A healthier, skinny gluten-free fudgy brownie recipe using avocado, coconut sugar, and gluten-free flour!
I did it. I can finally say that I've baked with an avocado. Cross that off my bucket list.
Ever since seeing a bunch of my food blogging friends throwing avocados in all sorts of baked goods, I was strangely intrigued. Could that really work?
Yup.
Needless to say, Asheley's estatic. I mean, she'll eat avocados straight up for dinner. Yea, she's hardcore. Another opportunity for her to eat avocados makes for one happy home.
And so I figured, hey, if I'm going to get all crazy with putting an avocado in these brownies, might as well really go nuts. Like, let's go all experimental up in here.
And I know, for a lot of you, this stuff is nothing new. But using coconut sugar and gluten-free flour is a big (and new) deal for me.
I'll admit it. I was highly skeptical if these would actually taste any good. Like, let's be honest. A lot of times this type of stuff sounds good, but then you bite into it. Bleghhh.
But after one ehhhhh batch and a quick recipe revision for the second go around, these fudgy, moist, and chocolately brownies got the go ahead from Asheley, her entire church community group, and well, me.
So welcome avocado. Welcome coconut sugar and gluten-free flour. I'll be hanging out with you a bunch in the near future.
And hey my lovely and awesome friends (that's you), if you have any tried, tested, and trusted recipes with my new-found ingredient acquaintances, please pass them along in the comments below. I'd love to try them out! Thanks for sharing 🙂
{Gluten-Free} Fudgy Avocado Brownies
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: one 8x8 pan, about 9-12 brownies 1x
Ingredients
- 1 ripe Haas avocado
- ¼ cup (half of one stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ cups coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ cup gluten-free flour (I used Trader Joe's)
- ⅓ cup (approximately) dark chocolate chunks/chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 8x8" baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang over the sides of the pan, and spray foil lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mash avocado very well with a fork. You want it to be as smooth as possible. Add the melted butter, egg, coconut sugar, water, and vanilla, and stir well to combine. Add cocoa powder and stir until fully incorporated and free of any large lumps. Stir in flour and salt until just combined, and then briefly incorporate dark chocolate chunks/chips.
- Spread batter evenly in the aluminum foil lined pan and bake for about 35 minutes, until the top has just set. Allow brownies to cool completely (about 1 hour) in the pan on a cooling rack. Once completley cool, lift entire brownie out of pan using the foil overhangs. Remove foil from brownies and slice into 9 to 12 squares.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
Taylor
YAY! You finally did it! I told you that avocados rocked! Especially in chocolate baked goods!
These look so rich and fudgey and perfect Chris!
Gorgeous photos! I want that white board!!!
Chris
I know... it was a big step for me Taylor. I came. I saw. I conquered. Now on to trying the whole black bean in baking thing. The white board is actually just a vinyl print! I got them from Etsy seller "Swanky Prints" and they were pretty reasonably priced. If you want more info let me know and I'll send you the ones I bought.
Mike
Avocado is the best thing that happened to avocado (I have a similar recipe on TIY I go back to often).
Great recipe and photos man. Have a great week ahead!
Sandra
oooo..these look great. Baking with Avocado is cool right 😉 Love that you also went gluten-free. I don't remember but have you tried the whole bean brownie thing yet? I can't think of too many other ingredients. I think you have us all covered on the spaghetti squash 😉
Chris
I think I upped my "cool factor" by at least 4 points by baking with avocado. Right? And then going gluten-free... I was all like "What Would Sandra Do" hahaha!
Sarah & Arkadi
wow! we have yet to bake with avocados! very intriguing! these brownies look great!
Chris
Totally try it!
Krista
Ok... I'm doing it. You are like the 4th or 5th friend who has baked with avocados lately.
Love the pictures with that half dumped cocoa powder, so fun to make a mess when shooting photos. Ps can I have that white board! 🙂
These look so incredibly fudgy. Can't wait to try them, and coconut sugar. I haven't used that yet.
Chris
You actually CAN have that white board. Can I tell you my favorite new secret. It's actually just a vinyl sheet. I bought a bunch of them on Etsy from "Swanky Prints". They are pretty cheap and have been working great. If you want more info about them let me know!
Krista
What?!? Awesome-sauce. Totally going on there and getting me some vinyl. Thanks for the tip Chris!
Chris
Yes, definitely go for it! I just bought about 6 of them. I think I found them under "product backdrops". They are like 3' squares and were about $10 each.
Erin
Wow, Chris, these look awesome! These are so adventurous and out-of-the-box and I love it! Definitely want to try these! Hope you're having a great Monday!
Chris
Thanks Erin! Once in a while I get all out-of-the-box... but now I feel weird, so back in the box I go. 🙂
Helen
Hey Chris ... snap!! I just posted some brownies made not with avocado but with beetroot! It's fun to try these 'weird' ingredients out, isn't it? I love how smooth and dark your brownies look. So what's the ultimate verdict? Would you make them again?
Chris
I know I saw your super creative brownies! So cool! I would (and have) make these again... they are a big hit with friends, especially since everyone feels like they are so "healthy"
nicole ~ Cooking for Keeps
Must have now. Seriously. I'm pinning these and making them this weekend. 100%. Gorgeous photos!!
Chris
Thanks so much Nicole!
David
This looks delicious! It seems like baking with things like avocado and zucchini shouldn't work...but it somehow does. Oh, and Ashley would get along with my wife quite well because we literally are planning on eating avocados for dinner tonight. Not kidding at all.
Chris
Haha oh man you guys would be best friends. I specifically need to hide avocados from her if I'm planning on baking/cooking with them. If I don't, she'll eat them all, which in turn forces me to have to go back to the store for more. It's like she has a built-in avocado sensor or something.
Yankee Kitchen Ninja (Julianne)
Fantastic! I have made chocolate cookies with black beans that were AWESOME, so you've convinced me. And I, too, have become enamored of GF flour, even though I am not gluten-sensitive. Now I'm going to give coconut sugar a try!
Chris
I totally need to try the black bean thing next 🙂
Shibi
I had tried Avacado in baking with chocolate and it was surprisingly good. I have to try this for sure 🙂
Chris
Let me know how it goes Shibi!
Consuelo
Avocado is wonderful in desserts, isn't it?? It makes everything so fudgy and rich. Not to mantion healthy as well! I love me some extra healthy fats in my dessert, so I'm trying these soon.
I do have a recipe for avocado truffles in my blog. Those are brlliant and I find myself making them all the time ;--)
Chris
I'm shocked I haven't tried it sooner Consuelo! I'm hooked 🙂 Mmmm avocado truffles sound great... I'll have to give them a try!
Ashley
I've been wanting to try avocado in brownies! That and black beans - I've seen a few of those recipes that have totally caught my attention. I made a chocolate avocado mousse a while back and we loved it - I have a feeling I would really like these too! They look so nice and chocolately!
Chris
I've seen the black beans also... need to try that also (although I figured I would start with avocado since it sounded a little "safer" and less weird than black bean!). Mmm chocolate avocado mousse! I'll have to try that!
Shashi
So glad you like baking with avocados - I think its just me, but baking with avocados results in such a moist and decadent final product. These brownies sound awesome!
Tina
Oh my gosh, you had me laughing so much! I thought that I was the only one who was so influenced by what my fellow food bloggers made.
I've been wanting to try avocado brownies...it's definitely on my list.
I'm like your wife and will eat avocado straight up! I'm actually a bit obsessed with it right now so hopefully I can think of a fun way to create a recipe with it.
Layla
I love baking with avocados, they give the food an amazing deep flavor and moisture! This is a great way to sneak in some veggies for the kiddos!!
Chris
I'll definitely be baking a lot more with them now!