What do you do when you have ripe bananas that need to be used up quickly? I instantly think of banana bread or muffins.
I love banana bread and muffins, but I’ve made them plenty of times. I wanted to whip up something different so I decided to give banana brownies a shot. I’ve never tried bananas or whole wheat flour in my brownies (yup, there’s some whole wheat-y-ness going on here). This recipe was all sorts of experimental for me. I wasn’t sure whether or not I’d fall in love with these brownies because I’m so happy with my favorite Fudgy Brownies.
I was however pleasantly surprised at how delicious these are. My husband was surprised that I had low expectations for them, but I guess that’s the pessimist in me. 😉
These brownies are full of chocolatey goodness, with a hint of banana flavor. There are almost two cups of chocolate going on here so… yeah, the chocolate is the highlight. (Which I figure it should be in a brownie.) However, they are not overly sweet. This recipe has only one cup of sugar in it. I know that one cup sounds like a lot, but it’s not a lot if you compare it to the three cups of sugar that are in my Fudgy Brownies.
Now to the real important question… are these brownies healthy? Well, they contain less sugar than many other brownies recipes, they contain fruit, and they contain whole wheat flour. I’ll let you be the judge because I’m currently a chocoholic who’s trying to eat healthier. I may not be the best judge here (Hint: I think these are healthier than getting a physical right now). What I can say for sure is that these are freaking delicious and I don’t feel guilty eating them. 🙂
Banana Brownies Recipe
(Makes 16 brownies)
Ingredients:
- 1 and 3/4 cups chocolate chips (divided per the directions) (I used bittersweet chocolate chips, but any kind will work.)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter (equivalent to 1 stick), softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 medium sized bananas, chopped
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease an 8 x 8 inch pan and set it aside.
- In a small microwave safe bowl, microwave 1 cup of the chocolate chips until they are melted. (I used 30 second increments, stirring in between sessions.)
- Allow the melted chocolate to cool to room temperature.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, and salt, and set the dry ingredients aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter and light brown sugar until it’s creamy.
- Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract.
- Mix in the melted chocolate.
- Mix in the dry ingredients.
- Gently stir in the chopped bananas and the remaining 3/4 cup of chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes or until a tester inserted comes out clean.
Source: Very Best Baking
Here are some other fun banana recipes.
Light Orange Spice Banana Bread
Perfection! Banana and chocolate is seriosuly the best combination ever. Never thought of adding banana to brownies for some reason though :O But what a great idea!
Thanks Josefine! 🙂
I would have never thought to make brownies with banana! They look delicious and I would never think it’s in there by their looks!
These are SO good! My family gobbled them up so fast. 🙂
I have to admit that I am guilty of always making banana bread when I have over ripe bananas – it’s usually the only quick thing I can think of that always turns out delicious. Next time though, I definitely will be making your banana brownies.. they look incredibly fudg-y and delicious.
Wahoo! Awesome! 🙂
I seem to always turn to banana bread too, when my bananas turn brown, but no more!! 🙂 I’ve just got to have these delicious and thick chocolatey brownies!! Pinned!
Thank you so much for pinning! If you end up trying these, let me know you you make out. 🙂
I’ve been looking for new ways to use up our ripe bananas and I think I’ve found what I want to use our current bananas to make! These brownies!! I can only imagine how yummy these are… bananas and chocolate forever!
That’s how I felt when I found this recipe! Bananas + chocolate = awesome. 🙂
Banana bread is such a settling point for everyone, I think! These brownies look amazing. When people sneak bananas into desserts, they’re usually like, “Don’t worry, you won’t taste them!”, but I LOVE the taste 🙂
Lol! No sneaking here…I’m proud to show them bananas off. 🙂
What a great idea! They look delicious.
Thanks so much! 🙂
They look freakin delicious! I love how bananas bake up into bread and muffins, I have got to try brownies asap. I’m a chocoholic all.the.way and I love how thick and fudgy these look! Fantastic recipe Tina!
Thanks Mary Frances!
What a great combo!! I feel hungry for fun now!!!
Adding bananas to a brownie has been life changing! Well, that might be a bit dramatic, but I’m seriously loving this combo. 🙂
This is the best idea EVER for using up bananas. Seriously. They look perfectly moist, fudgy and dense!
Definitely going to try this soon!
Awesome! I hope you love them as much as I do. 🙂