Easy + Healthy Protein Brownie Recipe (Plus Tips for Baking with Coconut Flour and Protein Powder)

I’m so excited to share this healthy protein brownie recipe with you today!  I’m also sharing tips for baking with coconut flour and protein powder, because there’s a little bit of a learning curve.

Since the fall, I’ve been diligently focused on my health and well being.  Obviously I still enjoy a treat every now and then (yum, matcha tea shortbread!), and then there was that late night emergency vet visit that saw Hubby and I drive 20 minutes deeper into the sticks, where we ate a delicious bacon double cheeseburger in the parking lot of a skating rink at 10pm.  But, on the whole, we’ve really started eating healthier around here.

Because we still enjoy a sweet treat every now and then, I’ve been baking with coconut flour and almond flour, substituting sugars (even maple syrup and honey) with Sarah Wilson’s I Quit Sugar-approved brown rice syrup, and sneaking in a little whey protein (to make baked goods more diabetic-friendly).  I’ve always loved baking, but switching to these new ingredients has really thrown me for a loop because they change the flavor and texture of food quite dramatically!  A lot of the recipes I’ve tried from Pinterest turned out to be disappointing, gritty flops, which is why I decided to just start from scratch and develop my own healthier spin on a baked treat.

The grain-free, refined sugar-free brownie recipe I shared recently was one I came up with through trial and error, adapting an old zucchini and date cake I used to make, but ultimately changing almost every ingredient!  It turned out to be so delicious and moist and sweet – it was the breakthrough I needed to keep experimenting!  Since then, I’ve had a few more flops (both of my own creation and from online sources), but there have been a couple of recipes that have turned out deliciously good!  In my quest for tasty sugar-free desserts, I thought I’d also share recipes I find that are a success – in addition to my own original concoctions – because I know so many of you are struggling to cut back on sugar too.

This particular protein brownie recipe is not an original, but an adaptation of one I found online and it’s so decadent!  I didn’t change much, because it was already pretty perfect, but I did make a few substitutions: swapping out the maple syrup for brown rice syrup, adding some protein powder so it’s extra filling, and ditching the applesauce in favor of my own fruity sauce (which is totally optional)!

Ingredients for this Delicious Protein Brownie Recipe:

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/2 cup fruit – I used mango, peach & strawberry
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup brown rice syrup (this is the exact brand I used)
• 1/2 cup coconut flour (this is the exact brand I used)
• 1/4 cup whey protein powder (this is the exact brand I used)
• 1/2 cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla
• pinch of sea salt

For this recipe, I added a fruity twist by making my own quick fruit sauce using frozen mango, peach, and strawberry mix.  It added a nice, soft flavor but not as much sweetness as a ripe banana or even unsweetened applesauce tends to lend baked goods.  I want to try this with different fruit combinations – imagine it with a homemade raspberry sauce!    

How to Make a Protein Brownie Batch:

1. Cook the frozen fruit for a few minutes to boil off some water (or skip this step and use a pre-made applesauce)
2. Combine the peeled avocado, fruit mixture, brown rice syrup and vanilla in a food processor until pureed.
3. Pour into a large mixing bowl and whisk in the 3 eggs.
4. Sift the coconut flour, protein powder, cocoa, salt, and baking soda (don’t skip this step!)
5. Stir the sifted mixture into the avocado mixture and combine thoroughly.
6. Pour into a greased, 8×8 pan
7. Cook at 350 degrees for 25 minutes (your oven may vary)
8. Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes.
9. Store in a covered container in the fridge once cooled for maximum freshness!

3 Tips for Baking with Coconut Flour and Protein Powder

One: I’ve been baking a lot with protein powder and my best tip is to sift, sift, sift.  Whisking the coconut flour, cocoa powder, protein powder and baking soda is a key step
in achieving a smooth, velvety brownie.  If you skip this step, the protein powder and coconut flour want to clump and you’ll end up with pockets of dry flour in the baked brownie.

Two: Add cocoa powder!  My biggest complaint with coconut and almond flour is the texture, but recipes with a lot of cocoa powder have a more familiar, velvety smooth texture thanks to the fine cocoa powder.

Three: Add more eggs!  If you’re experimenting a little on your own, trying to adapt old recipes, take a look at how many eggs coconut flour recipes have – lots.  Don’t be alarmed if you need more egg!

I am absolutely in smitten with this healthy(ish) protein brownie recipe!  The original recipe from The Healthy Maven was delicious and with a couple of substitutions, these brownies are more in line with Sarah Wilson’s I Quit Sugar program, plus the protein powder means they’re a more filling treat!

Do you have any go-to recipes for a healthier spin on baked treats?  Have you tried quitting sugar too?  I’ve baked my way through some real duds, so I’d love any recommendations!

P.S. If you’re looking for other healthier spins on classic treats, check out my grain-free, sugar-free carrot cake recipe, my chocolate protein bar recipe, and my natural turquoise smoothie bowl.