Dark Chocolate Avocado Yogurt Brownies

I'm such a sucker for fudgy brownies. Like, I was this close to adding fudgy to the title when I realized, almost all my brownie recipes have that in their titles! So, you know when I post a brownie recipe, it is automatically fudgy.

And, wow, are these fudgy. These outdid any fudgy recipe I have and I am being dead serious. You have to be a devoted fudgy brownie person to appreciate these.

I'm also a sucker for avocado and chocolate. My mom does not get if, I mean, in her book, if she's going to buy avocados, it is not for baking. So I had to sneak around when making these. Justification?  These avocados were only 25 cents apiece. That's right, a quarter an avocado. That's how I justified using two of them. And they were well spent in my opinion!  

Now, I'm pretty horrible at keeping secrets when I am excited.  I was SUPER excited about these brownies. When these cooled, I immediately called my quality control team (Elizabeth and Abigail) and made them taste test.  After they gave them the double thumbs up, I asked if they could keep a secret. 

"Oh yes, Sis!  Pleeeeease tell me!"

I asked if they tasted anything different and they said no, so then I asked if they could guess what was in it.  Abigail immediately guessed it was a veggie and Elizabeth immediately guessed red peppers.

Huh?  Red peppers?  What kind of cook does she think I am to put red peppers in my brownies?

Whatever, I can't explain it. 

Once I told them there was avocado in it, I made them promise not to tell anyone until they had tried them.  The girls promised, but I should've guessed something would slip out of Elizabeth's mouth. It always does!  (Kind of like her big sister!)  Right after Luke took one bite of the brownie, she was in his face, saying "can you taste it, can you taste it?"  And then turning to me, squealing, "can we tell them now?!"

Needless to say, the gig was up.  Everyone wanted to know what exactly i had been holding back. Luke liked them, but after finding out there was avocado, he decided it wasn't as good as he originally thought.  Stephen was convinced they tasted horrible, but I don't generally listen to his opinions about chocolate.  Just like you shouldn't listen to my opinions about beef jerky.  Fair enough?  Everyone else thought they were wonderful until I let the cat out of the bag.  Note: If you have an unadventurous family - keep your mouth shut.  Stuff it with these brownies, I don't care, just don't say anything!  :-)

Personally, they are my favorite basic brownie recipe to date.  They are incredibly thick and fudgy and just as rich and elegant as any traditional brownie.  Sometimes, I just want a plain chocolate brownie without marshmallows or Nutella or cheesecake and these are perfect.

And I can't complain if they are butter and oil free either!  Avocados are full of healthy fats that make these brownies rich, but satisfying.  I really like the thickness and texture that comes from the avocados.  Basically, the avocados are the star of the show . . . that no one ever sees.  Huh, that makes . . . no sense at all.  But seriously, you would never know there are avocados in these! 

Not only is there the health boost from avocados, there is greek yogurt (high in protein) and dark chocolate (high in antioxidants.) These may not necessarily be lower in calories, but these brownies have many health benefits to them without sacrificing any chocolate flavor or soft texture. That's pretty impressive.

Now, the recipe below is slightly different than the way I made these. My family didn't think they were sweet enough (even though I did) and so I changed the yogurt from plain to vanilla. 

Also, when I melted my chocolate chips, I left some chunks unmelted for some difference in texture and I highly recommend that.  Chunks of dark chocolate make any brownie better. 

So what are you waiting for?  A batch of these will make not just your stomach happy, but will benefit your whole body!

Dark Chocolate Avocado Yogurt Brownies
Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life.  Adapted from Heather's French Press
Yield: 16 servings

2 medium avocados, mashed

8 oz. dark chocolate chips, melted

1/2 cup vanilla flavored greek yogurt 

2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (or 2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder)

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup AP flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease 9x9 pan.  Set aside.

Mash or puree avocados until smooth.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, melt dark chocolate chips on high for 45 seconds and stir until smooth.  Heat for 10 seconds longer, if necessary.  Cool for 1-2 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs, yogurt, vanilla, and sugar until smooth and frothy.  Stir into melted chocolate.  Add flours, cocoa powder, and salt and stir until combined.  Add avocado, whisk until smooth.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes.  Let cool before serving.

I like avocados and chocolate ;)

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Guess what makes them crazy? :)

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No avocados, just lots of fudginess!  (easy, only 6 ingredients)

And click here for The Best Brownies Round Up!