Skinny Peanut Butter Brownies--and recipe!

If there's only one word I could use to describe these brownies, it'd be unreal. These brownies are unreal. Legitimately unreal.

So I do realize that I've been whipping up a lot of "skinny" recipes lately. Not that that's a bad thing or anything. In fact, it's made me realize how smart some people can be. Like Sally from Sally's Baking Addiction. That's where I got this amazing recipe, and Sally is such an innovative baker it's hard not to hate myself for not being a cool as her. 

I have no idea how I didn't make these dainty little squares of chocolatey and peanut buttery delight ages ago. I feel like I've been missing out and those extra calories from the boxed mixes were stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

No, I was not talking about you, skinny peanut butter brownie. You are not stupid. Carry on being your usual delightful self.

Honestly, these brownies were probably the easiest things to make and they were well worth the (not so hard) work. I don't say this lightly. Everything was just zapped up in a blender in a matter of minutes, and voila! the batter came to life! It was just that easy.

Oh, and did I mention what was in these brownies? There's absolutely no flour, no butter, no oil, and no shortening whatsoever. These brownies are packed full of healthy fat free yogurt, unsweetened cocoa powder, and the secret ingredient: whole rolled oats.

These brownies get enough thickening from the oats which were used in place of the flour. They were blended in with the other ingredients and simply ground till they became powder form. Unreal? I told you. 

That feeling you get when you know you don't have to work out after eating a tiny square of these brownies is so reassuring. I like it.

Dear Betty Crocker brownie mix, I love you to death, but these yummy little squares have become your greatest enemy. Good luck trying to win my heart. May the odds be ever in your favor.

Mmmm...on three, can we just say "dreamy"? 

I will leave you with the recipe at the bottom of this post. If you want the original, visit http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/06/10/skinny-peanut-butter-swirl-brownies/ to hear from the mastermind herself! I've edited the recipe to a printable recipe, so if you want to print it out, just click on the words "Printable Recipe" and it will take you there!

Happy baking!

Skinny Peanut Butter Brownies Printable Recipe
The original recipe asked for 20-25 minutes baking time, but I found that I had to bake them for nearly 35 minutes and they still ended up nearly underbaked. Bake for 20 minutes first, then adjust at 5 minute intervals until the brownies pull away from the pan. Ingredients: -3/4 cup creamy peanut butter -6 ounces low fat/fat free plain Greek yogurt (I used regular yogurt and they still turned out fine) -1/4 cup skim milk -1 large egg -a pinch of salt -1 teaspoon baking powder -1 cup granulated sugar -1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder -1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, 175 degrees Celsius. Spray an 8-inch square pan with LOTS of cooking spray because the brownies will be sticky and soft!  2. Put all of the ingredients EXCEPT for the peanut butter into the blender. Start with the liquid ingredients at the bottom of the blender first, than gradually fill up with dry ingredients. Blend the mixture until the batter is smooth and the oats are ground up. Occasionally scrape down the sides of the blender to ensure that everything is well mixed. Batter will be thin, much thinner than most brownie batters from boxed mixes or regular full-fat recipes. 3. Pour the batter into the pan, then microwave the peanut butter for 30 seconds. Drop spoonfuls of the peanut butter on top of the brownie batter and lightly swirl around with a sharp knife until the peanut butter is "feathered". DO NOT overmix, as the peanut butter is best left just slightly swirled into the brownie batter. 4. Bake for 20-25 minutes (it took me almost 35, so adjust accordingly). You'll know that the brownies are done when the begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.  5. Let the brownies cool completely. You can place them into a refrigerator for an hour or two so they'd firm up and cut easier. Cut into 12 (or 16 like I did) and enjoy!