So I finally got Pinterest to work my computer, and quickly pinned these beauties – Chocolate Ganache Filled Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Buttercream.

And just as quickly, I set out to find a healthier alternative.

Healthy Brownies

Here’s the original recipe, and the following are my modifications.

• Whole wheat flour
• Only 1 cup of raw sugar (plus 5 truvia packets)
• 2 tsp vanilla (an extra half)
• A generous handful of real, dark chocolate chips
• Made as muffins instead of in a pan
• Cooked for about 32 minutes

Healthy Vanilla Bean Buttercream

I took inspiration from last week’s healthy cream cheese, I found another recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie for this Creamy Dreamy Frosting that inspired the following:

• Thanks to a tip from a Twitter friend, I scored a half pound of vanilla beans on the cheap at Amazon, so I used one of those – #nomnomnom
• About 5 guestimated tbs of Earth Balance butter (available at Hy-Vee or Trader Joe’s)
• A splash (2 tbs-ish) of almond milk
• 3 packets of Truvia
• 3/4 pkg of silken firm tofu (Mori-Nu, which I found in the salad area of Hy-Vee)
• Let this refrigerate while you make/bake the brownies!!

These work really well together because a heaping spoonful of the buttercream fills in the gap of sweetness missing from the brownies, plus provides a nice secondary texture.

Trust me – you’ll have no clue this is healthy, or that you’re eating tufu.

Bonus Recipe – Brownie Mango Smoothie

Tonight, on a whim, I decided to make a smoothie as another way to eat one of the brownies.

• One brownie
• 1/2 cup frozen mangoes
• 8oz skim milk
• Heaping spoonful buttercream

Holy buckets – divine. Do it. Worth making the brownies and buttercream just to make the shake.