Description
These Healthy Banana Brownies are a guilt-free treat made with ripe bananas, unsweetened cocoa powder, and peanut butter. Naturally sweetened and optionally enhanced with dairy-free dark chocolate chips, these brownies are moist, fudgy, and perfect for a nutritious dessert or snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 3 large ripe bananas
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup unsalted peanut butter
- ½ cup dairy-free dark chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 6-inch brownie pan with parchment paper and grease it lightly with cooking oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- Mash Bananas: In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas thoroughly until you achieve a smooth puree without large chunks.
- Combine Ingredients: Stir the peanut butter and unsweetened cocoa powder into the mashed bananas using a silicone spatula. Mix until the batter resembles brownie batter consistency. It’s okay if there are some small banana pieces; if the batter feels too dry, add more mashed banana or a small splash of almond milk to adjust.
- Add Chocolate Chips: Fold in the dairy-free dark chocolate chips if using, ensuring they are evenly distributed in the batter.
- Transfer and Top: Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Optionally, sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top for extra sweetness and texture.
- Bake the Brownies: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 25–30 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center; it should come out with a few moist crumbs but no raw batter.
- Cool: Remove the brownies from the oven and allow them to cool on a cooling rack for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Use very ripe bananas for maximum natural sweetness and richer flavor; the darker the bananas, the better.
- If your bananas are not very ripe (yellow), consider adding the optional chocolate chips for more sweetness.
- Substitute peanut butter with almond butter or sunflower seed butter for a different nutty flavor or to accommodate allergies.
- In place of chocolate chips, chopped walnuts can be used for added texture and nutrition.
- Store finished brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days for best freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square (approx. 40g)
- Calories: 130 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 60 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
