These vegan brownies are rich, soft, and deeply chocolatey — with 9 grams of protein and just 121 calories each, no butter, no refined sugar, and a secret ingredient you’ll never taste: a whole block of silken tofu. That’s about 8.9g of protein for every 121 calories, so you can have one (fine, two) as a real snack that still fits your macros. One 8×8 pan makes 12 squares, they come together in about 15 minutes, and they get even better the second day!
Here’s the honest story: I wanted a healthy brownie that didn’t taste like a protein bar — dry, chalky, sad. The secret turned out to be blending a whole block of silken tofu as the base: it brings moisture, protein, and a creamy, almost-buttery body that makes them rich without a stick of butter. Allulose keeps them soft and helps them brown, and a little maple rounds out the chocolate. Blended under dutch dark cocoa and Lily’s chocolate, the tofu completely disappears — nobody has ever guessed!
Why you’ll love these brownies
- 8g of protein, 121 calories each — a whole block of silken tofu plus a scoop of protein powder; eats like a real dessert that hits your macros.
- No butter, no oil, no refined sugar — the tofu does the richness, allulose and a little maple do the sweetness.
- Rich and soft — a whole block of blended tofu makes them dense and moist with a tender crumb. Bake less for fudgy, more for cakey.
- You can’t taste the tofu — at all — blended smooth under Dutch cocoa and dark chocolate, it reads as rich chocolate.
- Uses the whole tofu block — no half-package leftover in the fridge.
- Meal-prep and freezer friendly — make a pan and you’ve got a portioned high-protein chocolate fix ready.
Ingredient notes (the ones that matter)
- Silken tofu — a whole block (the base). Don’t swap this. Blended completely smooth, a full block brings protein, moisture, and a creamy body — rich, dense brownies with zero butter. It must be lump-free.
- Chocolate or vanilla protein powder (the protein). A plant-based vanilla powder — I use Orgain Simple. Vanilla plays nicely under all the cocoa and keeps the batter from tasting chalky. Note: protein powder soaks up a lot of liquid, and brands vary a lot — that’s why the soy milk goes in at the end, added to consistency rather than a fixed amount. If Vanilla, add 1 or 2 more tbsp of cocoa.
- Allulose + a little maple (the sweetness that behaves). Allulose actually browns and holds onto moisture, so they stay soft for days. Whisk it into the warm melted chocolate to dissolve. A tablespoon or two of maple rounds out the flavor and helps browning.
- Dark chocolate + Dutch cocoa (the depth). 40g of melted dark chocolate carries the flavor; Dutch cocoa gives a darker, smoother hit that hides the tofu even better. Lily’s dark sugar-free chips work perfectly — for both the melt and the fold-in — and keep sugar and calories low.
- A little leavening + vinegar (for a tender crumb). Baking powder plus a pinch of baking soda and a teaspoon of vinegar give lift, so they bake tender instead of dense-and-gummy. Keep the batter pourable and they rise beautifully.
How to make vegan brownies
- Blend the whole tofu block completely smooth — blender or immersion blender, scraping down, until it’s a lump-free, loose-cream purée.
- Melt the chocolate and dissolve the allulose in it. Melt the dark chocolate (or Lily’s chips) in 20-second bursts, then whisk the allulose into the warm chocolate until dissolved.
- Blend the wet — tofu, chocolate-allulose mixture, applesauce, maple, vinegar, and vanilla until glossy.
- Whisk the dry — protein powder, cocoa, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
- Fold, adjust with milk, then add the chips — in that order. Fold dry into wet until just combined. Now add the soy milk a splash at a time until the batter is a thick but pourable ribbon off the spatula — not a stiff paste. Protein powder soaks up a lot of liquid, and how much you need depends on the brand (I use Orgain Simple, which is especially thirsty — yours may need more or less). Once the consistency is right, fold in the chips. (A pourable batter rises; a paste bakes dense.)
- Spread and top in a parchment-lined 8×8 metal pan; smooth the top (dust with a little allulose for a shinier top)
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 22–25 minutes, until edges are set and the center is just set but moist. Earlier = fudgier, later = cakier.
- Cool, then chill at least 2 hours before cutting into 12.
Substitutions & swaps
- Chocolate: Lily’s dark sugar-free (melt + fold-in) keeps it low-sugar. Any 70–85% dark works too.
- No allulose? A granular monk-fruit/erythritol blend (Swerve, Lakanto) subs 1:1; or liquid stevia/monk fruit to taste.
- Applesauce: swap 1:1 for smooth mashed sweet potato — it adds a subtle caramel sweetness and a touch more fudge (batter may thicken slightly; loosen with a splash of plant milk).
- Chocolate protein powder instead of vanilla — use it and drop the cocoa by 1 Tbsp.
- Gluten-free: certified GF oat flour, or swap the oat flour for almond flour.
- Fudgier vs. cakier: bake 22-25 min for fudgy, 25–30 for a lighter, cakier crumb.
Pro tips for the best brownies
- Keep the batter pourable. The #1 fix — it should ribbon slowly off the spatula, not sit like a paste. A stiff batter bakes dense and won’t rise.
- Blend the tofu completely smooth. Lumps are the only way anyone tastes the tofu.
- Dissolve the allulose in the warm chocolate with the maple syrup and vanilla, vinegar. Sweetens evenly and helps the top set smooth.
- Chill before you judge them. Warm from the oven they’ll seem soft — that’s correct. The fridge firms them.
- Use Dutch cocoa for a darker color and smoother flavor that hides the tofu best.
Storage & meal prep
Airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days (better on day two — the allulose keeps them moist), or freeze up to 3 months (cut first; thaw ~15 min). Make a pan on Sunday and you’ve got a portioned, high-protein chocolate fix all week.
What to serve with them
Cold they’re rich and firm; warm a square for 8 seconds and the center softens and the chips melt. Great with protein ice cream, coconut yogurt, or raspberries. They round out my dessert rotation next to my high-protein vegan cinnamon rolls, my rice cake protein bars for crunch, and high-protein vegan cottage cheese with berries
FAQ
A whole block of blended silken tofu with a little melted dark chocolate, sweetened with allulose and a touch of maple. Vanilla plant protein powder, Dutch cocoa, and a little oat flour make up the dry side, with applesauce for moisture and dark chocolate chips folded through. No butter, eggs, dairy, or refined sugar.
Between the whole block of silken tofu and the vanilla protein powder, each brownie has about 8.9g of protein at just 121 calories — a genuinely high-protein ratio for a dessert.
No. Blended completely smooth and combined with dark chocolate and Dutch cocoa, the tofu just reads as rich chocolate. The trick is blending it fully lump-free.
Keep the batter pourable — it should ribbon off the spatula, not sit like a paste — and don’t skip the baking powder and soda. A loose, leavened batter bakes tender; a stiff paste bakes dense.
Up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge (they get better on day two), or up to 3 months in the freezer. Cut before freezing and they thaw in about 15 minutes.
📊 Macros (per square)
| Per square (1 of 12) | The recipe |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~121 |
| Protein | ~8.9 g |
| Carbs | ~18 g (net ~6 g) |
| Fat | ~5.4 g |
| Fiber | ~3.1 g |
| Sugar | ~3.0 g |
Full batch ≈ 1,454 cal · 107g protein · 12 squares. Calculated with Orgain Simple vanilla and Lily’s dark chocolate; net carbs = total carbs minus fiber and allulose/erythritol. Protein powders and tofu blocks vary.
High-Protein Vegan Brownies (9g Protein, Low Cal)
Rich, soft, deeply chocolatey vegan brownies with 9 g protein and just 121 calories each — no butter, no refined sugar, and secretly made with a whole block of silken tofu. All the fudgy chocolate hit, none of the guilt.
4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalIngredients
- Wet
1 whole block (~456 g) silken tofu, blended completely smooth
40 g dark chocolate — Lily’s dark sugar-free chips work great — melted
3 Tbsp (50 g) unsweetened applesauce (or smooth mashed sweet potato)
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract
150 ml (⅔ cup) unsweetened soy milk — added at the end, to reach consistency (amount varies by protein powder; I use Orgain Simple, which is thirsty)
- Dry
90 g vanilla plant protein powder (e.g. Orgain Simple)
60 g allulose — whisked into the warm melted chocolate
40 g Dutch-process cocoa powder
25 g oat flour
1 ¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp fine salt
1 tsp espresso powder
- Fold-in
50 g dark chocolate chips (Lily’s dark)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8 metal pan with parchment.
- Blend the whole tofu block completely smooth, like loose cream.
- Melt the chocolate; whisk the allulose into the warm chocolate until dissolved. Blend into the tofu with the applesauce, maple, vinegar, and vanilla until glossy.
- Whisk the protein powder, cocoa, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.
- Fold dry into wet until just combined. Then add the soy milk a splash at a time until the batter is a thick but pourable ribbon off the spatula (protein powder soaks up a lot of liquid and the amount varies by brand — I use Orgain Simple, which is thirsty).
- Once the consistency is right, fold in the chips.
- Spread into the pan, smooth the top (dust with a little allulose for a shinier top).
- Bake 24-30 minutes, until edges are set and the center is just set with moist crumbs. Fudgier = pull earlier; cakier = a couple minutes more. Depending how you want it, fudgy or cakier you can leave a few more or less minutes.
- Cool completely, then chill at least 2 hours PREFERABLY overnight before cutting into 12.
Notes
- Nutrition is an estimate based on the specific brands and quantities listed (Orgain Simple vanilla + Lily’s dark). Actual macros vary with substitutions and portion size. Net carbs = total carbs minus fiber and allulose/erythritol. Provided for general information only.
