hi,
My daughter(16 yrs) and I simply love your website.My daughter is very fond of baking.She tried this brownie receipe twice,it was simply superb.She only had one problem the brownie gets stuck to the aluminium foil.Any suggestions? We live in Bangalore and I am not sure if we get non-stick spray here.
Thanks,vidya
Sorry I forgot to mention…I really want to try your Silken Tofu Brownie as it looks absolutely heavenly…but I wanted to know if I can reduce the amount the of butter that goes into it as its a lot of butter. Can I say add half butter and half oil and make it up to 1/2 cup for example? I would like to try to that.
Oil is’nt any better than butter, unless you are using coconut/avocado oil. So if you want to make it healthy used 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce instead of the butter. Or try this fat free Vegan Brownie Cupcakes recipe.
Hi! I love your recipes and website!
I tried this brownie recipe yesterday. I added 3/4 cup sugar instead of 1/2. After adding the dry ingredients I noticed that the batter was already quite runny and batter-like and so maybe I did not need to add any water. But since the recipe said so I added very little (3 tablespoons approximately which I probab;y should not have added). So it took around 45 minutes in the oven for the toothpick to come out clean. But the taste was more cake-like and dry than fudge-like. When mixing the dry ingredients is it wrong to over-mix? Will overmixing lead to a more cake-like texture? Please let me know they can turn out fudge-y.
Thanks
Hi Neha, this batter is not very thick. If I remember right it was like pancake batter, with pourable consistency. Overmixing does make brownies a bit tough. But I don’t think that’s entirely the reason for dry brownies. It’s also the baking time. I think 45 minutes is a lot of time. The original recipe had mentioned just 25 minutes but mine took about 32 minutes. Even considering that you added extra sugar, 36-38 minutes should have been fine. Also while baking brownies look for the brownies to pull away from the sides. If that happens you don’t even have to do the toothpick test and wait for it to come clean.
This is my go to recipe for brownie. I have rated this recipe before as well. Today while preparing brownie, chocolate just seized very badly while adding curd and sugar. So I boiled half cup water and kept adding it to the mixture in small batches while whisking and scraping the bowl for chocolate lumps. When 90% of the chocolate was almost lump free,I added dry ingredients. This turned out to be my all time best brownie. Just sharing my experience as there is a good chance that chocolate will harden.
That’s great to know, Akky. Thank you very much for sharing your experience.
What can i substitute for the baking powder? Can i use the yeast as the leaving agent (Rest the bater for half an hour)?
Yeast won’t taste good in brownie recipes, KS. If you have vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of that might work.
I tried this recipe twice, both times with dark chocolate and I must tell you it came out really well. Used half cup wheat flour instead of all purpose flour, 4tsps jaggery powder in place of sugar and added some milk towards the end. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Wow! Jaggery in this recipe! I can’t wait to try it now. Thanks for sharing, Akky.
Many thanks for the perfect low fat brownie recipe …simple, quick, easy. ..kids love it
You’re welcome Veronica.
Excited to try this recipe! Does this work with home made yogurt?
I’m sure it should Divyangi.
Can I replace the flour with whole wheat flour?
Yes you can Sheetal.
Hi Madhuram, I have a pot of Greek yoghurt (set). Would this work or would I need to add more water due to the high fat content. If so, how much water would be required?
It would work, but as you said it is very thick. You may have to add about 1-2 tablespoons of water. Also I personally feel that sour yogurt might work well and Greek yogurt is not sour. Try you luck!
Madhu thanks for this recipe . I am planning to make this over the weekend . Again thanks a ton
Thanks Paru. 🙂
Lovely recipe. I’m always looking for healthy yet tasty bakes. Thanks so much!
You’re welcome Kerry.
hi,
One more suggestion you can make red velvet cake using beetroot. I love seeing your recipes because they are quiet simple. I used to conduct baking classes in USA and India(eggless). Try doing 3D birthday cakes. using fondant(like trains,school bus). for best fondant recipe there is a site called fondant101. Keep going you are doing a fantastic Job.
regards
Meera
Canada
Yes Meera, I too have seen such recipes and meaning to try it for sometime now. Maybe that’s what I should be baking for my eldest son’s birthday. I’ll check out the fondant website.
Hi,
I keep visiting your site on and off to see what is new, Because I am a baker too. I think you have missed on how much baking soda to use in the recipe.
I am struggling a lot in making stabilized whipped cream for decorating, have you done any research on the same. i have tried instant pudding, gelatin but it is not working.the whipped cream melts in room temperature,Kindly help.
Meera
Canada
Thanks Meera. I have mentioned the quantity of baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon. I haven’t even tried making whipped cream for decorating. I’m not a professional baker to begin with and I have cut back even more in the past few months. But my sons’ birthdays are coming back to back, so I’m looking for cake/frosting ideas and if I find something, I’ll send you an e-mail.
[…] from this recipe, well, converted only […]
These brownies look so dense and moist, which is exactly how I like my brownies to be!
I’ve made these brownies twice, they’re really good but I’ve had to bake them for 35-40 minutes each time for a toothpick to come out clean.
It cracked this time round also.
I was wondering, even after cooking that long, if my brownies are under cooked? They’re really soft and gooey. Please check the picture below, I took one of the brownies.
http://oi43.tinypic.com/20ij1vs.jpg
Can you please tell me if they’re cooked properly, and if not, what’s going wrong?
Thanks! 🙂
Yes, the brownie looks undercooked. I’m doubting that your oven is not heating up or you are using the wrong temperature to bake the brownies.
The oven was at the correct temperature. And it was heating up properly. I waited until it got to 180C before putting the brownie mixture in.
I used the correct measurements and it was even in the oven for 40 minutes! I guess I’ll just have to leave them in for longer.
Anyways, I make these brownies, cut them and then freeze them. They’re wonderful frozen, nice and fudgy and you can keep them for at least 2 months – if they last that long! Frozen brownies are the best, and having them with a scoop of frozen yogurt makes them even better!
Thanks for the reply 🙂
I’m really not able to tell what went wrong but relieved to know that you still like the brownies.
These are amazing! And the fact that they’re not all that bad for you is a massive plus. Adding the yogurt really does make these stand out, they’re practically the moistest brownies I’ve ever had.
Thanks for the recipe, this one’s a keeper, and will be a regular, at least once a month! Super quick, and I think I may alter it by adding less sugar, or using a sweetener instead.
They do take nearer to 30 minutes in the oven, I wonder how long they would keep for though? And can I freeze them after baking – how will they keep after a couple of weeks, after thawed?
Thanks again for linking / sharing the recipe!
You’re welcome.
Hi, I wanted to know if I could cut the amount of sugar in half?
Thanks.
I think you can reduce the quantity of sugar if you use vanilla yogrut because it is already sweet.
Glenda, the amount of sugar provided is optimum. We eat very little sugar and found the amount of sugar suggested to be just perfect….
Yuuuuuuuummm! I loved these and they satisfied my sweet tooth without feeling the guilt that I would have if I ate a full fat brownie. I accidentally left out the baking soda, but they were still good and a great consistency. I used Chobani plain Greek yogurt and Ghiradelli chocolate chips. Soooo freakin’ good! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
You’re welcome Joy.
LOVED IT! I just wanted to give them a try keeping in mind that I should not be dispapointed if no one eats them but these came out awesome. With the amount of sugar mentioned in the recipe my husband, who is really health conscious and doesn’t like chocolates, ate several of them and he was the one who finished them. My kids have been asking to make them again and here I am going to make it again today with twice the recipe.
One question though, can we try it with wheat flour instead just to make it even healthier…..
Thanks Sur. Maybe you could try half of each flour.
I will definitely give it a shot. And again this time the brownies came out amazing and are in high demand at my home 🙂
Thanks Sur.
[…] 1. Baked a batch of (almost)fat-free brownies… I hear what you are saying.. fat-free only because I had to humor Prat who is working his way to adonis-land (while yours truly is contended with couch-inhabiting:)) btw they tasted really really good. Recipe� here […]
I made these brownies with greek yogurt plain and used water as required(eye balling) it came out awesome..best recipe..I also added some white chocolate morsels..awesome
Thanks Priya.
[…] � and even better if your secret is that the recipe is actually pretty healthy!� Try Robin�s Almost fat-free Brownies and check out this Apple Crisp Recipe for delicious sweets without the guilt. […]
Dear Madhuram,
I tried this brownie and it turned out awesome.My kids and my husband loved it .I will try your carrot cake and fruit cake.Keep posting more.Great work.
Thanks.
Hi,
My daughter(16 yrs) and I simply love your website.My daughter is very fond of baking.She tried this brownie receipe twice,it was simply superb.She only had one problem the brownie gets stuck to the aluminium foil.Any suggestions? We live in Bangalore and I am not sure if we get non-stick spray here.
Thanks,vidya
You’re welcome Vidya. You could try brushing some butter/oil on the foil instead or use parchment paper.
Sorry I forgot to mention…I really want to try your Silken Tofu Brownie as it looks absolutely heavenly…but I wanted to know if I can reduce the amount the of butter that goes into it as its a lot of butter. Can I say add half butter and half oil and make it up to 1/2 cup for example? I would like to try to that.
Oil is’nt any better than butter, unless you are using coconut/avocado oil. So if you want to make it healthy used 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce instead of the butter. Or try this fat free Vegan Brownie Cupcakes recipe.
Hi! I love your recipes and website!
I tried this brownie recipe yesterday. I added 3/4 cup sugar instead of 1/2. After adding the dry ingredients I noticed that the batter was already quite runny and batter-like and so maybe I did not need to add any water. But since the recipe said so I added very little (3 tablespoons approximately which I probab;y should not have added). So it took around 45 minutes in the oven for the toothpick to come out clean. But the taste was more cake-like and dry than fudge-like. When mixing the dry ingredients is it wrong to over-mix? Will overmixing lead to a more cake-like texture? Please let me know they can turn out fudge-y.
Thanks
Hi Neha, this batter is not very thick. If I remember right it was like pancake batter, with pourable consistency. Overmixing does make brownies a bit tough. But I don’t think that’s entirely the reason for dry brownies. It’s also the baking time. I think 45 minutes is a lot of time. The original recipe had mentioned just 25 minutes but mine took about 32 minutes. Even considering that you added extra sugar, 36-38 minutes should have been fine. Also while baking brownies look for the brownies to pull away from the sides. If that happens you don’t even have to do the toothpick test and wait for it to come clean.