These brownies are a high-energy treat you can pack in your lunch bag or tuck into your fanny pack when you are out walking. Wrap cooled brownies individually for fast picnic assembly or lunchbox fill-ups.

Makes 24 brownies

ACTIVE TIME: 20 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 50 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Moderate

16 whole chocolate graham crackers (8 ounces) (see Ingredient notes)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar or 3 tablespoons Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking (see Ingredient notes)
1/3 cup granulated sugar or 3 tablespoons Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking (see Ingredient notes)
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup chopped pitted dates
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Coat an 8-by-11 1/2-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Pulse graham crackers into crumbs in a food processor or place in a large plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. You should have about 2 cups crumbs. Transfer to a small bowl; add cocoa and salt and mix well.
3. Combine eggs, egg white, brown sugar (or Splenda) and granulated sugar (or Splenda) in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed until thickened, about 2 minutes. Blend in coffee granules and vanilla. Gently fold in dates, chocolate chips and the reserved crumb mixture. Scrape the batter into the prepared baking dish, spreading evenly.
4. Bake the brownies until the top springs back when lightly touched, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per brownie: 93 calories; 2 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 18 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 1 g fiber; 72 mg sodium.

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 other carbohydrate

TIP: Ingredient Notes: To avoid trans-fatty acids, look for brands of graham crackers that do not contain partially hydrogenated canola oil, such as Mi-Del chocolate snaps or Barbara's Chocolate Go-Go Grahams.

Substituting with Splenda: In the EatingWell Test Kitchen, sucralose is the only alternative sweetener we test with when we feel the option is appropriate. For nonbaking recipes, we use Splenda Granular (boxed, not in a packet). For baking, we use Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking, a mix of sugar and sucralose. It can be substituted in recipes (1/2 cup of the blend for each 1 cup of sugar) to reduce sugar calories by half while maintaining some of the baking properties of sugar. If you make a similar blend with half sugar and half Splenda Granular, substitute this homemade mixture cup for cup.

When choosing any low- or no-calorie sweetener, be sure to check the label to make sure it is suitable for your intended use.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.

I made these for my son's birthday party, and was asked for the recipe by all the moms. The kids didn''t even know that these were healthier brownies.

K Martin

These brownies are SOOO yummy...my fiance begs me to make them for him all the time. Mi-del chocolate snaps worked perfectly and instead of the dates I added some walnuts. It is so nice to actually eat brownies and not feel guilty. Thank you Eating Well!!!

Anonymous, Delray Beach, FL

These brownies look really yummy!

Anonymous, Burlington, VT

I could not get this to work. It seems that there is not enough liquid in this recipe to make it work. Am I missing something? I had to really work hard to squish the "batter" in the pan and it turned out extremely dry and not like brownies at all. Any ideas?

Kristy, Milwaukee, WI

These are quite good. For the reviewer who had trouble w/ them being dry, I think maybe it has to do the amount of graham crackers. It says you should have about 2 cups of crumbs (so I measured out 2 cups) but you actually have almost 3 cups so if you use all the cracker crumbs they would be very dry. If I make them again I will only crush about 12 crackers.

Sarah, Rhinelander, WI