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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.

side angle photo of Fudgy Avocado Brownies with Chocolate Fudge Frosting with 2 brownies stack on top of each other and a bite out of top brownie

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.

Fudgy Avocado Brownies with Chocolate Fudge Frosting | halfbakedharvest.com #brownies #healthy

(pureeing the avocado)

Fudgy Avocado Brownies with Chocolate Fudge Frosting | halfbakedharvest.com #brownies #healthy

(after adding the chocolate to the avocado)

Fudgy Avocado Brownies with Chocolate Fudge Frosting | halfbakedharvest.com #brownies #healthy

(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.

brownie batter in mixing bowl

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.

brownie batter in mixing bowl with chocolate chunks

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.

Fudgy Avocado Brownies with Chocolate Fudge Frosting | halfbakedharvest.com #brownies #healthy

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.

side angle photo of Fudgy Avocado Brownies with Chocolate Fudge Frosting

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.

side angled photo of Fudgy Avocado Brownies with Chocolate Fudge Frosting

side angled photo of Fudgy Avocado Brownies with Chocolate Fudge Frosting stack on top of each other

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.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
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

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

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. 
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horizontal photo of Fudgy Avocado Brownies with Chocolate Fudge Frosting stack on top of each other

Fudgy Avocado Brownies with Chocolate Fudge Frosting | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest
This post was originally published on January 24, 2020
4.18 from 442 votes (391 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. These look amazing!! I love everything you have made this month. It is so nice when recipes can be made healthy and dairy free, but remain delicious. Thanks! xo

  2. Oh my goodness these brownies are so fudgy I can’t even handle it! I NEED to make these NOW. Who would have thought avocado was the secret ingredient to amazing and delicious brownies??

  3. Well, I’ve made chocolate cake with sweet potatoes, so why not brownies with avocado? These look fantastic! I’m all for sneaking healthy ingredients into desserts!

  4. It is so amazing how chocolate and avocado go together. The avocado just disappears and does its fatty, buttery thing. Great use of ingredients! Do you know about an online source called Raw Food World? You can get incredible foodstuffs like Cacao in all forms…..coconut products (sugar, aminos, etc.) and on and on. I just got a boatload of their food products delivered to my door yesterday. Christmas all over again! I really recommend this online source.

  5. Heaven help me! It’s a good thing these are healthy, because when I make them they are going to be devoured. 🙂

  6. I have wanted to swap avocado in for butter for a long time now, and you have convinced me to give it a go, because um hello? These brownies look so incredibly fudgy and rich.

  7. Ahhh I need to try this! We love avocado everything and so genius to swap the butter for it. Yay for healthy brownies!

  8. These look delicious. I wish they’d been up earlier so I could have planned to make them for the gathering in hosting today. I always feel a little bad about phoning it in and going with a box mix when it comes time to make something extra for my gluten-free friend. Not that I do that all the time, but I am today.

    I hope you feel better soon. Thanks so much for the recipe! I look forward to trying it.

  9. Oh gosh. I keep staring and drooling at this chocolate perfection. I need this in my life and can’t wait to try it for my gluten free kids!

  10. WHAT?! I can barely handle these photos. This has just moved to #1 on my list of recipes to make as soon as my Whole30 is over. They look incredible, Tieghan!!!

  11. Oh my gosh these brownies look so rich and indulgent, but healthy?!?!?! This will be great for my chocolate craving right now! You amaze me every single time Tieghan!! Keep up the impressive work! Thanks!!!