Mixed Review: No Pudge! Brownies
Since their debut in 1995, fat-free No Pudge! Brownies have been a dieting staple, right up there with Special K and Skinny Cow. Over the years they've garnered much media praise, but it's been mostly from health magazines like Self, Fitness, and Weight Watchers, which called No Pudge! "the brownie of your dreams" in a 1999 article.
I wasn't convinced. After all, the foundations of these magazines are built around calorie counting and pound-dropping. Sometimes they make bogus arguments that veggie burgers taste just like hamburgers, or that 1/2 cup of nonfat frozen yogurt will satisfy your craving for a hot fudge sundae. Yeah, right. But when I read that Chocolatier had pronounced No Pudge! Brownies "thick, moist, and truly delicious," I finally sat up and took notice.
The No Pudge! mixes ($3.35) are available in four flavors: original fudge, cappuccino, mint, and raspberry. Once prepared, each two-inch brownie contains 120 calories and zero grams of fat. In order to make them all you have to do is add 2/3 cup of nonfat vanilla yogurt, stir, and bake at 350°F for about half an hour.
The box warns that the batter will be very thick, and indeed it required quite a bit of arm strength to stir the yogurt and mix together smoothly. (I wondered how many calories I had burned doing so, and if I could subtract them from the brownie I was going to eat later.) Once the yogurt was fully incorporated, I spread the batter into an 8-inch square pan and popped it in the oven.
As I quickly cleaned up the kitchen—there really wasn't that much aside from a single bowl and a measuring cup—I couldn't resist licking the leftover batter off my wooden spoon. It tasted surprisingly yummy. True, there was no hint of butter (as there often is in homemade, full-fat brownie batter) but the No Pudge! mix was exceptionally fudgy and thick.
A few minutes later when I took my brownies out of the oven I was disappointed with their appearance. I think the best brownies are dense and gooey, with glossy tops and pudding-like interiors. The No Pudge! brownies looked more like dull, springy chocolate cake. I cast them aside to cool and briefly considered going out for ice cream for dessert instead.
It's a good thing I didn't. When I cut the brownies out of the pan, their insides proved to be everything I was hoping for, consistency-wise. They were moist and dark and a just a tiny bit sticky. Instead of cutting them into 12 small squares I opted for a heftier nine, and I would recommend that you do the same. It only raises the calorie count to 160, and each brownie is much more satisfying.
I took a still-warm bite and was, if not delighted, happily contented. The brownie was thick and chocolaty, with a rich, smooth mouthfeel. While they wouldn't hold a candle to homemade brownies, No Pudge! would certainly stand up against any supermarket mix—even those that require a stick of butter.
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19 Comments:
Love no Pudge! It calls for vanilla yogurt but I always use no fat Total with a teaspoon of really good vanilla and they come out great!
Deb07 at 8:07PM on 06/04/09
I love these brownies! When I started weight watchers a few years back these were essential to my success back then. I'd have them with a scoop of low fat ice cream and it was heavenly. I recommend them to anyone.
pandar624 at 9:35PM on 06/04/09
i have a box sitting in the pantry now. havent decided when it would be safe to make them... they may be lower fat etc....... but not if you consume the entire package...
MadameD at 9:36PM on 06/04/09
These are great brownies for that quick fix because the ingredients are simple. No hydrogenated oils. So hard to find that sort of criteria in other brownie mixes.
Jikuu at 10:27PM on 06/04/09
I actually just made these tonight. They are surprisingly good.
mycherrypie at 11:34PM on 06/04/09
hm looks like they have changed the box! i no longer make brownies from scratch as i have not found a recipe to match the dense and gooey chocolate deliciousness that is no pudge! brownies. they are my favorite, hands down.
luxie at 11:59PM on 06/04/09
I water the batter with a little non fat milk and bake the brownies in a loaf pan for the same cooking time. The brownies come out extra fudgy due to the pan size and extra yummy!
missbean at 12:33AM on 06/05/09
omg these come in cappuccino flavor?! and raspberry?! wow, I'm missing out!
I was so surprised the first time I tried these - they really are incredibly good for being low fat. Admittedly, I always add chocolate chips to mine, but even with that, they're still 'healthier' than full fat brownies. I also tend to have a bit of a problem eating more than just one...but I have that problem with regular brownies too, so I guess overall, I'm doing much better for myself eating these!
They're so much cheaper at Trader Joe's too - around $3 and usually $4+ at the grocery store.
violetcassis at 1:26AM on 06/05/09
I'm surprised you didn't mention their best feature- the box gives directions to make single serve brownies in the microwave. Admittedly, the texture isn't as good as when they are baked, but it solves the problem of eating the whole pan nicely. I am usually cooking for one, so making up a teacup sized brownie is a great way to get warm yumminess without having leftovers to eat for days.
dashofginger at 7:03AM on 06/05/09
actually, I did the single serving in a ramekin in the regular oven and the texture came out great! You do have stay close by though as they cook up quickly... also, I accidentally bought a flavored box once and I have to say they have an artificial taste that the plain onces do not...I have added some ground up capuccino and they come out a little more "complex" if you can say that about a brownie mix. But really, I have been eating them for about 5 years and I can't figure out why more people don't know about them so good for seriouseats!
Deb07 at 8:46AM on 06/05/09
@MadameD: I hear ya. I'm not a big fan of the microwaved single serve so for portion control I'll prepare mine in a cupcake pan. The mix makes 12 cupcake brownies--like a bigger version of the Whole Foods two bite brownie. The texture isn't the same as a pan but it's better than in the microwave and if you store in a plastic ziploc they'll last a while. I've pre-made these cupcakes on occasion when I'm going out of town on business and I know I'll want a sweet treat after a long day of work and I don't want to be tempted by tons of junk.
BrooklynBrownie at 9:12AM on 06/05/09
The first time I tried No Pudge was sometime in high school (around 2000); I think I was intrigued by the "JUST ADD YOGURT!" bit and the cute pig on the package. And yeah, they were much better than I would've predicted. Haven't had em since then, but now I want to try them again.. :)
roboppy at 10:26AM on 06/05/09
I used to keep a box of this in my dorm room because the box featured a recipe for making just one of them in the microwave.
lg7788a at 11:03AM on 06/05/09
Sorry to be the dissenting opinion, but I have to admit that although I used to eat these quite regularly, I can admit that I have never really enjoyed them. They always retain the artificial flavor of faux sweeteners and have a heavy granular texture. After years of dieting and watching calories, I have decided that I would honestly rather have a smaller portion of something "real", you know?
cdp1223 at 11:23AM on 06/05/09
The best best best part of making these is that you can use any flavor yogurt you want! My personal favorites incorporate banana creme pie flavor and orange! MMMMMM
GretchinF at 3:23PM on 06/05/09
@cdp1223: "faux sweeteners"? There really aren't any in the No Pudge! stuff. Trust me, I wouldn't touch them if they had it. Maybe the ingredients list has changed since you last had 'em?
Jikuu at 10:03PM on 06/05/09
I love these too! I would loosely follow the single serve portion (I would do more like a portion and a half!), then top it with that slow churned lower calorie ice cream, and sugar free caramel syrup. YUM! I haven't done that in about a year though, but I almost bought a box while at Whole Foods the other day.
UptownGirl at 11:15PM on 06/05/09
No pudge fudge is great! I'm a big fan-- they definitely have the chocolate flavor with chewy texture I like in my brownies. Hard to believe they're so low in fat :)
Koreanita at 1:14AM on 06/07/09
I made a pan of the raspberry flavor tonight (added plain yogurt and vanilla extract, no extras). I under baked mine slightly to give them a very fudgey texture. The first bite was good and rich, but I couldn't eat more than one small bite. You really can't tell these are fat free because they have done a great job of adding tons of sugar and deep rich cocoa to disguise that fact. They are so sickly sweet. I can't imagine anyone losing weight eating these. No fat, sure...but the first ingredient is pure cane sugar, then white flour. I got these online and could not see the ingredients list, I usually never do that, but this was an impulse buy. Unfortunately, my husband loves them. So I have 3 more boxes and almost a full pan in the fridge. For me, 28 grams of high sugar carbs are just not worth the small portion. I'd rather spend my carbs on something both luscious and healthy... like fresh juicy organic strawberries and dark chocolate. Looks like I am in the minority but I cannot recommend "No Pudge" because I think they are unhealthy. Sorry : (
DecorGirl at 12:41AM on 08/08/09