Sugar-Free Whole Wheat Brownies
Sugar-Free Whole Wheat Brownies are a fun memory of Grandma Willey; here’s my healthier version of her famous brownies with walnuts. This is relatively low in net carbs; check the nutritional info to see what you think.
PIN Sugar-Free Whole Wheat Brownies to try them later!
There’s a heart-warming story behind this stack of Sugar-Free Whole Wheat Brownies. A few weeks ago my sister Pam’s mother-in-law passed away. When I went to the viewing for Grandma Willey there was a table of memories of her life, along with a stack of printed recipe cards and a little sign that said “Dorothy’s favorite recipe, please take one.” On the card was the recipe for Dot’s Brownies.
Grandma Willey wasn’t technically a relative of mine, but I did see her often at Willey family events and always enjoyed her warm personality, her forthright comments, and her political philosophies, including a strong belief in women’s rights. The last few years of her life she suffered with poor eyesight, and I admired the way Pam’s husband Kelly and his sister Elizabeth took care of their mom’s every need.
I’m pretty sure Grandma Willey didn’t use a computer and I’m not sure if she even knew about my blog, but I thought it would be fun come up with a recipe for sugar-free and whole wheat brownies were adapted from her brownie recipe. This not a super-sweet brownie the way I’ve made it, which suits my tastebuds perfectly. I’ll always remember Grandma Willey mostly for the goodness she instilled in her son Kelly, who has done so many nice things for me during my life, but now I have a great brownie recipe to remember her by as well.
What ingredient do you need for this recipe?
- melted butter
- cocoa powder
- 4 eggs
- Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link), or other sweetener of your choice
- White Whole Wheat Flour (affiliate link)
- salt
- vanilla
- walnuts
How did I change Grandma Willey’s recipe?
Grandma Willey’s brownies had frosting, something I skipped for a sugar-free version. And when I tried the recipe the first time just substituting sweetener for sugar, I thought they were not quite sweet enough, so the version I’m sharing here has an extra 1/2 cup of sweetener. Grandma Willey used margarine (probably this was a depression-era recipe) but I made my version with butter the best; use margarine or coconut oil if you prefer. I also switched the white flour for white whole wheat, something I use in almost all my baking recipes that have flour.
Want Flourless Sugar-Free and Gluten-Free Brownies?
If you’d prefer a brownie recipe that’s not only sugar-free but also flourless and gluten-free, check out my recipe for Almond Flour Brownies.
Want more sugar-free chocolate ideas?
Check my round-up of The BEST Low-Carb Chocolate Desserts for more sugar-free recipes with chocolate.
How to Make Sugar-Free Whole Wheat Brownies:
(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)
- Use the microwave to melt the butter or oil/margarine of your choice in a bowl that’s big enough to hold all the ingredients.
- Mix 7 tablespoons of cocoa powder into the melted butter.
- In a smaller bowl, beat 4 eggs with Monkfruit Sweetener or other sweetener of your choice.
- Mix the egg mixture into the cocoa powder mixture.
- Then add the flour, salt, and vanilla and stir to combine.
- I loved the part of the recipe that said 1 cup nuts (hand broken) and I did indeed break them by hand.
- Press the mixture into a sprayed baking dish. I used a glass dish that was about 8″ x 11″ which gave me twelve large brownies.
- Bake at 350F/180C for 30 minutes, and then let the brownies cool in the pan for a few minutes before cutting.
More Sugar-Free Recipes with Chocolate:
Whole Grain Sugar-Free Chocolate Cookies with Pecans
Flourless Sugar-Free Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Flourless Sugar-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies
Sugar-Free Whole Wheat Brownies
Sugar-Free Whole Wheat Brownies with Walnuts are a healthier version of Grandma Willey's famous brownies.
Ingredients
- 1 cup melted butter (see notes)
- 7 T cocoa powder
- 4 eggs, well beaten
- 2 1/2 cups Monkfruit Sweetener (see notes)
- 1 1/3 cups white whole wheat flour
- pinch of salt
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 cup walnuts (hand broken)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
- Use a microwave to melt the butter or other fat choice in a large bowl (big enough to hold all the ingredients.)
- Stir the cocoa powder into the melted butter.
- In a separate small bowl, beat the eggs well, then stir in 2 1/2 cups Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link) or whatever sweetener you prefer) and stir again.
- Stir the egg mixture into the cocoa mixture.
- Then add the flour, salt, and vanilla and stir to combine.
- Use your fingers to break enough walnuts to make 1 cup, and then gently stir them into the batter.
- Spray a glass baking dish with nonstick spray and then add the batter, pressing down so the brownies are evenly flat. (I used a dish that was about 8″ x 11″.)
- Bake 30 minutes, then let the brownies cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before cutting.
Notes
If you don't have butter you can use margarine or coconut oil; do not use margarine that has water as the first ingredient.
I'm a huge fan of Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link) but use another sweetener or brown sugar if you prefer.
Recipe adapted from Dot’s Brownies, the favorite brownie recipe of Grandma Willey.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 282Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 103mgSodium: 157mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 6g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This is a good brownie recipe for most Low-Glycemic diets, including phase two or three of the original South Beach Diet. South Beach would prefer margarine. The recipe is relatively low in net carbs if you use portion control; check the nutritional info and see what you think.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Dessert Recipes to find more recipes like this. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was posted in 2011. It was last updated with more information in 2022.
25 Comments on “Sugar-Free Whole Wheat Brownies”
I'm traveling so I can't check, but I think I used Smart Balance. Just check the label.
Do you have a recommendation for a margarine that you like that doesn't list water as the first ingredient. I typically just have unsalted butter or Brummel and Brown on hand.
So glad people are happy with the healthful aspects of this recipe! Maybe not 100% guilt free, but definitely better than the original.
Carolyn, I don't have any original recipe cards, but I do have some printed copies of a few of my mom's recipes, and I treasure them.
Kalyn – what a sweet, sweet story. I just think the idea of putting out a favorite recipe for people to take along to remember her is such a wonderful idea. I have 3×5 cards (obviously from long, long ago) that are in my mother's handwriting, or from some of my grandmother's friends, even, and I wax nostalgic every time I glance at them. Remembering the person. But doing it at a viewing is just nice.
I'm a sucker for brownies. A weakness of mine 🙂 I love that you're making them more guilt free!