5-Ingredient Fudgy Flourless Protein Brownies
One of my favourite, quick treats is two-ingredient “magic” brownies. They’re made by simply mixing very ripe bananas with cocoa powder. I don’t know how they work but somehow they bake up into amazingly decadent, healthy goodness, hence the “magic” factor. These flourless protein brownies are an upgraded, extra rich and fudgy version that favourite.
I’m kind of obsessed…they’re right behind me in the fridge at this very moment…just sittin’ there, being all delicious and stuff…k, I’m going to get another one! But NBD, one brownie comes in at just 82 calories with 13 grams of carbs, 2 grams of fat and 5 grams of plant-based protein. So have one, or two..or three.
Build A Better Flourless Protein Brownie!
With my recent nutrition goals, I wanted to increase the protein content from the 2-ingredient recipe but also the yum-factor for a guiltless treat I could enjoy anytime, so I decided to add a few more delicious ingredients:
The unsweetened applesauce keeps them nice and moist with the addition of the protein powder as a second dry ingredient. You only need 5 ingredients in total to make these and they less than 5 minutes to prep. The only hard part is waiting for them to bake and cool.
Fudgy Flourless Protein Brownies
The result of the extra ingredients? Ooey, gooey, fudgy, rich, healthy flourless protein brownies you can eat for dessert, or for breakfast, or for a snack.
Nutrition Details
Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free and as far as brownies go, very low in carbs and sugar, plus they’re low in fat (2 grams!) with 5 grams of protein per brownie.
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5-Ingredient Fudgy Flourless Protein Brownies
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Prep Time: 10 mins -
Cook Time: 20 mins
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Total Time: 30 minutes
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Yield: 8 1x
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Category: Dessert
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Method: Food Processor, Oven
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Cuisine: Vegan
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
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Cuisine:These easy to make brownies come in at just 82 calories each plus they’re low in fat and made with just 5 simple, wholesome ingredients for a healthy and guilt-free indulgent treat!
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- 2 (200 g) very ripe bananas
- 1/4 cup (80 mL) unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup (60 g) cocoa powder
- 1 scoop (41 grams) vegan protein powder, vanilla or chocolate
- 2 tbsp (30 g) dairy-free chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the bananas, applesauce, cocoa powder and protein powder in a food processor and mix until completely smooth.
- Prepare a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray then spoon in the batter from the food processor. It will be very thick so this takes a bit of work. Use a spoon to spread it out so it’s flat and even.
- Evenly distribute the chocolate chips on top.
- Place them in the oven. After a few minutes, remove and use the back of a spoon to spread the melted chocolate chips. Place back in the oven.
- Bake for 20 minutes. They’ll seem under done when you take them out but once they cool, they’ll be good to go.
- Let cool in the pan then slice into 8 squares.
Notes
- You can store these at room temperature or in the fridge. I like storing in the fridge because they get extra fudgy and delicious that way!
- I haven’t tried this recipe with whey protein so I can’t guarantee how they’ll turn out if you use it. (See reader comments for those that have tested with whey.)
- It’s not imperative that you use extra ripe bananas, as long as they’re not under ripe it will work fine. Very ripe bananas will result in richer, sweeter brownie but the recipe will work either way.
- You can either stir in the chocolate chips and bake as is. Or add them on top, then spread them around once they melt. I like spreading them so they’re evenly distributed overtop of each piece.
- I think you should be able to replace the applesauce with extra banana or even pumpkin puree but I haven’t tested it, so I can’t guarantee the same result.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 brownie
- Calories: 82
- Fat: 2
- Carbohydrates: 13.5
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 5
Keywords: protein, high-protein, healthy, egg-free, dairy-free, applesauce
These came out very Caley not fudgy like I expected? Wondering what I might have done wrong? I did follow the recipe exactly?
They’re not really fudgy like a traditional brownie, the texture is a bit more light and mousse-like. What kind of protein did you use? That will make a difference.
Tried it : best protein brownies.
I also got inspired and tried it with almond powder instead of cocoa and blueberries instead of chocolate and it was great ! Richer but still healthy.
★★★★★
Can I use egg in replacement of applesauce if I’m not vegan? thanks!
Hi, I’m not sure. I’ve never tried egg in this recipe and I’m not very familiar with baking with eggs. Let me know if you try it. Thanks!
I don’t know where i got it wrong but my preparation was very powdery. So i added a little non dairy milk . It worked like a charm. My breakfast was delicious, thank you !
★★★★
Made these today but with a few changes that I think put them over the top! I added vanilla and some salt (salt makes chocolate more chocolatey) and since I only had pumpkin purée I used that in place of the applesauce. I also changed the way I added the chocolate chips, I put them on after the brownies were cooked and spread the melted chocolate then, they gave more of a chocolate glaze rather then just being absorbed into the cooked brownie. Next time I think I’d sprinkle a little more sea salt on the melted chocolate to add that salty/sweet element. And a tip, the individual packets of protein powder are perfect for this, especially if it’s a protein powder you don’t have and don’t want to commit to an entire tub.
I have an oral allergy to bananas. What could you use to replace that?
You could maybe try pumpkin or sweet potato but I haven’t tested it in this recipe so I can’t guarantee it will work. It’s only 5-ingredients and the bananas play a roll in sweetening and binding, so it’s not that easy to replace them in this one. I do have other brownie recipes that don’t contain banana if you have to have a browse around! Thanks.
I just bought a bag of pea protein and wanted to try a recipe using it, and this was the first one, because I just happened to have some over ripe bananas. These banana-cocoa brownies are great. I did not have any applesauce handy, so instead I used an extra banana and about 2 Tbsp coconut butter. Peanut butter would have also been good, and I think I will try again for a peanut butter version and the original applesauce version. The coconut butter added oil that is not in the original recipe, so that probably changed the texture some. I imagine that the applesauce version might seem a little “cakier”, whereas mine was more fudgy. Also, I had unflavored pea protein, so I added a little vanilla extract. In my version, coconut flavor hardly came through, and I suspect that peanut butter would add a more noticeable flavor which would work well with bananas and chocolate. The great thing about this recipe is that it is truly easy to make, with minimum ingredients. It tastes very sweet even though there is nothing sweet except the bananas. Sweet bananas and dark chocolate – what could be wrong with that? Thanks Deryn for a great idea.
Amazing! Love those ideas. So glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for the message!
IT was more a pudding than a brownies… It really don’t have the texture of a brownies ,IT was a Little bit liquid… at least, The taste was good but i don’t recommend this recipe.
★★
Did you follow the recipe exactly or make any changes? It’s helpful to know what might have went wrong. I’ve tested these dozens of times with success and they have many happy reviews, so would love to know why they didn’t work out for you! The feedback is appreciated! Thanks!
Could you replace the cocoa powder with chocolate protein powder to increase the protein in this recipe?
You try it but they won’t be as chocolatey and I haven’t tested it so I can’t guarantee results. Let me know if you do! Thanks.
I am not a chef by any means and these brownies turned out great! Super easy to make!
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed them!
I loooooved these. They were so easy. I used egg white protein powder, NOW brand, and substituted carob powder in place of cocoa powder. I added a little chili powder and cinnamon too, and used Lily’s chocolate chips. I was pleasantly surprised to find how moist these were! I haven’t been able to bake with egg white protein because it’s turned every recipe I’ve tried into a dense brick. My scoop was 30 grams instead of 41 grams, so I might try experimenting with the recipe to increase the protein content.
★★★★★
Oh, yum, sounds amazing with chili powder and cinnamon. So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Happy experimenting!