No Pudge Fudge Brownies

If there is one thing that is completely soul-satisfying it is homemade brownies, hot out of the oven! Brownies are the kind of snack that really satisfies the craving for something completely rich. To me, brownies are even better than chocolate cake or cookies for overall satisfaction. So to have a mix that allows you to have fresh baked brownies right out of the oven but is diet conscious too, is a real plus!

No Pudge Fudge Brownie Mix is super easy to make and comes in 4 flavors: original, mint, raspberry and cappuccino. Just add 2/3 cup non-fat vanilla yogurt and mix. At first it will look like the liquid to dry ratio cannot be right. Just start mixing and keep mixing for several minutes. Eventually the yogurt and brownie mix will stick together into one very thick brownie batter.

If you want to make it less sweet, you can even use plain yogurt and add 1 tsp. of vanilla extract. The mix itself is fairly sweet so it probably would not suffer much loss of taste if you used the plain yogurt & vanilla option. In fact, the end result is so chocolate-y rich, you may want to combine it with some plain yogurt to tone down the intensity a bit.

I tried the mint flavor first because I happen to think that chocolate and mint go very well together. Thank you to whoever discovered that! Of course, it can only be better with a little TruWhip whipped topping, or frozen yogurt, or low calorie ice cream.

For the lactose intolerant, No Pudge! suggests applesauce, silken tofu or soy yogurt. And of course, a tsp. vanilla extract. There is also a suggestion for those who want fluffier, cake-like brownies. At first, the idea of applesauce and fudge may not sound like a good combo, but I have heard of using applesauce to make vegan brownies more moist and tasty so this method must have been tried and found successful. Probably better with the original or raspberry flavored brownies than the mint or cappuccino ones though.

And, for those times when you would really love a brownie, but you don't want to make the whole batch, or if you don't have time, the package has instructions for making a single serving in one minute in the microwave! It is a breeze. Just mix 2 Tb. brownie mix for every 1 Tb. non-fat vanilla yogurt. Stir until smooth and microwave for 1 minute. A shallow coffee mug or ramekin dish would probably work well for this.

You can find the no pudge brownie mix at many natural food stores like Whole Foods, or online at Amazon. If you order online, you can even get a multi-pack which has all 4 flavors.

The entire mix makes 12 brownies at 110 calories per brownie, no fat and 2 grams of protein, and 3 weight watchers points plus points. Now that is a light snack -- and, it is so nice to be able to make just one at a time.

Enjoy!
Juliet