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Meet your new “healthy-ish” chocolate fix. These brownies are rich, ultra-moist, and unapologetically fudgy—thanks to ripe avocado and maple syrup. You won’t taste the avocado, promise…just deep, dark chocolate and a soft fudge frosting on top.
They’re cozy for winter baking, naturally gluten-free, and exactly what a cold afternoon needs.
Avocado brownies? Yes, did you know they’re a thing? Even though it sounds weird, it works…and they are so delicious. This is a recipe I’ve been making for years. It’s become a go-to for me, especially throughout the month of January. We might be cutting back on the sugar, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still have our chocolate.
In fact, chocolate is actually needed. I don’t need to go into all the health benefits, but for sanity alone…it’s needed.
All joking aside, we’ve had two full days of snow here in Colorado. All the more reason to stay inside and bake. Plus, it’s Friday, and after a long week, nothing is better than something a little sweet, chocolatey, and extra delicious. Enter these healthy avocado brownies.
They are different. But trust me, they’re different in a good way.
(pureeing the avocado)
(after adding the chocolate to the avocado)
(the chocolate avocado mixture)
Let me tell you some details about these brownies.
I took my basic brownie recipe and I made a few tweaks…ok a lot of tweaks.
The avocado replaces the butter while also adding a slight sweetness. Now, I’m not against using butter, but this is just a different more nutrient-packed way to bake a brownie. I promise you don’t even taste a hint of avocado. Promise.
The maple syrup replaces the sugar used in traditional brownies and makes these sweet, but not overly so. It also lends to the fudgy texture of these brownies, keeping them insanely moist.
The almond flour/meal replaces the white flour and keeps these brownies completely gluten free too.
Here’s exactly how you make these.
First things first, you need a food processor or blender for this recipe. I know, a pain, but it’s worth it. You really want to be able to puree the avocado to ensure that zero chunks of avocado bake up in your brownie. Trust me, that you do not want.
So, you’ll puree together the avocados, maple syrup, vanilla, and a touch of instant coffee granulates until extra smooth. Then add melted dark chocolate and puree once more until the mix looks like pudding…and smells like it too.
Honestly? This mix right here? All on its own? It’s delicious.
Tip: make sure to use ripe, even spotty brown, avocados. You don’t want them hard or they will not blend nicely into the brownie batter.
Once the chocolate avocado mix is done. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl until bubbly on top. Then mix in the chocolate avocado mix, the cocoa powder, almond flour, and a pinch of salt.
Stir in the chocolate chunks and bake. Nothing very fancy at all. The only extra step is to puree the avocado, but again, this step really is a needed.
The frosting.
While the brownies are baking, make the fudgy frosting. It’s just a mix of maple, coconut oil, dark chocolate, and cocoa powder. Here’s the thing about this frosting, when you finish making it, it will be runny and not stiff at all. This is OK, the frosting just needs time to chill and set up.
Let the frosting sit while the brownies cool off, then either pour or spread it over the brownies. As the frosting cools down, it will firm up into a soft fudge. It’s rich, creamy, and tastes incredibly decadent, but yet it’s not full of anything all that indulgent or “bad for us”.
I like to top my brownies with finely chopped chocolate and chocolate curls. Totally not needed, but I do enjoy the added texture on top.
FAQ:
Do these taste like avocado?
Nope. The avocado acts like butter here—richness and moisture—so you only taste deep chocolate.
How do I know they’re done?
Edges set and pull slightly from the pan; center looks just set and a tester comes out with moist crumbs. Over-baking makes them cakey.
Can I make these without a food processor?
Yes—use a blender. If neither is available, mash the avocado extremely smooth before whisking in the liquids to avoid green flecks.
My frosting stayed runny—what did I do wrong?
It needs cooling time to set into a soft fudge. Spread over cooled brownies and let it chill until firm to the touch before slicing.
If you make these be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!Fudgy Avocado Brownies with Chocolate Fudge Frosting.
Fudgy Avocado Brownies with Chocolate Fudge Frosting.
Servings: 16 Brownies
Calories Per Serving: 213 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 ripe small avocados, pitted and skins removed (about 3/4 cup once pureed)
- 1/2 cup real maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons instant coffee (optional)
- 3.5 ounces dark chocolate, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup almond meal/flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate chunks
Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 2 ounces semi-sweet or dark chocolate chopped
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper.2. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the avocado, maple syrup, vanilla, and instant coffee (if using) until smooth and no clumps of avocado remain. Pour in the melted chocolate and pulse until creamy. 3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs for 1 minute until bubbly on top. Stir in the chocolate avocado mix, mixing until combined. Add the cocoa powder, almond flour, and salt. Stir until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chunks.4. Evenly spread the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the brownies are just set. Do not over bake or these will become cakey. Allow to cool before frosting.5. Meanwhile, make the frosting. In a small saucepan, melt together the maple syrup, coconut oil and dark chocolate over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa powder and a pinch of salt. Let the frosting cool, then pour/spread the frosting over the brownies and spread in an even layer. Place the brownies in the fridge and allow the frosting to set, 30 minutes to 1 hour. 6. Once set, cut into bars and serve at room temp. Keep stored in a cool, dry place in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Notes
Chocolate: I use a 70% dark chocolate bar. Use what you prefer, but use a higher quality chocolate for best results.
Sugar Sub: you can use an equal amount of granulated sugar in place of the maple, if you prefer.
This post was originally published on January 24, 2020
Hi is this suitable for a keto diet?
Hi Farrah! I’m sorry, but I am not sure if these are suitable for a keto diet. I have not looked far enough into that diet to know for sure. I would recommend putting the ingredients into a food calculator to find out the fats. xTieghan
Very nice article! I loved it. Thanks a lot. Please share more.
Thanks! xTieghan
This is fantastic recipe! Followed the recipe exactly and the avo-brownies came out perfectly. Decadently rich and satisfyingly chocolaty. Quality of ingredients definitely matters for a recipe like this. Splurge on the “really good” chocolate and maple syrup in the grocery. A new dessert staple!
I am so glad these turned out so well for you Tahira!! Thank you for trying them! xTieghan
nice article and valuable content
Thank you! xTieghan
I’ve made these several times and they are great. Because I’m too lazy to go buy almond meal/flour, I’ve been using oat flour (1:1 ) with no problems. The texture is still great! Do not skip the instant coffee! It really adds to the chocolate flavor without tasting like coffee.
Thank you so much Kendall! That is so amazing to hear! xTieghan
Yummy…. Really I Can’t Stop My Tongue To Eat This Avocado Brownies. I Will Surely Try This On Next Sunday.
Thanks !!
Thank you!! I hope you love these brownies! xTieghan
What if i want to do a peanut butter frosting? can i use the same recipe and just use peanut butter instead?
Hi Lauren,
Yes that should work. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This is such a wonderful recipe that is loved by the whole family. I already made it three times in the last two months. I cut it up in tiny little squares which we enjoy with tea, coffee or even a glass of dessert wine. Thank you!
Thank you Kris!! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
These are delicious! I’ve made these from quarantine and had to change a few ingredients. First, I used all-purpose flour. Second, we only had one free Cracker Barrel bottle of maple syrup at my house, so I used about half maple syrup and half butter-flavored brown syrup. Third, I used half semi-sweet chocolate and half dark. After 25 minutes, a toothpick came out clean and they are great! One thing I would say is to maybe sift the cocoa powder. Next time I’ll likely add just a little brown sugar as well, for the sweet tooth. Thanks for this recipe!
I am really glad this turned out so well for you Olivia! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
These look incredible, can you substitute almond meal for oat flour or GF all purpose flour?
Hi Reem! I have not tried it with these, but if you do please let me know! I hope you love this! xTieghan
A different kind of brownies
I would describe them more like a soft fudge. I substituted the almond flour with regular flour and since I don’t care for dark chocolate, used semisweet. Maybe those changes were big enough to make the brownies very different from yours ? The texture seemed the same. Cannot tell that avocadoes were part of the ingredients ! I brought the dish to work and received mixed reactions. I thought the brownies tasted ok , but not a favorite
Hi Carol! Almond flour absorbs a lot of moisture when its used in baking, so you would need to adjust the recipe when using regular flour! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This is the 2nd time I’ve made this recipe. I followed it exactly the first time and added some fancy sprinkles to the top and it was SO good. Really rich and not too sweet. I wanted to try to make it again for Valentine’s Day and processed in 3 cooked beets with the avocado in hopes of getting a red velvet looking brownie. The color didn’t come out in the final product but the taste was still so good. And I got a little extra nutrition in there too I guess. Thanks for this amazing recipe!!
Thank you for trying this recipe, Erin! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you!!
Made these yesterday. Awful! Flavor was good but texture was like mousse! I baked an extra 5 minutes to try and firm up but didn’t help. Do you think my avocados were too big? Should these be stored in the fridge?
Hey Sue, what size where your avocados? You should be using small to medium avocados.
Was there anything you did differently at all? Any ingredients different? Method of baking this? Any info will be helpful to help me problem solve and figure out what might be happening for you. It’s hard to know without knowing any details and since most love these I am not sure what happened. Hope I can help you! xTieghan
These are SO GOOD. Absolutely incredible. The frosting is a must! My friend and I were so surprised at how decadent these were.
Thank you so much Meg! I am so glad to hear that! xTieghan
Can these be made with coconut flour if i don’t have almond?
I am sure coconut flour will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan