Healthy Banana Brownies

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These Healthy Banana Brownies are life-changing. They are moist, fudgy, can be made gluten-free, have no oil or butter, and are made with cleaner ingredients than a classic brownie... but you'd never be able to tell!

thick healthy brownie with a bite taken out of it.

Why You'll Love These

moist, fudgy, gooey, and soft texture

deep, dark, rich chocolate flavor

cleanier ingredients than a classic brownie with a similar taste and texture

can be made gluten free and refined sugar free

Ingredients

Bananas: You need about 2 medium bananas, mashed, for this recipe. Make sure to use ripe bananas for the best flavor, texture, and and structure.
Eggs: 2 large eggs at room temperature create chewy brownies.
Pure Maple Syrup: Pure maple syrup adds a healthier sweetness and extra moisture.
Light Brown Sugar or Coconut Sugar: A touch of light brown sugar or coconut sugar adds extra moisture, flavor, and sweetness.
Almond Butter: Almond butter, or any natural nut butter, provides structure and contributes to the fudgy texture. Make sure to use natural, runny nut butters rather than firm.
Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract rounds out the flavor.
Oat/ Almond Flour: I usually use almond flour, but oat flour will work too. Make sure to measure properly using a kitchen scale or by spooning and leveling the flour into measuring cups.
Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder is where these brownies get their chocolate flavor. I use natural, but dutch-processed will work too!
Salt: Salt brings out sweetness and enhances flavor.
Chocolate Chips: You can use any chocolate chips you'd like, add more, reduce them, or completely omit them.

Step by Step Process

STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line an 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray to ensure the brownies come out of the pan cleanly.

large glass bowl with mixed wet ingredients and dry ingredients on top.

STEP 2: In a large bowl, whisk mashed bananas, room temperature eggs, maple syrup, light brown sugar, almond butter, and vanilla extract together until combined.

STEP 3: Add oat or almond flour, cocoa powder, and salt to the bowl. Whisk only until you see the dry ingredients disappear into the batter.

large glass bowl with healthy banana brownie batter.

brownie batter with chocolate chips on top.

STEP 4: Fold chocolate chips and other desired mix-ins into the batter. Mix until evenly dispersed throughout the batter.

square glass pan filled with brownie batter.

square glass pan with brownie batter and chocolate chips on top.

STEP 5: Transfer the batter to your prepared pan. Top the batter with additional chocolate chips and other mix-ins for a more sophisticated look. Bake the brownies for 28-33 minutes or until the top of the brownies look shiny, the center looks slightly soft, and the edges spring back when poked quickly with your pointer finger.

overhead shot of sliced healthy banana brownies.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make moist and fudgy brownies?

Make sure to measure flour using a kitchen scale or by spooning and leveling to avoid dry brownies. When mixing the dry ingredients into wet ingredients, do not overmix. Additionally, keep an eye on the brownies as they are baking, as the center should look soft and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out with moist batter on it. Overbaking leads to dry brownies.

Can I bake this in a 9x13 inch pan instead?

Yes, you can bake this recipe in a 9x13 inch pan only if you double the recipe. If you bake this recipe, as is, in a 9x13 inch pan, the brownies will be extremely thin and won't have a fudgy, gooey texture at all.

Can I substitute almond butter?

Yes, you can substitue almond butter for another nut butter if desired. Make sure it's runnier or thinner in texture for best results.

cut banana brownies stacked in diagonal rows.

Expert Tips

Measuring: Make sure to measure your flour properly by using a kitchen scale to measure 80g exactly or by using a spoon to transfer flour from its container to your measuring cups before using a knife to level off the top. This creates fudgy, moist brownies.

Mix-Ins: You can add tons of other mix-ins to these brownies besides chocolate chips. Fruit pieces, walnuts, pecans, candy pieces... all of these mix-ins would would be fabulous in these brownies!

Storage: These brownies keep fresh when stored tightly covered, in an airtight container, or individually wrapped after they have fully cooled. Store them at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Bring frozen brownies to room temperature or reheat in the microwave before serving.

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★★★★★ 5 from 6 reviews

Author: Elise
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 8x8 pan 1x
Category: Brownies, Chocolate, Banana
Method: Bake
Cuisine: American

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Description

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup (270g) mashed, ripe bananas
2 large eggs (100g), room temperature
¼ cup (85g) pure maple syrup
¼ cup (60g) light brown sugar or coconut sugar
⅓ cup (80g) almond butter or other runny nut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅔ cup (80g) oat or almond flour
½ cup (40g) cocoa powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (135g) chocolate chips

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Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper to ensure the brownies come out of the pan cleanly.
In a large bowl, whisk mashed bananas, room temperature eggs, maple syrup, light brown sugar, almond butter, and vanilla extract together until combined. The batter may not be completely smooth due to the mashed bananas.
Add oat or almond flour, cocoa powder, and salt to the bowl. Whisk only until you see the dry ingredients disappear into the batter. Mixing past this point could lead to dry brownies.
Fold chocolate chips and other desired mix-ins into the batter. Transfer the batter to your prepared pan.
Bake the brownies for 28-33 minutes or until the top looks shiny, center looks slightly soft, and the edges spring back when quickly poked with your pointer finger. A toothpick inserted into the center of the pan should come out with moist batter.
Allow the brownies to fully cool before storing in an airtight container or tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Notes

Pan: Make sure to use an 8x8 inch pan because baking in any other size could impact taste and texture. You can double this recipe, but you'll need to use a 9x13 inch pan.

Chocolate Chips: You can use any size, flavor, or amount of chocolate chips. I use semi sweet and dark, but you could use anything you'd like or anything you have on hand. You can also completely omit them if you'd like!

Bananas: Make sure to use ripe bananas in this recipe. The more brown spots on the bananas, the better. This will help create sweeter, moister brownies!

Nut Butter: Make sure to use a runny nut butter rather than a firm one, as the texture will differ greatly.

Keywords: Banana Brownies, Healthy Brownies, Healthy Banana Brownies

Healthy Banana Brownies

Why You'll Love These

Ingredients

Step by Step Process

Frequently Asked Questions

Expert Tips

Related Recipes