Whole Wheat Brownies
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You won’t believe that these are whole wheat brownies when you take a bite. These brownies are fudgy and have that signature crackly crust you crave when it comes to an amazing brownie but it’s 100% whole wheat.
Yes that stack of ooey, gooey chewy fudge brownies really are 100% whole wheat. Would I lie to you? Definitely not when it comes to something as serious as a fudgy chocolate brownie.
These brownies are everything you want, plus a little oomph of nutrition. I used white whole wheat flour in this recipe because I love the softness of this variety but regular whole wheat flour also works. These brownies start with melting some butter on the stovetop, then adding your sugar. I returned the mixture to the stove to heat up the sugar a little bit to help dissolve. This is key to getting a crackly crust on top. Then rest of the mixture comes together in a mixing bowl. Easy. Peasy. Done.
Although these brownies are fabulous right out of the oven, I prefer to let them sit overnight and enjoy them the next day to let wheat bran in the flour soften a little bit. Ok enough talking…let’s bake.
Why You Will Love These Whole Wheat Brownies
- 100% Whole Wheat – Nothing wrong with a little extra nutrition, and the best part is you won’t even know it.
- No Mixer Needed – I love making homemade brownies because they are so easy to make and don’t require me busting out my stand mixer.
- Easy Make Ahead Dessert – These get better if you let them sit for 24 hours so the wheat bran in the flour can soften so it’s a perfect make ahead dessert!
Ingredients Needed
Ingredient Notes
- Whole Wheat Flour – I used white whole wheat flour for a softer texture, but you can use regular 100% whole wheat flour.
- Cocoa Powder – I prefer Dutch process cocoa powder for a smoother flavor, but you can also use natural unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Chocolate chips – I stirred in dark chocolate chips but you can use semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips.
How To Make These Chocolate Brownies
Making brownie batter
- In a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter
- Add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat and heat briefly just till it’s hot (about 110°F to 120°F) but not bubbling. If it separates, give it a stir to recombine.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and stir in the cocoa, salt, baking powder, and vanilla.
- Add the eggs, stirring till smooth.
Finish batter and bake
- Add the flour and stir just until mixed in.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the brownies for 30 minutes, until a cake tester, toothpick, or sharp knife poked into the center reveals moist crumbs, but not raw batter.
- When done, the brownies should feel set on the edges and in the center. Remove them from the oven, and cool completely on a rack.
Recipe Tips
- Measure flour correctly. As always, measure your flour correctly. I recommend using a kitchen scale for best accuracy. But if you want to use your dry measuring cups (no shame in that) but make sure you spoon the flour in and level off with a flat edge. Do not pack the flour down in to the cup which results in too much flour and results in a dense cakey brownie. It’s one of my top 10 baking tips.
- Do not overmix. When it comes to any kind of baking, overmixing can result in too much gluten (protein in the flour that results in how chewy a baked good can end up being) forming. So I always stir just until the flour is mixed in and then I stop.
- Don’t Overbake. This is probably due to overbaking. They will still appear a bit soft when you pull them out of the oven, but they will set up as they cool. Mine were perfect at 30 minutes but every oven can be different. Be sure to bake them on a middle rack. And I always recommend using an oven thermometer to double check that your oven is reading the correct temperature.
- Let These Rest Overnight – If you let these rest for 24 hours, the wheat bran will soften and these will become a bit softer in texture and less grainy. Highly recommend finding patience here, friend.
Recipe FAQ’s
I used a metal baking pan for these brownies. If you are using a glass pan, you may need to add up to 5 extra minutes of baking time.
Store at room temperature, in an covered container, for up to 3 days.
Yes, just place in a plastic bag or wrap up well and freeze for 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Yes and it’s recommended to let the wheat bran in the wheat flour soften so you get a better texture brownie that’s less grainy.
More Recipes To Try
Whole Wheat Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks, 227g) unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (64 g) cocoa natural or Dutch process
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (170 g) White Whole Wheat Flour
- 1 ½ cups (255 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan. I prefer to line the pan with parchment paper as well.
- In a medium saucepan, over low heat, melt the butter. Stir in the sugar to combine. Return the mixture to the heat until it's hot but not bubbling (about 110°F to 120°F). This took about 1 minute for me. If it separates, give it a stir to recombine.
- Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl, and stir in the cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and vanilla extract.
- Add the eggs, whisking until smooth.
- Using a spatula, stir in the flour just until combined. Then stir in the chocolate chips until evenly mixed throughout. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
- Bake the brownies for 30 minutes, until a toothpick, or sharp knife poked into the center reveals moist crumbs, but not raw batter. The brownies should be set on the edges but still slightly soft in the center. Remove them from the oven, and cool completely on a rack. Cut into squares and enjoy.
Notes
- Storage: Store at room temperature, in a covered container, for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Place in a plastic bag or wrap up well and freeze for 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
- Flour: You can use regular 100% whole wheat flour or white whole wheat flour. I prefer white whole wheat flour.
- Let These Rest Overnight: If you let these rest for 24 hours, the wheat bran will soften and these will become a bit softer in texture and less grainy. Highly recommend finding patience here, friend.
- Pan: I used a metal baking pan for these brownies. If you are using a glass pan, you may need to add up to 5 extra minutes of baking time.
Can I substitute eggs with chia eggs?
Hi Swathi, for best results I would make a half batch and replace 2 eggs with chia eggs. I don’t think it would work well trying to replace all 4 eggs with a full batch recipe. Hope that helps!
Hello. If you just want to do half of the recipe, what considerations should I have? Thanks.
Hi L, no considerations other than cutting all the ingredients in half. This is an easy one to half because it has 4 eggs so can cut down to 2. For ease of cutting in half I recommend weighing ingredients so you can easily divide the gram measurements by 2. Hope that helps!
Heather, can I substitute some of the butter with Greek yogurt? I’m looking for a healthier brownie for my weight loss journey for those times I just have to have a treat.
Thanks!
Hi Ruth, I can’t say for sure how it would work with butter but you could always try substituting with coconut oil if you wanted it to be healthier.
i think i overbaked mine even though i followed the recipe exactly
Hi Michelle, it’s possible – it can be hard to tell with brownies when they are done. Always bake in the middle of the oven and do a toothpick test. Every oven is different – it’s helpful to use an oven thermometer as well.
These were a great brownie, and came together so easily. They weren’t the BEST brownies I’ve ever had, but they WERE the best Whole Wheat brownies I’ve ever had, and that is saying something!
Thanks for the easy to follow and delicious recipe!
When you say make them ahead of time… do you mean let the batter sit before baking overnight or bake them then don’t eat them till the next day?
Hi Cheryl, so you want to bake them right away but then they do get better the next day after they are baked as the whole wheat flour has time to soften although I still found them delicious right out of the oven 🙂
Thank you so much! I can’t wait to make them!
Wow. That brownies look so perfect. Thanks for sharing. I will soon try this recipe.
I cannot wait to hear what you think
I couldn’t believe these brownies were whole wheat!! They were fudgy, rich and delicious – and I loved that they had a bit of a healthy twist too! Yum!
Thank you Anjali!
What a GORGEOUS stack – so gooey and delicious! A must make over and over!
I couldn’t agree more!!
These look so delicious and you would never know you used whole wheat flour!
I know, right?
Oh wow! I love how you made these brownies with whole wheat flour. That texture looks absolutely fantastic.
Thank you Tara
These brownies were UNREAL! We had them with vanilla bean ice cream and were in heaven! thank you!
Sounds amazing ! Thanks for sharing