Pass on dessert? Never! These healthy chocolate lover’s blender brownies are so fudgy, moist, and chocolatey that you’d never be able to tell they’re made without flour, butter, or oil. The perfect way to satisfy a chocolate craving in a vegan, gluten-free, and paleo treat that’s super easy to make.
“You post too many chocolate recipes” <– said no one ever. I hope ?
So I know that today’s brownie recipe is hot on the heels of these Healthy 2-Minute Brownies that I shared with you guys last week, but the recipes I post tend to reflect things that I’ve been craving/eating (otherwise I have a hard time getting excited about them), and what I’ve been craving/eating lately has been chocolate.
Lots and lots of chocolate…
I know that January is typically a time where people try to clean up their diets and eliminate things like chocolate and sweets, but that approach has never worked for me. I need to have some kind of dessert or sweet treat daily, or I risk heading into bender territory. And if you’ve ever taken a walk been dragged through bender territory, you know it can leave you feeling pretty darn crappy… both mentally and physically.
SO! I like to take the proactive approach and have dessert daily. It’s a tough life ?
In all seriousness, though, it works. At least for me. I know some people prefer the cold turkey/elimination approach, but I’ve never been able to maintain that sort of thing in the long run, and that’s what I’m looking for here. A sustainable lifestyle rather than a never-ending cycle of restriction and bingeing… no matter how subtle it might appear.
That being said, I’m not exactly chowing down on Twinkies and Ding Dongs over here. Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a Twinkie or a Ding Dong in my life… but that’s besides the point.
What I’m trying to say is that I try to make smart(er) choices when it comes to the sweets I eat since they’re a pretty regular part of my diet. And a smart(er) choice, for me, means something that’ll satisfy the tastebuds/cravings/sugar fairies but won’t put me on a blood sugar rollercoaster…
Something like these Healthy Chocolate Lover’s Blender Brownies, for example…
Oh.Man.
So let’s talk about these brownies. They’re actually the full-pan version of the 2-minute brownies that I posted last week, which is beautiful because I had a handful of people ask me if it was possible to make those 2-minute brownies in the oven, and the answer issss… YES! Only in this case they become 30-minute brownies… with 12-ish servings instead of 1.
BUT! They’re just as fudgy, moist, and chocolatey as the single-serve version, only now you can whip up a bigger batch sans microwave and keep them on hand to share or store (hint: they’re AMAZING from the freezer!!!). And while I don’t normally look into this sort of thing, I checked out the nutritional stats and each brownie comes out to about 90 calories based on 12 servings.
I’d definitely call that a smart (and delicious) way to satisfy that sweet tooth.
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!
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Healthy Chocolate Banana Brownies
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 9brownies 1x
Ingredients
- 3 medium-sized ripe bananas (300g or 1 1/2 cups)*
- 2 Tbsp (32 g) nut/seed butter of choice**
- 1/4 cup (48 g) coconut palm sugar***
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 Tbsp (42 g) coconut flour
- 1/2 cup (40 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) unsweetened almond milk****
- sprinkle of dairy-free chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F (176C) and prepare an 8×8 (20cm x 20cm) baking pan by lining it with a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper, leaving a few inches of overhang on the sides to allow for easy removal. Lightly grease the foil and set aside.
- Add the bananas, nut/seed butter, sugar, and vanilla extract to the bowl of a food processor or high-speed blender and process until all of the ingredients are fully combined and the mixture is smooth, about 3 minutes.
- Add the coconut flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder, and pulse a few times until the dry ingredients begin to incorporate into the wet ones. Add the almond milk and process on high until the batter becomes smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
- Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan and use a spatula to spread it evenly throughout the pan.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top has set and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Remove the pan from the oven, sprinkle with chocolate chips (if desired)*****, and let the brownies cool in the pan for ~10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Use your spatula to “spread” the melted chocolate chips over the top of the brownies, and then use a sharp knife to cut them into individual servings. Store them in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days, in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
* You can easily sub out the banana for 1 1/2 cups of pumpkin puree or mashed sweet potato. OR make a combination of 2 or 3, as long as it comes out to 1 1/2 cups. You may have to add additional sweetener if not using bananas – try the batter before baking and adjust to taste. ** I’ve used roasted almond butter and soy nut butter, but feel free to use any nut/seed butter you have on hand. *** You could also sub this with regular brown sugar or granulated sugar. **** If you don’t have almond milk, or you want to make this nut-free, use any milk (rice, soy, dairy, etc.) you have on hand. ***** You want to add the chocolate chips after baking or the brownies might not rise as well. They’ll still be hot enough coming out of the oven to melt the chips.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
Looking for more healthy chocolate recipes? Try one of these!
Healthy Two Minute Brownies
Brownie Batter Breakfast Bake
Chocolate Overnight Oatmeal Smoothie
Flourless Chocolate Banana Bread
No Bake Brownie Batter Truffles
Is there a way to substitute nut/seed butters with something like coconut oil? They are crazy expensive where I live.
Sorry, Sarah, but I don’t think so. The nut butter is what helps these hold together and stay fudgy. I think oil would be a little too liquidy and wouldn’t help them stick together.
Legit been eating brownies like it’s my job and don’t see it stopping and yes to out of the freezer- I always tell my readers that in my posts
Wooow this recipe sounds amazing and the brownies are sooo stunning. Could dive in that right now ! Truly in love with your page. Thank Vegan Finder :)!
You have so many amazing recipes that its hard to pick which one to make 🙂
I love brownies, and healthy brownies are a total win!
These looked so delicious that I had to make them as soon as I saw them! Bananas are hit and miss with my stomach, so I used the 1 & 1/2 cup sub of pumpkin puree. The batter was fantastic! However…the brownies never set; after 35 minutes, they were still extremely soft and the toothpick was covered when I tested them…which was the case after baking longer (16 minutes in 4 minute intervals to check them) and they still never really set. I really want to try these again, but I have no idea what I did wrong. I followed the recipe exactly paired with the pumpkin sub. Do you think slightly more coconut flour would work since pumpkin puree is a bit more watery? Thanks!
Sorry they didn’t work out for you, Kelsey! Pumpkin can be a little tricky to gauge since different brands can have a different consistency. If your pumpkin is a little more on the watery side, I would probably try cutting it down to 1 cup instead of 1 1/2, and maybe even increasing the baking temp to 350F.
Thank you so much for the quick response and tips! I’m going to try this again today. 🙂
I hope the modifications work out better for you, Kelsey!
Exactly my experience. These didn’t really set – I kept them in the oven for 40 minutes.
They’re more like a thick pudding – I wouldn’t call them brownies. They do, however, taste good.
I think they need some flour to thicken them. I think part of the problem is when you have three bananas as one of the ingredients they can vary in size. Perhaps listings a weight for the banana content would help so there’s not too much moisture from them.
Gah! I have everything to make these BUT bananas or the subs you listed. The one time I’m out of taters, bananas and pumpkin. Must have tonight so adding a grocery run to the list. These look amazing!
Banana shortage?! Say it ain’t so!! :Cry: I hope you liked them if you made them, Adrianne!
Girl, you can NEVER have too much chocolate!!! I can’t wait to make these!
These look so good! And i’m really excited because I have all of the ingredients so I might have to make these tonight. 😀
It’s fate! I hope you like them, Jade! They were definitely a hit around here!
You had me at chocolate!! These look amazeballs <3
Also, I've been meaning to do a sugar detox, but I'm 100% positive I'll fail. That daily dessert ya know…
Honestly? I feel like it’s more important to be aware of the kind of sugar you’re eating rather than trying to take it out completely. Our bodies love sugar, so forcing them to go without it is kind of… err.. mean 😆
I used to deny myself any chocolate unless it was a Saturday night and I would have a square, and that was even tough to do… Those horrible days of disordered eating… 🙁
But now I just eat a sweet treat when I want – and I gravitate towards dark choc, dates or fruit for my sugar boost!
These look incredible by the way! Love an easy choc brownie that doesn’t involve having to use a whole jar of nut butter in the process!
Ohhh I definitely remember those days — no fun at all. And I’ve actually been trying to stay mindful of how much nut butter I use in recipes since I mostly stick to almond and that stuff is getting ridiculously expensive thanks to how pricey almonds have gotten over the last little while. My favourite brand of nut butter got a price hike of almost $10 per jar 😡
Yum!! I made chocolate PB banana “breakfast” brownies yesterday as a way to use up leftover bananas and an excuse to eat brownies for breakfast. Chocolate is always a yay…and dessert! I even invented a dessert sandwich so I could eat dessert for dinner =P
I’ve never given up sugar, I feel like when I get too much my body tells me to stop and I crave bland food. Or I just have a high tolerance 😉
I’m the same way with my cravings! If I’ve been eating too many sweet things, I’ll crave something savoury for a meal or two, but then it’s right back to the sugar. I don’t really see a problem with it — I just try to stay mindful of the kind of sugar I’m taking in.
YAY to daily dessert! The thought of reserving “cheat days” makes me kinda sad. In regards to sugar, I’m aware of my intake, but I’m not strict at all with myself. I feel like my cravings go towards or away from sugar depending on how much I’ve been eating.
And even though I’m not a chocolate lover, I must say that I am a lover of brownies!! These look fantastic.
I’m STILL waiting for the day when I’ll be able to convert you to the dark side 😛
I love my daily dessert as well, preferably in chocolate form! These brownies look like all that is right with the world! I need bananas STAT!
Yessss! I seriously go into panic mode when I’m running low on bananas. I think I might have a dependancy issue 😆
Daily dessert: definitely. Too many chocolate posts? Um, that’s not possible. Thank you for keeping us chocoholics satisfied! ??
I used to eat only some fruit and very dark chocolate, and no other sugar, sweetening everything with stevia. Mentally, I got awfully close to orthorexia, so it is not a happy time for me to recall. But I am glad I went through it, as it helps me be able to see my issues more clearly today, but I did spend much of the time feeling deprived, going into a panic tailspin, even though I did frequently have something dessert-like. Though I did like how being off of sugar changed my palate to be able to appreciate the various intensity of sweetness from various sweeteners. Still, I am never going to be able to give up my maple syrup again (<- my all-time favorite sweetener)!!
Oh girl, I can completely relate to that. There was a time where I convinced myself that I don’t like sweet things as well, which was totally ridiculous. BUT! like you said — it really did change my palate, so I can’t really handle the super sweet stuff anymore. Nature’s sugars, though? I’m all over that.
I’ll take two please.
Alright fine, better make it the whole pan. After all, I have been eating more than normal lately. I think it might be a tape worm. Either that or I’m pregnant. Oh snap… 🙂
I knew I shouldn’t have told you about that tapeworm diet when I was there! 😆 I forgot the other ones, but some of those were cray.
I definitely don’t have a problem with continuous chocolate recipes! I have to have it every day…there’s no shame! Like you said, it’s all about sustainability. Allowing yourself a little bit of indulgence is the key to success. For me, at least. 🙂
Plus, when the chocolate comes in a form like this made with so many quality ingredients it’s a no-brainer!
“Allowing yourself a little bit of indulgence is the key to success” <-- ditto 100%! Besides, there's no happiness when you're constantly having to deny yourself the things you love.
No sane person would force me to ever quit sugar for any amount of time longer than an hour ;). Granted, it’s not that bad and I’m no sugar addict – definitely addicted to nature’s candy = fresh fruit, though. But I don’t make any effort to stop honoring my chocolate cravings with a few pieces of the good stuff. These brownies would be a great way to eat even more chocolate in a more nutritious way. Yes, please!
YES to nature’s candy! I don’t know if it’s a result of getting older or just eating healthy for so long, but fruits -usually- manage to satisfy my sweet tooth just fine. And chocolate will -always- hit the spot.
These are so magical. I can never have too much chocolate in my life 🙂
I like the way you think 😉
These look sinfully delicious. Why do you always have the best recipes?!
Why do you leave such sweet comments?! *insert heart-eyed emoji here*
These are making me crave SO MUCH chocolate at work. And I already had chocolate chips in my breakfast quinoa cake and a few (or six) pieces of dark chocolate after that. I totally agree on the not going cold turkey approach, although kicking my sugar cravings might be helpful I don’t think I will ever curb the desire for dark chocolate and do not wish to 🙂
I was hitting the chocolate around lunch time today as well. I’m telling you! There’s something in the air making us all go cocoa crazy.
I want – no NEED – dessert everyday too! Especially the healthy kind (like these brownies) which kinda tricks me to enjoy it even more – guilt free eating is that best eh? These seriously rock, Amanda – love the ingredients list and WOA – it’s blasphemy to think there could ever be too many chocolate recipes posted EVER!
It’s definitely nice to know that you’re doing your body some good along with your tastebuds. And just think of all those antioxidants in the chocolate 😉
The banana bread bars and now these??? You must really want me to buy bananas 😉
YES! You should see the stash I’e currently got ripening on my counter. I couldn’t find any ripe ones so I decided to just buy a -tonne- of green ones and let them ripen at home 😆
GAHHHHH. These look so good! I’m glad we’re both on a brownie kick right now ;). And yes, I agree. Passing on dessert is never an option and quite blasphemous if you ask me.
I seriously can’t get over how fudgy these are + healthy! You’re a magician.
It’s hard to go wrong when you’re working with chocolate 😀 And I totally love that we’re both on a cocoa kick.
Chocolate everywhere! This one look soo good. And so dangerous. I can eat all of them by myself, you know.
Oh I know! I did exactly the same thing 😉 That’s why I go for the healthy ingredients 😆
These look perfect! And I’ve always been a daily dessert person and see nothing wrong with it if it’s mostly healthy stuff anyway. Lots of chocolate love 🙂
A life without chocolate is no lief at all, am.i.right? 😉
PRAISE THE LORD MY OVEN IS FIXED!!
Because now I can make your delicious brownies and eat the entire pan by myself. I mean, now I can make them and share them with family? Yes….err, that one sounds much better. 😉
And the best part is that it’s no longer too hot to turn the oven on!
If I did 2 large bananas, then how much pumpkin would I need? I’d like to replace some of the banana with that. 🙂
Around 1/2 cup, Ashley. Most bananas come out to about 1/2 cup mashed.
These look luverly 😉
Love how you’ve combined bananas into your recipe!
Pinning this. 🙂
I’d probably put bananas in ALL the things if I could. Thanks, Neil!
I love brownies! Especially the super chocolate-y ones. I can always have more brownie recipes.
Ain’t that the truth! No such thing as too much chocolate 😀
Brownies are probably my favorite chocolate dessert! I actually don’t eat dessert most days since I’m not a huge sweets person, but I agree that total elimination is a terrible idea! If I get a sweets craving, I’m going for it!
Best way to do it! I have to do the same thing with my salty cravings 😉
I’m glad you’re still on the brownie train, nobody can say no to brownies, especially if they are secretly healthy 🙂
My thinking exactly 😀
Nice! Except single servings work much better for me. As you get older, you may find it’s a little harder to have a sweet treat every day, even a healthy sweet treat.
And that is precisely why I just adore single serving desserts!
I’ve definitely noticed changes to my sweet tooth the older I get! It’s a lot easier to satisfy with simple things, whereas before I used to pride myself on the fact that nothing was too sweet or rich for me 😯
I’m all about the daily dessert. Sometimes it’s actual dessert like a cookie and other times it’s overnight oats with chocolate chips thrown into the mix as an evening snack <<< did that yesterday.. just SOMETHING. Love that these are made in a blender because fewer dishes!
Yessss. I find that the older I get, the easier it is to satisfy the sweet tooth with something like chocolate oats instead of candy. And to be honest? Chocolate chip oats are seriously comforting…
Daily dessert? That’s a no brainier 🙂
Glad to hear it! 😀
These look great Amanda! I have found that if I skip dessert, I end up eating more of something later. There is no point in depriving yourself.
Definitely. It might work in the short run, but it’ll come back to bite you in the ass later on.
OH YUM!! Love this recipe…and your mindset on dessert:)
Thanks Faith! Always great to come across a fellow dessert-lover 😀