5 Creative Brownie Recipes That Even Grandma Would Approve of

brownie recipes for the holidays
Photo by Nicole Michalou from Pexels

A cross between cookies and cake, brownies are a baker’s dream. All you have to do is mix the ingredients; bake the batter; and in 30 minutes, you have a chewy, gooey, or cakey treat to satisfy your sweet tooth.

But while the boxed stuff delivers every time, there’s nothing more rewarding than baking brownies from scratch – especially if you want to experiment with new ingredients and flavors.

So, if you want to celebrate National Brownie Day(1) (December 8th) with a bang, these creative brownie recipes will shake up your baking routine in the most exciting way possible.

1. Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

While brownies don’t have a rep for being healthy, this take begs to differ. Loaded with zucchini and whole wheat flour, the treat is rich in potassium and fiber, which is always a plus. The recipe also calls for nuts, adding a crunch and heart-friendly fats to the mix. Finally, a brownie you can feel good about eating!

Ingredients:

  • 2 ½ cups dried zucchini
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 ¼ cups walnuts, chopped

Directions:

  1. Add the zucchini to a bowl along with 5 cups of warm water. Soak for 15 minutes. Remove from the bowl, squeeze slightly (make sure not to remove all the water), and set aside.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350oF and grease a 9×13 baking pan.
  3. Add the olive oil, vanilla extract, and sugar to a large bowl and stir to combine.
  4. Mix in the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda and mix once again until they’re fully incorporated.
  5. Fold in the zucchini and let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
  6. Mix in the walnuts and transfer the batter to the pan.
  7. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick that’s inserted into the brownie comes out clean.
  8. Remove from the oven, let cool, and cut into pieces.

2. Chocolate Sweet Potato Brownies

Pureed sweet potatoes provide the base for this brownie recipe, which is both easy and foolproof. A dollop of nut butter also makes the treat irresistibly chewy, while applesauce adds enough moisture for a melt-in-your-mouth experience.

Ingredients:

  • 1 ¼ cups dried sweet potatoes
  • 1/3 cup nut butter of choice
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup applesauce
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup pecans (chopped) or dark chocolate chips

Directions:

  1. Add the sweet potato to a pot along with 4 cups of water. Soak for 15 minutes. Then, bring the water to a boil and cook until they’re fork tender. Transfer to a large bowl and mash with the back of a fork.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients one at a time until you have a thick dough.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350oF and grease an 8×8 baking pan.
  4. Pour the brownie batter into the pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick that’s inserted in the brownie comes out clean.
  5. Remove from the oven, let cool, and cut to pieces.

3. Chocolate Raspberry Brownies

Great things can happen when raspberries meet chocolate, and this brownie recipe is living proof. Fudgy and wholesome: the dessert is the perfect way to round out any meal. Ready to discover another side to brownies?

Ingredients:

  • ¾ cup all purpose flour
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup dark chocolate
  • 2 eggs
  • ¾ tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups freeze dried raspberries

Directions:

  1. Add the raspberries to a bowl along with 3 cups of warm water. Soak for 15 minutes. Squeeze away excess liquid and set aside.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350oF and grease an 8×8 baking pan.
  3. In a small bowl, mix the flour and cocoa and set aside.
  4. Add the butter and chocolate to a heat-proof bowl and set over a pot with boiling water (double boiler). Keep stirring until everything is melted. Then, remove the heat.
  5. Stir in the sugar and beat well. Whisk in the eggs one at a time and, then, the flour mixture. Fold in the raspberries.
  6. Pour the brownie batter into the pan and bake 30-35 minutes or until you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean.
  7. Remove from the oven, let cool, and cut into pieces.

4. Chocolate Black Bean Brownies

You may be used to adding black beans to savory dishes like salads and dips. But this brownie recipe proves the legume is great for desserts, as well. Plus, black beans are abundant in nutrients(2) (from protein to fiber), making this brownie mix slightly more nourishing than the boxed stuff.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dehydrated black beans
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips or nuts (chopped)

Directions:

  1. Add the beans to a pot along with 3 cups of water. Soak overnight. The next day, bring the water to a boil and cook until fork-tender. Remove from the water and transfer to a large bowl.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until everything is combined evenly.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350oF and grease an 8×8 baking pan.
  4. Pour the brownie batter into the pan and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick that’s inserted in the brownie comes out clean.
  5. Remove from the oven, let cool, and cut into pieces.

5. Strawberry Cream Cheese Brownies

Chances are you have a block of cream cheese standing in your fridge, and chances are you use it just to schmear your bagels. But, if you want to make the richest, most delicious brownies ever, we urge you to mix some of it with strawberries and drizzle the topping all over your brownie batter. Now that’s next-level indulgence!

Ingredients:

  • 1 ¾ all-purpose flour
  • 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 1/3 cups dark chocolate
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup cream cheese
  • 2 egg yolks
  • ¾ cup organic crunchy strawberries

Directions:

  1. Add the strawberries to a bowl along with 2 cups of warm water. Soak for 15 minutes. Squeeze away excess liquid and set aside.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350oF and grease a 9×13 baking pan.
  3. Add the flour and cocoa powder to a bowl and mix well to combine.
  4. In a saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate over medium heat. Whisk in the granulated sugar and 1 ½ cups of the powdered sugar and remove from the heat.
  5. Add the eggs and vanilla extract one at a time and mix until you have a thick batter.
  6. Whisk in the flour mixture until everything is evenly combined.
  7. Pour the brownie batter into the pan and set aside.
  8. In another bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, raspberries, egg yolks, and the remaining ¼ cup of powdered sugar.
  9. Place spoonfuls of the cream cheese topping on the brownie and use a knife to swirl it around.
  10. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick that’s inserted in the brownie comes out clean.
  11. Remove from the oven, let cool, and cut into pieces.

Which of these brownie recipes would you try for National Brownie Day? Let us know in the comments down below!

References:

  1. National Brownie Day in 2021/2022 – When, Where, Why, How is Celebrated? (holidayscalendar.com)
  2. FoodData Central (usda.gov)
  3. https://iambaker.net/zucchini-brownies/
  4. https://www.acouplecooks.com/sweet-potato-brownies/
  5. https://cookienameddesire.com/fudgy-raspberry-brownies/
  6. https://joyfoodsunshine.com/black-bean-brownies/
  7. https://therecipecritic.com/strawberry-cheesecake-brownies/