The perfect blend of a crispy outer shell and a dense, fudgy inside. These peanut butter protein brownies are the best way to curb dessert cravings!
These protein brownies help you amp up your protein intake while being naturally dairy and gluten-free. Plus, their two-bite size makes them the perfect treat to pop in your mouth when you need a chocolate fix.
Not sure what to do with the lone sweet potato on the countertop? Use it as a brownie base of course!
Though you may not know it, sweet potatoes make the fudgiest protein brownie bites.
And these peanut butter protein brownies are no exception. Personally, I use protein desserts like this to help clients enjoy what they eat while still hitting their goals (check out this high protein meal plan if you need support).
A delicate blend of indulgence and fuel, these dairy-free protein brownies are a hit as a single-serving dessert or dressed up as a party treat.
Struggling with amping up your protein? Here are 10 tips on how to increase protein intake and teach you how to ENJOY things like peanut butter protein brownies!
Why You'll Love The Brownies
Allergy-friendly: These peanut butter protein brownies are so healthy that they're naturally dairy-free, gluten-free, and paleo.
Easy to make: The brownies are made in just one bowl and with no fancy kitchen techniques. Perfect for busy moms or beginners in the kitchen.
Protein-based: Each mini brownie has 7 grams of protein per serving. While it's not huge, that protein helps slow the release of sugar and is the perfect amount to indulge but not make you want more and more and more. Learn more about the benefits of a high protein diet.
Texture and taste: Deliciously fudgy and a rich chocolate flavor swirled with peanut butter.
This blog post is sponsored by Naked Nutrition which has one of the best-tasting vegan protein powders I’ve tried.
Ingredients You’ll Need
One of my favorite things about these gluten-free protein brownies is that they require minimal ingredients. If you have a well-stocked gluten-free pantry, you’re probably set to whip these up!
Cooked Sweet Potatoes: responsible for the fudgy inside of the protein brownies and adding some “bulk’ to them. If you have extra, whip up this meal prep, Shepherd's pie with sweet potatoes.
Chocolate Protein Powder: the kind of protein powder you choose can and will make a difference to the peanut butter protein brownies recipe. Learn more about how to choose a protein powder for your goals. For the best results in texture, opt for Naked Nutrition’s Chocolate Pea Protein Powder.
Maple Syrup: Make sure to use real maple syrup and not something with corn syrup for the best possible flavor (and to cut back on no-so-great sugars).
Sea salt: don’t skip the salt! The flavor combo of chocolate + peanut butter + salt is truly delicious.
Peanut butter: opt for a fresh jar of peanut butter so it mixes well (not the hard part on the bottom) and use natural peanut butter so there are no extra additives that could change the texture.
Baking soda: not to be confused with baking powder, make sure to use baking soda in your mix.
Avocado oil: this helps keep a high-fat ratio in the brownies to give them their indulgent, fudgy texture.
Mini chocolate chips: you don’t need a lot to get the perfect flavor here. But make sure to use mini chocolate chips so that they’re evenly distributed (and dairy and gluten-free ones as needed).
Important Teaching Tips & Substitutions
Any nut butter will work for the peanut butter protein brownies. However, peanut butter gives the best flavor in my opinion.
If you need to make them nut free though, opt for sunflower seed butter.
The batter is extremely thick. You need to portion it out and press it doesn't (it doesn't pour). Make sure to really press the brownies into the mold so that they hold together once cooked.
Fun hack: pumpkin and sweet potato are pretty interchangeable. If you don’t have sweet potato, or it’s fall and you want a pumpkin pie spice vibe, swap them!
Make sure to cook the sweet potato fully so that it mashes easily. Sweet potato chunky brownies are not what we’re going for.
You cannot use whey protein as well in this recipe. Vegan protein powder absorbs liquid which is why these two-bite brownies are flourless. Whey protein powder and collagen do not. You’d end up with a mushy mess.
Sizing: I find this recipe is best when cooked in 12 cups, silicone mini muffin mold. If you use the mini muffin tin and liners, know that the protein brownies will come out more "one bite" sized and denser.
How To Make Peanut Butter Protein Brownies
Step 1: In a large bowl, mash the sweet potato and combine it with the liquid ingredients.
Step 2: Add the remaining ingredients and mix until combined.
Step 3: Use a spoon to manually portion the batter into a mini silicone muffin tray.
Step 4: Bake the peanut butter protein brownies and let them cool in the silicone mold before topping them.
Which Protein Powder To use
These mini protein brownie were made specifically with Naked Nutrition’s Chocolate Pea Protein Powder.
This protein powder is amazing for anyone who is looking for pure, simple, protein.
It has just three ingredients: cacao powder, coconut sugar (minimal), and pea protein powder.
No additives, funny names, or “flavors” are added.
The reason I chose to partner with Naked Nutrition is that they’re exactly like their name: naked. Transparency doesn’t often happen with companies but this one rocks.
… and this protein powder makes just about any smoothie taste freaking awesome.
25 grams of protein in just 160 calories. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Side note: they have an egg white protein I really want to try but it doesn’t ship to me. If you try it, drop me a comment on how you like it!
How To Make The Protein Brownies Festive
If there’s one thing I love it’s taking one recipe and giving it multiple uses.
This means that as-is, the dairy-free chocolate brownies work as a protein dessert or even an indulgent, high-protein snack!
If your family likes something more though, or if you’re trying to impress someone, try one of the variations below.
Classic party brownies: make the flourless brownies as is, top them with dairy-free cream cheese frosting or whole30 coconut whipped cream and dust them with cacao powder.
Valentine’s protein brownies: sub in pink sprinkles for chocolate chips. Top the brownies with whole30 whipped cream and dust them with pink fairy sugar.
Chocolate Christmas brownies: sub in crushed candy canes for chocolate chips. Add in ⅛tsp peppermint extract before baking. Then, top the two bite brownies with whole30 whipped cream and sprinkle crushed candy canes on top.
Fall pumpkin brownies: sub in pumpkin puree for the sweet potato and keep the chocolate chips. Add in ¼tsp ground cinnamon. Top the brownies with whole30 whipped cream and dust them with pumpkin pie spice.
Fast, crave-worthy snacks that hit your protein goals (without tracking or extra cooking time).
Frequently Asked Questions About Protein Brownies
The healthy protein brownies taste best when stored in an airtight container in the fried. Stored this way, they’ll last about 7-10 days.
Chocolate brownies are fudgiest when there is limited flour and an ingredient like bananas, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, or applesauce to give them a moist texture.
The best way to cook two-bite protein brownies is by using a silicone mini muffin mold. Using this, the brownies just pop right out. Using liners makes it harder to get the brownies away from the liner.
Though many dairy-free, gluten-free, and paleo brownie recipes use coconut sugar, it's not interchangeable with maple syrup. As a liquid, the texture is dependent on maple syrup, and changing it for a powder will alter the texture.
You can use vanilla protein powder and leave everything as is, knowing your brownies will have a different color. If you only have vanilla protein but still want a chocolate brownie, I would add some cacao or cocoa powder to the mixture. Add in 1 tablespoon and increase the maple syrup by 1 teaspoon (to compensate for the cocoa powder).
Other Protein Powder Desserts You’ll Love
- Glazed protein donuts
- Chunky monkey homemade protein ice cream
- Flourless peanut butter protein muffins
- Fudgy Protein Brownies
- Overnight cookie dough protein oats
- Chocolate chia protein balls
- Peanut butter and jam protein balls
- Chocolate chip protein powder muffins
- Chocolate fudge protein balls
- High protein cookies
- High protein pancakes
Peanut Butter Protein Brownies
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup sweet potato cooked
- 4 tbs maple syrup
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
- ½ cup peanut butter natural
- ½ cup Chocolate protein powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt scant
- 4 tbs Avocado oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.
- In a large bowl, mash the sweet potato.
- Mix in the maple syrup and peanut butter until mostly smooth.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Use a spoon to manually portion the batter into a mini silicone muffin tray.
- Bake for 20 minutes and let them cool fully in the pan.
- Top them with drizzled peanut butter if you want.
Notes
- You will have to physically portion and shape the brownies into the muffin tin. The batter is extremely thick(it doesn't pour). Make sure to really press the brownies into the mold so that they hold together once cooked.
- Almond butter will work for the protein brownies recipe. However, peanut butter gives the best flavor in my opinion.
- If you need to make them nut free though, opt for sunflower seed butter.
- Fun hack: pumpkin and sweet potato are pretty interchangeable. If you don’t have sweet potato, it’s fall and you want a pumpkin pie spice vibe, swap them!
- Make sure to cook the sweet potato fully so that it mashes easily. Sweet potato chunky brownies are not what we’re going for.
- Mini chocolate chips work best in healthy protein brownies. Mainly because then there's more to distribute into every bite.
- Make sure to let the brownies cool completely in the muffin tin, otherwise, they'll break when you take them out!
- You cannot use chocolate whey protein powder as well in this recipe. Vegan protein powder absorbs liquid which is why these two-bite brownies are flourless. Whey protein powder and collagen do not. You’d end up with a mushy mess.
- Sizing differences: they're best made in a silicone mold. A mini muffin tin makes them more "one bite" brownies and they're a bit denser (versus light and fudgy).
- If you make them with silicone molds there is about 18-22 brownies. In a mini muffin pan, there is more. The nutrition is based on a serving of two brownies (because no one eats just one!).
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Nutrition
Lianne says
These brownies are a bomb! My kids enjoyed it during their snacks and have been asking me to make it again, thank you!
fitasamamabear says
I love when kids approve!