Whole Wheat Brownies

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Baking with whole grains is easy and delicious. Kids and adults alike won't know these whole wheat brownies have a healthy kick to them!

Whole grains are super easy to incorporate into your baking. They really don't take a lot of extra effort, and are really affordable. You can use all of your favourite recipes and just add a little extra liquid or resting time and you'll be good.

I will always recommend starting with my Whole Wheat Chocolate Cake recipe. Chocolate is a strong taste on its own, so it can mask some of the "healthy" taste of the whole grains if your family isn't used to it. You can also have some Whole Wheat Carrot Cake because who doesn't love cream cheese frosting?

Key Ingredients

Ingredients to make whole wheat brownies.

Whole Wheat Flour - I highly recommend grinding your own. We are so used to doing it now, it's a piece of cake!

Sugar - We aren't anti-sugar here. We do use organic cane sugar when we can, and fully believe treats you make yourself are well worth it!

Cocoa Powder - This is truly the best way to make chocolate desserts without extra fat and sugar. All the cocoa flavour!

Butter & Eggs - Yup, classic for baking anything!

I have a Komo mill and think the flour it produces is exactly the right texture, even better than anything I can buy at the store. Living Sky Farms is a great shop to purchase from (use code VENISON at checkout!). Nutrimill is another popular brand I know people use.

How to Make Healthy Whole Grain Brownies

***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***

Dry brownie ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Step 1: Whisk wet ingredients well.

Step 2: Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

Mixing wet and dry ingredients for brownies.

Step 3: Add wet to dry and stir until just combined.

Step 4: Allow batter to rest while the oven preheats.

Smoothing brownie batter into a baking dish.

Step 5: Spread into a greased pan - batter will be thick!

Step 6: Bake until just set. Never over bake brownies!

FAQs

Can I buy whole wheat flour at the store?

Not yet grinding your own? Look for brands at the grocery store that are higher quality, meaning they aren't bleached and don't have nutrients removed in processing and then added back in, such as King Arthur. Your typical store brand will likely not actually be "whole wheat" no matter what the label says. Not ready for whole wheat? Organic unbleached all-purpose will work the same, and doesn't need the 15 minute rest.

Do I need to rest the batter?

Don't skip this step! When using whole grains, I wait to preheat the oven until the batter is resting. This helps me remember that step. The wheat needs time to hydrate and autolyze, so that your baked good has a tender crumb. Don't over mix and don't add extra liquid - just add time.

What type of wheat should I use?

If you are going to have multiple types of wheat berries in your house, soft is great for baking. Soft wheat has a lower protein content than hard meaning a lighter crumb and texture, and less gluten (still gluten, don't be thinking gluten-free, but less gluten as far as activating a structure!!). White wheat (as opposed to red) also has a milder taste so you won't immediately get a "healthy wheat" taste in the end product.

Photos by Megan Hampton

More Whole Wheat Recipes

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