These Healthy Brownies are a delicious option when you have some over-ripe bananas to use up and you’re in the mood for a chocolate dessert. These banana brownies are fast to make, are just sweet enough, and store amazingly well in the fridge for an entire week.
Okay real talk: These banana brownies are so delicious. They are tender, fudgey, and perfect for snack or dessert. They’re made with a base of bananas and oats, but really, they taste like a delicious chocolate brownie.
The method to make these involves mashing banana and stirring everything together in a bowl, then simply waiting for them to bake up in the oven. So straight-forward. And then they store so well in the fridge for days and days, which means you can enjoy them all week…if they last that long!
(You may also like Black Bean Brownie Bites, Apple Overnight Oats, Chocolate Protein Muffins, and my yummy Salmon Bites.)
Table of Contents
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Ingredients You Need
To make this healthy brownie recipe, you’ll need to have the following ingredients on hand and ready to go.
- Ripe bananas: You’ll need 2-3 very ripe bananas. We mash these smooth to provide the natural sweetness in the recipe.
- Eggs: Large eggs help the batter hold together.
- Honey or maple syrup: This adds sweetness in combination with the banana. I prefer it here as the sweetener. You can sub granulated sugar and add a splash of milk, too.
- Unsalted butter: Melted and slightly cooled, or you can use coconut oil.
- Vanilla extract
- Oat flour: You can make this or buy it, or use rolled oats ground up in the food processor.
- Cocoa powder: I prefer Hershey’s Special Dark, SACO, or Trader Joe’s cocoa powder.
- Baking powder: A little baking powder helps to ensure the brownies bake through as desired.
- Chocolate chips: Roughly chopped to evenly distribute the flavor, or you can use use mini chocolate chips.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the process involved in making this healthy brownie recipe. For the full information, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Mash the banana really smooth and stir it together with the wet ingredients.
- Add the dry ingredients.
- Chop up the chocolate chips. This helps it be more evenly distributed throughout the batter, for a better overall flavor. You can also use mini chocolate chips. Stir or fold into the batter.
- Pour batter into a parchment-lined baking pan and bake the healthy brownies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, just let them cool fully, slice, and add to a freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible and seal. Freeze for up to 6 months.
Yes, as long as they are cooked through to ensure that the egg is safe. This recipe is very tender, but not overly gooey to ensure food safety.
Sure, use the same amount as the honey or maple syrup and add a splash of milk.
How to Store
To store, you can slice up the banana brownies and wrap them individually before storing them in the fridge so you can pack them in lunches. Or, place them into an airtight storage container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. We prefer to eat them chilled right out of the fridge, though room temperature works, too.
You can also place cooled banana brownies into a freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 months.
Best Tips for Success
- Use very ripe bananas for the best flavor in banana brownies.
- Let cool fully in the fridge before removing from the pan and slicing. This will ensure that the brownies hold together well.To make these gluten-free, use gluten-free rolled oats.
- Dairy-free: Use dairy-free chocolate chips and coconut oil.
- Gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free oat flour.
- Because these brownies are so wonderfully fudgey, you want to make sure they cool fully before slicing, and it’s actually easiest to slice them after they chill a little bit. When you’re ready, use the foil to lift the entire bar out of the pan and place them onto a cutting board to slice.
- I like to chop up the chocolate chips so they’re evenly distributed throughout the batter. You can also use mini chocolate chips.
- If you don’t want to use banana, try my Sweet Potato Brownies.
- Drizzle with peanut butter or almond butter for more yummy flavor, if desired.
Related Recipes
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Easy Black Bean Brownie Bites
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Healthy Chocolate Cake
I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe, so please comment below to chime in!
Favorite Healthy Brownies (with Banana)
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed banana (from about 2-3 very ripe bananas)
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup honey (or maple syrup)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (melted and slightly cooled; or coconut oil)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup oat flour (or oatmeal ground up in the food processor)
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips (roughly chopped or use mini chocolate chips)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8” x 8” inch pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-Inch overhang on two sides.
- Add the mashed banana, eggs, honey, butter, and vanilla to a medium bowl. Whisk well to combine into a smooth mixture.
- Add the oat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and chocolate chips. Stir in to combine fully.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth evenly with a spatula.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the center is set.
- Remove from the oven and let cool fully In the pan before slicing.
Equipment
Notes
- Store brownies at room temperature or the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Dairy-free: Use dairy-free chocolate chips and coconut oil.
- Gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free oat flour.
- Because these brownies are so wonderfully fudgey, you want to make sure they cool fully before slicing, and it’s actually easiest to slice them after they chill a little bit. When you’re ready, use the foil to lift the entire bar out of the pan and place them onto a cutting board to slice.
- I like to chop up the chocolate chips so they’re evenly distributed throughout the batter. You can also use mini chocolate chips.
Nutrition
This post was first posted January 2019.
So I was a bit skeptical about these and while they aren’t brownies like we know them, they are so delicious. Highly recommend chilling them like you suggested!
Can these be frozen?
Hi
Would flax eggs work and also canola oil for butter?
Hi!
I was wondering same thing.. Anybody used an egg replacer for this one?
Due to the fudgy nature of brownies, I think almost any egg replacer is a fine option here. They may be a little moister, but that should be fine with a brownie!
These were amazing! I reduced the sweetener and oil and the brownies turned out so well. I think the game changer is chopping up the chocolate chips as it creates a better texture and disperses the flavour more. I don’t think I need any other brownie recipe, ever. 😄
These brownies are delicious for not having much sugar in them! I used maple syrup and did 1/2 wheat flour of wheat flour instead of the oat flour and left out the chocolate chips. My husband and I both think they are super good, but my 1.5 year old isn’t the biggest fan! I think it’s because he’s not used to the cocoa flavor, but he will learn to like that! Thank you!
These were SO good. 10/10 like everything else on this website!
My 3-year old and I made these brownies this morning. We used Ghirardelli cocoa powder so they came out a beautiful dark brown. Another fantastic recipe, thank you!
Amazing recipe! Wouldn’t change a thing.
Hi Amy, for this healthy banana brownies, what can I substitute oat flour with for wheat allergy? Is almond flour ok?
Hi- I don’t know that almond flour will work the same, but you can do 1/2 cup wheat flour or gf cup for cup blend, or the oat flour listed in the recipe
I made these today with the coconut oil, and they are delicious!
Hi. Can you please tell me the weight of the spinach used in this recipe? Thanks in advance!
You can use a small handful.
Question for you, in the list up top you say coconut milk, but in the recipe calls for coconut oil?
Hi Amy, have you tried these with frozen spinach? Any idea what the amount would be? Thanks
I haven’t but I would guess 2 tablespoons of thawed frozen spinach with all of the liquid squeezed out.
Hi! I made this recipe, and the result was great, but a little sour. Do you think it was because of the applesauce?
I meant acid.
Was your applesauce sour when you taste it raw? What kind of cocoa powder did you use?
Hi, first time visitor to your site and love it already! I made these and they came out kinda dry. Certainly not as moist as everyone else’s sounds! Any tips? I did the oats option and almond butter option. I’m a butter-lover though, maybe that would help or add some coconut oil?
Thanks!!
Hi Trina! Let’s see, you could try baking it a little less next time or try it with the butter option—though still check it starting at 28 minutes. The batches I’ve made with the combo you did were super moist, so it could be a difference in the moisture of the zucchini/squash or our ovens. You could also reduce the cocoa powder to 1/4 cup to see if that helps. Sorry that they turned out dry but I hope your family still enjoys them! (Maybe chill them overnight and see if that helps them moisten up:)
Hi Amy, in response to Trina, who said that they came out dry, you recommended she try to check them after 28 minutes? However, on the directions it says to cook for 20-22 minutes? I cooked mine for 27 minutes and they were still too moist….and gelatinous on the inside.
Please advise.
Thanks!
I will try to test them again soon and will update the recipe to answer these questions.
Thank you for the recipe. These are so easy to make and super delicious and moist. I didn’t have any apple sauce so substituted with one grated dessert apple instead and I used coconut oil. I used the choc chips as I was slightly concerned they wouldn’t be sweet enough with the cocoa powder, etc., but needn’t have worried. I would use this recipe over a standard choc brownie recipe (laden with sugar and fat), any day!
That’s a great substitution and I’m so, so glad that you enjoyed them!
Sounds good! You could probably use coconut oil in place of the almond butter or regular butter, right?
Yes, I would think so!