I love America’s Test Kitchen’s gluten free brownies. They are awesome, but over 200 calories a piece. Not to mention high in sugar. I don’t want to delete brownies from my life completely. With the Cinnamon Roll Cake [add link] being a hit with the changes I made, that’s not to say they won’t work with this recipe. I chose to make the Lunchbox Brownies from the How Can It Be Gluten Free Volume 2 because they are the cakier version and I haven’t made these before. I have made the fudgier version and they are glorious. I know there are people who prefer one over the other, but to me any brownie is a good brownie. Like with the Cinnamon Roll Cake, I’m going to replace the butter with unsweetened applesauce and the sugar with sugar substitutes. I think it will turn out great. Here are the original stats:

Here’s what I changed:

• I replaced the butter and oil with applesauce to lower the fat and calories.
• I replaced the sugar with an equal amount of granulated sweetener.

Here are the final stats:

Here is the final recipe:

Lunchbox Brownies

16 Servings

1. Make a foil sling for an 8 inch by 8 inch square pan.  Make two long strips of aluminum foil 8 inches wide and place them in the pan.  Make sure to press them into the corners and there is enough extra to hang over the top. Spray with vegetable oil spray.
2. Whisk both flours, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt in a bowl.  In another bowl, microwave the applesauce and cocoa powder at 50 percent power for 1 minute.  Make sure the cocoa powder is dissolved in the applesauce.  If not, heat for another 30 seconds.  Let cool slightly.  Whisk in sugar substitute, eggs and yolk, coconut milk and vanilla.  Stir the wet mixture into the dry with a rubber spatula until completely smooth.  Cover the bowl and rest for 30 minutes.
3. Heat the oven to 325 degrees.  After the batter has rested, scrape into the prepared pan and smooth the top.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick has a few moist crumbs attached when checked at the center.
4. Let brownies cool completely in the pan, about two hours.  Use the foil to lift the brownies out of the pan.  Cut into squares and serve.