This banana brownies recipe saved me from throwing away countless overripe bananas over the years. What started as a desperate attempt to use up brown bananas sitting on my counter turned into Emma's most requested dessert. Through years of weekend baking and plenty of trial and error, I've got these fudgy, moist brownies down to a science - they taste like banana bread met your favorite chocolate brownie and had the best baby ever.
Why You'll Love These Banana Brownies
I've made these brownies for bake sales, birthday parties, and random Tuesday nights when Emma's friends come over. Every single time, they disappear faster than I can cut them. The thing about overripe bananas is they're naturally sweet and super moist, so these brownies stay soft for days - if they last that long. Emma's friends always ask what makes them so different from regular brownies, and it's that banana magic working in the background.
What really gets me is how forgiving this recipe is. You can use bananas that are practically black, the kind you'd normally toss in the trash. The riper they are, the better these brownies taste. Plus, they're way cheaper than buying fancy ingredients, and you feel good about not wasting food. It's a win that tastes like pure comfort.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love These Banana Brownies
- Ingredients for Banana Brownies
- How To Make Banana Brownies Step By Step
- Smart Swaps for Your Banana Brownies
- Banana Brownies Variations
- Equipment For Banana Brownies
- Storing Your Banana Brownies
- What to Serve With Your Banana Brownies
- Top Tip
- Grandma's Hidden Recipe: A Family's Legacy
- FAQ
- Sweet Success With Banana Brownies!
- Related
- Pairing
- Banana Brownies
Ingredients for Banana Brownies
The Banana Base:
- Overripe bananas
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar
- Large eggs
- Pure vanilla extract
The Chocolate Magic:
- Cocoa powder
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Chocolate chips
Optional Extras:
- Sea salt for sprinkling
- Chopped walnuts
- Mini marshmallows
- Peanut butter chips
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Banana Brownies Step By Step
Prep Work:
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Line your 9x13 pan with parchment paper
- Mash bananas in a large bowl until mostly smooth
- Melt butter and let it cool slightly
Mix the Wet Stuff:
- Add melted butter to mashed bananas
- Stir in brown sugar until combined
- Beat in eggs one at a time
- Mix in vanilla extract
Add the Dry Ingredients:
- Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt
- Fold dry ingredients into banana mixture
- Don't overmix - just until you don't see flour streaks
- Fold in chocolate chips if using
Bake It:
- Test with a toothpick - it should come out with a few moist crumbs
- Pour batter into prepared pan
- Spread evenly with a spatula
- Bake for 25-30 minutes
Smart Swaps for Your Banana Brownies
Banana Options:
- Regular bananas → Frozen bananas (thawed and drained)
- Fresh → Banana baby food (use less)
- Standard → Plantains (when very ripe)
Flour Changes:
- All-purpose → Whole wheat flour
- Regular → Gluten-free flour blend
- Standard → Almond flour (use less liquid)
Sugar Swaps:
- Brown sugar → Coconut sugar
- Regular → Maple syrup (reduce other liquids)
- Standard → Honey (use less)
Chocolate Alternatives:
- Cocoa powder → Melted chocolate (reduce butter)
- Regular → Dutch-process cocoa
- Standard → Carob powder
Dairy-Free:
- Standard → Applesauce (for lower fat)
- Butter → Coconut oil
- Regular → Vegan butter
Banana Brownies Variations
Peanut Butter Banana:
- Swirl in peanut butter before baking
- Add chopped peanuts on top
- Drizzle with melted peanut butter when cool
- Emma's absolute favorite combo
Triple Chocolate:
- Add chocolate chips and cocoa nibs
- Drizzle with melted dark chocolate
- Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips
- For serious chocolate lovers
Nutty Banana:
- Mix in chopped walnuts or pecans
- Top with toasted coconut flakes
- Add a pinch of cinnamon
- Great for texture lovers
Banana Split Style:
- Add mini marshmallows and chocolate chips
- Top with chopped maraschino cherries
- Drizzle with caramel sauce when cool
- Like dessert on dessert
Equipment For Banana Brownies
- 9x13 inch baking pan
- Large mixing bowl
- Fork or potato masher
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
Storing Your Banana Brownies
Counter Storage (3-4 days):
- Cool completely before covering
- Store in airtight container
- Layer between parchment paper if stacking
- Keep at room temperature
Fridge Storage (1 week):
- Wrap individual pieces in plastic wrap
- Store in sealed container
- Let come to room temperature before eating
- They taste better not cold
Freezer Magic (3 months):
- Thaw at room temperature
- Wrap each brownie individually
- Place in freezer bags
- Label with date
What to Serve With Your Banana Brownies
These brownies are pretty perfect on their own, but here's what makes them even better. Classic pairings like vanilla ice cream create an amazing hot-and-cold contrast, while fresh whipped cream, a cold glass of milk, or hot coffee make them feel like a real treat. For fun toppings, try drizzling caramel or chocolate sauce, sprinkling chopped nuts or coconut flakes, adding fresh banana slices, or just dusting with powdered sugar.
These banana brownies work great for any occasion - from snacks to fancy dinner parties. Emma likes hers with a big glass of chocolate milk, which sounds weird but actually tastes pretty good. They're rich enough to satisfy any chocolate craving but not so heavy that you feel guilty having one with your morning coffee. Cut them into small squares for potlucks, serve warm with ice cream for dessert, or pack in lunch boxes.
Top Tip
- Remember, the best banana brownies come from the ugliest bananas - those black, mushy ones that look ready for the trash are perfect for baking magic. The more spots and brown patches your bananas have, the sweeter and more intense the flavor will be in your brownies. I actually keep a bag in my freezer just for collecting these overripe bananas until I have enough for a batch.
- Don't worry if they look completely black or even smell super sweet - that's exactly what you want for maximum banana flavor and natural moisture in these brownies. Those bananas have converted all their starch into sugar, which means your brownies will be naturally sweeter and stay moist for days. Emma always laughs when she sees me getting excited about "gross" bananas, but she never complains when I turn them into her favorite dessert.
Grandma's Hidden Recipe: A Family's Legacy
My grandmother never wrote down her banana brownie recipe, but she had this trick that made hers completely different from everyone else's. She'd save the really black bananas in her freezer for weeks, then thaw them out and drain all the liquid. "The juice is pure sugar," she'd tell me, using that banana liquid to replace some of the butter in her brownies. It sounds crazy, but those brownies were the moistest, most flavorful things you've ever tasted.
Her other secret was adding a tablespoon of instant coffee to the cocoa powder. Not enough to taste like coffee, but just enough to make the chocolate flavor deeper and richer. She'd mix it right into the dry ingredients with a little wink. "Coffee makes everything taste more like itself," she'd say. Now every time I make this banana brownies recipe, I add that coffee trick and think of her standing in her tiny kitchen, turning overripe fruit into pure magic.
FAQ
How to make brownies from Banana Brownies?
Mash very ripe bananas and use them as the base for your brownie batter, replacing some of the usual ingredients. The bananas add moisture and natural sweetness while cocoa powder provides the chocolate flavor. This banana brownies recipe combines the best of both worlds for fudgy, moist results.
What are the three ingredients in Banana Brownies?
The simplest version uses just mashed bananas, cocoa powder, and eggs. However, for better texture and flavor, most banana brownies recipes include flour, sugar, and butter or oil. The key is using very ripe bananas as your main ingredient for maximum sweetness and moisture.
Can I put Banana Brownies mix?
Yes, you can add mashed bananas to boxed brownie mix, but reduce other liquids slightly since bananas add moisture. Start with half a mashed banana per box and see how you like the texture. Fresh banana pieces might make the brownies soggy, so stick with well-mashed bananas.
What are the ingredients in banana brownies?
Banana bread brownies combine elements from both recipes: mashed bananas, flour, cocoa powder, sugar, eggs, butter, baking powder, and vanilla. Some versions add chocolate chips, nuts, or spices like cinnamon. The banana provides moisture while chocolate creates that rich brownie texture we all love.
Sweet Success With Banana Brownies!
Now you have all the secrets to making perfect banana brownies - from using the blackest bananas to my grandmother's coffee trick. This recipe proves that the best desserts come from using what you have on hand and turning potential waste into something delicious.
Craving more sweet treats? Try our Easy Italian Tiramisu Recipe that brings coffee shop elegance to your kitchen. For chocolate lovers, our Delicious Chocolate Pie Recipe delivers rich, creamy perfection in every slice. Want to balance out all this sweetness? Our Healthy Strawberry Spinach Salad adds fresh, vibrant flavors to any meal!
Share your banana brownie success! We love seeing your creative twists on this family favorite!
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Banana Brownies
Banana Brownies
Equipment
- 1 9x13-inch baking pan (lined with parchment paper)
- 1 Large mixing bowl
- 1 Fork or potato masher (for mashing bananas)
- 1 Whisk (for dry ingredients)
- 1 Rubber spatula (for folding batter)
- 1 Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 3 Overripe bananas - mashed
- ½ cup Unsalted butter - melted and cooled
- ½ cup Brown sugar
- 2 Large eggs - room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup All‑purpose flour
- ½ cup Cocoa powder - unsweetened
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Chocolate chips - plus extra for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F (177 °C) and line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment.
- Mash bananas; stir in melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
- Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt, then fold into the wet mix.
- Fold in chocolate chips, transfer batter into the prepared pan, and level it.
- Bake 25–30 min until a toothpick has moist crumbs; cool 10 min before slicing.
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