Healthier Brownies & Cookies Experiment

Mar 21, 2026

Comment Print
Share on:

Introduction
I've been wanting to experiment with making healthy versions of classic desserts by swapping out unhealthy ingredients for healthier alternatives, analyzing the results, and refining the recipe to end up with a healthier dessert that's as similar as possible to the original product. Today, I'll be tackling both brownies and cookies.
Table of Contents
  1. Introduction
  2. The Problem
  3. Brownies
    1. Control
    2. Experiment
    3. Nutritional Comparison
  4. Cookies
    1. Control
    2. Experiment
    3. Nutritional Comparison
  5. Conclusion
  6. Sources
The Problem
Obviously, there's nothing wrong with having a treat like a brownie or a cookie every now and then. Occasionally at a holiday or gathering, one brownie or cookie certainly will not kill you. But if you're someone who has them all the time, then learning to make healthier swaps with minimal difference can be a gamechanger.

For the purposes of this experiment, I will be modifying both my Classic Fudgy Brownies and Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies recipes. The way I see it, there are 3 health problems with traditional brownies and cookies, and most dessert for that matter. These are the following:
Brownies

Control
For reference, below are the ingredients and nutrition facts for my Classic Fudgy Brownies. This is my standard brownie recipe that I make from time to time:
  • 1/2 cup (112 g) Unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp (14 g) Extra virgin coconut oil
  • 2 cup (240 g) Powdered sugar
  • 2 large (101 g) Egg
  • 1 tsp (5 g) Vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp (1.5 g) Salt
  • 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp (45 g) Cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup (60 g) All purpose flour

These brownies are delicious, don't get me wrong. But with 147 calories, 15 g of added sugar, and 8 g of fat for a fairly small brownie, these can't be more than a once a holiday treat for me. How can we bump up these numbers? (or more accurately, bump them down).
------------------------------------------
Servings: 16
Calories: 147
------------------------------------------
Total Fat: 7.6g (10 %)
Sodium: 46mg (2 %)
Total Carbohydrate: 19.6g (7 %)
Fiber: 1.2g (4 %)
Net Carbs: 18.4g
Total Sugar: 14.8g
Added Sugar: 14.8g (30 %)
Protein: 1.8g (4 %)
------------------------------------------

Experiment
To make these brownies healthier, I have made the following 3 ingredient swaps from the original recipe: This leaves us with the following ingredients list:
We knocked out all the added sugar. We also have healthier fats from the coconut oil and almond flour, as well as more fiber and vitamin E. The removal of white flour removes any refined starch as well.
------------------------------------------
Servings: 16
Calories: 107
------------------------------------------
Total Fat: 10.7g (14 %)
Sodium: 45mg (2 %)
Total Carbohydrate: 18.0g (7 %)
Fiber: 1.4g (5 %)
Net Carbs: 1.0g
Total Sugar: 0.3g
Sugar Alcohol: 15.6g
Protein: 2.1g (4 %)
------------------------------------------

TODO: BAKE THE BROWNIES.


Nutritional Comparison
Nutrient Control Experiment
Calories 147 107
Protein 1.8 g 2.1 g
Fat 7.6 g 10.7 g
Fiber 1.2 g 1.4 g
Net Carbs 18.4 g 1.0 g
Added Sugar 14.8 g 0.0 g
Sugar Alcohol 0.0 g 15.6 g
Glycemic
Index		 65 2
Cookies

Control
For reference, below are the ingredients and nutrition facts for my Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies. This is my standard cookie recipe that I make from time to time:
  • 1 cup (200 g) Granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp (20 g) Molasses, or honey
  • 1/2 cup (112 g) Unsalted butter
  • 1 large (50 g) Egg
  • 2 tsp (10 g) Vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp (3 g) Baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp (3 g) Salt
  • 2 cup (240 g) All purpose flour
  • 1 cup (180 g) Semisweet chocolate chips

These cookies are delicious, don't get me wrong. But with 113 calories, 10 g of added sugar, and 5 g of fat for a fairly small cookie, these can't be more than a once a holiday treat for me. How can we bump up these numbers? (or more accurately, bump them down).
------------------------------------------
Servings: 32
Calories: 113
------------------------------------------
Total Fat: 4.9g (6 %)
Sodium: 60mg (3 %)
Total Carbohydrate: 15.9g (6 %)
Fiber: 0.6g (2 %)
Net Carbs: 15.3g
Total Sugar: 9.5g
Added Sugar: 9.5g (19 %)
Protein: 1.3g (3 %)
------------------------------------------

Experiment
To make these cookies healthier, I have made the following 4 ingredient swaps from the original recipe: This leaves us with the following ingredients list:
We knocked out all the added sugar. We also have healthier fats from the coconut oil and almond flour, as well as more fiber and vitamin E. The removal of white flour removes any refined starch as well.
------------------------------------------
Servings: 32
Calories: 97
------------------------------------------
Total Fat: 9.4g (12 %)
Sodium: 62mg (3 %)
Total Carbohydrate: 10.6g (4 %)
Fiber: 1.4g (5 %)
Net Carbs: 1.1g
Total Sugar: 0.4g
Sugar Alcohol: 8.1g
Protein: 2.1g (4 %)
------------------------------------------

TODO: BAKE THE COOKIES.


Nutritional Comparison
Nutrient Control Experiment
Calories 113 97
Protein 1.3 g 2.1 g
Fat 4.9 g 9.4 g
Fiber 0.6 g 1.4 g
Net Carbs 15.3 g 1.1 g
Added Sugar 9.5 g 0.0 g
Sugar Alcohol 0.0 g 8.1 g
Glycemic
Index		 65 3
Conclusion
TODO CONCLUSION.

TODO CONCLUSION.
Sources
  1. Flaticon
  2. Nutrition Value
  3. Classic Fudgy Brownies
  4. Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
  5. (Deleted) Making Brownies Healthier
  6. (Deleted) Making Cookies Healthier
This post may contain affiliate links