Just like our Vegan Pumpkin Brownies, these healthy banana brownies are SUPER fudgy, gooey and full of rich chocolate flavor! The brownies are naturally sweetened, there's no butter, oil or eggs involved and they can be whipped up in one bowl.
If you're a chocolate lover looking for a vegan treat that is packed with wholesome ingredients, you've come to the right place.
As you've probably noticed from recipes such as these Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies or these Peanut Butter Brownies, I sometimes try to come up with desserts that don't include any butter or oil. It's not always easy to make low-fat recipes taste good. This is when ripe bananas come in handy!
Together with the maple syrup and almond flour they result in sweet, fudgy and moist brownies, even without any extra oil added.
This gooey treat makes a great healthy afternoon 'pick me up with a cup of hot chocolate or coffee. In case you've got a few overripe bananas to use up (and don't want to bake another banana bread), you know what to do!
For more recipes with no or very little oil and mostly wholesome ingredients see Low Calorie Chocolate Chip Cookies.
What makes these banana brownies a healthier choice?
Healthy is a very broad term and obviously means something different to everyone but here are a few reasons why I find that these brownies are on the healthier side (I say healthier because they are brownies after all 😉)
- No butter and oil-free. These are oil-free brownies (yup, no coconut oil either) so they are low in saturated fats. It's the mashed banana that gives them their softness.
- Eggless. They are made without eggs so not high in cholesterol either.
- Vegan - they contain absolutely no animal products, including honey.
- Refined sugar-free. These peanut butter banana brownies are sweetened with maple syrup.
- Gluten-free. Can you believe they tick this box too? These flourless brownies are suitable for people who can't tolerate gluten.
Ingredients & substitution notes
- Bananas: use up your ripe bananas with brown spots. They should be easy to mash and will contribute to the gooey texture of this treat.
- Natural Peanut butter: choose a natural peanut butter without additives. You can replace peanut butter with almond butter if you like.
- Cocoa powder: choose a good quality cocoa powder that is unsweetened.
- Walnuts: you can use pecan or hazelnuts as another tasty option. You can choose to omit the nuts altogether, but they do add something special.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make healthy banana brownies
STEP 1: Dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.
Whisk to combine all the dry ingredients.
STEP 2: Wet ingredients. Peel and mash the bananas. Add the bananas and the rest of the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients.
Stir together. Stir the ingredients together with a wooden spoon until combined.
STEP 3. Add in the nuts. Fold them in gently.
STEP 6: Bake. Line a small baking pan (mine was 9x6 inch/23 x 16cm) with greased parchment paper. Pour batter into the pan in an even layer and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the brownies cool in the pan for 10 minutes. After that, carefully remove them from their pan and let them cool until they reach room temperature.
Top tips
- Ripe bananas will be soft and easy to mash. This contributes to the soft and gooey texture of the brownies.
- Measure out bananas and maple syrup correctly for the perfect texture.
- Use pure maple syrup without any additives.
- Sea Salt: Sprinkle little sea salt on top of the brownies if you like.
Variations
- Nut-free: I assume you could use sunflower seed butter or a flax egg instead of peanut if you're accommodating a nut allergy. However, I haven't tested this recipe that way. Also, skip the walnuts.
- Sweeter brownies: These banana brownies are lightly sweetened. Add 2-3 tablespoon of sugar (coconut or brown sugar) for a sweeter version. Do not use more maple syrup for additional sweetening (the brownie batter will become too wet then).
- Other types of nuts: hazelnuts, pecans, whole almonds, or macadamias are a great addition or substitution to walnuts.
Optional add-ins & toppings
- Chocolate chips: Our go-to add-in. Choose vegan or dairy-free if you want to add in extra chocolate.
- Cinnamon: this will give a lovely sweet woody taste and compliment the chocolate.
- Dried fruits: cranberries or raisins will also sweeten these brownies up a bit.
- Cardamon: this is a classic flavor pairing with chocolate.
- Grated orange zest: add a tablespoon to the batter.
- Cayenne pepper: add in a little pinch if you're a fan of that chili chocolate combo.
Serving suggestions
- Ice cream: Top with some vegan ice cream.
- Drizzle: with some melted chocolate, more maple syrup or this peanut butter caramel sauce.
- Coffee: Enjoy these brownies alongside some peanut butter coffee, iced caramel macchiato or a matcha latte.
- Hot chocolate: These brownies also pair very well with any of our hot cocoa recipes such as Oat Milk Hot Chocolate, Cocoa Powder Hot Chocolate or Chocolate Chips Hot Chocolate.
Storage
- To store: Store these chocolate banana brownies in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- To freeze: They will freeze for around two months. This is great for those times you want to pull out 3 or 4 from the freezer to serve with coffee when you have friends or family coming over for tea.
FAQ
Unlike more traditional brownies, these banana brownies are eggless (cholesterol-free), made without butter (and also oil-free), refined-sugar free and dairy-free. They are also gluten-free and therefore suitable for people who are gluten-sensitive.
More brownie recipes
📖 Recipe
Healthy Banana Brownies
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups (215 g) almond flour = blanched ground almonds
- ⅓ cup (30 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup (7 oz) (200 g) mashed bananas ~2 medium bananas
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60 g) pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
Additional
- 2 handfuls of walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/ 180°C.
- Mash bananas with a fork or potato masher until creamy.¾ cup (7 oz) mashed bananas
- Add all of the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk until well combined.2 cups almond flour, ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder , 2 teaspoon baking powder, pinch of salt
- Fold in mashed banana and all of the other wet ingredients. Stir until just combined.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ cup pure maple syrup, 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
- Fold in walnuts and other optional add-ins of choice (chocolate chips...).2 handfuls of walnuts
- Transfer the banana brownie batter to a small baking dish (mine was 9x6 inch/ 23x16cm) lined with parchment paper and bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Remove the cake tray from the oven and let the brownies sit in the tray for another 10 minutes. Then carefully transfer them to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
- Sprinkle with some sea salt (optional) and serve with a big mug of hot chocolate.
Video
Notes
- Sweetness: These banana brownies are lightly sweetened. For a sweeter version add 2-3 tablespoon of sugar (coconut sugar, brown sugar...). Do not use more maple syrup for additional sweetening (the brownie better will become too wet then).
- Ripe bananas will be soft and easy to mash. This contributes to the soft and gooey texture of the brownies.
- Measure out bananas and maple syrup correctly for the perfect texture.
Teresa Berry says
Could I replace the unsweetened cocoa powder with carob powder and will there be any adjustments needed?
Katie Roux says
Yes, carob powder can be used interchangeably with cocoa powder here. Btw have you tried the carob recipes on my site? They're specifically made with carob instead of cocoa 🙂