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Healthy Greek Yogurt Brownies with Chocolate Ganache

Last updated on . Originally published 57 Comments

These Healthy Greek Yogurt Brownies with Chocolate Ganache are so fudgy and delicious that no one ever suspects they’re healthy! 

Front view of a stack of four fudgy healthy Greek Yogurt Browneis with flowers.

I know I have shared so {SO} many healthy brownie recipes with you all…but what can I say?! Brownies are my absolute favorite dessert ever! Serve them to me warm with a scoop of dairy-free chocolate peanut butter ice cream melting on top and you will win my heart. No matter what dietary restrictions you may have…I promise there is a delicious healthy brownie recipe on my site for you!  (more on this later).

If these Heathy Greek Yogurt Brownies had a slogan it would be…”healthier brownies for not-so-healthy eaters.” Every single person I have made these for has done nothing but rave about their fudgy, chocolatey goodness! No one suspected even for a millisecond that they were remotely good for them.

Overhead view of Healthy Greek Yogurt Browneis cut into 16 square pieces. A shiny chocolate ganache with swirls.

We entertain people a lot because of my husband’s job. On top of that, every Friday night we have a group of friends over to eat dinner and study the bible together! I love making friends feel welcome in my home! Seriously, it warms my heart when someone goes into the fridge to get a drink, grabs a serving spoon from the utensil drawer, or digs through my pantry to find the cheerios for their picky toddler without asking for permission.

Ritch and I call these our “fridge friends.” You know the ones I’m talking about…and our Friday night group totally falls into this category. We’re like one giant family eating together having an amazing time. I love Fridays!

Side view of 3 healthy greek yogurt brownies.

These Healthy Greek Yogurt Brownies are my go-to dessert recipe when I’m short on time but still want to make a delicious treat for guests! They are easy to whip up…which is perfect for nights when you’re entertaining and have many other dishes to prepare!

These healthy brownies are gluten-free & grain-free and are high in protein…but you would never know it by tasting them!

Two healthy greek yogurt brownies stacked on top of each other with flowers and chocolate in the background.

 Healthy Greek Yogurt Brownies: Substitutions 

There are two flour options you can use in this recipe:

  1. Almond flour is what I recommend using! I found that using almond flour yields a denser, fudgier, chewier brownie! However, I know some people have nut allergies.
  2. Oat Flour. Oat flour is an acceptable substitution that still yields an irresistibly fudgy and chocolatey brownie that’s gluten-free! I have also used plain-old regular all-purpose flour AND gluten-free all-purpose flour with great results.

Other Substitutions

  • Butter: to make these dairy free substitute coconut oil!
  • Vanilla Greek Yogurt: I know Greek yogurt isn’t dairy free. Trust me. But if dairy is something you try to avoid, there are many wonderful dairy-free Greek yogurt varieties on the market! I highly recommend this Vanilla Greek Yogurt from So Delicious, which is made with coconut milk! Important note: I usually use this vanilla honey Greek yogurt, which has a touch of sweetness to it. If you use plain Greek yogurt you will likely need to increase the amount of coconut sugar in this recipe to keep it from being tangy.
  • Coconut sugar. Any granulated sugar works well in this recipe!
  •  Feel free to omit the ganache all together, these brownies hold up perfectly on their own. However, if you want an extra layer of fudgy goodness, then the ganache won’t disappoint.
  • Heavy Cream. in order for the ganache to set up a rich and creamy dairy product needs to be used. I have had great success with heavy cream and half & half. For a dairy-free version use full-fat coconut cream or dairy-free creamer.

Front view of one healthy greek yogurt brownie in a plate with a bite taken out of it.

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Healthy Greek Yogurt Brownies

These Healthy Greek Yogurt Brownies are lightened up but still irresistibly fudgy and decadent!

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword fudgy brownies, healthy brownie recipe, healthy brownies, yogurt brownies
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 16 brownies
Calories 173.5 kcal
Author Laura

Ingredients

Chocolate Ganache:

  • ½ cup 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • ½ cup heavy cream or coconut cream, or half & half
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees grease a 9x9” baking pan and set aside.
  2. Mix almond flour, cocoa powder and sea salt in a small bowl; set aside.
  3. Melt chocolate & coconut oil/butter together in the microwave. Mix until completely melted.
  4. Mix in sugar, Greek yogurt and vanilla.
  5. Mix in eggs, one at a time until the batter is completely smooth.
  6. Add dry ingredients, whisk until just incorporated.
  7. Add chocolate chips!
  8. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the top is just barely set and the edges are slightly pulling away from the sides of the pan. (20 = gooier brownies)
  9. When brownies are finished baking, place the pan on a wire rack and cool.

Make the Ganache:

  1. While the brownies are baking, make the ganache.
  2. Add heavy cream to a small saucepan and warm over medium-high heat until it just begins to bubble. Do NOT let it boil.
  3. Turn off heat and whisk in chopped chocolate and vanilla until the mixture is dark and smooth.
  4. Remove from warm burner and let cool slightly. The ganache thickens as it cools.

Putting it together:

  1. Once the ganache is slightly cooled, pour it over your cooling brownies.
  2. Let the ganache firm up at room temperature or place in the refrigerator to speed up the process.
  3. Remove from refrigerator, cut and serve at room temperature, or serve cold!

Recipe Notes

*I prefer almond flour because it yields an even fudgier brownie. I have used both flours with great success! **Please do not try using regular yogurt. The thickness of Greek yogurt makes these brownies fudgy and chewy. I tried regular yogurt and was not happy with the results. Store in the refrigerator and warm in the microwave for 15 seconds to restore the fresh-from-the-oven taste!

*Notes: Nutrition information is calculated for 16 brownies without ganache. 

Nutrition Facts
Healthy Greek Yogurt Brownies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 173.5 Calories from Fat 84
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9.3g 14%
Cholesterol 27.5mg 9%
Sodium 61mg 3%
Potassium 50.8mg 1%
Total Carbohydrates 22.2g 7%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 19.3g
Protein 2.7g 5%
Calcium 2.2%
Iron 2.9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Healthy Greek Yogurt Brownies with Chocolate Ganache are so fudgy and delicious that no one ever suspects they're healthy! Gluten-free & grain-free!

Ok…now lets talk brownies! I have more brownie recipes in my arsenal than I can count. Here are brownie recipes for the different folks in your life:

Other Healthy Brownie Recipes

Black Bean Brownies for your friends who enjoy healthy, gluten-free desserts that are low in calories. These are super fudgy and delicious with zero guilt! (They’re also nut-free)! However, someone who is wise to your cunning healthy ways might recognize that these are not normal brownies and turn up their {stubborn} nose at them. Everyone in my family loves these!

Fudgy Paleo Brownies are a winner all around. They are unbelievably gooey, insanely fudgy, and crazy healthy! They are paleo AND vegan so you could make these for just about anyone and you’d have an absolute winner on your hands. This makes a small batch too…so you can enjoy a little without worrying about over-indulging…or you can double the recipe to share with friends!

Vegan Black Bean Brownies are for chocolate peanut butter veggie lovers everywhere. So delicious!

Don’t forget to serve your brownies with some Paleo Vanilla Ice cream, or loaded with this Vegan Peanut Butter Frosting (my favorite thing ever)!

What is your favorite dessert ever?

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Hey Amanda I actually discuss that in the post! I recommend So Delicious Non-Dairy Greek Yogurt (made with coconut milk)! Make sure it’s a Greek yogurt substitute and not a regular yogurt substitute!

      Reply

  2. Can you ever go wrong with brownies?!?! These look so good!

    Also, I’m totally stealing the term “fridge friends” as that is the PERFECT way to describe it! We have friends who just slot right in and feel totally at home – and it’s the same for us at their homes too!

    Reply

  7. These look delicious! I’ll admit, the last time I made brownies, the mix came out of a box 😛 All of you food bloggers impress me with your awesome kitchen skills!

    Reply

    • Oh man! Ditch the box sister! Homemade brownies are SOOOO easy! Please try making them from scratch (this recipe or any other you find on the web) and let me know how it goes!!!

      Reply

    • We really have a blast! I have built-in guinea pigs to make lots of treats for! 😉 I usually make these brownies as a “back up” if I’ve tried something a little outside of the norm! 😉 Yay for Greek yogurt! It’s so healthy and versatile!

      Reply

  17. I just made these and they are so bitter! I don’t like them very much, maybe because I am a sweet tooth or maybe not but is there a way to make them less bitter but still be healthy?

    Reply

    • Hey Catherine! I am so sorry that you didn’t enjoy this recipe! I have made it more times than I can count and they have never turned out bitter! Here are a few thoughts…1) did you make any substitutions in the recipe? 2) Did you use Vanilla Greek yogurt? If you use regular Greek yogurt they turn out very tangy! 3) Did you use unsweetened chocolate instead of bittersweet? If none of these apply to you, here are some suggestions to make them sweeter (and less bitter): 1) use milk chocolate instead of bittersweet. 2) decrease the amount of cocoa powder to 2 TBS. 3) Increase the amount of sugar to 3/4 cup! I’m really interested to hear your feedback!

      Reply

    • Hey Deanna! Totally honest I think the paleo ones are better! 😉 But for folks who like regular old brownies I’d definitely choose these! 😉 I’m sorry I do not know the calorie count!

      Reply

  19. I just made these brownies following this recipe but couldn’t get my hands on almond flour so tried coconut flour instead and I’m so shocked at how amazing they have turned out! They are yummy!

    Reply

    • Hey Sophie! I’m so glad they turned out for you! However, for the future please be very careful with coconut flour! It absorbs significantly more liquid than other gluten-free flours, especially Almond flour! I am so grateful they turned out super delicious though!

      Reply

  23. YUM! These look amazing. Love that they have greek yogurt in them! We pretty much always have these ingredients on hand, so I’ll have to try it out!

    Reply

  26. It makes my heart SOOO happy to entertain people too, and I could imagine the experience at your home being sooo warm and inviting. All the delicious brownies, sweet children, and warm joyful atmosphere; I can definitely imagine it.

    Reply

    • Hey Candace! I mean 1/2 cup chopped chocolate…which is equivalent to 4 oz! I am sorry I recently changed the way my recipes are displayed and I am working through all of them to be sure there are no errors due to the switch like that! I fixed the recipe!

      Reply


  31. Made these the other day—halved the recipe, used regular flour and plain greek yogurt because that’s all I had and they were DELICIOUS!! We could not believe how fudgy and rich they were with such little butter. Thank you for such a great and adaptable recipe!

    Reply

  33. My house smells so good right now…made these brownies but substituted the sugar with Stevie and added more bittersweet choco chips.They are cooling now so I really can’t wait to dive in with some coffee for a late night treat.

    Reply


  34. These came out amazing!! My husband is the brownie lover but I literally ate almost all of them myself. Soooo delish! I made them without the ganache and they were perfection all by themselves.

    Reply


  35. I user regular greek yogurt because that isn’t all I ever buy and cut the amount of sugar because I always do . . I didn’t make them ganache because i was tired!
    My family absolutely loved them! They thought it tasted like a chocolate cheesecake. I had to make them twice in a row because they were gone so quick!
    Definitely a keeper will never make any other kind!

    Reply


  37. Hey there!
    I came across this recipe months back and have been making them ever since. Just wanted to let you know that these brownies are so fudgy and amazing! And the fact that they are healthier is an added bonus!
    One question though. I usually use honey to sweeten things. Is it alright to substitute honey for sugar?

    Reply

    • Thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoy them! My only concern about replacing the sugar with honey would be that they might be a little “too fudgy” (if that is even a thing)! If you try it let me know how they turn out please!

      Reply


  38. I’ve made these brownies 3 times now and love the way they taste. I’ve substituted sugar for coconut sugar to try and make a healthier option. The only problem I’m having is they fall apart when I try to remove them from the pan. I’ve tried 3 different pans and they still fall apart. Any suggestions? Is it because of the coconut sugar?

    Reply

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