Gallery • 3 Photos

The brownies dusted with powdered sugar and a caramel drizzle.

The start of the new year means the same thing to many people around the world: the time to get healthy! But, sugar cravings can be hard to kick, especially when you are stuck in a house full of the ingredients with the potential to become various decadent treats.

When the temptation strikes to make a sweet treat, it can be hard to resist; however, it can a little easier if you replace it with a low-calorie version. Pastry chef Emma Fontanella currently runs a blog and YouTube channel where she shares different recipes. She recently released a recipe and video for brownies that have only 50 calories each. What originally drew me to these brownies was the lack of odd ingredients. Unlike many healthy brownie recipes, this one did not involve ingredients such as avocado or black beans. Instead, it calls for a hefty amount of cocoa powder and zero calorie sweetener, such as Stevia.

While this sounds great on paper, is it really worth it? I decided to take the risk and try the recipe myself, setting my brothers up as taste-testers.

“It has the texture of a sponge,” assessed tester Ethan Pendergast.

“They don’t have much flavor,” added Colin Pendergast.

“They’re just okay,” reviewed Isaac Pendergast.

After tasting them myself, I had similar comments. Though they looked beautiful in the pan, the brownies lacked flavor and left a bitter cocoa powder aftertaste. Instead of being fudgy, they had a dry, spongy texture. I felt disappointed in the recipe after reading so many good reviews. However, while these might not be great on their own, they were salvageable with a few toppings. It’s important to note that these toppings also add calories.

We tried dressing these brownies up with a light dusting of cocoa powder and a drizzle of caramel. While the improvements weren’t drastic, the addition of toppings did add a depth of flavor and helped mask some of the bitterness.

While these brownies were not terrible, they were not great either. If you are on a diet and want a simple treat without the added calories or sugar, these would do the trick. However, I would recommend waiting for a cheat day to enjoy a real brownie in all of its glory.

To try the recipe, visit this link.