Healthy Chocolate Protein Brownies
These Healthy Chocolate Protein Brownies are super chocolatey, made with whole gluten-free ingredients, and are vegan friendly with no sugar added!
Finding a good protein snack can be HARD!
I mean essentially when shopping for protein products you immediately think they are all healthy. They are in “that” section, right?
WRONG!
We all know that anything that comes in a package has been processed.
While some are better than others, you really have to read the labels.
Most store-bought protein bars, cookies, and snacks are full of added sugar and carbs.
In relation to the amount of protein they offer, they aren’t even healthy anymore!
Long story short, I really like making my own!
My version of healthy protein brownies are great for an on the go breakfast, can be made in batches, and are freezer friendly!
Looking for more high protein sweet treats?
Be sure to try my chocolate chip protein cookies and my chocolate protein muffins.
Both are a healthy snack while still satisfying the sweet tooth! To start the morning off right, make a batch of my pumpkin protein pancakes. Talk about delicious!
Why we love this Protein Brownies recipe:
It’s naturally vegan friendly and eggless, so no need for flax eggs.
Compared to a lot of brownie recipes, this batch is made with healthy ingredients and has less sugar than most (we are not using regular sugar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar).
These are fudgy brownies! Not the kind with the cake-like texture, so they are super tasty, gooey, and moist.
Ingredients Needed for Protein Brownies
Bananas – Make sure these are overripe! The riper they are, the more natural sweetness they offer!
This is how we are going to keep our brownies moist and delicious without having to add any sugar.
If you don’t like bananas you can swap them for sweet potato!
Flour – I am using oat flour but you can swap it out for almond flour if that’s what you have, just use the same amount that is listed in the recipe card. Both of these are gluten free flour options.
Nut Butter – Choose your favorite! Just be sure it’s natural. You can also use sunflower seed butter to go nut free.
The label for whatever nut or seed butter you use should list the nut/seed and possibly salt, but that should be it! No sugars or oils added.
If you are going with peanut butter I HIGHLY recommend Trader Joe’s, theirs has the perfect ratio of peanuts to salt!
Love Trader Joes? Check out my grocery haul for more must-haves!
Cocoa Powder – My favorite brand is 365 by Whole Foods Market! Dark chocolate cacao powder can also be used.
It’s organic and you can get it from Amazon without even leaving your house! Winning!
Protein Powder – You can use vanilla protein powder or chocolate protein. If you are a chocolate lover like me, go with the chocolate protein!
The chocolate adds more flavor compared to unflavored protein powder.
Chocolate Chips – Lily’s is one of the best chocolate companies! Her chocolate products are as whole as you can get.
They have dairy-free options and all are non-gmo!
Salt and Vanilla Extract
How to Make High Protein Brownies
Line a square baking pan with parchment paper and grease with oil.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, mash the banana. Then add the almond butter (or nut butter of your choice) cocoa powder, flour, protein powder, vanilla and salt. Mix until combined.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely before slicing.
Serve your gooey brownie with a scoop of ice cream, Greek yogurt or drizzle the top with cashew butter or melted chocolate.
Best Protein for Brownies
There isn’t really “a best protein powder” for brownies, but I can say that a plant-based protein is much better than a whey protein powder when it comes to allergies/intolerances.
When looking for a protein powder try to avoid the following ingredients:
- Dextrin/Glucose/Maltodextrin
- Milk powders/milk solids – These are cheap bulking agents found in low-quality powders and can cause bloating and other GI issues.
- Vegetable oils – high in omega-6 fatty acids which cause inflammation. Vegetable oils can also contain trans-fats.
With that being said, one of my favorite brands is Orgain!
It tastes and smells like a dessert and if you have ever smelled other protein powders you will thank me!
I’ve been through tons of different protein powders when it comes to testing healthy desserts and protein snacks. This is usually my go to.
They also have tons of flavors and premade shakes to take on the go as well!
Depending on the kind of protein powder you use, it can cause the vegan protein brownies to be drier and have a less fudgy texture.
That being said, I usually like using vegan protein powders the best.
How To Store and Freeze Chocolate Protein Brownies
To Store
Once the brownies have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container.
Keep them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezing Instructions
Let the brownies cool off (completely) then place them in a single layer in a freezer bag or use a vacuum sealer.
If you want to store more than just a single layer, place a layer of parchment paper in between so they don’t stick together.
When you are ready, you can reheat them in the microwave or let them thaw at room temperature.
If you are meal prepping, freezing them is a good idea, because you can throw it in your lunch box and it will be ready to eat by snack time.
Next time you make these brownies, tag me on Instagram so I can show them off in my stories and you can be featured! 🙂
PIN ME FOR LATER
Other Yummy Recipes with Protein Powder:
- The Best Pumpkin Protein Muffins
- Protein Chocolate Chip Cookies – No Flour!
- No Added Sugar Salted Caramel Overnight Oats | High Protein Recipe
- Healthy No-bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Protein Bars
- No Bake Pumpkin Protein Balls | Gluten-free, Vegan Option
Common FAQs
Use sunflower seed butter instead of nut butter. It can be used at a 1:1 ratio.
I would not add protein powder directly to a box brownie mix. The batter will be too thick and dry.
You need to delicately balance protein powder with the other wet ingredients and dry ingredients.
Protein brownies are a healthy way to satisfy your chocolate brownie craving while also hitting your protein goals and health goals.
Protein brownies have no sugar added and are higher in fiber thanks to the banana and oat flour. They are sure to keep you full and satisfied.
This healthy recipe has way more benefits than a box brownie mix!
Healthy Chocolate Protein Brownie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup mashed overripe banana about 3 large bananas
- ⅓ cup oat flour can sub almond flour
- 3/4 cup nut butter natural, the drippy kind
- 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup vanilla or chocolate protein powder
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a square 8×8 brownie pan with parchment paper or lightly grease it with oil.
- Add mashed banana, nut butter, cocoa powder, oat or almond flour, protein powder, vanilla extract, and salt to a large bowl. Mix until evenly combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour brownie batter into your pan. Spread across the pan in an even layer.
- Bake brownies for ~40 minutes. After, remove from the oven and allow brownies to cool completely. Slice and enjoy!
I tried this recipe because I had protein powder I wanted to use up. It cost a lot but the texture is too gritty to manage in liquid form and I wanted to mix it into some baked goods instead. The brownies were surprisingly tasty and fudgy for such a “healthy” recipe. My diabetic Dad actually liked them. Baking them for 40 minutes would have ruined them, however. Mine were ready after 25 minutes and the recipe seems too small IMO to bake a full 40 minutes without resulting in cardboard brownies.
Is it possible to leave out the nut butter? maybe use something like coconut oil for fats?
Hi! I have only made the recipe as listed so I’m not sure! I would swap it for another nut or seed butter to keep the consistency the same.
Can I use peanut butter for this recipe?
You can use any nut butter 🙂
i wanna do these protein brownies but don’t know big the size of the pan should be. Can tell me it please ?
Thank u
8×8!
Do you have nutritional information on these?
I don’t! If you add the ingredients to an online calorie calculator and divide by the servings you can figure it out though 🙂
Thank you for the yummy, easy recipe! But I am wondering if these measurements can be used for a 9 x 13 pan, or if they need to be modified?
Hi! I have only made the recipe as listed but I would definitely adjust the measurements to match the 9×13 pan size if you want the same level of thickness. Otherwise, your brownies will be very thin!