Makes 12 brownies
If there’s a better combination than chocolate and raspberries then I don’t know it. These brownies are dense and truffle-like, with lots and lots of melt-in-your-mouth raspberry flavor from both jam and whole berries. And here’s the amazing thing…they’re low in fat, high in fiber and made with whole wheat pastry flour! But don’t let that deter you, you’d never know it.
I’ve been hard at work developing healthier dessert recipes for the upcoming Forks Over Knives cookbook! I said “healthier” not “healthy” because dessert, no matter how healthy, is an indulgence. But if we’re going to indulge (and we definitely are), why not try to make those treats as nutritious as possible? Developing these treats has been a fun challenge and I’m getting a kick out of experimenting with whole grain flours, natural sweeteners and alternative sources of fat. I also like that the recipes don’t have to be too restrictive; some fats are cool to use in moderation, like nut butters, avocado and chocolate.
But back to these brownies! Valentine’s Day is coming up and you’ll surely want to make these for the one you love. Maybe you’d like to scatter brownies on the bed instead of rose petals?
A few recipe notes:
~This is one of those rare occasions where frozen fruit actually works better than fresh, so don’t worry about raspberries being out of season. The batter is very thick and I’m pretty sure that fresh raspberries would get crushed as you tried to knead them in.
~Use a naturally sweetened fruit spread if you can find one.
~For the dry sweetener, I use Sucanat, but any sugar will do.
~To get brownies as fudgy as possible, be careful not to overbake. These really benefit from chilling in the fridge for a few hours.
~To slice brownies, use a blunt knife (a butter knife or a plastic knife) and dip in water after each slice.
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup raspberry fruit spread
1/2 cup sugar or other dry sweetener (see note)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup frozen raspberries
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 8 inch pan with parchment paper and lightly mist with non-stick cooking spray.
Melt the chocolate in either a double boiler or the microwave. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, vigorously mix together the jam, sweetener, and apple sauce. Stir in the extracts and the melted chocolate.
Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix very well until a stiff dough forms. Fold in the raspberries. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan. It will be very thick, you’ll probably need to use your hands to evenly spread the batter.
Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, they should still be soft and gooey. If a tester toothpick comes out clean, they’re overbaked. Remove from oven and let cool completely. These taste especially good and fudgy after being refrigerated for a few hours.
These are great! Can’t believe something low-fat is so rich! I made them in a lined Pyrex without incident. I actually liked these best after they’d been out for a day and (the few remaining ones) were a little drier so maybe I’ll just cook a tad longer next time.
Good to know that they’re working in Pyrex!
These are so rich and delicious. Isa, you rock!
I’ve made these twice now, and I can’t seem to get them quite right. The first time I baked them for 16 minutes and they seemed dry, so I decreased the baking time to 14 minutes the second time, and they still seem dry. I really want to love them, I think maybe I’ll try substituting oil for applesauce next time and see if it helps. (I know it’ll make them less healthy, but they are a treat after all!)
These look AMAZING!! I am just starting off trying to bake vegan and gluten -free. These look easy enough and delicious! I plan to make these next week, but sub out the flour with AP Gluten free flour. Wish me luck!!
Thanks, Isa! These turned out great. I baked for 19 minutes and the edges dried out so I will definitely stick to the recommended 16-18 minutes bake time next time. Also I did find that I needed to add a little more applesauce (maybe a tablespoon?) to get the batter wet enough to mix. I’m gathering that the preserves are critical but I wonder if there’s a way to change these into mint chocolate truffles? I love me some mint. 🙂
I made these into brownie bites for lower caloric value. These are super fab! http://www.singerskitchen.com/2012/02/double-berry-truffle-brownie-bites.html
Wow!!!! I tried a gluten free rendition with coconut flour and kinnikinnik flour mix. SO GOOOOOD!!!!
Question! Do you have to use fruit spread at all???? Can you substitute it with something else? I just want straight up chocolate!
You would have to sub it for something. It adds sweetness and texture, too. Not sure what I’d sub with…applesauce? Might be too cakey.
I was literally JUST complaining to my friends a few days ago about how I haven’t found any good vegan brownie recipes. They are all too cakey. If I wanted chocolate cake, I would bake a cake. I want brownies that are dense and fudgy to sink my teeth into. Something EXACTLY like these brownies. They have seriously changed my life. I think I could have baked them for a couple minutes longer since my oven is old and temperamental (even after cooling in the fridge for a few hours, they are still super duper gooey) but I am so in love with them, it doesn’t even matter. I am encouraging my roommates to eat them so I don’t eat them all! Thank you so much for this recipe!!
I made these last night. SOOOO good! I used pumpkin for the applesauce (I just prefer the texture it gives over the more cakey applesauce) and did 2 parts ww pastry to 1 part garbanzo bean flour (for extra fudginess). 1/4 c stevia baking blend replaced the sugar. They looked just like the picture and made my SO go “holy. crap.” Success! Had one for brekkie today (ha) and sent the rest to work with my SO to prevent me eating them all. And I don’t even LIKE raspberry/chocolate combos typically. Thanks Isa! This one is a keeper. 🙂
Do you have any openings for a taste tester? I’ll work for free 🙂
Made these last night and they were delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Mmmmm! Heaven. Well done Isa – you hit this one out of the park!
Really looking forward to the Forks over Knives cookbook. So glad to hear that you are in charge of dessert!
Here is how mine turned out:
http://theveganapprentice.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/raspberry-truffle-brownies.html
i made these last night, following the recipe without any variation. they turned out really well. i can taste the whole wheat pastry flour (not a bad thing, but some might readers might prefer to sub something else). next time, i’m thinking i might add a little espresso in with the cocoa powder and use a richer chocolate than cheap ole baker’s. all that said, i was very pleased with the recipe as it is, and i recommend it!
some notes: they came out of the oven goopy – they almost seemed uncooked. i followed isa’s directions, though, and didn’t worry. i let them cool, i put them in the fridge, and then i waited. i didn’t think about them till this morning (ha! yes, hard to do!), and when i cut into them, they were the perfect fudgy (i.e., no longer goopy) consistency! my non-vegan office is happily eating them up now.
Hey Isa! I made these yesterday night and left them to chill in the fridge like you said. I sent them off with my Dad to take them to his office and share with his colleagues, who later emailed me saying they were delicious, asking for the recipe, etc. I also tried one, and wow, were these good! Seriously, raspberries and chocolate. Perfect combo. Thanks for these, and, I hope you don’t mind, but I posted the recipe onto my blog (with links back here, of course!). 🙂
Very cool, thanks!
I’m making these tonight…so excited. You’re a star Isa!!!!!!!!
Yummy yummy yummy. Boyfriend tried them and paused then said ‘wow these are perfect….’
He’s a keeper!
Made these for grandma for Vday. wow. we’re all smitten. they’re YUMMMMAZING!
I made these for my boyfriend for Valentine’s day, and they are amazing!!! However, I needed to put them in the oven for possibly 7 minutes longer because they are really more of a pudding consistency, however I received zero complaints about it, this was just my judgement more so. 🙂 It’s probably just my oven, and I’ll know better for next time!
Thank you so much Isa!
Made these tonite for dinner and did a rapid cool by sticking them in the freezer for about 1.5 hours. Not bad! Also, if you want extra insane chocolate-y goodness, use black cocoa powder- it was all I had on hand, it made them taste extra delicious!
The baking time must be wrong here–kind of effed up my valentines day!!! 🙁
I’ve made your recipes before, and EVERY ONE has turned out amazing… except these 🙁 What did I do wrong? I made 2 different batches and followed the recipe exactly, but there’s this “weird” flavor to it that I can’t really describe. My friend definitely agreed.
I’m going to stop posting about my love for these because it’s getting a little pathetic….My rather large meat eating friend text me to say ‘thank you for the brownie, it was delicious.’ On hearing about this, boyfriend instructed me to hide them. I also got to use up this strange tasting (expensive!) all natural cranberry and raspberry superjam fruit spread that had taken residence in my fridge. Righhht, on with the beet burgers even though cooking brown rice frightens me.
I made these with strawberry instead of raspberry, and I think they are delicious. A couple of my (non-veg) friends, though, hated them. This might just be a divisive recipe.
I froze them and have been warming one up at a time. This is the only way I can keep myself from devouring the whole tray inonesitting. Can’t decide if I like the blueberry version or this one better!
These are wonderful, but my family did not like the strong almond taste from the extract which took away from the chocolate & raspberry flavors we were hoping to have dance on our taste buds – instead it was an almond extra dance party of one. Unless you REALLY like that flavor, I would recommend leaving it out as I plan to next time (using extra vanilla instead). I think they will be amazing & perfect then 🙂 **I did use exact measurements and follow the recipe to perfection, so I didn’t add extra almond or anything like that, just to clarify.
Isa these are totally amazing! Thank you! I made them for v-day & we can’t stop eating them, yesterday I had two for breakfast with ice cream! I left out the almond extract because my husband hates it but hopefully sometime I can sneakily bake myself a batch so I can include it.
In response to people who are saying the cooking time is wrong, do you have oven thermometers? Did you let them cool? Mine came out perfect with 18 mins cooking time, cooling & then refrigerating as the recipe advises.
I found your site a few weeks ago and made these brownies this weekend. They were great and my family loved them! Thanks for the great recipe! I’ll need to try more things from your website and cookbooks.
I could spend all day languidly licking the batter out of the mixing bowl with my fingers. This recipe is EVIL!!!! (I am hopelessly corrupted…)
Love the sound of these, will have to try asap! Just wondering, by applesauce do you just mean stewed apple (not sure we have it/call it the same in ireland)…and if so i was wondering do you think maybe i could try substituting apple pulp? (am quite obsessed with juicing lately, and like to try to use the pulp in baking..)
thank you (“,)
I made these this weekend to test them out for a brownie bake-off contest my work is having next week. My fiance thought they were the perfect brownie, but I’m a little concerned they won’t be sweet enough for the general population. Any suggestions on how to sweeten them up just a little? I’m thinking about using the blueberry recipe from V’con instead, but I won’t have enough time/supplies to test out that recipe too. Any help anyone can give would be MUCH appreciated. I’d love for a vegan brownie to win the contest! 🙂
I love that you’re doing ‘healthier’ desert options !
We put our son on a wholefood diet with minimal if not non existant sugar intake and everything homemade, no factory processed foods at all (one of many reasons I LOVE your site).
Our families gasped at the thought of him missing out on brand name chocolate bars, ice creams and other childhood treats.
Now I can prove to them that, sometimes, he CAN have his almost healthy cake… and eat it ! 🙂
Thank you !
I put mine in for only 15 minutes and they were overcooked.
Do you suppose I could double this and bake it in a sheet cake pan? I’ve got to have more than twelve . . . family of five, so we need at LEAST four apiece . . . 🙂
So delicious!!!