Healthy Honey Brownies
Healthy Honey Brownies are full of flavor and fudge–without the gluten, flour, or sugar and with lots of goodness inside.
Honey Brownies Recipe
Brownies made with honey instead of sugar? Can they really be just as good as the normal thing?
If you’re skeptical, I have news for you: They’re even better than the “normal” thing.
Honey adds phenomenal flavor and moisture to this delicious healthy brownies recipe. It also allows you to cut the refined sugar completely out of the ingredients list and–at the same time–reduce the overall sugar content of this yummy treat.
Don’t get me wrong: Honey is itself a form of sugar…just not the nutritionally empty refined sugar that is normally used.
How to Make Brownies With Honey Instead of Sugar
Why do we even add sugar to brownies and other desserts? As Healthline states, “Refined sugars are typically added to foods and beverages to improve taste.”
But does that “taste enhancement” come with any benefit? No. Refined sugar is “considered empty calories because [it] contain virtually no vitamins, minerals, protein, fat, fiber, or other beneficial compounds.” (Source)
Is refined sugar necessary to enhance the flavor of our sweet treats? Thankfully, no.
Honey and other natural sweeteners are preferable alternatives to the highly-processed white sugar that is so often used in sweet recipes.
How Much Honey to Use in Brownies
Using honey as a substitute for refined sugar in brownies not only adds some nutritional value to otherwise-empty sugar carbs but also allows you to cut down the amount of total sugars in the recipe.
Instead of an entire cup of sugar, for example, this recipe for healthy honey brownies calls for a mere 1/3 cup honey–even less, if you want super dark chocolate brownies.
In general, when replacing refined, granulated sugar with honey, it’s best to start with a small amount of honey and taste-test as you go.
Because this healthy brownie recipe has raw eggs, taste-testing might not be advisable. So I recommend starting with the listed measurement for your first batch of brownies and then adjusting the sweetness to your liking the second and third times that you make this recipe.
Why Use Non-Alkalized Cacao Powder in Brownies?
Something you might notice as you browse through the ingredients list for this healthy honey brownie recipe is the words “raw 100% cacao powder (non-alkalized).”
Huh? What does that even mean? Aren’t all cocoa powders the same?
Actually, cacao is processed in a variety of ways to result in different types of cocoa powder (Dutch-processed, etc.). And if you want to maximize the “good for you” factor of this healthy sweet snack, then non-alkalized cacao powder is the way to go.
As Chocolate Academy notes, “The alkalisation process may lead to a potential loss of antioxidants present in the cacao beans. Because it does not undergo the alkalisation process, natural cacao powder retains a higher antioxidant content.”
Does Raw (Non-Alkalized) Cacao Powder Taste Different?
Yes, it does. “[A]lkalised cacao powder offers a milder taste and darker colour, while natural cacao powder delivers a rich flavour profile” (source). However, the actual flavor difference can be quite mild.
This is why we include two types of cacao powder in this recipe for homemade honey brownies. The raw cacao powder is preferable in terms of nutrition, while the Dutch-processed dark cacao powder adds a bit more of that traditional fudgey chocolate flavor.
Tools Needed for This Healthy Snack Recipe
No fancy equipment is needed to whip up these delicious, healthy brownies in your kitchen. Just gather these common cooking tools:
- two medium-sized mixing bowls
- an 8″x8″ baking dish
- a butter knife
- a spatula
Ingredients for Healthy Honey Brownies
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup raw 100% cacao powder (non-alkalized)
- 4 Tbsp. dark cocoa powder (Dutch-processed)
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/3 cup cold-pressed virgin coconut oil, warmed
- 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 Tbsp. organic whole milk
- 2 Tbsp. unsweetened, unflavored Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
- 1 Tbsp. raw honey, for drizzle (optional, but recommended)
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)
How to Make Gluten-Free Honey Brownies with Almond Flour
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Grease an 8″x8″ baking dish.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together almond flour, cacao powder, cocoa powder, sea salt, baking powder, and ground cinnamon.
- In another medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together honey, coconut oil, peanut butter, and vanilla extract until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Add eggs, milk, and Greek yogurt and mix well. Fold in 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Spread the brownies into the prepared baking dish.
- For optional honey drizzle: Drizzle 1 Tbsp. raw honey over the top of the brownie batter in four lines. Using a butter knife, draw lines vertically and horizontally across the top of the brownies to create designs with the honey.
- Sprinkle dark chocolate chips and 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans evenly over the top of the brownies.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before slicing.
How to Store Healthy Honey Brownies
Keep these healthy homemade brownies without sugar in an airtight glass container on the countertop for up to five days. I do not recommend keeping these brownies in the refrigerator.
Our family has also stored them in the original baking dish for a few days (without any beeswax or plastic wrap even!), and–thanks to their rich moisture–these brownies have stayed fudgey. (I don’t recommend storing them this way, but don’t be alarmed if–for some reason–you find them uncovered or forget to put them in a container. It’s very likely that they haven’t dried out.)
Other Yummy Chocolate Recipes to Try Next
Need a chocolate fix? There are plenty more healthy chocolate recipes where this one came from. Try these next:
Healthy Honey Brownies (Gluten-Free)
Healthy Honey Brownies are full of flavor and fudge--without the gluten, flour, or sugar and with lots of goodness inside.
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup raw 100% cacao powder (non-alkalized)
- 4 Tbsp. dark cocoa powder (Dutch-processed)
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/3 cup cold-pressed virgin coconut oil, warmed
- 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 Tbsp. organic whole milk
- 2 Tbsp. unsweetened, unflavored Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
- 1 Tbsp. raw honey, for drizzle (optional, but recommended)
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Grease an 8"x8" baking dish.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together almond flour, cacao powder, cocoa powder, sea salt, baking powder, and ground cinnamon.
- In another medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together honey, coconut oil, peanut butter, and vanilla extract until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Add eggs, milk, and Greek yogurt and mix well.
- Fold in 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Spread the brownies into the prepared baking dish.
- For optional honey drizzle: Drizzle 1 Tbsp. raw honey over the top of the brownie batter in four lines. Using a butter knife, draw lines vertically and horizontally across the top of the brownies to create designs with the honey.
- Sprinkle dark chocolate chips and 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans evenly over the top of the brownies.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before slicing.
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