Fudgiest Whole Wheat Brownies

Rich, gooey  and chocolatey, no one will ever know that these Whole Wheat Brownies are just a little healthier.  Aren’t fudge brownies beautiful?  Gooey, chocolaty, sweet.  From Cosmic Brownies to the box mixes they’re all good—enough to make this organic girl cave. Until I tried this recipe for Fudgiest Whole Wheat Brownies.

The recipe came from King Arthur with just a few small changes (including reducing the batch size by half).  Yes, resisting rich gooey brownies was never my strength!

I worried that brownies with whole wheat flour wouldn’t be the same.  But these brownies are authentic–right down to that papery top.  And they aren’t much harder to make than packaged brownies.  I did all the mixing in the single saucepan that melted the butter!  

Why You’ll Love This

• Tasty & easy.  Brownies are a favorite because of their amazing flavor.  And homemade isn’t really much harder than from a mix!
• Uses whole wheat.  Since it’s packed with extra nutrients, making whole wheat flour brownies means that we get extra vitamins, fiber, and other antioxidants into our diet. From dessert even!
• Easy to make ahead. This recipe is super easy to make.  You can even store the batter to bake fresh and warm brownies later.  Or you can prepare brownies in advance and freeze them.
• Perfect as a gift.  You’ll be a hit with brownies as a gift, in any way shape or form!  And if you send Valentines heart shaped brownies to your college student in Arizona, they won’t melt in the heat!

What You’ll Need

• Butter. To achieve a moist and tender texture.
• Sugar. To add sweetness and flavor to the brownies.
• Cocoa powder. For the chocolatey flavor
• Baking powder. Helps lift brownies and create a good texture.
• Espresso powder or ground coffee. This is optional but using espresso powder or ground coffee enhances the chocolate flavor.
• Vanilla extract. Adds additional flavor to the brownies.
• Eggs. Adds richness, helps the brownies rise and binds the ingredients. 
• White whole wheat flour. All the benefits of whole wheat but lighter. I have not tried whole wheat or all purpose, but they should work, with perhaps a small change in flavor and texture.  Chocolate hides a lot of sins!
• Chocolate chips. You can use dark, milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips.  I prefer full-sized to mini because they are less likely to melt into the batter.

Step by Step Directions

In a saucepan, melt the butter then remove the pan from the heat.  Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.   Return the pan to the heat and stir briefly until just hot (about 110 – 120F). Remove from the heat.

Stir in the cocoa, baking powder, espresso powder (if using), and vanilla.

Add the eggs one at a time, stirring until smooth.

Add the flour and chips, then stir until smooth.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Tips and FAQs

(Organic) cocoa powder can be an important staple if you are trying to go more natural.  We buy it by the pound!  And my homemade chocolate syrup (with no high fructose corn syrup) is a year round favorite. 

Fluff and spoon the flour into your measuring cup, then level it, rather than scooping it in.  You wouldn’t want to “flour down” any of the fudginess. 

The other recommendation King Arthur made was to wait until the second day to cut and eat them. 

Yah, like that’s going to happen. “I’ll just walk away from these rich fragrant brownies.”  Said no one ever.

Storing and Freezing

Store leftover brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.  If they last that long.

Brownies can also be frozen, in an airtight container for up to a three months.  In fact, I froze lots of bite-sized brownies, sprinkles and all, a few weeks before my daughter’s wedding. They thawed out perfectly in about 15 minutes, which meant my helpers could thaw a little at a time as they disappeared!

Variations

These brownies are great just as written.  But one way to vary them is to change the add-ins.  I used just chocolate chips in these but you can also add nuts. Or go with a new flavor like Pecan Pie Brownies or Fudgy Nutella Brownies.

Adding buttercream frosting is another delicious option.  I’ve used mint buttercream for St Patrick’s Day and a favorite is to top with chocolate buttercream then press in mini M&Ms. 

While you don’t see it a lot, changing the shape of your brownies is also fun.  Hearts are great both for Valentine’s Day or weddings.  Shapes can be made two ways.  Either in a special pan….

Or using cookie cutters to cut out the shapes.  Now this will leave you with extra brownie bits–which can be used to make a trifle.  That’s if they last long enough of course.

Or do it all—shapes, frosting and sprinkles like these heart brownies I made for my daughter’s wedding! 

So many brownies, so little time…

Fudgiest Whole Wheat Brownies

Rich, gooey  and chocolatey, no one will ever know that these Whole Wheat Brownies are just a little healthier. 

Author: Inger

4.41 from 5 votes

Print

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Desserts & Snacks

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Calories 215 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 4 ounces butter 1 stick
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder natural unsweetened
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon espresso powder or ground coffee, optional
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8 or 9-inch square pan; line the pan with parchment paper if desired.
• In a medium saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter. Remove from the heat, add the sugar and stir until combined
• Return the mixture to the heat briefly and stir till it's just hot (about 110°F to 120°F--chocolate burns above 120°F). This will dissolve more of the sugar, to help produce the papery top on the brownies.
• Give the sugar mixture a minute to cool if it may have gotten too hot, then stir in the cocoa, baking powder, espresso powder (if using), and vanilla.
• Add the eggs one at a time, stirring until smooth.
• Measure the flour carefully, spooning it into the measuring cup, not scooping, then leveling. Add the flour and chips, then stir until smooth. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out with wet crumbs (not raw batter--and test again if you hit a melted chocolate chip). The brownies should feel set in the center.
• Cool on a rack.

Nutrition

Calories: 215kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 3gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 90mgPotassium: 99mgFiber: 2gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 276IUCalcium: 31mgIron: 1mg

I am not a health professional and nutrition data is calculated programatically. Accuracy may vary with product selection, calculator accuracy, etc. Consult a professional for the best information.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Originally published February, 2016

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