These double chocolate Applesauce Brownies are rich and fudgy and taste far more indulgent than they actually are. Much lighter than regular brownies, these are brownies with apple sauce rather than butter to make them lower in fat but they still have all that delicious sweet flavor.
If you are trying to cut back on butter and also want a low sugar brownie option, then these fudgy apple sauce brownies will hit the spot. Flourless, gluten-free brownies that are packed full of nutrient dense ingredients and naturally sweetened.
A great alternative if you don't like baking with bananas and no weird ingredients like beans either!
Our kids LOVE this recipe for applesauce brownies and they make a great after school snack that you can feel good about and they are ready in under 30 minutes with just 5 ingredients.
Looking for more low sugar chocolate recipes? Why not try our simple Chocolate Covered Blueberries, delicious Chocolate Banana Brownies or our easy Chocolate Covered Dates?
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Why You Will Love Them
- Egg and dairy free and gluten free too.
- Refined sugar free.
- Just 5 ingredients and ready in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Apple sauce - We used jarred unsweetened applesauce, as we always have a stash in our kitchen for making healthy desserts. Feel free to use homemade though. If you are making your own, then keep the skin on the apples because not only does it add some extra fiber, but it will give the applesauce brownies more structure too.
- Nut butter - This is what gives the chocolate brownies with applesauce a real fudgy texture. We used cashew butter, but any smooth nut butter will work.
- Cocoa powder - We used an unsweetened cocoa powder. You can use cacao powder if you prefer, as it has a really rich flavor, but it also adds bitterness.
- Chocolate chips - We always use these Dark Chocolate Refined Sugar Free Chocolate Chips. You could leave these out, or just add some on top for decoration, but we really feel like the chocolate chips give these brownies with applesauce that authentic taste.
- Maple syrup - This is how we added extra sweetness. You could add another liquid sweetener like honey or agave though.
Variations
Much like regular brownies, there are so many different ways that you can adapt these chocolate brownies with apple sauce.
You could use white chocolate chips instead of dark, or for added crunch you could mix in some chopped nuts. Walnuts and pecans go best with brownies.
How to make Apple Sauce Brownies - Step by Step
Prep: Preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C(fan)/350°F/Gas 4. Line an 8x6 inch (20x15cm) tin with parchment paper.
- Step 1: Put all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl.
- Step 2: Mix well.
- Step 3: Pour the batter into the lined tin. Scatter a few more chocolate chips over the top (optional).
- Step 4: Cook in oven for 20 minutes.
- Step 5: Allow to cool completely before cutting.
What to Serve with Applesauce Brownies
We just eat these as they are, and usually we can barely wait for them to cool before we are tucking into them. But, if you want to make them into more of a dessert, then serve them with some Greek yogurt and a drizzle of homemade chocolate sauce or strawberry compote.
If you wanted to make these more indulgent, then serve with some ice cream or whipped cream. You could even make a cream cheese frosting to go on top or top it with our Chocolate Yogurt.
Storage
Store: These will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freeze: These freeze so well and they are great for portion control in the freezer. Wrap them individually and then put the applesauce chocolate brownies in a freezer bag and they will keep for a month.
Defrost: Defrost at room temperature.
Reheat: This applesauce brownie recipe is always best eaten a little warm. Why not heat them up in the microwave for 30 seconds?
Top Tips
- Make sure to measure these exactly. Because there is no flour to thicken these, you need to make sure all the other ingredients are exact so that it sets and isn't just a sloppy mess.
- These are thinner brownies which are great for portion control. If you want them thicker, then double the recipe and adjust the cooking time.
- You could use sweetened apple sauce instead, but it would make these brownies using applesauce super sweet.
- When lining the baking tray, make sure that there is some parchment paper hanging over the sides, as that makes it easier to lift them out.
- Make sure all of your ingredients are certified as gluten free if you need this recipe to be gluten free.
Frequently Asked Questions
These aren't as stable as regular brownies, so you need to be careful when holding them. If you wanted them more solid, then you could stir in ½ a cup of oat flour.
You could swap the apple sauce for the same amount of mashed bananas or sweet potato puree.
More Low Sugar Recipes
If you’ve tried these fudgy applesauce brownies, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Find us on Instagram @mylowsugarkitchen. Tag us in your creations using the hashtag #lowsugarkitchen.
Recipe
Applesauce Brownies
Ingredients
- 0.9 cup (220 g) Applesauce
- 0.66 cup (170 g) Cashew butter
- 0.75 cup (70 g) Cocoa powder
- 0.24 cup (50 g) Chocolate chips plus extra for topping (optional)
- 2 tablespoon Maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C(fan)/350°F/Gas 4. Line an 8x6 inch (20x15cm) tin with parchment paper.
- Put all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl.
- Mix well.
- Pour the batter into the lined tin. Scatter a few more chocolate chips over the top (optional).
- Cook in oven for 20 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely before cutting.
Notes
- Make sure to measure these exactly. Because there is no flour to thicken these, you need to make sure all the other ingredients are exact so that it sets and isn't just a sloppy mess.
- These are thinner brownies which are great for portion control. If you want them thicker, then double the recipe and adjust the cooking time.
- You could use sweetened apple sauce instead, but it would make these brownies using applesauce super sweet.
- When lining the baking tray, make sure that there is some parchment paper hanging over the sides, as that makes it easier to lift them out.
- Make sure all of your ingredients are certified as gluten free if you need this recipe to be gluten free.
Carly Smith says
Hi
Could you use almond butter instead of cashew butter do you think?
Dannii Martin says
Hi Carly,
Yes, you can absolutely use almond butter, or any smooth nut butter in this recipe.
Let us know how they turn out for you 🙂