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You are here: Home / Dessert / Cookies/Bars / Fudgy Vegan Low-Fat Brownies (Gluten-free and Oil-free!)

Fudgy Vegan Low-Fat Brownies (Gluten-free and Oil-free!)

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These Fudgy Vegan Gluten-Free Low-Fat Brownies are made with white beans in the food processor with no bowl required! These are the most decadent, rich and fudgy brownies without the guilt! You will truly be amazed that these are so low-fat!

White plate of several vegan fudgy bean brownies

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FUDGY VEGAN LOW-FAT BROWNIES

I get excited about many, many recipes I share on this blog…obviously, or I wouldn’t share them. But today’s recipe has me OMG so excited. While I’m ok with some fat, I know many of my readers simply try to avoid a large amount due to health problems and nut allergies as well. And who in the world wouldn’t want to eat more brownies if they could because they are super low-fat?? *All hands raised* Well, friends, these are LOW-FAT brownies that don’t TASTE low-fat.

These Fudgy Vegan Low-Fat Brownies are only 2.6 g of fat per brownie!! But don’t let that fool you, these are rich, decadent and do not taste low-fat at all.

WHAT INGREDIENTS DO I NEED TO MAKE VEGAN FUDGY BROWNIES?

First, you will need a food processor and to gather these ingredients:

  • White Beans
  • Cocoa powder
  • Oat Flour
  • Maple Syrup
  • Applesauce
  • Vanilla
  • Baking Powder
  • Chocolate Chips

White plate of a stack of vegan fudgy brownies

WHY I LOVE THESE LOW-FAT VEGAN BEAN BROWNIES

Now, I typically am not a fan of low-fat desserts because they tend to taste like crap, sorry. To me, there is no point in eating a dessert if it’s healthy, yet it’s boring, bland and not enjoyable. In fact, why bother? I want to enjoy my dessert! But when my reader Diana wrote me awhile back begging me to recreate a healthier low-fat, oil and nut-free version of my Double Chocolate Sunflower Brownies, I could not let her down. She and her hubby have fallen in love with those brownies and made them regularly. That is until her hubby’s doctor said he needed to avoid nuts and even seeds, and to greatly reduce his fat intake for health reasons.

Hand grabbing a vegan fudgy brownie from stack

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST VEGAN BEAN BROWNIES

  • The secret? Cannellini White Beans!
  • Don’t add an alarming amount of beans! Too many beans will obviously be impossible to cover up the detection of beans. I want the beans for fudginess but I don’t want to just be eating beans…
  • Add enough cocoa powder! We want our brownies to taste like chocolate, right

I literally had this idea one night while laying in bed and wondered if it would truly work. Now, I know bean desserts are not a new thing, they’ve been around for years. Black beans and chickpeas are a big thing in brownies and bars. The only problem I’ve found with them? I always taste them. Sooo that is why I wondered if the white beans would work. I also don’t like seeing black bean skins in my desserts…I’m such a visual eater, that it doesn’t work for me. Cannellini beans totally worked because they hardly have any taste to them!

Sooooo, if you haven’t had success with bean desserts before, I urge you to try these.

Vegan white bean brownie with ice cream and fork

Now, I know that adding ice cream on top defeats the low-fat factor, but that is for those who aren’t concerned with the fat. These brownies are so low-fat that a nice scoop of my Vegan Vanilla Cheesecake Ice Cream with a sprinkle of espresso powder sent me straight to brownie heaven.

Looking for more vegan brownie recipes?

  • Zucchini Brownies
  • Double Chocolate Sunflower Brownies
  • Fudgy Coconut Butter Brownies
  • Chocolate Pumpkin Cake Brownies
  • Raw “Nutella” Brownies
  • No Bake Brownies with Raspberry Glaze

Fudgy Vegan Low-Fat Brownies

Brandi Doming
Fudgy Vegan Gluten-Free Low-Fat Brownies are made in the food processor with no bowl required! These are the most decadent, rich and fudgy brownies without the guilt!
4.94 from 73 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 35 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Gluten-free, Vegan
Yields 16 brownies

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup (150g) of canned white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed well and patted dry
  • 3/4 cup + 3 tablespoons (300g) pure maple syrup (seems like a lot, but there's a high amount of cocoa, so it's necessary for them not to be bitter)
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (90g) unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons (8g) vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup (72-90g) unsweetened cocoa powder. I really packed mine in to get 90 grams because I like a RICH chocolate taste. If you prefer more sweet, then ONLY DO 72 grams!
  • 1 cup (128g) superfine oat flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
  • Optional: 1 teaspoon dried espresso powder for a richer taste
  • 6 heaping tablespoons (95g) dairy-free chocolate chips (the larger ones really work best in these versus the mini ones. I used Trader Joes) DO NOT OMIT or the brownies will be too bitter!
  • I use this scale.

NOTE

  • Always use a scale for accuracy when baking, following MY gram weights listed. You never need cups, just the scale and bowl.

Instructions
 

  • Preheat an oven to 350°F (177°C) and lightly spray an 8x8 metal square pan with nonstick spray. I found these to cook much better in a metal pan than a stoneware dish.
  • Add the beans, syrup, applesauce, baking powder, vanilla and salt to a food processor and blend for a minute. Scrape the top and sides and then add the cocoa powder and oat flour. Process for a minute or so. Scrape down the sides very well and process again for another 1-2 minutes. Walk away and let it run until completely smooth. It should be smooth and thick, like the consistency of a nut butter. Don't judge the result by the taste of the batter (if you try it) because it tastes slightly beany, but not at all once baked! Add the chocolate chips and give it a good stir around the bowl with a spoon to incorporate them, but don't blend them.
  • Spread the batter into the pan, making sure to scrape out ALL of the batter from the processor, including underneath the blade. I used a skinny rubber spatula to get it all out and spread the top of the batter flat and out to the corners of the pan. Dampen the spatula with water to help if necessary, as it will be thick and sticky. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips all over the top and make sure to gently press them into the batter, so they remain in tact while baking.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes when they are slightly puffed up and the top is firm. I removed mine at 27 minutes. Do 25 minutes for a more fudgy brownie and closer to 30 for a more dry/firm brownie. I felt 27 mins was perfect. Fudgy, moist and firm. They will seem a bit undercooked at removal but will continue cooking and firm up as they cool, trust me. Let them cool at least 20 minutes before slicing them. If not avoiding fat intake, then serve with my Vanilla Cheesecake Ice Cream!
  • Once they are completely cooled, cover the pan tightly with foil and keep stored at room temperature or transfer to a sealed container. This will keep them moist for a couple of days.

Notes

You can sub the maple syrup with agave if preferred.

Nutrition

Serving: 1brownieCalories: 133.8kcalCarbohydrates: 26.9gProtein: 2.3gFat: 2.6gSodium: 107.7mgFiber: 3.9gSugar: 14.6g
Tried this recipe?Tag @thevegan8brandi on Instagram and use tag #thevegan8!
Keyword best vegan fudgy brownies, fudgy vegan brownies, healthy vegan brownies, low fat brownies, oil free brownies, vegan bean brownies, vegan fudgy brownies

Filed Under: Cookies/Bars, Dessert, Gluten Free, Kid Friendly, Nut Free Tagged With: Brownies, chocolate, fudgy, Low fat, White beans

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Comments

  1. elizabeth hendriks

    August 24, 2021 at 2:28 am

    This will be in our regular dessert rotation. I topped it with dandy marshmallows and vegan chips and it was really good. I also reduced the maple syrup to 1/2 cup and made up the liquid with a 1/4 cup of almond milk. Very good.

    Reply
  2. Catherine

    November 17, 2021 at 12:19 am

    I’m planning to make this for Thanksgiving. My in-laws follow a WFPB diet and this sounds like a decadent treat for them.

    I’m thinking about baking it in a round cake pan, to make it feel a little fancier. Can you forsee any issues with that plan?

    Thanks in advance,
    Catherine

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      November 17, 2021 at 11:04 pm

      I think that should be fine, just look for the clean toothpick!

      Reply
  3. Arthur

    December 6, 2021 at 7:22 am

    Hi Brandi, I only have access to great northern beans and navy bean. Is one or the other a better substitute for the cannellini beans in this recipe? Thanks!!

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      December 6, 2021 at 5:52 pm

      Use great northern beans!

      Reply
  4. Sandy

    April 11, 2022 at 12:34 pm

    Is it possible to make this without the chocolate chips? and if so, would I need to alter the other ingredients.

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      April 11, 2022 at 5:46 pm

      Hi Sandy! I wouldn’t recommend it unless you like a very dark tasting/more bitter chocolate brownie. The brownies themselves have a lot of cocoa in them, so they are too dark/bitter without the chocolate chips. It’s up to you if you want to try that, keeping it in mind.

      Reply
  5. DonnaSue Flanders

    December 10, 2022 at 4:32 am

    5 stars
    Hi thanks so much for figuring this recipe out. I have just been put on a low fat diet due to a pancreatitis attack in October I haven’t had many sweets yet I did try a cake mix with soda it was okay but I really want to get away from all the junk put in things also. I have to weight to try it tell I can do the cooking. My mom was able to do the cake but this will take a little work. I will be looking at your recipes for other low fat foods as I need to be under 20 fats a day for the foreseeable future. And possibly the rest of my life.
    Thanks again DonnaSue

    Reply
  6. Connie C.

    February 15, 2023 at 7:13 am

    5 stars
    Made these tonight for Valentine’s Day dessert and my non-vegan, picky eater husband loved them!! After he had taken several bites, I revealed the secret ingredient as we were watching Steve Colbert talk about putting canned legumes in Valentine’s desserts—ha! My husband was very surprised and still loves them—ha! Definitely making these again. They were perfect and fudgy—thanks so much!!

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      February 15, 2023 at 8:26 am

      Hahaha that is awesome and too funny!!

      Reply
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I'm Brandi, creator of this vegan blog and cookbook author of The Vegan 8 Cookbook. The majority of my recipes focus on 8 ingredients or less, not counting salt, pepper or water. I love to create health-focused recipes, using whole foods to improve fitness and muscle-building, with the occasional comfort meal thrown in there! I'm an expert on oil-free cooking and baking! read more →

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