Healthy Banana Brownies
Bananas and chocolate are an amazing flavor combination, and these easy healthy Banana Brownies are guilt-free eating! Made without oil or refined sugar, these gluten-free banana brownies are even healthy enough for breakfast! Can you bake without sugar? Yes! This brownie recipe uses sweet bananas and honey instead of processed sugar!
These healthy Banana Brownies are the perfect use for those overripe bananas on your counter. In fact, bananas get sweeter as they get more brown spots on them, so use up those brown spotted bananas instead of throwing them out! What’s a good substitute for refined sugar in brownies? Bananas!
Healthy Banana Brownies
There is no flour in this recipe, no refinded sugar, and you’ll need about 4 bananas plus honey. You can also use real maple syrup!
There’s also almond butter in this recipe. Almond butter is just like peanut butter, but is made with almonds. You can find it next to the peanut butter in your grocery store. I’ve been making this recipe all year long, and my guests rave about these tasty treats!
I like lining the baking dish with parchment paper to make getting them out once baked super easy. Parchment paper is not the same thing as waxed paper, and you should not cook with waxed paper. You can find parchment paper near the foil and baggies in your store.
Why I love this recipe
- The brownies are fudgy and delicious while still being gluten-free.
- There are fewer processed ingredients in it, and the natural sweetener adds just the right touch.
- The combination of cocoa powder and chocolate chips adds just the right amount of chocolatey goodness!
- Perfect in lunchboxes, for an easy dessert, or guilt-free nibbling with a cup of tea in the afternoon.
- Ready in 35 minutes!
Gather these ingredients
- Mashed ripe bananas – You’ll need about 4 bananas.
- Creamy almond butter
- Eggs
- Cocoa powder
- Honey (or maple syrup)
- Baking soda
- Chocolate chips – Semisweet chocolate.
- Sea salt
How to make a healthy brownie
- Preheat your oven to 350-F and line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper or spray it with a natural non-stick cooking spray. You could also grease the dish with a thin layer of avocado oil.
- Mash the ripe bananas on a plate with a fork, then add them to a medium-sized bowl.
- Add the almond butter, eggs, cocoa powder, honey, baking soda, and a pinch of salt to the bowl and mix well until combined.
- Gently fold in the chocolate chips and stir them in.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish and top with a few cracks of sea salt.
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until the preferred doneness.
- Allow the brownies to cool in the pan, then cut them into small squares and serve.
Tips & substitutions
- Bananas: Make sure they are nice and ripe (the riper the sweeter). Since there is no processed sugar in this recipe, you definitely want to use brown ones that have been sitting out!
- Don’t overmix the batter. Only mix enough to combine the ingredients.
- You don’t like honey? You can use maple syrup or even agave syrup in place of the honey.
- Chocolate: Use dark chocolate chips instead of semisweet for a slightly different chocolate flavor. Dutch process cocoa powder has a more intense chocolate flavor – look for that in the baking isle of your store, but any unsweetened cocoa powder will be fine.
- Nut butters: You can use peanut butter or a nut butter if you can’t find almond butter.
- These brownies are cooked when they are set in the middle. A few crumbs clinging to an inserted toothpick is fine.
Serving suggestions
These gluten-free brownies are a delicious and better-for-you-treat perfect any time! Serve them at dessert, pop them into your lunch, or share them with friends and family at a potluck or other event. They’re delicious after a meal of Curried Chicken Divan or tasty Taco Sloppy Joes. I also love adding them to dessert boards or serve them along with a selection of fresh fruit.
Storage
Store any leftover healthy Banana Brownies in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze these.
Check out these awesome banana recipes while you’re here
Get the Recipe:
Healthy Banana Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup mashed ripe bananas, about 4 bananas
- ½ cup creamy almond butter
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 3 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¾ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- A pinch of sea salt
Equipment
- 1 8×8 baking dish (I use my Pyrex baking dishes all the time)
- Medium bowl (I like that this set includes several sizes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Mash ripe bananas with a fork on a large plate, and add to a medium bowl.
- Add in the almond butter, eggs, cocoa powder, honey (or maple syrup), baking soda, and a pinch of salt. Mix until combined.
- Gently fold in the chocolate chips; stir.
- Prepare an 8×8” baking pan with avocado oil (or you can line with parchment paper). Pour batter into the pan. Add a few cracks of sea salt.
- Bake for about 25 minutes (or until the preferred doneness).
- Allow the brownies to cool. Cut the brownies into squares and serve.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
I personally liked them, family did not. The texture was a bit too moist and spongy (probably due to lack of flower). The addition of the chocolate chips helps!