Prune Baby Food Brownies

This is an old but very good recipe called Prune Baby Food Brownies. The name may not sound particularly tempting, but don't let that stop you. These brownies are mixed in one bowl and use prune puree in place of oil or butter, making them surprisingly rich and chocolatey for such a simple recipe.

Texture and Flavor

Texturally, these fall somewhere between a cake brownie and a fudgy brownie. They're dense and soft, but not heavy, and the chocolate chips add a nice contrast. In fact, I think the chips are essential. Without them, I'd probably add a frosting or glaze. As written, though, they're chocolatey, satisfying, and surprisingly light for such a rich-looking brownie. For fudgier brownies, you might consider the Greek Yogurt Brownies, but these are good for a quick chocolate fix and don't have much dairy other than what's in the chocolate.

New Prune Baby Food Pouches

When I first posted this recipe, prune baby food came in little jars. These days it's even easier to find pureed prunes in convenient squeeze pouches such as Just Prunes, which is what inspired me to revisit the recipe. If you can't find a prune pouch, you can still use traditional prune baby food, drained applesauce, or homemade prune puree made with prunes, water, and a blender.

Prune Baby Food Brownies aren't entirely fat free because the recipe includes 1 egg yolk and ¼ cup of dark chocolate chips. I love regular brownies and also love these. They're less rich than my other reduced fat brownies, and while the texture is not as chewy as normal brownies, it's pleasant and deeply chocolaty.

Pan Size

I usually bake these brownies in an 8-inch square pan, but other pan sizes can work as well. A mini sheet pan (⅛ sheet pan) is a good option if you'd like slightly thinner brownies. And if you only need a half batch, a foil lined 8x4 inch loaf pan does the job. I haven't tested the recipe in a 7-inch square pan, but that size should yield thicker, deep-dish-style brownies and may require a few extra minutes of baking time.

I have not tried doubling the recipe, so I can't say for certain how it would perform in a larger pan. If you decide to experiment, keep an eye on the baking time and watch for the brownies to appear set around the edges while still slightly soft in the cente

Using Alternative Sugars

There's 1 cup of sugar in this recipe, which is less than what you'd find in most brownie recipes. Still, it's tempting to want to trim the sugar. Rather than try to sub all of it for an alternative sweetener, I've been testing versions with half regular sugar and half alternative. So far, I've found ½ cup of regular sugar combined with ½ cup of Lakanto brown sugar blend of monk fruit and erythritol (100 grams) works well. I'll update as I test with others. But overall I recommend using sugar for the first round since it helps preserve moisture.

Prune Baby Food Alternatives (Prune Puree)

Update: I use prune baby food to avoid having to puree the prunes, but if you have stewed prunes you can remove the pits, puree them and use 6 tablespoons. You can also soak dried prunes in hot water, puree and use. The measurements for prune puree are ½ pound of prunes to ¼ cup of hot water. Put it all in a blender, pulse to chop, then puree.

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Recipe

Prune Baby Food Brownies

Anna

Brownies made with prune puree (prune baby food) or applesauce

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 27 minutes mins

Total Time 37 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 slices

Calories 134 kcal

Ingredients

 

• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
• 6 tablespoons prune baby food or drained applesauce**
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon espresso powder optional
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa powder (48 grams)
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour or pastry flour (95 grams)
• ¼ cup extra dark chocolate chips

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8 inch square pan metal with foil and spray with cooking spray. You can also use a 7-inch square pan for deep dish style brownies. The bake time will be a little longer.
• Put the egg, egg whites, sugar, prune puree (or applesauce), vanilla , espresso powder and salt in a mixing bowl. With a whisk or a mixing spoon, stir well. Try not to beat any extra air into the mixture, just stir it. When mixed, add the cocoa powder and stir until blended. Stir in the flour. When flour is incorporated, stir in the chocolate chips.
• Pour into the pan and spread evenly. Hold pan about 1 ½ inches from the counter and drop it on the counter a couple of times to release any air bubbles. You probably won't have air bubbles, but it's kind of fun to do anyway.
• Bake on center rack for 22 to 27 minutes (check at 22) or until set (will still be shiny). Let cool completely, then chill if desired.

Notes

**To get six tablespoons of drained applesauce, start with about 12 tablespoons or ¾ cup. Put a stack of paper towels on the counter. Dump the applesauce onto the towels and with the back of a spoon, spread it into a blog abut ⅓ of an inch thick. The moisture from the applesauce will drain into the paper towels. When you're ready to use the applesauce, measure six tablespoons by scraping it off the paper towels. The point of draining is to remove some of the water trapped in the applesauce. Less water means less steam, less steam means less of a rubbery texture.

***Apple butter may also be used, but the brownies will have apple flavor. Another thing I’ve tested is a mixture of 3 tablespoons of undrained applesauce and 3 tablespoons of apple butter. That works well, too, and the flavor isn’t as apple-y.

I think the prune puree works best, though.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 134kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 3gFat: 2g

Keyword Low Fat Brownies, Prune Baby Food

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