Butter-Free Brownies: How to Make Them

It’s often assumed that the most indulgent recipes are also the most calorific—but with a little ingenuity, you can create delicious and lighter desserts without compromising on flavour. If you’re still sceptical that chocolate and a balanced diet can go hand in hand, it’s time to preheat your oven and try our recipe for butter-free brownies!

Butter-Free Brownie Recipe

This recipe is wonderfully simple and requires no unusual ingredients. The butter in the original version is replaced with vegetable oil and water, making these light brownies lower in fat while keeping that classic soft, slightly fudgy texture. Read on for the step-by-step method!

• Difficulty: Easy
• Cooking time: 30 minutes at 180°C

Ingredients

• 80 g unsweetened cocoa powder
• 80 g Venchi NO Added Sugar dark chocolate
• 100 g plain flour
• 150 g sugar
• 2 eggs
• 100 g vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp water
• Pinch of salt
• Icing sugar for dusting

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients: sugar, cocoa powder, sifted flour, pinch of salt, and chopped Venchi dark chocolate. (For a lactose-free version, opt for a Venchi vegan dark chocolate bar.)
2. In another bowl, combine wet ingredients: eggs, oil, and water. Whisk vigorously by hand until smooth.
   • For extra flavour: add a few drops of vanilla extract.
   • For a yoghurt-based version: replace the vegetable oil with one pot of plain yoghurt.
3. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring continuously to achieve a dense, glossy batter.
4. Pour into a rectangular baking tin lined with parchment paper. Spread evenly with a spatula.
5. Bake at 180°C for about 30 minutes. Check with a skewer: if wet batter remains, bake a few more minutes, loosely covering with foil to prevent over-browning.

Once baked, cut into squares (4–5 cm each). When completely cooled, dust with icing sugar before serving.

Nutritional Insight: How Many Calories?

If you’re following a controlled diet, these “fit” brownies can make the perfect treat—ideal alongside other light snacks such as chocolate energy bars.
Here’s a quick breakdown:

• 100 g dark chocolate ≈ 530 kcal
• 100 g sugar ≈ 400 kcal
• One tbsp of peanut or sunflower oil ≈ 90 kcal
  As always, moderation is the key—a little indulgence now and then fits perfectly into a balanced lifestyle!