When baking brownies, one way to cut back on saturated fats such as butter is to substitute nonfat or low-fat plain yogurt. You may want to experiment and only replace half the amount of butter, as changes in recipes can affect the final outcome. The brownies may have a coarser texture or be a little more gummy than what you are accustomed to. But the yogurt will help save some calories and fat content and still give you a chance to enjoy a chocolate brownie.
Preheat the oven to the specified temperature on the box of brownies or recipe. Spray the pan with a nonstick spray.
Follow the directions for the brownies, replacing 2 eggs and 1/2 cup of butter or oil with 1/2 cup of nonfat yogurt. As an alternative, replace 1/2 cup of butter or oil with 1/4 cup of butter and 3 tbsp. yogurt.
Add the other ingredients and mix with a spoon until smooth. Do not use a mixer. Pour into the prepared pan.
Place the pan in the center of the oven and set the timer for the required time. When done, check the brownies by inserting a toothpick in the center; if it comes out clean, they are done.
Let the brownies cool for about 30 minutes before cutting.
Tip
Two eggs contain 7.2 g of fat and 1/2 cup of butter contains 92 g of fat. Nonfat yogurt has 0.25 g fat per 1/2 cup serving. Low-fat plain yogurt contains approximately 2 g of fat per 1/2 cup serving. You can use applesauce in place of the yogurt.
Warning
Do not try this with microwave brownie mixes or "light" brownie mixes.