Whole Wheat Brownies
by Laura Kanya
May 26, 2023 (updated 4/1/24) Jump To Recipe
Behold our brand new Whole Wheat Brownies recipe! They are rich, decadent as every homemade brownie should be, and so much better than boxed brownies. Made in only one bowl, with a handful of pantry staples, and 15 minutes of hands-on prep, these simple brownies are sure to please!
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Table of contents
Why We Love This Recipe For Whole Wheat Brownies
These rich and decadent chocolate brownies have all the hallmarks of traditional boxed mix brownies, a shiny crackly top, dense and chocolatey, not too cakey and they have a lot of deep chocolate flavor. But these wheat brownies are made with whole-wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour!
- Made with whole grains for higher fiber
- Rich chocolate flavor from cocoa and bittersweet chocolate
- Has the texture of a traditional boxed brownie mix with a a shiny top
- Uses pantry staples
- 1 bowl recipe!
They’re the perfect casual dessert for a potluck, barbecue, bake sale, picnic or to make for Valentine’s day. They will not disappoint! Please let us know what you think by leaving a star rating and review at the bottom of the blog post!
A Note From Katie
We’re making no bones about it, these brownies are not health food. Full stop. IMO, when it comes to brownies- they better be worth it. So I tasked our contributor Laura, a classically trained pastry chef with decades of hands-on baking experience, to come up with a really good whole-wheat brownie recipe for Healthy Seasonal Recipes.
She got right to work and tested and retested this recipe more than a half dozen times. When she brought me a sample of the final recipe… let’s just say that these bad boys have earned their spot on the Best Of Healthy Seasonal List for a reason. They are spectacularly good.
Happy Cooking ~K
Key Ingredients for this Recipe
- Whole Wheat Flour: We used white whole wheat flour for its milder taste. And while it’s lighter in color, it is 100% whole wheat and carries all the same nutritional benefits as its darker whole wheat counterpart.
- Oil: Used to help reduce saturated fats while providing that rich, fudgy texture we all know and love; feel free to use your favorite neutral cooking oil.
- Butter: To keep saturated fat lower in this recipe, we used one stick of unsalted butter. If you only have salted butter on hand, reduce the additional amount of salt to about 1/4 teaspoon.
- Bittersweet Chocolate Chips: Dark chocolate chips provide an intense chocolate flavor. If you like a sweeter brownie, simply swap in semi-sweet chocolate chips or even milk chocolate chips!
- Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder: For this classic brownie recipe we used a natural cocoa powder, such as unsweetened Hershey’s. This is important because natural cocoa is naturally acidic, unlike Dutch Processed, which reacts with the baking soda to leaven the brownies.
- Powdered Sugar: Contains cornstarch which helps with the shiny crackled crust and gives the brownies that traditional boxed brownie texture.
- Granulated Sugar: To sweeten the brownies we used granulated white sugar. Subbing brown sugar for the granulated sugar will result in a chewier brownie; granulated sugar helps get the shiny crackled crust on top. I would suggest only subbing ½ of the granulated sugar for brown sugar and not eliminating it all
- Baking Soda: Baking soda is a chemical leavener that reacts with acidic ingredients. In the case of brownies, the acidity comes from the cocoa powder. You don’t need much soda though, you want enough to give the brownies lift without making them cakey. We found that 1/4 teaspoon lightened their texture but they are still dense and fudgy.
- Eggs: I know four eggs sounds like a lot, but know that we made the mistake of making these with two eggs instead of four and the texture of the brownies was all wrong. The eggs act to help lighten the texture and bonds with the oil and butter so that the fat is incorporated into the batter. Along with the sugar, the egg also helps to give the brownies that special shiny texture on top!
- Pantry Staples: vanilla extract, kosher salt
Step By Step Instructions To Make These Wheat Brownies
Step 1: Prepare Pan and Preheat Oven
Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly coat a metal 9-x-13 baking pan with cooking spray. Then, line it with parchment paper so it overhangs the sides.
Step 2: Melt Butter, Sugar and Chocolate
Microwave butter and oil in a large microwave safe bowl using high heat. It’s best to cover the bowl with plastic wrap because the butter will pop and splatter. Cook until the butter is melted and the mixture is hot, about 2 minutes.
Remove plastic wrap. Stir in granulated sugar and powdered sugar. Continue heating on high, stopping to stir the mixture after 30 seconds or so, until the sugar has dissolved slightly, 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove from the microwave and whisk in 3/4 cup chocolate chips, until shiny and chips have melted, about 30 seconds.
If you do not have a microwave you can do this in a heavy-bottom saucepan. Do not place the chocolate over the heat. Let the carryover heat melt the chocolate.
Step 3: Add Eggs
To the chocolate mixture add in eggs and vanilla and stir until eggs are incorporated, do not overmix.
Pro Tip: Bring eggs to room temperature before adding to the brownie batter as they will be easier to incorporate.
Step 4: Mix in Dry Ingredients
Mix in flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, and the remaining cup of chocolate chips into the chocolate mixture. Stir until just combined.
Step 5: Bake and Enjoy!
Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake on the center rack until the edges are puffed and the center comes out mostly clean when tested with a toothpick. Cool in the pan for about 2 hours on a cooling rack. Cut into pieces and enjoy!
FAQs and Expert Tips
Store any leftover brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or individually wrap bars and store them in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 1 month.
You certainly can! Just be aware that you may need to reduce your cooking time by 5-10 minutes.
Variations To Try
- Enhance the chocolate flavor by adding 1 teaspoon of espresso powder with the dry ingredients
- Swap semi-sweet chocolate chips for a sweeter brownie
- Want a chewier brownie? Use 3/4 cup granulated sugar plus 3/4 cup brown sugar
- Add in your favorite chopped candy bar or your favorite candy-coated candies
- Mix in your favorite dried fruits, such as cranberries or cherries, for added natural sweetness
- Swirl in your favorite creamy peanut butter for that classic chocolate and peanut butter combo
Additional Bar Cookie Recipes To Try
Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!
Happy Cooking! ~Katie
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Whole Wheat Brownies
- Total Time: 2 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 24 servings 1x
Description
These one-bowl Whole Wheat Brownies require 15 minutes of hands-on prep work and are rich, decadent, and healthier than a classic box mix recipe!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 1/2 cup avocado oil, organic canola oil, or neutral oil
- 1 3/4 cups bittersweet chocolate chips, divided
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat oven 325F. Lightly coat a 9-x-13 metal pan with cooking spray, then line parchment so the paper is overhanging the sides.
- Microwave butter and oil in a large microwave safe bowl with high heat, covered with plastic wrap, until the butter is melted and the mixture is hot, about 2 minutes. Remove plastic wrap. Stir in granulated sugar and powdered sugar. Continue heating on high, stopping to stir the mixture after 30 seconds or so, until the sugar has dissolved slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the microwave and whisk in 3/4 cup chocolate chips, until shiny and chips have melted, about 30 seconds.
- Stir eggs and vanilla into the chocolate mixture until the eggs are just mixed in. Don’t over-stir, or a thick crust will develop on top.
- Stir flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda and the remaining 1 cup chips into the chocolate mixture until just combined.
- Spread batter into the prepared pan and bake until edges are puffed and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, about 35 minutes. Cool in the pan for about 2 hours on a cooling rack. Cut into 24 brownies.
Notes
Store brownies at room temperature for up to 3 days or individually wrap bars and freeze for up to 1 month.
If using a glass pan, you may need to reduce the cooking time by 5-10 minutes.
Tips:
- Swap in semi-sweet chocolate chips for a sweeter brownie.
- Don’t over-mix the eggs in the batter or a thick meringue-like crust will develop on the top.
- Be sure to not skip heating the sugar in step 2 as this helps to dissolve the sugar in the recipe and create that shiny crackly crust.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 brownie
- Calories: 270
- Sugar: 21 g
- Fat: 15 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 4 g
Laura Kanya
Laura Kanya is a freelance recipe developer and tester in Vermont. She has been active in the food industry for more than two decades in a variety of roles in Vermont, Washington, Pennsylvania, Utah and New York; including pastry chef, chef instructor, executive chef and director of operations in restaurants, resorts, catering, retail operations and food production companies. Most recently working as a recipe tester and developer for EatingWell, Southern Living, Food & Wine, Allrecipes, Martha Stewart Living, and Better Homes & Garden. Laura lives in Vermont with her husband, son, and daughter. She enjoys biking with her family, spin classes, playing racquetball, swimming at the local swimming hole, walking her dog Blue, coffee and pastries with friends and finding the best maple creemees.
These whole wheat brownies are delicious! thanks for sharing this recipe!
These were so yummy. It made me feel great knowing that my kids were still getting something nutritious that they loved eating.
That’s great to hear, Kim! I’m so glad you and your kids like our whole wheat brownies! 🙂
I love when the words “healthy” and “dessert” come together! Absolutely delicious!
Me too! 🙂
Left a comment but not sure if it went through, so leaving another.
These brownies make snacking guilt-free and delicious. I love how using whole wheat adds a nutty flavor to the chocolate.You would never know such an indulgence is guilt free!
That’s kind of you to take the time to leave another just in case! Thank you, Vicky!
“These whole wheat brownies are a guilt-free delight that proves healthy can be incredibly delicious! The use of whole wheat adds a nutty depth to the chocolatey goodness, making it a perfect treat for those seeking a wholesome yet indulgent dessert. Can’t wait to whip up a batch and savor every guilt-free bite!”
This is such a lovely review! Thank you so much, Vicky!
Oh yum! Definitely better homemade. These brownies look fantastic, especially with those chocolate chips on top.
Right? We can’t resist some extra chocolate chips!
These were incredible! So flavorful and I really loved the texture!
SO glad to hear that, Chenee!
These brownies turned out great! I made them for my grandkids and they were totally unaware that they are “healthy”. I cut the recipe in half and ended up with 12 nice sized servings. The batter held up really well to my 10-yr-old granddaughter who loves to STIR! No harm done!
That is so funny! Good for you to have the patience to cook and bake with them. I am so bad at that! I am so happy you tried this recipe. We just pulled a batch from the freezer last week and I just love the texture of them.
Ah! Brownies! That’s what I heard with the advent of the holidays and then my diet plan came into my mind! I was so nervous whether I was over indulging. When I came across this recipe for whole wheat brownie I knew this was going to save my life. I have tried this recipe already twice this week.
I am so happy to hear this and you have made already 2 times!
Deceptively delicious!
Thanks! Glad you liked them.
Perfect brownies, and I love that they have more goodness from the ww flour.
Thanks for the comment, the whole wheat flour works great in there!
Whole grains and one bowl convinced me to make these, and WOW! So good! Making for the work fam next week!!
Would love to know how they turned out! When I set out to create the recipe, it had to be easy and one bowl.
I made these brownies for a party over the weekend and they were incredible! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
Thanks for making the brownies and the comment. Glad you liked them.
I’m always ready for a delicious dessert! Can’t wait to make it this weekend!
I can’t wait to hear about how they turned out. Thanks for the comment.
Awesome brownie recipes – gooey and bursting with chocolate flavor. I used your tip to add expresso and it really enhanced the chocolate flavor. Thanks for the advice on how to prepare the brownie pan (worked well for quick and easy removal).
Thanks Stephanie. We’re psyched you liked them!