I don't think I've ever met a brownie I didn't like. But I don't like all the calories, fat and sugar! So I love to find ways to cut those down, without sacrificing taste. And I have totally succeeded with this brownie recipe. I was blown away by how delicious these Applesauce and Spinach Brownies are! They are rich, moist, chocolatey, and easy to make!
These Brownies with spinach have hidden veggies, so they are great for little kids, picky eaters, and those who want to get some vegetables with their dessert! They are low-fat, Weight Watchers friendly (4 ww points), have no artificial sweeteners and make a great dessert, or snack, and are perfect for packing along in the lunch bag!
Jump to:
- 🥬🥔🥑Vegetables in Dessert
- 🥘 Ingredient Notes
- 📖 Variations
- Tip for Success
- 🔪How to Make Brownies with Spinach
- Top tip
- 👪 Serving Size
- 🌡️Storage
- 🔢WW Points
- 🍨More Weight Watchers Desserts
- Comments & Reviews
- 📋 Applesauce and Spinach Brownie Recipe
- Store these spinach brownies in the fridge for up to 5 days in a sealed container in the fridge.
This Healthy Applesauce Brownie with spinach is the hybrid of Jessica Seinfeld's spinach brownies, another low-fat brownie that I got out of the newspaper almost 30 years ago, and a 3rd spinach brownie recipe that I got from I don't know where mixed in with a dash of my own creativity!
I have always struggled to find tasty, healthy and weight watchers friendly chocolate desserts. And I had a really tough time finding an easy healthy chocolate brownie recipe that met all those requirements, that is, until I created this recipe!
These spinach brownies are so good, you won't even believe they are low-fat and healthy too. If you are looking for more WW friendly chocolate recipes you'll love my Chocolate Cereal Clusters, or my Microwave Chocolate Banana Mug Cake. And if you're looking for cold Weight Watchers treats, give my Weight Watchers Chocolate Frosty or Chocolate Banana Popsicles a try!
🥬🥔🥑Vegetables in Dessert
I'm also a huge fan of veggies in my dessert. It just makes me feel like I'm eating something healthier and actually getting some vitamins with my chocolate. And therefore I feel less guilty. Here are some more sweet healthy recipes with hidden veggies in the form of vegetable purees:
- Potatoes: Potato Ice Cream
- Beets: Healthy Red Velvet Cookie Recipe (no dye) uses canned beets, as does my Healthy Red Velvet Pancakes with Sweet Chocolate Cream Cheese Butter.
- Zucchini: Chocolate Zucchini Biscotti, Chocolate Blender Zucchini Bread,
- Lentils: No Bake Healthy Chocolate Raspberry Red Lentil Dessert Lasagna
- Avocados: Chocolate Avocado Mousse & Strawberry Mini Desserts and Skinny Strawberry Chocolate Avocado Icebox Cake
- Pumpkin: Healthy Apricot Pumpkin Bran Muffins, Skinny Pumpkin Cheesecake with Oreo Cookie Crust, Pumpkin Bread (with walnuts), and Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream (no churn)
My kids still love these spinach brownies, even after they found out there was spinach in them! I don’t even have to hide it from them anymore.
I believe vegetables definitely have a place in desserts! This delicious Healthy Tropical Green Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe is also made with spinach and is another example of a delicious sweet made with veggies. It's so tasty that it won the Old Farmer's Almanac Spinach contest!
🥘 Ingredient Notes
You will need the following ingredients for this recipe:
Besides applesauce and spinach, you'll also need:
- Spinach. Spinach is the star of the show and you wouldn't even know it's in there! Spinach is nutrient-dense and adds moisture to this brownie.
- Semi-sweet chocolate (baker's chocolate). Melted chocolate lends a creamy, rich chocolate texture to these brownies. Don't use chocolate chips, as they don't melt the same.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder. Cocoa powder adds chocolate flavor without the calories, fat or ww points!
- Unsweetened applesauce. Some of the fat in these Weight Watchers friendly low-fat brownies is replaced with unsweetened applesauce. And although applesauce is a great replacement for fat (butter, oil etc) in baking, you need to be careful with it, as it can give your baked goods a chewy texture. But not these guys - these Weight Watchers Brownies are the perfect texture.
- Canola oil. I add some oil to keep the brownies moist- replacing all the oil with applesauce would make them too tough and chewy.
- Brown sugar. Brown sugar creates a dense chewy texture that's perfect for brownies.
*See recipe card for a full list of quantities and ingredients
📖 Variations
- Egg Whites: You can use liquid egg whites in a carton if you don't want to have leftover egg yolks OR make my Low-Fat Hollandaise Sauce with the leftover egg yolks!
- Sugar: You can use white granulated sugar instead of brown, but it won't have the same rich flavor
- Spinach: You can use fresh or frozen spinach
- Oil: you can use vegetable oil instead of canola oil
Tip for Success
- Eggs - make sure your eggs are at room temperature!
- Spinach- if you are using fresh spinach, just drain it - you don't need to force any liquid out (you need some moisture for the batter). But if you are using chopped frozen spinach, you don't need to puree it. However, you'll need to drain it and press down on it a couple of times (with a large spoon) to force some of the excess liquid out.
- Chocolate- if you are using the microwave to melt the chocolate, make sure you don't get anything wet, damp, or greasy near the chocolate when you are microwaving it or it will seize. And be sure you are only using ½ (50% power) check your manual. Lastly, only heat the chocolate in 30-second intervals. You want to keep stirring it to help it melt itself. The more you stir it, the less you need to put it back in the microwave, as it's already hot enough to melt itself- less is more!
- Flour. Don't skip the sifting step! It makes the flour much lighter and airier than unsifted and is easier to mix into other ingredients when making doughs and batters. It also breaks up any lumps in the flour, which means you can get a more accurate measurement.
🔪How to Make Brownies with Spinach
Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/175 degrees C. Coat a 9X13 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Spinach puree: Mix spinach with 3 tablespoons water and microwave for 2 minutes. Then place spinach in food processor and blend until smooth. Drain off excess water.
* If you are using frozen spinach, cook it in the microwave until warm, puree, and drain, then press down on it a couple of times to force a little bit of the liquid through a sieve. ****You don't need to puree it IF it's chopped spinach
.
- Step 1: In a medium bowl stir together flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
- Step 2: Add the spinach puree, applesauce, oil and vanilla and whisk until creamy. Whisk in egg whites, then brown sugar.
- Step 3: In a large bowl, add dry ingredients to spinach mixture and mix until blended.
- Step 4: Melt chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave at 50% power for about 1 minute and 30 seconds or until chocolate is melted. (consult your microwave manual if you are not sure how to do this). Alternatively, you can use a double boiler. * I prefer to use the microwave, as it's faster
- Step 5: Add melted chocolate and stir until completely incorporated.
- Step 6: Pour the brownie batter into a prepared pan.
- Step 7: In a preheated oven, bake for 35-40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. *38 minutes was perfect for me!
- Step 8: Cool completely. * These brownies must be cooled completely before serving to avoid tasting the spinach.
Top tip
It's super important to cool these brownies with applesauce completely so you don't taste the spinach!
👪 Serving Size
This healthy applesauce brownies (with spinach) recipe makes 12 servings. But you can double or triple the recipe by simply clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust. However, you'll need an additional pan.
🌡️Storage
Store these spinach brownies in the fridge for up to 5 days in a sealed container in the fridge.
Freeze in an airtight container or Ziploc bag for up to 3 months.
🔢WW Points
These are fairly substantial-sized brownies too. Being on Weight Watchers does not mean giving up chocolate. Anyway, I really don't think I could follow a weight loss program that didn't allow me to eat chocolate. That's simply unrealistic, not to mention cruel!
These Healthy Applesauce & Spinach Brownies are 4 WW points!
So, if you are looking for low-fat, low-calorie and healthy spinach brownie recipe that won't blow all your WW points like traditional brownies, then give this spinach brownies recipe a try!
🍨More Weight Watchers Desserts
Comments & Reviews
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📋 Applesauce and Spinach Brownie Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate 2 squares (bakers chocolate/baking bar)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 /4 cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tablespoon canola oil
- ½ tbsp vanilla
- ¾ cup spinach puree * This is the equivalent of a 10 oz bag of fresh baby spinach that's been cooked, pureed and drained or use frozen chopped spinach
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/175 degrees C. Coat a 9X13 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Spinach puree:
- Mix spinach with 3 tablespoon water and microwave for 2 minutes. Then blend in food processor until smooth. Drain off excess water. * if you are using frozen spinach, cook in microwave until warm, puree and drain, then press down on it a couple of times for force a little bit of the liquid through a sieve. You don't need to puree it IF it's chopped spinach
- In a medium bowl stir together flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder. Set aside.1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- Add the spinach puree, applesauce, oil and vanilla and whisk until creamy.Whisk in egg whites, then brown sugar.3 large egg whites, 1 /4 cup brown sugar, ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce, 2 tablespoon canola oil, ½ tablespoon vanilla, ¾ cup spinach puree
- Then add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix in a large mixing bowl until blended.
- Melt chocolate in a double boiler OR in microwave at 50% power for about 1 minute and 30 seconds or until chocolate is melted. * I prefer to use the microwave, as it's faster2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- Add melted chocolate and stir until completely incorporated.
- Pour the batter in a prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. *38 minutes was perfect for me!
- Cool completely. * These brownies must be cooled completely before serving to avoid tasting the spinach.
Garnish (optional):
- You can sprinkle a little unsweetened coconut on these brownies for a bit of contrast.
Notes
- Eggs - make sure your eggs are at room temperature!
- Spinach- if you are using fresh spinach, just drain it - you don't need to force any liquid out (you need some moisture for the batter). But if you are using chopped frozen spinach, you don't need to puree it. However, you'll need to drain it and press down on it a couple of times (with a large spoon) to force some of the excess liquid out.
- Chocolate- if you are using the microwave to melt the chocolate, make sure you don't get anything wet, damp, or greasy near the chocolate when you are microwaving it or it will seize. And be sure you are only using ½ (50% power) check your manual. Lastly, only heat the chocolate in 30-second intervals. You want to keep stirring it to help it melt itself. The more you stir it, the less you need to put it back in the microwave, as it's already hot enough to melt itself- less is more!
- Flour. Don't skip the sifting step! It makes the flour much lighter and airier than unsifted and is easier to mix into other ingredients when making doughs and batters. It also breaks up any lumps in the flour, which means you can get a more accurate measurement.
Tracy
How much spinach is needed to make the puree?
Terri Gilson
Hi Tracy: I used about 3 cups of fresh baby spinach
Melissa Griffiths
I'm on team wherever-you-can-get-them too! Extra veggies never hurt anyway! Especially not in the form of brownies....:)
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Melissa!
Charlotte
Spinach and chocolate? What a fantastic idea to keep dessert guilt-free
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Charlotte! Yes, love guilt-free chocolate!
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking
I'm always hiding veggies in my recipes! I love the way zucchini hides nicely in a chocolate cake, or the moist texture carrots add to carrot cake. My new favourite way to enjoy hidden veggies is frozen cauliflower in smoothies! So good! And you just can't tell! These brownies look awesome, and I love that they have spinach tucked away in there! 😉
Terri Gilson
Cauliflower in smoothies? I love that idea, Leanne!