Flourless protein brownies that are made with only 7 ingredients! Vegan, easy to make, and healthy-ish. Made with protein powder too. These are an awesome high protein, vegan snack or treat.
What Does A Flourless Protein Brownie Taste Like?
These brownies are super fudgey. This is because there isn't any flour, making the texture like a soft fudge. It's definitely not chewy, and not a crumbly, cake like brownie. If you prefer a more cake like brownie, and still want to keep it flour free, why not check out my vegan chickpea brownie recipe here
The Secret Ingredient To Flourless Protein Brownies
There is one secret ingredient that makes these flourless protein brownies 'glue' together. And that is pureed pumpkin!
Pureed pumpkin is an awesome vegan ingredient to cook and bake with. Since turning vegan I love cooking with pureed pumpkin. I use it for pasta dishes, cheese sauces, and now brownies! You can buy canned pureed pumpkin, but I much prefer to buy fresh pumpkin, boil it, and puree it myself.
Why Protein Powder?
Since turning vegan, I have become obsessed with finding ways to add protein powder to my baking. I enjoy finding creative ways to add a little bit of protein powder where possible. I'd much rather eat a brownie than chug down a protein shake!
What is Erythritol and Can I use a Substitue?
I use erythritol in this recipe for sweetener. I like to use a calorie free sweetener to keep this a low calorie, healthy-ish brownie snack. If you don't have erythritol you can substitute for the following:
- Powdered stevia
- Any other powder natural sweetener
- Sugar! If you aren't calorie counting or too worried about the sugar content, you can always substitute for good old fashioned sugar (easy!)
The batter is super thick! is that normal?
Yes! you should be scraping the batter out of the food processor. This is also why I recommend greasing the pan as well as using baking paper
Protein Powder Frosting
A nice addition to these brownies is the protein powder frosting. It's another way to add a little extra protein powder. This is optional and these proteins are still delicious without it. If I'm short on time I often make these without the frosting.
Flourless Protein Brownies
Ingredients
- 330 grams pumpkin puree. This is approximately half a small pumpkin. You can measure the grams after boiling & pureeing or use canned pureed pumpkin
- ½ cup chocolate protein powder
- ½ cup cacao or cocoa powder
- ½ cup peanut butter
- 3 tablespoon erythritol or sweetener of choice refer to blog notes for substitues
- ½ cup plant milk I use almond milk
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
Protein Frosting (Optional)
- 1 scoop chocolate protein powder 30 grams
- ¼ cup plant milk I use almond milk
- 4 tablespoon icing sugar
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 350F / 180 degrees
- Add all ingredients to a food processor (pumpkin puree, chocolate protein powder, cacao, peanut butter, erythritol, almond milk, and baking powder) and pulse until blended smooth
- Grease a baking a baking tray and line with baking paper
- Scrape the brownie batter into the baking tray
- Using a spatula, spread the batter evenly. The batter should be thick and sticky
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes
- Let cool and spread protein frosting on top if using
- Slice into 16 brownie servings
Pureed Pumpkin (if using fresh pumpkin over canned)
- Bring a pot of water to boil
- Chop the pumpkin into small pieces (about 3cm cubes)
- Add pumpkin cubes to the boiling water. Boil for 15 minutes
Protein Frosting
- Add chocolate protein powder, sugar, and plant milk to a bowl. Whisk until well combined
- Spread evenly with a spatula or knife onto the cooled brownies
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