Skinny Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownies

If you've been following my blog, then you've probably noticed by that I have a major thing for brownies. And I do, I truly do. I could eat brownies all day, every day, and never get sick of them. So when I stumbled upon another healthy brownie recipe, a Skinny Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie from Sally's Baking Addiction, I was excited to give it a try.  This particular recipe uses yogurt and oats instead of butter, oil, and flour.  The result?  A fudgy, delicious, and healthy brownie!  I changed the recipe around to suit my own needs and tastes, and to lower the calories a little more (the original had 200 calories, mine has about 100).  Because there is no oil, butter, flour, etc. in these brownies, and since they are made with yogurt and oats, it's actually healthy enough to serve for breakfast if you are in the mood for it! It's also a great snack for toddlers and kids, though I recommend using full fat peanut butter and yogurt if you are making it for your children.  Another great thing about these brownies, like most of my recipes on my blog, these only take a few minutes to whip up.

Skinny Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownies

*Recipe Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction*

Yields 12 Brownies

INGREDIENTS

3/4 Cup Fat Free or Low Fat Plain Greek Yogurt (see notes)

1 tsp Vanilla Extract (optional)

1/4 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk (or milk of choice)

1 Large Egg

3/4 Cup Sugar (1 Cup if you like it sweeter)

1/2 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

1/2 Cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

1/4 tsp Salt

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 Cup Prepared PB2 (or Better n Peanut Butter or Natural Peanut Butter)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8 x 8 baking dish.

2. In a blender or a food processor, add all the ingredients (except the peanut butter), in the order listed. Puree until smooth, scraping the sides with a spatula as needed. Batter will be very thin.

3. Pour batter into the baking dish.  Plop spoonfuls of the peanut butter all over the batter, and then using a knife, swirl the peanut butter into the batter, being careful not to over-mix it. (If using Better n Peanut Butter or Natural Peanut Butter, microwave it for 30 seconds before adding it to the brownie batter to make it more easily spreadable).

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Be careful to not overcook (it's okay if the middle doesn't come clean with a toothpick; it's a really fudgy type of brownie).  Allow to cool, and then stick in the fridge for 2 hours. Cut into 12 pieces, and serve.  Brownies don't have to be stored in the fridge; they are fine stored at room temperature, covered. However, they are less sticky if kept in the fridge.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serving Size: 1/12th of Brownie Pan

Calories: 103

Fat: 2

Carbs: 6

Protein: 5
Sugar: 1

TIPS:

* The substitution of the Greek Yogurt in this recipe makes the brownie a little tart. If you aren't a fan of the tartness of Greek Yogurt, use regular yogurt instead.  I used Greek Yogurt because of the added health benefits, and because that's just what I had on hand. :)

* The original called for Vanilla Yogurt. If you decide to use flavored Greek or regular yogurt, note that type of yogurt already has added sugar in it, so you may want to adjust the sugar in the recipe accordingly.  

* Some people like sweeter brownies. Taste the batter after you puree (at your own risk--there is a raw egg in there), and add more sugar if you think you need it. 

*Feel free to substitute with coconut sugar or use 1/2 cup white sugar and 1/4 cup honey.  I've done both, and it tasted great.  I'd be hesitant to use a complete liquid sugar though, because the batter is already so thin.

* You could mix the peanut butter entirely into the batter to make it peanut butter brownies. 

* Some people prefer this brownie cold. You may too. Try it both ways, and see what you like best.