These Plant-Based Yogurt Brownies are oil-free brownies simply made with yogurt instead of oil or plant-based butter.
They are also refined sugar-free and packed with whole grains from oats.
If you like healthier brownie recipes like my Healthy Banana Brownies or No-Bake Brownies, these yogurt brownies are for you.
They are made with dairy-free yogurt, no eggs, no butter or oil but they have the same fudgy texture as you expect from brownies.
What Are Yogurt Brownies?
Yogurt brownies are healthy brownies made with yogurt instead of oil. Therefore, they contain fewer calories, less fat and they are better for you as a quick healthy dessert.
They don’t necessarily contains dairy, and they work very well with plant-based yogurt of any sort.
Ingredients and Substitutions
All you need to make these healthy brownies are:
- Dark Chocolate Chips – I use 70% cocoa chocolate chips, but you can also use semi-sweet chocolate chips to add more sweetness to your brownies. Or, try 85% cocoa chocolate for low-sugar brownies. Pick the level of cocoa that suits your taste.
- Coconut Sugar, brown sugar, or any granulated sugar you have at home.
- Maple Syrup, agave syrup, coconut nectar, or date syrup.
- Almond Milk or any non-dairy milk you like, including soy milk for a boost of protein. Swap almond milk for soy milk, coconut milk, or oat milk for a nut-free option.
- Plant-Based Greek Yogurt – Plain coconut yogurt is rich and works very well for yogurt brownies. However, to boost proteins, you can use soy yogurt. Other options are oat or almond yogurt.
- Vanilla Extract – If you are using a vanilla flavored yogurt, skip the vanilla extract.
- Oat Flour – The recipe comes out dense and chewy with all purpose flour so I don’t recommend replacing oat flour with regular flour. Use gluten-free oat and blend to make your own gluten-free flour mix.
- Ground Flaxseeds or chia seeds – This adds a chewy texture to the brownies and binds the ingredients nicely together.
- Baking Powder – to give them some rise.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – If you only have sweetened cocoa powder, reduce the amount of coconut sugar to avoid an overly sweet batter.
- Salt – for taste.
How To Make Yogurt Brownies
It’s very easy to make a brownie with yogurt instead of oil or plant-based butter.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8-inch x 8-inch square pan with parchment paper. Lightly oil it with a cooking oil spray. Set it aside.
- First, add the chocolate chips, almond milk, maple syrup, and coconut sugar to a nonstick saucepan. If you prefer to use a microwave, place the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stir each time, and stop when the mixture is consistent.
- Bring it over medium heat, stir, and cook until the chocolate is melted. Remove from the heat and set it aside at room temperature. You want the chocolate to be melted and the sugar to dissolve well in the mix.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the remaining dry ingredients: oat flour, flax meal, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder.
- In the bowl with the dry ingredients, pour the lukewarm melted chocolate mixture, yogurt, and vanilla extract.
- Stir until the brownie batter is consistent and shiny. If you like, stir in 1/2 cup of chopped nuts or extra chocolate chips
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake the brownies at 350°F (180°C) on the center rack of the oven for about 18 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with few crumbs on it. Don’t overbake the brownies to keep their fudgy texture. In fact, these healthy vegan Greek yogurt brownies can easily turn dry if baked for too long.
- You know the brownies are cooked when their top is set, dry but if you press the center, it is still soft and a pick inserted in the middle is not coming out wet. You should get just a bit of brownie crumbs on it.
- Cool down 5 minutes in the pan then pull out the hanging pieces of parchment paper to release on a cooling rack. If you like, sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top of the warm brownies.
- Cool completely on the rack before slicing into 16 squares.
Serving
Serve this plant-based healthy Greek yogurt brownies plain or with some extra toppings or sides like:
- A scoop of vanilla ice cream – try our Ninja Creami protein ice cream for a healthy side.
- A pinch of sea salt flakes
- A dollop of plant-based vanilla Greek yogurt
- Berries or fruit like banana slices
- Coconut whipped cream or Vegan Whipped Cream
- Drizzle peanut butter or almond butter
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are my answers to your most common questions about this recipe.
You can swap oil for yogurt in most brownie recipes.
However, this adds moisture to the recipe and the texture of the brownies will be less fudgy, if you don’t alter the remaining recipe ingredients.
The secret ingredient to brownie texture is fat. The more oil or butter you add, the fudgier your baked goods come out.
However, this is only true if you make brownies with all-purpose flour. To make fudgy brownies with less fat, try healthier flour like oat flour or almond flour.
Then, use melted chocolate chips instead of using only cocoa powder.
Finally, using a combination of liquid sweetener and crystal sugar is a great way to add a chewy, fudgy texture.
These brownies store very well in the fridge. Refrigerating even enhanced their fudgy texture when cold.
Store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
You can place these brownies in the freezer for up to one month and thaw them at room temperature the day before.
More Vegan Brownies
If you like plant-based brownies, I have many other brownies recipes, including oil-free brownies, healthy brownies, and more.
Did You Like This Recipe?
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Yogurt Brownies
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Dairy-Free Dark Chocolate Chips
- ¼ cup Coconut Sugar
- ¼ cup Almond Milk
- ¼ cup Maple Syrup
- ¾ cup Oat Flour
- 1 tablespoon Flaxseed Meal
- ½ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¾ cup Dairy-Free Yogurt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Optional
- ⅓ cup Walnuts - chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8-inch x 8-inch pan with parchment paper. Lightly oil the paper with cooking spray. Set it aside.
- In a non-stick saucepan, over low-medium heat, melt the chocolate chips, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and almond milk. Stir often with a silicone spatula until the mixture is fully melted. Remove from heat. Set aside for 5 minutes until it cools to room temperature.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the dry ingredients: oat flour, flax meal, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the melted chocolate mixture made in step 1, plant-based yogurt, and vanilla extract.
- Stir to combine and form a smooth brownie batter.
- Stir in 1/3 cup of chopped walnuts or extra chocolate chips if you like – optional.
- Pour the batter into the prepared square pan and spread evenly.
- Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top and bake the brownies at 350°F (180°C) for 18 to 22 minutes in the center rack of the oven. After 18 minutes, insert a pick in the center of the brownies. It should come out a little wet with a bit of crumb to ensure a fudgy texture.
- Cool down in the pan at room temperature for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Slice into 16 squares and serve with a pinch of sea salt flakes.
Storage
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days, this also gives an extra fudgy texture.
I loved these! They are definitely not your typical brownie texture, but after the second-third day they have a yummy fudgy texture! Would definitely make again.
Yes, they are great after a few days!
How do I substitute the chia and flax? Can’t have either. Also can’t have eggs. Would egg replacer work?
You can try with a tablespoon of cornstarch instead of the flaxseeds, it should work. Let me know!