3 Ingredient No Bake Brownies (No Flour, Refined Sugar, or Butter)

These healthy no bake brownies are rich, fudgy and chewy. They don’t require any baking and are just 3 ingredients. They don’t contain any flour, refined sugar, dairy or butter. The brownies store well and can be eaten for a snack or dessert.

These brownies have been my favorite afternoon treat lately. They are rich, contain a lot of protein and have a bittersweet chocolate flavor which is how I prefer my chocolate. You can eat them as they are or top them with an easy 3 ingredient frosting that uses two of the same ingredients as the brownies.

Ingredients

• Cocoa powder
• Peanut butter
• Maple syrup

Cocoa powder: Make sure to use natural cocoa powder. During testing, I found that dutch process cocoa did not thicken the batter as much, preventing the brownies from setting well. It also left a stronger bitter aftertaste. Natural cocoa works much better.

Peanut butter: These brownies are made with natural creamy peanut butter. Make sure to use a peanut butter that does not have any added oils. The only ingredients listed on the nutrition label should be peanuts and salt. Natural peanut butter with no added oils is needed for the brownies to set. Peanut butter can be substituted with natural almond butter with no added oils, but you may need to adjust the amount of cocoa powder and maple syrup. I found that more maple syrup is needed when using almond butter which is one of the reasons why I prefer to make these with peanut butter.

Maple syrup: The brownies are sweetened with pure maple syrup. Not only does the syrup sweeten the brownies, but it helps thicken the batter. Unfortunately, honey is not a good substitute for maple syrup for this recipe.

How to Make No Bake Brownies

The ingredients are all combined into a medium or large mixing bowl and mixed until uniform. You should have a very thick batter (almost like dough) when you are done. Taste and adjust maple syrup or cocoa powder as needed.

Press the batter into a lined loaf pan. Place into the fridge to set. If desired, you can also top it with frosting before refrigerating.

Brownie Texture, Taste and Sweetness

The brownies have a fudgy and chewy texture. Of course they will not taste like traditional brownies cooked in the oven but they do have a fudgy and chewy texture. The brownies have a strong bittersweet chocolate flavor. They do taste mildly of peanut butter and they are lightly sweetened.  If you like a very sweet chocolate, than this recipe is probably not for you. It’s meant to be a low sugar brownie.

More No Bake Brownie Recipes

• 2 Ingredient No Bake Peanut Butter Brownies
• 3 Ingredient No Bake Lemon Brownies
• 2 Ingredient No Bake Banana Brownies

3 Ingredient No Bake Brownies

Servings: 8 brownies

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

These no bake brownies are rich, fudgy and chewy. They are just 3 ingredients and don't contain any flour, refined sugar, dairy or butter.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (160 g) natural creamy peanut butter
• 6 tbsp (36 g) natural cocoa powder
• 5 tbsp (74 ml) pure maple syrup

Instructions

• Line an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
• In a medium mixing bowl, add all ingredients. Mix with a spatula until cocoa powder and maple syrup are completely incorporated into the peanut butter and the batter is uniform in color. The batter will be very thick, almost like cookie dough. Taste and adjust as needed. If you prefer sweeter you can add 1-2 tbsp more syrup (but know your batter will not be as firm) and if you want more chocolate flavor you can add 1 more tbsp of cocoa.
• Add batter into lined loaf pan and evenly press and spread it across the pan with your hands or with a spatula. Use your spatula to help smooth the surface. While the batter can be eaten right away, I like putting it into the fridge to firm up a little more. If desired, you can also spread a frosting on top. Place brownies into fridge to set for about an hour. This will let it firm up more, making it easier to cut and eat. When brownies are set, lift them from the baking pan by grabbing the ends of the parchment paper. Slice into squares with a sharp knife. Store uneaten brownies in the fridge.

Notes

• Make sure to use natural peanut butter with no added oils. The brownies will not set if you use peanut butter with added oils.
• Make sure to use maple syrup and not honey. Maple syrup helps the brownies set and it will not set the same with honey.
• The frosting is not necessary but it does make these taste even more brownie-like as well as adding more texture and flavor.
• Optional chocolate frosting: If you want to use the frosting I made in the photos, you will need 1/4  cup melted coconut oil, 1/2 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder (dutch process does not work) or cacao powder, and 1/4 cup maple syrup. 
• First mix the coconut oil and cocoa powder until smooth. Then stir in the syrup until incorporated and the frosting thickens.
• Nutrition estimate does not include frosting.

Nutrition

Serving: 1brownie, Calories: 154kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 41mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 8g, NET CARBS: 12

The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.

Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Mention @KirbieCravings and tag #kirbiecravings!