Avocado brownies may sound a bit odd, but I promise you they are fantastic. These brownies are moist, decadent, and packed with extra nutrients thanks to the addition of avocado. Plus, they happen to be egg-free and vegan, making them ideal for anyone who prefers plant-based foods!
Today, I’ll show you how to make my favorite moist avocado brownies.
This chocolatey treat can be made quickly. Even the busiest of moms can whip them up in just a few minutes!
Baking with avocado
While I can’t exactly call these healthy, these brownies do have added nutritional value and take the place of some other less-than-nutritious ingredients, like vegetable oil.
So if you think about it, avocado brownies are a great way to sneak in extra nutrients for kids too! My daughter loves these brownies and can’t resist going back for seconds!
This avocado brownie recipe doesn’t use eggs, so this is a great option if you’re egg-free. Many egg substitutes result in kind of “meh” baked goods, but this brownie recipe is delicious!
Most people don’t realize that you can do a lot more with avocados beyond guacamole. Did you know they’re delicious in baked goods?
In fact, avocados make exceptional substitutes for butter and even eggs in baking recipes. And no, you won’t taste them!
Their subtle flavor is easily masked with traditional baking ingredients like cocoa powder and vanilla extract. Avocados provide all the moisture and creamy texture of fats (without the unhealthy side effects).
These creamy fruits are known as nutritional powerhouses for good reason. Each avocado is loaded with healthy fats, 4 grams of protein, potassium, and vitamins B6, B5, C, and E. To top it all off, at 11g of fiber, they provide half of the recommended fiber intake for the day!
Ingredients
The ingredient list for these brownies is short and sweet. You likely have most of these items at home already!
- All-purpose flour
- White sugar
- Cocoa powder – make sure you have the unsweetened variety
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Avocado – you’ll want your avocado to be ripe so that it is easily mashed
- Milk – use your preferred milk. I’ve made these with almond milk for a vegan brownie, but also with 1% and 2%. All tasted fantastic!
- Water
- Vanilla extract
- Walnuts – optional (sadly, my kids don’t like nuts in their brownies!)
How to make avocado brownies
Whipping up a batch of these avo brownies is easy peasy. Here’s how to do it.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.
Then, get your secret ingredient ready. You’ll need 1 cup of mashed avocado, so you may need 2 small avocados or 1 large. Make sure it is ripe and easy to mash!
With a mixer, beat together the mashed avocado, milk, water, and vanilla extract.
Next, add the dry ingredients into the wet bowl and mix until well combined.
If you are adding walnuts, you can mix in about 1/2 cup of chopped nuts now.
(My kids prefer nut-free, so we left those out.)
Then, grease a 9×13″ baking pan and pour in your avocado brownie batter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
These avocado brownies are more cake-like than chewy and so yummy! Enjoy!
Storage
In my opinion, these brownies are best eaten warm and fresh. But, if you have to store leftovers, there are several different ways you can do so, including at room temperature, in the refrigerator, and freezer.
Room temperature
If you plan on enjoying your avo brownies within a few days, storing them at room temperature is your best bet.
To keep them fresh, place them in an airtight container and/or wrap them tightly with plastic wrap. This will prevent them from drying out and getting stale. I also recommend waiting to cut the brownies until you are ready to eat them, as that will help keep them moist.
Be sure to store these brownies in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight to keep them as fresh as possible!
Fridge
While storing brownies in the fridge isn’t recommended for long-term storage, it can be a good option if you need to keep them fresh for a few extra days.
To keep your brownies in the fridge, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or place them in an airtight container. They’ll keep for about five days.
I personally rarely store my baked goods in the fridge as it can cause them to dry out. If you decided to go for it, make sure you keep them tightly wrapped.
Freezer
If you want to keep your brownies for a longer period of time, freezing them is a better option.
First, let them cool completely. Then, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe container.
This will help prevent freezer burn and keep them fresh for up to three months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, simply thaw them at room temperature, and your avocado brownies will be ready to eat in no time!
FAQs
Can you taste avocado in avocado brownies?
If the idea of avocado brownies scares you, don’t worry! Avocado itself has a very mild flavor, and when it is paired with stronger ingredients like cocoa and sugar, it fades nicely into the background.
Make sure to use a RIPE avocado, however, as the unripe ones can have a bit of bitter flavor.
Looking for another way to enjoy avocado as a dessert? Give this yummy avocado chocolate mousse a try!
How do I ripen an avocado quickly?
If you are stuck with rock-hard avocados, you’ll want to wait for them to ripen before making a batch of these brownies.
I’ve tried several methods to speed up the ripening process for avocados, and I’ve gotten the best results by putting them in a brown paper bag and sealing the top. Simply leave the bag on your counter overnight, and your avocados should be ripening along nicely.
So, there you have it: chocolatey, rich avocado brownies. Enjoy!
More Brownie Recipes to Try
PrintAvocado Brownies
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 16 brownies 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups white sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup mashed avocado
- 1/2 cup milk (for dairy-free use almond milk)
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional: chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Combine dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt) in a mixing bowl.
- Beat together the mashed avocado, milk, water, and vanilla extract in another bowl. Add the dry ingredients, mixing until well combined. Optional: gently combine mixed walnuts.
- Grease a 9×13″ baking pan, and pour in mixture.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Let brownies cool completely before cutting into squares and serving. Enjoy!
Notes
© Living Well Mom. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words and link back to this post for the recipe.
Single Mother Ahoy says
Wowsers, these look amazing! Pinned for weekend baking!
Anjali says
Awesome! They are a total baking game-changer! 🙂 Enjoy
Ann says
I am not a baker at all therefore know nothing about baking. Now that I have a toddler, I would like to make healthy home made food & snacks for him. This looks like a yummy & easy recipe. We’re trying to stay away from refined sugar… Can the sugar in the recipe be substituted for a natural sweetener like agave? If so, what would the conversion be? Any other suggestions on what to sub the sugar with? Thank you much!!!
Lokness @ The Missing Lokness says
wow… avocado brownies! How interesting. I have seen avocado mousse and avocado ice cream. Brownie is the first! Guilt free always sounds good! 🙂
Kristen says
I got really excited when I saw this recipe because I have all the ingredients at home! I’ve already pinned it and will be making this evening. Quick question: you just said to grease a baking pan, but what SIZE baking pan? I have an 8×8, 9×9, 7×11, and 9×13. Which one will work best?
Erika says
Good question, Kristen! I would do the 8×8 pan. You could probably try the 9×13, but the brownies would be pretty thin and who doesn’t love a nice thick brownie?
Thanks for stopping by!
Danielle says
I have made these three times and each time my family had NO idea they had avocado in them and they just ate them ALL up! The only change I made was increase the milk to 1cup as I found it was not coming together and all three times they came out fantastic. Thanks for sharing this fantastic recipe!! I will be using it for years to come.
Erika says
I’m glad your family loved it, Danielle. Thanks for the tip about the milk!
Shermeen says
Hello! What avocado’s did you use? Mine came out looking and smelling scrumptious but one bite and it tasted much worse than raw coffee beans! Apparently avocado’s turn bitter when cooked? Read a few articles online, plus reviews on avocado brownies whow they came out bitter, How can you prevent this?
Erika says
I’m guessing your avocados were not quite ripe as that can cause bitterness. I have made this several times and it was not bitter so I don’t think the temperature was a factor. Sorry it didn’t work out for you!
Kristyn Kumpfbeck says
Hi, i was wondering if i should use 1% or 2% milk!?
Erika says
Any milk is fine. 🙂
Patricia says
I would like to know if there is a simpler breakdown on nutrition.
Nicole says
Do you know the calories count/health info on these brownies?
Erika says
Hi Nicole, I’m sorry I don’t, but there’s a few calorie calculators online you can plug the ingredients into and find out yourself.
Thanks for stopping by!
Darien says
I made these today and I’m not gonna lie, I’ve never made avocado brownies before so I was a little skeptical. But let me tell you, these are amazing! So fluffy yet so fudgy! No one will ever know about the hidden avocado? Unless they ask of course. Thanks for sharing!
Erika says
I’m so glad you loved them, Darien! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Nicole says
Hey these look amazing 🙂 My mum recently brought a crate of GARGANTUAN avocados that are the best I’ve ever tasted(seriously, they look like dragon eggs and are about the size of my head) . I need to use them up and was wondering whether these brownies freeze well?
Thanks 🙂 xx
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Quadira says
What’s so healthy about these brownies if they contain 2 cups of white sugar? That’s not guilt-free to me!
mylene says
Agree… I’ve put 1/3 cup of maple syrup instead. I guess honey could do the job as well
Erika says
Good idea, Mylene. I like to use coconut sugar in my gluten-free brownies. 🙂
Erika says
This was a guest post from someone a long time ago; now I substitute lesser amounts of coconut sugar and/or erythritol to make it “guilt-free” for my family. Thanks for your opinion, Quadira.
Iris Caruana says
These will be baked today , just love the avocado for sweets.
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H says
Hi ! I can’t wait to try these ! I have to be gluten and grain free as well as almond free . Do you think tigernut flour would work instead ? Or coconut or cassava ? Thanks for any guidance 🙂
Christine says
I have not tried the other flours with this recipe and as they are all different textures, I unfortunately can’t give you advice on how to adjust this recipe. Sorry about that!
Kelly-Anne says
Great way to use up avocados! At first bite I felt like they lacked richness/ flavor, but keep in mind this is a healthier alternative! I had an extra avocado, so I made a chocolate frosting to go on top- it made a WORLD of a difference. The end result tasted similar to a chocolate lava cake. Due to how easy it was to make, I will definitely make it again, but maybe add a couple tablespoons of coconut oil in the batter for richness!
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Erika says
I love the idea of adding some coconut oil. 🙂