8 Surprising Oil Substitutions For Lighter, Healthier Brownies (2024)

If you're still making brownies with oil, we have a huge newsflash for you: Stop. Brownies, whether homemade or boxed, are one of the easiest baked goods to swap out the oil for something healthier and lower in calories without anyone noticing—in other words, lower-guilt brownies still taste highly good. Bonus: Beyond the mega calorie saving, these 8 substitutes also deliver notable nutritional perks.

Just one caveat: Lower fat batters tend to cook quicker and can easily become dry when over-baked. So adhere to the toothpick test and poke your brownies about 10 minutes before the timer goes off and do so every couple of minutes thereafter until baked through.

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Make it work: Applesauce is an old favorite when it comes to trimming the fat in baked goods. Unsweetened applesauce can be substituted for oil cup-for-cup in a brownie baking mix. But for the best texture, start by using ¾ cup sauce for every 1 cup of oil called for. In other words, if a recipe calls for ½ cup vegetable oil, try using ⅓ cup applesauce and 3 tablespoons oil and check for doneness about 10 minutes prior to full bake time. If your recipe calls for multiple eggs, reduce to just one for fudgier results.

Taste test: The tempered fruitiness only serves to improve overall flavor, but expect brownies to be a little spongier and slightly thinner.

The benefit: Replace ½ cup oil with applesauce and you'll bid adieu to a whopping 913 calories in each batch of brownies—or roughly 76 calories per brownie if a batch makes a dozen.

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Make it work: The same rule of thumb for applesauce goes for yogurt: Sub out ¾ cup of oil for plain Greek yogurt. If the batter seems too dry after mixing, stir in additional yogurt. Using 2% Greek yogurt will also add back a touch of fat and creaminess without a hefty caloric cost.

Taste test: Brownies made with Greek yogurt have a mellow tang and come out of the oven puffier than those made with applesauce. They'll also likely be gooier inside.

The benefit: Greek yogurt adds protein to brownies and gives each guilt-free bite an extra dose of bone-building calcium.

MORE: 6 Surprising Ways To Use Greek Yogurt

Make it work: You can swap out all of the oil called for with a mixture of 1 large avocado and ½ cup yogurt for added moisture. Puree the avocado in a blender or food processor along with the other liquids (yogurt, water, eggs). You can also make Paleo-friendly brownies by ditching the regular flour for almond flour.

Taste test: Avocado makes brownies rich and dense in a good way. Opt for avocados that are slightly soft to the touch—not too hard or too soft—which will help keep your baked goods from tasting like guacamole.

The benefit: The cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fat found in avocado makes each square a little piece of heart-friendly heaven. You'll also reap the benefits of an added dose of vitamin K, which has been shown to help slash diabetes risk.

MORE:4 Things You Should Know Before You Eat Your Next Avocado

Make it work: Pureed dried plumes, or prunes, makes a low-calorie fat alternative and work particularly well in chocolate baked goods. Experiment by replacing all the oil in a recipe with three-fourths as much store-bought baby food prune puree. (Or make your own by soaking 1 cup pitted dried plums in 1 cup boiling water and then pureeing in a blender or food processor.) If the batter seems too dry after mixing in the pureed prunes, try adding a little more puree. If you're making homemade brownies, you can also reduce the sugar in your recipe by 25%, thanks to prune's natural sweetness.

Taste test: Prune brownies are moist and fudgy, with just a touch of a fruity taste.

The benefit: Pureed dried plums add fiber and vitamins K and A to brownies.

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Make it work: Asian recipes often call for beans in desserts, but whoever started using black beans in the American classic is an international genius. The secret is to blend the beans beforehand by putting a 14-ounce can of salt-free black beans, not drained, in a blender or food processor first. Then add the mash directly to the mix, replacing about 75% of the fat in a recipe. You can also try a mixture of black bean puree and yogurt for a complete oil or butter replacement.

Taste test: The plant fiber found in beans will actually improve the texture of low-fat baked goods for a deliciously dense, fudgy brownie without a hint of bean flavor.

The benefit: The payload of dietary fiber in black beans gives each dark delight more staying power in your stomach and slows the rush of sugar to your bloodstream.

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Make it work: Soft or silken tofu can be used to replace up to half the fat called for by a brownie recipe or mix. You can also experiment by replacing half the oil or butter with tofu and the other half with pureed for a near fat-free treat.

Taste test: Tofu has a very mild flavor that virtually disappears in brownies. Expect the end result to be lighter than if you use other fat replacements like beans or avocado.

The benefit: The delight of vegetarians and vegans, tofu adds protein and some bone-building calcium to brownies.

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Make it work: Forget food coloring: Beets (yes, seriously!) are the perfect way to add a blush to chocolaty baked goods. Steam or boil peeled beets until fork tender and then pulverize in a food processor before adding them to a batter mix. Try using ½ pound beets (about 2 medium-sized) with 3 tablespoons oil for best results. With homemade brownies, you can also scale back on the sugar, since beets are one of nature's sweetest veggies.

Taste test: Beets add moistness and tender texture that will keep you rooting for these brownies.

The benefit: Beets infuse brownies with age-avenging antioxidants and the anti-cancer vitamin folate.

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Make it work: Not just for pies, pure canned pumpkin puree (not canned pie mix) is a good replacement for half to all the fat in brownie recipes. Start by using three-quarters pumpkin puree for the total amount of oil called for, adding extra pumpkin (or yogurt) if the batter is too dry. Alternatively, you can also try using cooked and pureed sweet potatoes or butternut squash.

Taste test: Brownies infused with pumpkin, squash, or sweet-potato purees are often fudgy, moist and non-cakey, with only a hint of flavor. Try adding instant espresso powder to brownie batter when using these oil substitutes to heighten the chocolate flavor.

The benefit: Pumpkin is high in beta-carotene, an antioxidant shown to quell inflammation and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol numbers making it an ally in the battle against coronary woes.

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