Melt-in-your-mouth Flourless Banana Brownies that are irresistibly fudgy and chocolatey! They’re gluten-free, vegan, grain-free, dairy-free, and refined-sugar-free, so they make a deliciously healthy snack for when those cravings hit.
Chocolate or vanilla? Cake or frosting? Sweet or salty? Fudgy or cakey? These are just some of life’s small but important decisions.
When it comes to the question of chocolate or vanilla, I’ll almost always go with chocolate. The only time I deviate from this is with ice cream, in which case vanilla reigns supreme. Cake vs. frosting is easy – give me all the cake and keep your [usually nasty] frosting. Sweet or salty is a little trickier. I’d normally say sweet all the way, but lately I’ve been craving saltier things… followed by sweet ones. It’s a strange position to be in.
And that brings us to the question of fudgy or cakey… which in today’s case refers to brownies. Flourless banana brownies, to be more exact.
To be completely honest, I don’t have a preference. I like fudgy brownies. I like cakey brownies. I like [insert descriptive word here] brownies. I like ALL the brownies (see chocolate vs. vanilla debate).
But these banana brownies? They’re really fudgy. And really chocolatey. And so good they just kind of melt in your mouth… which basically translates to “you need to make them NOW.”
How To Make Flourless Banana Brownies
We start with a flax egg! It’s just 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of water that’s left to sit for a few minutes until it thickens and takes on the consistency of an egg. This helps make the brownies fudgy and chewy but still light – a texture that’s kind of to die for. Oh, actually, the cornstarch takes some credit for that as well. It really helps “melt” the ingredients together and contributes to the fudginess factor big time.
So once the flax egg is done goo-ifying, all that’s left is to toss the remaining ingredients (minus the chocolate chips) into a blender and process until the batter is super smooth. You can definitely do this part by hand if you prefer, but I like using my blender whenever I can because it ensures everything is well-blended and smooth. The batter should be on the runnier side and you should be able to easily pour it into the baking pan.
Oh wait, before you do that, you need to make an important decision – do you want to add chocolate chips or not? AND, if you do want to add them, do you mix them straight into the batter or melt them and pour them over the top. There’s obviously no right answer to this one; it all comes down to personal preference. These brownies are definitely chocolatey and sweet enough without any added chips, but I also really like the melt and pour over top method. It depends on the day.
And this particular day? It was a “melt and pour over top” kind of day…
Okay, But What Are They Like?
These brownies are really fudgy and really chocolatey. They’re not as dense and chewy as traditional brownies, but they’re absolutely not cakey either – they have a light, melt-in-your-mouth fudginess that’s totally irresistible.
They’re sweet but not overwhelmingly so with only 1/4 maple syrup to sweeten the entire batch. If you want them sweeter then I definitely recommend adding the chocolate chips, either into the brownies themselves or melted over top. And if you’re wondering about the banana in the ingredients list, I can promise you that you really can’t taste it. It’s mostly in there for show adding moisture/fudginess.
Finally, these brownies are gluten-free, grain-free, oil-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar-free, and vegan.
Happy eating!
I’d love to know if you make this recipe! Leave a comment and rating down below to let me know what you think, and subscribe to our mailing list to receive new recipes in your inbox!
Print
flourless banana brownies
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 9 brownies 1x
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp (7 g) ground flaxseed + 3 Tbsp (45 ml) water
- 1/2 cup (128 g) almond butter*
- 1 medium-size ripe banana (~100 g)
- 1/4 cup (60 g) maple syrup**
- 1/4 cup (20 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 Tbsp (8 g) cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Optional: 1/4 cup (40 g) dairy-free chocolate chips
Instructions
- Make a “flax egg” by adding ground flaxseed and water to a small bowl and letting it sit until it thickens, about 5 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C) and prepare an 8 x 8 (20 x 20 cm) baking pan by lining it with a sheet of parchment paper, leaving a few inches of overhang on the sides to allow for easy removal. Set aside.
- Add all the ingredients except for the chocolate chips to a high-speed blender or food processor in the order listed and process on high until the batter becomes smooth. Alternatively, you can mix the ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand if you’re adding them to the brownies.
- Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan, using a spatula to distribute it evenly. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the brownies from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- If you want to use the chocolate chips as a chocolate topping, place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe dish, and nuke them in 30 second intervals until they’re completely melted. Then, pour the chocolate over the brownies and use a spoon or spatula to spread it around.
- Store the brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
* You can also use a soy nut butter if you need these to be nut-free.
** You can use honey if you don’t need these to be vegan.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
Looking for more delicious brownie recipes? Try one of these!
Flourless Double Chocolate Brownies
Flourless Sweet Potato Brownies
No-Bake Brownie Batter Truffles
Flourless Pumpkin Brownies
Fudgy Two Minute Mug Brownie
*Disclosure: Some of the links included in this post may be affiliate links, meaning I’ll earn a small commission if you purchase through them, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use and believe will add value to my readers. Thank you so much for helping support Spoons!
I am extremely intrigued in this subject. Even though I have read numerous articles, I believe yours is the best.
I’d want to express my gratitude for this fantastic read!! Everything about it appeals to me. I’ve got you bookmarking your site so you can keep up with what you’re doing.
These were delicious and so fudgy! I doubled the recipe and baked them in a 9×13 glass dish. I used Kirkland’s peanut butter along with everything you listed! I baked them for 24 minutes and they were perfect! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Tasted amazing! I loved this dessert.
Can I skip egg or add as per taste appetite?
These brownies were not as fudgey as I was hoping, per description. I followed the recipe exactly. They came out light and cakey, with a chocolate flavor enough to satisfy a craving but not super chocolatey. I’d probably try a different brownie recipe on here instead. Enjoy many of your other recipes, however, and look forward to trying others.
Nice texture and perfect sweetness.
Modifications based on pantry items:
1 1/4 c almond flour for almond butter, 2 T tapioca starch for corn starch, 1 egg for flax egg.
9 x 9 pan, 25 minutes.
Freezing 1/2 so I don’t eat them all!
Thank you for the delicious recipe!!!
I’m so glad you like them, Kim! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review and share your modifications.
It was super easy to make, but didn’t really taste like brownies. It was more like a chocolate banana bread.
Sorry they weren’t what you were expecting, Bethany. But they are -banana- brownies, so they’re not going to taste like traditional brownies.
So easy to make, but it wasn’t even in the oven for 10 mins and the top was burning. Sticking a knife in the middle came out clean. The only difference was I added a real egg and peanut butter instead of almond. Hopefully it still tastes ok…..
I apologize that the recipe didn’t work out for you, Tash, and I’m honestly not sure what could have gone wrong. I made this recipe several times with the baking times listed and never had an issue, and I have a few other versions of this recipe that no one has had problems with either… so I’m completely stumped. I apologize again though!
Actually, one thing that comes to mind is glassware vs. metal baking pans. I use metal pans for all my baking so temperatures and bake times are calculated according to those. If you used a glass dish, that might explain why it burned… Just trying to figure it out!
I did use a metal pan. Maybe it’s just my oven! But I’m happy to report that they taste so delicious and we can’t even taste the burnt part! Will try again at a lower temp and keep an eye on things, but still, super yum!!
Hi Amanda, these sound yummy. I was sad to see that the recipe contains corn starch as corn is a grain and something I’m not meant to eat right now. Any thoughts on an alternative?
You could use arrowroot as a substitute, Lachlan. Here’s a great article I found on different substitutes for cornstarch: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/substitutes-for-cornstarch
Thanks so much!!
Can I sub peanut butter for the almond butter? I have tree nut allergy.
Yes definitely! I have a peanut allergy so that’s why I use almond butter.
Can I sub erithyol for the maple syrup
I don’t think so, unfortunately. The maple syrup adds extra moisture, which helps the brownies get so fudgy. However, I haven’t tested any non-liquid sweeteners with this recipe so I can’t say 100% for sure how it would affect the brownies.
I love how simple this is. Can I sub a regular egg for the fax egg?
Yes that should be totally fine!