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5-Ingredient Flourless Peanut Butter Banana Brownies

5-Ingredient Flourless Peanut Butter Banana Brownies made with basic healthy ingredients for a wholesome treat. This healthy brownie recipe is the perfect option for those who love their desserts less sweet and health-conscious enough to eat every day. Egg-free, oil-free, refined sugar-free, dairy-free vegan brownies!

Slices of brownies sitting on a sheet of parchment paper, sprinkled with sea salt.

Constantly on the prowl for treats I’ll happily eat daily without worrying about blood sugar highs and lows, these peanut butter banana brownies are a lovely luscious fit.

They are the perfect combination of peanut butter, banana, and chocolate. If you already know you love this combination, well then the brownies are a must make!

Weighing in as egg-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free and dairy-free, these brownies are designed to not only be a delicious healthier treat, but they also fit many dietary restrictions.

No all-purpose flour, sugar, eggs, baking powder, baking soda, oil, or fancy equipment needed!

I like to see them as the brownie version of my 3-Ingredient Chocolate Banana Cookies

If you find you’re more of an almond butter person, feel free to make the swap. We’ve got options!

Do these flourless brownies taste just like regular brownies? Absolutely not. These healthy banana brownies have a very peanut and banana-forward flavor with a fudgy, chewy texture.

If you’re like me and you try to keep your treats mindful, my Healthy Sweet Potato Brownies5-Ingredient Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and Healthy 6-Ingredient Apple Oatmeal Cookies are some great examples of treats I’ll eat daily. 

Square baking pan with healthy banana brownies sprinkled with sea salt and chocolate chips fresh out of the oven. A fresh banana and a napkin to the sides of the pan.

Let’s discuss the simple ingredients list for these banana brownies. I’m betting you have all of them on hand the majority of the time!

Ingredients for Flourless Peanut Butter Banana Brownies:

Ripe Bananas: Use overripe bananas that have plenty of brown spots for the best results! I like using bananas that still have a deep yellow color to them but are too ripe to eat as is for most peoples standards. Mashed bananas brings creamy texture and lots of sweetness to the brownies.

Unsweetened Peanut Butter: Well-stirred natural peanut butter makes up a good portion of the volume of these brownies, adds rich fat content, delicious peanut flavor, and also ensures the brownies hold together. I’ve tried the recipe using roasted peanut butter and find I prefer non-roasted peanut butter better.

Pure Maple Syrup (Optional): Add a few tablespoons of pure maple syrup to boost the sweetness of these brownies. Because they are already not overly sweet, they can benefit from some extra sweetener. 

Cocoa Powder: The chocolate portion of the recipe! I use raw cacao powder which I find has a creamier flavor than regular cocoa powder, but any type of unsweetened cocoa powder will work. You can use Dutch process cocoa powder as well. No long list of dry ingredients here – cocoa powder and salt are the only ones.

Sea Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the flavor of the peanut butter, bananas, and the cocoa powder so that you’re getting the full effect of all of the flavors.

Chocolate Chips (Optional): Bringing more sweetness and rich chocolate flavor to the brownies, chocolate chips are what make for fudgy brownies here. I use a relatively little amount, but you can use up to 1 cup for decadent brownies.

Optional Additions:

  • If you have pure vanilla extract on hand, add ½ teaspoon to the batter.
  • For nutty brownies, add ⅓ to ½ cup of chopped raw walnuts or pecans. 
Hand holding a banana brownie so you can see the inside.

Recipe Adaptations: 

  • If you prefer using regular cane sugar, brown sugar, maple sugar, or coconut sugar over pure maple syrup, feel free to make the substitution. 
  • Add more chocolate chips for a sweeter, fudgier brownie.
  • If you prefer a different type or nut butter or seed butter such as almond butter or sunflower seed butter, feel free to swap it out. 
  • For decadent brownies for chocolate lovers, add 2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil and use one full cup of chocolate chips.

Now that we’re familiar with the healthy ingredients for this healthy chocolate dessert, let’s bake a batch of 5 ingredient brownies!

How to Make Peanut Butter Banana Brownies:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line an 8” x 8” square pan with parchment paper.

Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl until they are very creamy (if you don’t mind chunks of banana, you can leave them chunky, but I like to mash them well).

Mashed bananas in a red mixing bowl.

Add in the peanut butter and pure maple syrup and stir well until a thick brownie batter forms (wet ingredients). Stir in the cocoa powder and salt (dry ingredients) until a thick batter forms.

Mashed banana, peanut butter, and cocoa powder in a mixing bowl, ready to be mixed together.

Stir in the chocolate chips (if adding) until they are well-incorporated throughout the brownie batter.

Brownie batter in a mixing bowl, ready to be baked.

Pour batter into the prepared pan. Spread it into an even layer, and sprinkle with extra chocolate chips on top of the batter if you’d like.

Brownie batter in a square pan with chocolate chips on top, ready to go into the oven.

Bake brownies for 20 to 25 minutes or until they look set up.

Baking dish with banana brownies fresh out of the oven.

Allow the brownies to cool to room temperature before slicing with a butter knife and serving. If you’d like, you can sprinkle them with a little flaky sea salt or even powdered sugar. Serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (I’d go with a sugar-free dairy-free ice cream) for a real good time. 

Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Brownies cut into individual squares.

Store brownies in an airtight container (or zip lock bag) in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. These brownies freeze very well! Simply freeze them in a freezer bag (or airtight bag) for up to 3 months.

Plate of banana brownies, ready to eat. A banana and a napkin to the sides of the plate.

Full disclosure: I think these brownies taste much better after they have sat for a number of hours. Fresh out of the oven, the flavors haven’t quite developed but after several hours (the next day, and the following several days), the brownies have much more pronounced, defined flavor.

For this reason, I recommend making this healthy dessert recipe in advance if you can anticipate your craving. 😉

Stack of banana brownies on a sheet of parchment paper with a banana and a napkin in the background.

And that’s it! These chocolate banana brownies are one of those treats you feel confident putting on constant rotation to have a quick bite of brownie bliss to quench your sweet tooth and get your chocolate fix.

This recipe for healthy brownies is a great recipe when you’re craving a sweet treat to maintain your sanity but not send your blood sugar through the roof.

If you’re into lower sugar treats, also try these out!

More Healthy Dessert Recipes:

Enjoy your peanut butter banana chocolate experience!

Square baking pan with healthy banana brownies sprinkled with sea salt and chocolate chips fresh out of the oven. A fresh banana and a napkin to the sides of the pan.

5-Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Brownies

Delicious flourless healthy banana brownies made with all whole food ingredients. This delicious egg-free vegan brownie recipe is perfect for an everyday treat.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
9 Large Brownies

Ingredients

  • 4 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1.5 cups)
  • 1 cup unsweetened creamy peanut butter
  • 2 to 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup, optional
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • ¼ cup chocolate chips, optional

Optional Additions:

  • ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
  • cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line an 8” x 8” square pan with parchment paper.
  • Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl until they are very creamy (if you don’t mind chunks of banana, you can leave them chunky, but I like to mash them well).
    Mashed bananas in a red mixing bowl.
  • Add in the peanut butter, pure maple syrup, cocoa powder, and sea salt to the mixing bowl (the remaining ingredients) and stir well until a thick brownie batter forms.
    Mashed banana, peanut butter, and cocoa powder in a mixing bowl, ready to be mixed together.
  • Stir in the chocolate chips (if adding) until they are well-incorporated throughout the brownie batter.
    Brownie batter in a mixing bowl, ready to be baked.
  • Pour batter into the prepared pan. Spread it into an even layer, and sprinkle with extra chocolate chips on top of the batter if you’d like.
    Brownie batter in a square pan with chocolate chips on top, ready to go into the oven.
  • Bake brownies for 20 to 25 minutes or until they look set up.
    Baking dish with banana brownies fresh out of the oven.
  • Allow the brownies to cool to room temperature before slicing and serving. If you’d like, you can sprinkle them with a little flaky sea salt or even powdered sugar.
    Hand holding a banana brownie so you can see the inside.
  • Serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (I'd go with a sugar-free dairy-free ice cream) for a real good time. 

Notes

Use any nut or seed butter you like, such as almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or cashew butter in place of peanut butter.
Store brownies in an airtight container (or zip lock bag) in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. These brownies freeze very well! Simply freeze them in a freezer bag (or airtight bag) for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Brownie (of 9)Calories: 281kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 9gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 174mgFiber: 6gSugar: 12g
Course: Desserts & Treats
Cuisine: American
Keyword: egg-free brownies, flourless brownies, healthy banana brownies, healthy brownies, peanut butter banana brownies, vegan brownie recipe, vegan brownies, vegan recipes
Servings: 9 Large Brownies
Calories: 281kcal
Author: Julia

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Renee Bentz

Friday 25th of August 2023

What can you do if you alone have sweetened peanut butter?

Julia

Friday 25th of August 2023

@Renee Bentz, Hi Renee! You can still use sweetened peanut butter. I would use 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup to start out, taste the batter, and add 1-2 tablespoons more if I thought the batter needed it. Hope you enjoy!

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