Before any of y’all hate on me, I’m putting a disclaimer out here: texture-wise and taste-wise, these protein brownies don’t taste like your typical 450 calorie brownie. But they’re so freaking delicious AND suuuuuper satiating, you’d never know they’re 113 calories and high in protein! To all my friends surviving on “poverty macros”, this one’s for you🍻
{Low Fat, Low Calorie, Small Batch, High Protein, One Bowl, Egg-Free}
You guys loved my 90 Calorie Pumpkin Banana Bread, and who could forget these 50 Calorie Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread Bites (what a mouthful lol)? Then my 38 calorie PB2 Protein Cookies BLEW UP ON PINTEREST. So I figured, why not combine the three?
If I’m being completely honest, these protein brownies don’t look nor taste exactly like your regular brownie, BUT they’re equally as yummy, chocolatey, and fudgy….or dare I say, even better? The best part? They’re macro-friendly and WON’T leave you feeling lethargic or bloated!
Considering that these healthy brownies are only a QUARTER of the calories and fat, I’d say we’ve got ourselves a pretty good deal 😉
Texture-wise, I’d say they’re similar to a chocolate flavoured protein bar. With less liquid and using greek yoghurt in place of the pumpkin, these protein brownies would probably have a more scone-like mouthfeel 😊
BE WARNED: these Protein Brownies are over twice the size of your regular protein bar but a bazillion times more filling. And addicting too 😏
I had one fresh from the oven this morning and then another one because I just couldn’t resist😂 Unexpectedly, those 226 calories plus an apple kept me so full I nearly forgot to have lunch!
You guys are going to love them!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- coconut flour
- all-purpose flour
- substitute w/ any wheat flour OR almond flour + 1tbsp oil/nut butter (I think cassava would also work)
- Zero Calorie Sweetener (I love Erythritol and monk fruit blends)
- substitute w/ sugar/sweetener of choice (granulated or liquid will both work)
- pumpkin puree (canned or steamed)
- substitute w/ equal parts thick yogurt OR sour cream (may need to reduce water)
- whey protein powder
- I used Myprotein’s Impact Diet Whey in Vanilla
- cocoa powder
- I think matcha or milk powder would be a fun alternative!
- water to thin
- substitute w/ milk or juice of choice
- pinch of salt to taste
Pin this before you forget 🙂
*Full macros and nutrient info beneath directions!*
Giant Protein Fudge Brownies
113 calories of nourishment jam-packed with over 8 grams of protein! An incredibly filling one-bowl breakfast recipe 🙂
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp cocoa powder (28g)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp coconut flour (15g)
- 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder (30g)
- 1 tbsp sweetener* (15g)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour* (71g)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree* (116g)
- 1-4 tbsp water**
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 190°C/375°F.
- In a bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, baking powder, coconut flour, protein powder and sweetener.
- Mix in pumpkin puree (substitutions above) and gradually add in all-purpose flour. Add water if needed.
- Optional mix-ins/toppings: berries, chopped chocolate, nut butter chips...
- On a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a baking sheet, shape your dough-batter hybrid into 4 triangular lumps. Or 5. Or 6! I shaped mine around 1.5 inches thick 🙂
- Bake in your preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes and drizzle with melted dark chocolate!
Notes
*see above for ingredient swaps
**water depends on the brand of protein powder, flours, and pumpkin puree. add 1tbsp at a time until your dough is stiff, slightly sticky and holds together, kind of like day-old cow poop 🤷♀️... it won't be the easiest to work with but hang in there!
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
a scone-sized brownieAmount Per ServingCalories 113Total Fat 2.2gSaturated Fat 1.1gCholesterol 0mgSodium 13mgCarbohydrates 20.5gFiber 4.6gSugar 1.4gProtein 8g
Buon Appetito!
No oven? No problem? Check these out! Microwave Protein Pancakes
Hi there! I don’t have any protein powder on hand and was wondering if it is possible to make these without the powder or if that would affect the texture too much? Thank you!
Hi Julia, so nice to have you here! You can substitute the protein powder for almond, wheat, or oat flour, increase baking powder to 1.5tsp and double/triple the sweetener. Alternatively, I think Kodiak mix would be a fun substitution if you’re looking for more volume and less density 💖
I tried these last night and they were actually really good! Like you said, it’s not your typical 400 calorie brownie but when counting macros this is perfect! I forgot to add the salt and didn’t have the dark chocolate to top it off. But still really good nonetheless. And yea it definitely gets messy making them haha! Looking forward to making them again. Thanks for the recipe!
That’s awesome to hear Carlos! Did you use whey protein as well?
Yea I did. I used chocolate tho. That’s all I had. Great recipe! Thanks for sharing