Applesauce Brownies

by Arman Liew

published on Aug 31, 2024

91 comments

5 from 367 votes
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My applesauce brownies are fudgy, moist, and full of chocolate flavor. Made with 3 key ingredients, they’re naturally vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free! Multiple frosting options. 

Love creative brownie recipes? Try my black bean brownies, protein brownies, vegan brownies, or sweet potato brownies next.

applesauce brownies.

I’ve played around with just about every quirky ingredient you can think of, but adding applesauce to brownies is a no-brainer. 

Not only does it replace the need for oil, but it adds plenty of moisture and sweetness to an already decadent brownie. 

Table of Contents
  1. Why I love this recipe
  2. Ingredients needed
  3. How to make applesauce brownies
  4. Arman’s recipe tips
  5. Storage instructions
  6. Frequently asked questions
  7. More recipes using apples
  8. Applesauce Brownies (3 Ingredients!) (Recipe Card)

Why I love this recipe

  • It’s a very healthy treat. There’s no added sugar, flour, eggs, oil, or dairy. 
  • Made in one bowl. So clean-up is done in seconds. 
  • Perfect with or without frosting! I think these brownies are flavorful enough as is, but of course, frosting makes everything better!
  • Amazing texture and flavor. Oftentimes, substitutions take away from a recipe, but I actually think applesauce makes these brownies taste ten times better. 

Ingredients needed

  • Unsweetened applesauce. Double-check that it’s completely unsweetened, as I’ve noticed some brands sneak in sugar. You can make your own if you prefer, but make sure that it’s very smooth.
  • Almond butter OR peanut butter. I tested both and couldn’t decide which one I liked more. If you try both and have a preference, let me know!
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder. I prefer Dutch-processed cocoa powder, but you can use dark cocoa powder for a richer, bittersweet flavor. 
  • Liquid stevia. Optional, but good if you prefer sweeter brownies. I used 5-6 drops, but you can use as much as you prefer. Alternatively, use maple syrup or white sugar. 

Frosting ideas

These brownies are delicious on their own, but you can take them up a notch by adding a simple frosting on top!

  • Healthy frosting. My go-to frosting, made with applesauce and naturally sweetened with maple syrup.
  • Coconut cream ganache. Microwave 1 cup of chocolate chips with 1 cup of canned coconut milk until melted, then spread over the cooled brownies.
  • Chocolate glaze. Whisk powdered sugar with cocoa powder and thin with milk or water.

How to make applesauce brownies

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1- Prep work. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a 9×4-inch baking dish with parchment paper. 

Step 2- Mix. In a large bowl, stir together all of the ingredients until a smooth batter remains.

Step 3- Bake. Transfer the batter mixture to the prepared baking pan and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs. 

Step 4- Cool and frost. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan completely before frosting, if desired.

brownie recipe with applesauce.

Arman’s recipe tips

  • Make them nut-free. Swap the nut butter for sunflower seed butter or tahini. 
  • Experiment with mix-ins. Add semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, pecans, or coconut flakes.
  • Enhance the brownie flavor. Add one teaspoon of vanilla extract or a pinch of salt. 

Storage instructions

To store: Store leftover brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. 
To freeze: Place leftover brownies in a freezer-friendly container and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes.

applesauce brownies,

Frequently asked questions

Can I use something other than applesauce?

Yes, you can use mashed bananas or make my pumpkin brownies instead. 

More recipes using apples

chocolate brownie with applesauce

Applesauce Brownies (3 Ingredients!)

5 from 367 votes
My applesauce brownies are fudgy, moist, and full of chocolate flavor. Made with 3 key ingredients, they’re naturally vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free! Multiple frosting options. Watch the video below to see how I make it in my kitchen!
Servings: 9 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Rate This Recipe Print

Video

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a 9 x 4-inch pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the applesauce, almond butter, cocoa powder, and sweetener of choice until a smooth batter remains.
  • Transfer the brownie batter to the loaf pan and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a cooked on top.
  • Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan completely, before frosting, if desired.

Notes

I used 5 drops of liquid stevia. You can use as much or as little as you’d like.
Frost the brownies with applesauce chocolate frosting.
TO STORE: These brownies must always be stored in the refrigerator, to remain fudgy and firm. They will keep well for up to 2 weeks. 
TO FREEZE: Place leftover brownies in a freezer friendly container and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes prior to eating. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 96kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 4gFat: 9gSodium: 3mgPotassium: 221mgFiber: 4gVitamin A: 8IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 56mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 4g
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

Originally updated August 2020, updated and republished August 2024

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, photographer, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This looks so creamy desert but still so healthy (without sugars). You think my parents (that like sweet foods) will like it?

    Reply

  2. 5 stars
    Super easy to make and blown away by the texture and taste. I also made the frosting recipe using the rest of the can of applesauce no waste. Applesauce frosting also blew me away no powder sugar amazing. This is definitely a low calorie dessert gilt free. Thanks so much for the recipe.

    Reply

  3. 5 stars
    They are very moist and have a great chocolate taste. I used dutch cocoa powder. Bake time for mine was very long in a loaf pan, but I just put foil over top and kept baking until top appeared done.

    Reply

  11. THis recipe was super easy and super yummy! I cooked mine in a square cake pan 8×8 and used the protein PowerReviews frosting. Very impressed with the turnout ?

    Reply

  12. My husband and I are on day 1 of detoxing from holiday indulging…and this was a great way to ease into it! I used about 1/3 cup of cocoa powder and we skipped the icing. The first bite was a bit bitter like others have mentioned, but I love dark chocolate and really enjoyed the overall taste and texture! Definitely a great healthy option when you want something super chocolatey!

    Reply

  13. These look fantastic….I see they must be refrigerated….what solution would you offer me if I told you my husband requires warm-able brownies because he prefers his cold ice cream to compliment his ooey-gooey warm brownies (without risking a bowl full of chocolate-y/nut buttery goo)?? 😉

    Reply

  15. Hey there! I am at work today and plan on making these tomorrow when I get home!! Yay! They look incredible.
    Here is my question I hope you can help me out with. I don’t have any of the smaller pans you mentioned 🙁 I have only a standard loaf pan or square 8×8 or 9×9 , or a big cake pan. Do you know how I could best convert this awesome recipe for one of my pans?

    thank you so much

    Reply

    1. Hi Jenn! I think making it in either of those pans is fine, just keep an eye on the baking time 🙂

      Reply

  16. I have made this a couple of times now (without frosting). The first few bites I found to be a bit bitter for my taste, but the more I ate it (and the longer I go without consuming refined sugars) the more I enjoyed the dark chocolate taste. I have been adding some ground chipotle pepper to the mix to give it a nice little kick. Great recipe!

    Reply

      1. May I ask how much sweetener you added? Glad you are enjoying yours. When I made some without sweetener I found the result completely inedible but the site owner says he did recommend some sweetener. I didn’t see that bit!

  17. Very bitter results. I haven’t added frosting but the basic brownie is so bitter I think it’s beyond rescue.
    Where did I go wrong?

    Reply

    1. Julie, with all due respect, the recipe states that it will be dark and rich toasting. If it’s too bitter, it may be due to your cocoa powder you used. I also mentioned in the post that if you want a sweet brownie, add sweetener to it.

      Reply

      1. aH, I didn’t see the bit about sweetener, just thought the applesauce would be enough! Silly me.

  18. Hi

    This ask for almond butter. Here where I live don’t sell almond butter. I don’t like nut version of butter. Here do sell coconut butter. Will that be okay work with this recipe (also banana version too….I love banana)?

    Reply

  19. Help! I made these and had to throw them away as they were extremely bitter. I used Hershey’s CoCo Powder. This was the second brownie recipe I tried that called for CoCo powder and both were too bitter to eat. Any thoughts?

    Reply

      1. The recipe only mentions the frosting (which I did create with melted choc chips), are you suggesting a sweetener in the brownies? If so, what? I don’t want to use anything like Stevia or sugar substitute.

      2. I had the same issue, but I was also using the dark chocolate cocoa instead of regular. I made a second batch with a bit of maple syrup (like 2 tablespoons worth). Worked perfect!

  20. I cannot thank you enough for this recipe and the sweet potato/pumpkin variations. As someone who unfortunately developed a banana allergy in her 20s (yea, it really sucks), it is so hard to find recipes without bananas/frozen bananas etc. I miss their flavour and versatility so much. so to sum up, thank you!!!

    Reply

  24. I just made your apple blondies this week and I cannot wait to make this chocolate version next week 🙂 My partner and my friends are always surprised when they taste the recipes I make from your website and I tell them the ingredients! It`s great to be able to eat desserts which satisfy my sweet tooth but are really healthy and won`t make me feel guilty lol Keep going!

    Reply

    1. 😀 Oh I can totally relate, Diana- I was shocked the other week when I realised my favorite brownie had the same caloric content as THE ENTIRE PAN!!!!!

      Thanks so much for your kind words 🙂

      Reply

  26. I know you said to cool them off first, but I couldn’t wait, and they were phenomenal!!! I can’t wait to see how they taste after some time in the fridge. Thank you so much for the recipe!!!

    Reply

  29. I scanned the recipe pics/titles looking for the protein chocolate frosting recipe… Link please? We’re on Whole30, but it’s my 2yo’s birthday today. Making these for his “cake”… We’ll do it without frosting today, but I’d love to have it for later. 🙂

    Reply

  30. There is nothing worse than baking a cake that requires setting overnight! I definitely need a pint of ice cream in the meantime.

    Reply

  31. That was a funny story. I think once in college i made banana brownies and they were such a disaster, no one ate them. But yeah, I’ll try applesauce. I think with using healthier ingredients, you really have to cut out the flour to avoid dryness.. you’re right. WIll try this

    Reply

  32. There’s no such thing as something being too banana-y. That’s just blasphemy. And applesauce is my jam. Back in the day when I used to make my own, I probably at around 6 apples worth of applesauce a day 😆

    Reply

  33. So fudgy oh em geeeee. In undergrad I’d eat those squeeze packs of applesauce all the time and Ray made fun of me for essentially eating baby food.

    Reply

  34. Hehe your adventures with your mom and Niki are pretty hilarious! And these look so good; apples are right up there with pumpkin for me! And 3 ingredients? YES! Do you make your own nut butter or buy it? What’s your favorite brand?

    Reply

  36. Hi there. I’m French (although to be exact, I hailed from South Korea but I was adopted when I was almost 6 years old) and here in France, we love applesauce! And I’ve been following a healthy lifestyle with a low-carb diet for 2 months and a half now. So hail to your lovely recipe that looks amazing! 🙂 This is the first recipe I’m gonna make from your wonderful website. Gonna tell you how it went, I promise! I love applesauce (in French, it’s called “compote de pommes”). Long live the “baby food”! 😉 Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  37. I can see how gooey these brownies turned out. I like recipes that use applesauce, and have subbed it for half the amount of oil when baking cupcakes.

    Reply

  38. I love recipes that use applesauce! I always end up with too much on my hands. Bonus point is if it involves chocolate!

    Reply

  39. You can tell how gooey/decadent these turn out just from the photos!! Brownies are all about that gooey factor, in my opinion. As a banana lover I’d never have the issue of too banana-y, but I’d imagine these would do the trick for those people. They look incredible!

    Reply

      1. These brownies are good if you don’t mind the apple sauce taste. Otherwise, if you are a chocolate lover like me and do not mind adding dairy to the recipe, I suggest adding melted dark chocolate or add melted chocolate with some Greek yogurt until the chocolate taste is richer.Otherwise, it’s a good recipe

  40. These sound delicious, Arman! I love that Niki made good use of that leftover applesauce. Tell her if she ever runs short, we have plenty of mashed apples around here. And mashed peas. And mashed macaroni and cheese. (I swear it’s a real thing!)

    Reply

  41. Glad you mentioned Sept 11 – such a tough day to process each year! Also, I have more applesauce than know what to do with so I think I’m trying these today – the kids thank you in advance 🙂

    Reply