Superfood Brownie Bites
Brownies are a beloved treat in my house, so adding extra nutrition to them is always a bonus!
This mini version is made with good-for-you ingredients, like whole wheat flour and cocoa powder. The optional coffee provides extra antioxidants and also intensifies the chocolate flavor. (If you’re sensitive to caffeine, you can simply omit.) I use apple sauce in place of butter or oil.
I also sprinkle on various superfood toppings, such as berries, pomegranate seeds, chopped nuts, chia seeds, as well as other tasty extras, like mini dark chocolate chips, granola and shredded coconut to take each bite over the top. Have fun with toppings—add whatever you and your crew enjoy. Feel free to mix and match, and experiment with different flavors, colors and textures. You’re the boss of your brownie (bite)!
I’ve cooked them in muffin tins so portion control is a breeze. These make a big batch; you can freeze leftovers in zip-top baggies for up to three months to satisfy a chocolate craving whenever you have one.
Try my Cheesecake Brownie Bites!
Superfood Brownie Bites
Ingredients
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour, or all-purpose
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon instant coffee powder, optional
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- 1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
Optional toppings
- Chopped strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, pomegranate seeds
- Chopped pistachios, pecans, walnuts, almonds, peanuts
- Shredded coconut
- Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or chia seeds
- Granola
- Mini dark chocolate chips
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Liberally mist your mini-muffin tin(s) with nonstick oil spray and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, instant coffee, salt and baking powder, and whisk until well combined.
- Add the eggs, maple syrup and applesauce to the dry ingredients. Stir to form a creamy batter, being thoughtful to not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Fill each muffin compartment with batter; you’ll have enough for approximately 35. Be sure to mix the batter as you go to distribute the chocolate chips—otherwise the chips may settle at the bottom and the last bunch will have a ton.
- Garnish with a sprinkling of preferred toppings; you can mix and match various combos such as strawberries and coconut, granola and seeds.
- Bake in the oven on the middle rack for about 14 minutes, until the tops are firmed and no longer mushy. Remove and set on counter to slightly cool.
Can these be made with King Arthur gluten free measure for measure flour? If so would the amount of four me the same?
Thank you,
Joyce
Hi Joyce. Joy hasn’t experimented with swapping this specific flour in for the whole wheat, but according to their website, it should work perfectly! Use the same amount that’s listed in the recipe (3/4 cup). And if you decide to give it a try, please come back and let us know how it turns out. We’d love to know your thoughts!
—Team Joy
do you use unsweetened or sweetened applesauce?
Hi Michele. Joy uses unsweetened applesauce. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
—Team Joy
My brother in law is diabetic. I’d like to make these for him but would like to up the protein and fiber by adding black beans. Can you help me fit them in some how? Also, is the applesauce unsweetened or with sugar. Oh, any why maple syrup
Thanks for your help.
Hi Jane. Joy uses unsweetened applesauce. As for the maple syrup, you can use a sugar-free swap (ideally something sweetened with monkfruit or stevia). In fact, ChocZero has a maple syrup you can check out. Joy hasn’t tried it yet, but the reviews are good!
To increase the protein, you can split the cocoa powder with chocolate-flavored protein powder (2 tablespoons cocoa powder + 2 tablespoons chocolate-flavored protein powder). Or you can try the entire 1/4 cup with chocolate protein powder. Again, we haven’t had a chance to try this yet, so we’re not 100 percent sure of the resulting texture. If you decide to give these swaps a shot, please let us know how it turns out. We’d love to hear your thoughts!
—Team Joy
They sound wonderful. Can I use a regular muffin tin instead of a mini?
Hi Mary Jane. Yes, you can certainly use a regular-size muffin tin for this recipe! Note that cook time will be longer—we’re not sure of the exact cooking time since we haven’t tried it, but we’d recommend taking it out around the 20-minute mark and inserting a toothpick into the middle of one of the brownie cupcakes to check for doneness. If it comes out clean, it’s done. If not, let cook for another 2-3 minutes, and repeat with a clean toothpick. Please let us know how they turn out if you decide to give it a shot!
—Team Joy
amazing
Hi Lucy. Happy you enjoyed!
—Team Joy
I love chocolate and raspberries together.
If I add some raspberries should I cut down on anything?
Hi Gina. You can have raspberries play a starring role as a topping! And if you want, you can even add some mini chocolate chips, too. Please come back and let us know what you think!
—Team Joy
Happiness in bite-sized form!! I LOVE this recipe a whole choco-lot!!! ❤️❤️
Hi Victoria. Thanks for your comment and happy you enjoyed!
—Team Joy
We couldn’t agree more!! Thank you so much, Victoria! ❤
— Team Joy
BROWNIE BITE BLISS!!!!!!!
Hi Judith. Yes! We feel exactly the same way 🙂
—Team Joy
Delish
Hi Marci. So glad you enjoyed!
—Team Joy
What size pan should I use if I don’t want to make individual servings? Also, how long should they be baked in a pan?
Hi Marianne. To make these as regular brownies instead of brownie bites, pour the batter into an 8-inch square pan, cook at 350˚ on the middle rack for 35 minutes for moist, gooey brownies, or leave in for a few extra minutes for cakier, firmer brownies. Let cool 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Note: a 9-inch square pan will lead to flatter brownies, and the cooking time will be shorter; start checking at about 28 minutes. A 9×13 pan will be too large for this recipe. Enjoy!
Hi,Joy, I love your recipes – just 1 thing – could u pls provide vegan subs along with recipes? So many ppl r going plant based & many realize animal products r not healthy. I’m vegan by choice but have several autoimmune disorders & drs would have told me to stop dairy & at least cut back on meat. My psoriasis completely cleared up after I quit dairy! Thank u so much! Sydney
Hi Sydney. Thank you so much for your thoughtful note. I am going to start providing more vegan swaps in the note section of my recipes, and hearing the request from you was great validation that it has become more and more needed.
For this specific recipe, you can ensure the chocolate chips are dairy-free, and perhaps, try a flax or chia egg in place of the standard egg. Truth be told, I haven’t tried the egg swap yet, so if you do wind up making them please share how they turn out. My fingers will be crossed for a deliciously successful result!
What can I use instead of maple syrup? Thx
Hi Debbie. You can use honey or sugar in place of the maple syrup. If you’d like to go sugar-free, you can try a sugar-free maple syrup, like the one from ChocZero. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
–Team Joy
This looks so good, can I use butter instead of apple sauce? What amount?
Hi Vivan. I’ve never made these with butter, but I imagine they’d only be that much more delicious. If you want to try butter, I’d recommend splitting the difference: ¼ cup melted butter (or a vegetable oil) + ¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce or plain yogurt or canned pumpkin puree. If you want to go extra healthy on the oil, I’d recommend avocado oil for this one. Note: The reason why I’m recommending splitting the difference is to keep saturated fat on the lower side. Hope you enjoy!
My daughter has an egg allergy. Can I use plain yogurt instead of eggs?
Hi GG! I haven’t tried this recipe without incorporating the eggs, so unfortunately, I can’t advise with confidence. If you decide to try it with the yogurt, please let me know how it comes out. Also, you could consider introducing a chia egg or flax egg to the recipe as well. Fingers crossed on a delicious outcome and please share the results!
Love these! I made them gluten free and used Greek yogurt instead of applesauce since I didn’t have any. I also used peanut butter protein powder for about two tablespoons of flour. I used a regular sized muffin tin and baked them for 15 minutes. They came out perfectly! Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Belinda. Love all your swaps and tweaks! And I’m happy to hear it come out so great 🙂
Joy’s reciepes are so delicious and healthy. Love seeing her on the Today show and having the anchors try them all.
Thank you so much for watching and for stopping by to comment! It means the world to me 🙂
Does gluten-free flour work?
Yes! As long as it’s a one-to-one gluten-free baking flour. We hope you enjoy—please come back and let us know what you think!
Thank you Joy. I’m making them for my company soon.
Hi Valerie. We’re so honored Joy’s Brownie Bites have secured a spot on your menu! Hoping everyone loves and devours them!”
—Team Joy
I made the recipe as directed except left out the chocolate chips. But they turned out very dense, with a heavy texture. Not at all cakey or even chewy. What could be the issue? Does this recipe really call for three eggs? Do the chocolate chips make that much difference in the outcome? I love Joy’s recipes and want these to be a success!
Hi Barbara,
We’re so happy you’re here and that you’re enjoying making Joy’s recipes!
In terms of these brownie bites, Joy was going after a more brownie-like consistency versus a fluffy and airy cake- or cupcake-like texture. It’s possible that omitting the chocolate chips may have contributed a little bit to the dense, heavy texture you describe—aside from lending a sweet, chocolaty indulgence, they do add some moisture as well. But we’re wondering if other things may have played a more significant role. Sometimes, over-mixing a batter can result in a tougher texture. I’m betting you mixed it perfectly, but just in case, be sure to stir the batter until it’s just combined and there’s no dry streaks of flour. Finally, it could be that your oven temperature is warmer than Joy’s. You may need to lower the temp or shorten the cooking time a bit. You can use a toothpick to check for doneness. (P.S. The recipe does call for three eggs, so we don’t think that is the issue, but Joy is going to test it with 2 eggs and compare the two textures by early next week–stay tuned!)
We want to help you get to the bottom of this so you can enjoy deliciously perfect Superfood Brownie Bites!! Please let us know if it could be one of these things…and if you decide to give them another shot!
—Team Joy
What I ended up with wasn’t even a typical brownie consistency. I mixed the batter with a ‘light hand’ only until the flour was incorporated. And I used dark cocoa powder. The batter still had some lumps and was more on the runny side than what I would call creamy. I’ll check my oven temperature but so far everything else I’ve put in the oven has been fine. I’ll definitely try these again, adding the chocolate chips next time. I love brownies so to have these minis in the freezer where I can pull out just one to have with a cup of tea would have my day. Thanks for the quick response.
Hi Barbara! Thanks again for your comments…and for your patience as we retested the recipe with a few different variations to see if we could recreate the results you experienced. We tried the recipe with 2 eggs, with 3 eggs, with chocolate chips, and without chocolate chips.
What we discovered: Omitting the chocolate chips makes a big difference. In fact, the chocolate chips are key! They add considerable moisture and indulgence. While the overall texture of these brownie bites is moist, yet definitely denser than cake—the addition of the melty chips will make it less dense and more crave-worthy. If you originally skipped the chips to lower the sugar, you can try a no-added-sugar variety such as ChocZero (we haven’t tested with sugar-free chips, but I think it should work well).
We also found the number of eggs didn’t really change things during our taste testing.
My recommendation: Follow the recipe and use 3 eggs with the chocolate chips. That was the winning combo! If you decide to try it again, please let me know how it turns out. Hoping for a delicious experience! 🙂
I made the recipe again yesterday including the chocolate chips this time. Success! I originally left them out the first time, not so much for the sugar, but for the sweetness. I prefer things less-sweet. But they do make a big difference to the texture and moistness without being too sweet. Thanks so much for the time and effort it took to test my original effort. It’s evidence that you and your staff have a heart for connecting people to healthier options.
Hi Barbara. We’re so glad to hear that you were willing to give the recipe another shot and that it worked out for you this time around! The taste of (not-too-sweet) success…and all thanks to the chocolate chips! If you ever have additional feedback on other recipes, or new ideas, please do share! Your feedback is incredibly important to us. Thanks again and happy cooking!
—Team Joy
Hi Barbara! I’m so thrilled you came back to share your success with us—your message made my day! Recipe development is a collaborative process, and feedback like yours is invaluable. I truly appreciate you being here and am so happy you enjoyed the superfood brownie bites! Please feel free to share your thoughts on any other recipes you try—I’d love to hear how they turn out for you. Thanks for being part of our community!
Beautiful and delis he’s. So glad I made these instead of buying Costco unhealthy treats.
Wish I could leave a photo. They turned out gorgeous.
So glad you’re enjoying these, Helen! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!
Another winning Joy Recipe!! I used all GF flour, added 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tablespoon of dark roast ( brewed) coffee as I didn’t have instant. I also only used 2/3 c maple syrup and it was sweet enough for me.. I also added about almost half cup of frozen cranberries that I had to use up and tastes really good with them in.. only if you like tart with sweet.. I used only 3/4 Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips cause these chips are very big. Also I baked in an 8×8 glass baking dish for brownies .
Hi Marlene! Thank you for the kind feedback. These variations sound delish– especially the tart cranberries with chocolate. Yum! — Eliza (Team Joy)
Hi I wanted to make these for my sister who is dairy free and gluten free so wondered if Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 ratio would work as well Thanks!
Hi Sharon! I haven’t personally tested this exact swap yet, but I’m very optimistic it’ll work beautifully using a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour like Bob’s Red Mill. That blend is designed to replace regular flour cup-for-cup and usually performs really well in brownies.