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    Home ยป Recipes ยป Bars & Brownies

    Banana Brownies

    April 30, 2024 By Sam Merritt 11 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe
    collage of banana brownies, top image of three brownies stacked, bottom image single brownie on marble slab close up

    Banana brownies are a great way to use up leftover bananas (especially when you’re sick of banana bread!). My recipe uses just one bowl and takes only 15 minutes to prep.

    Stack of three banana brownies.

    Chocolate Banana Brownies

    Burnt out on banana bread? Maybe I can interest you in these banana brownies, instead. This creative way to use up leftover produce yields a brownie with a distinct banana flavor that pairs perfectly with the chocolate. This recipe comes together quickly and easily, and is a great way to avoid banana waste!

    Since my kids have become so fickle about their banana consumption (devouring them some weeks, leaving them entirely untouched to turn brown others), I’ve had to get creative with ways to use up browning bananas. Aside from making sourdough banana bread or banana pancakes, my most recent and favorite method has been to toss them into a batch of brownies.

    Why You’ll Love This Recipe

    • One bowl recipe that is just as easy to make as a box mix!
    • Uses up that lonesome brown banana that nobody wants to eat. While most of my recipes use at least two or three bananas, this is perfect for those situations when you only have one lonely leftover!
    • Can handle some nuts (toasted pecans would be amazing) or peanut butter chips if you are feeling a bit adventurous.
    • Chocolate and banana are a perfect match! You’ll know this if you’ve tried my chocolate banana bread 💛

    Ingredients

    You need just 10 ingredients to make these banana brownies. Let’s go over a few before we begin.

    Overhead view of ingredients including bananas, chocolate, cocoa powder, and more.
    • Bananas. Like most banana recipes, these banana brownies are perfect for using up brown, spotty bananas. Really the riper the better–that’s where the most flavor is! I find I typically need to use just one banana to get ½ cup.
    • Chocolate. I melt a semisweet chocolate bar for the brownie batter itself and use semisweet chips later on. You could use chips for both though; I provide instructions for this in the recipe notes below.
    • Cocoa powder. While you could technically use either dutch process or natural cocoa in this recipe, I like the flavor of natural cocoa here best.
    • Eggs. Use room temperature eggs for the easiest mixing. If you forget to set yours out ahead of time, use my trick to quickly bring eggs to room temperature.

    SAM’S TIP: Peanut butter chips would be a tasty substitution for the semi-sweet chips we stir in at the end.

    Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

    How to Make Banana Brownies

    Overhead view of brownie batter before being combined.
    1. Melt the chocolate and butter together, then stir in the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Adding the cocoa powder while the butter and chocolate are still hot will help to enhance its flavor; this technique is called “blooming” the cocoa.
    2. Stir in the remaining wet ingredients and salt until the batter is cohesive.
    3. Add the flour, then stir in the chocolate chips. I reserve some of my chocolate chips for sprinkling on top of the batter after I spread it in the pan.
    4. Bake until a toothpick shows fudgy crumbs, then let cool completely before slicing and enjoying.

    SAM’S TIP: If you like crinkly brownie tops, mix the wet ingredients together (particularly the eggs) really well. This helps to create a meringue -like top layer on the brownies.

    Overhead view of brownies made with bananas that have just been cut into squares.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I double this recipe?

    Yes! If you need even more banana brownies (or have two bananas to use up), you can double the recipe and use a 9×13″ pan. Your bake time may be different though.

    Can I add nuts?

    Yes! Pecans would be a great choice (I use them in my banana nut muffins), but walnuts, peanuts, or really any nut you enjoy would work! I’d recommend adding no more than ¾ cup, and you can stir them in with the chocolate chips.

    How do I get clean cuts?

    Banana brownies don’t cut as cleanly as most of my other brownies. If you want clean lines, then make sure to let them cool completely (they fall apart if cut into warm). When they are cool, run your knife under very hot water and wipe it dry before cutting. All that being said, these are deliriously delicious warm so don’t let the messy cuts deter you too much!

    Banana brownie with one bite missing.

    For more fun brownie variations check out my Oreo brownies or rocky road brownies!

    Enjoy!

    Let’s bake together! Subscribe to my newsletter to be notified of all the newest recipes, and find my free recipe tutorials on YouTube 💜

    Stack of three banana brownies.

    Banana Brownies

    Banana brownies are a great way to use up leftover bananas (especially when you're sick of banana bread!). My recipe uses just one bowl and takes only 15 minutes to prep.
    4.50 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: bars, brownies, Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 33 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 48 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12 servings
    Calories: 337kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 10 Tablespoons (141 g) unsalted butter
    • 4 oz (113 g) semi-sweet chocolate chopped
    • ½ cup (50 g) natural cocoa powder
    • 1 ¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
    • ½ cup (123 g) mashed banana about 1 large banana
    • 2 large eggs room temperature preferred
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ½ teaspoon table salt
    • ⅔ cup (83 g) all-purpose flour
    • ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

    Recommended Equipment

    • Metal 9×9” baking pan
    • Mixing bowls

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a 9×9” square baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
    • In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, combine butter and chopped chocolate and heat in the microwave in 10-second intervals, stirring well in between, until butter and chocolate are completely melted and mixture is smooth.
      10 Tablespoons (141 g) unsalted butter, 4 oz (113 g) semi-sweet chocolate
    • Add cocoa powder and whisk until smooth.
      ½ cup (50 g) natural cocoa powder
    • Add sugar, mashed banana, eggs, vanilla and salt and stir until well combined.
      1 ¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar, ½ cup (123 g) mashed banana, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon table salt
    • Stir in flour, mixing until combined. Add chocolate chips, reserving a few for the top if desired, and stir until chips are evenly distributed through the batter.
      ⅔ cup (83 g) all-purpose flour, ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
    • Spread batter evenly into prepared baking pan and scatter reserved chocolate chips over the top of the brownies.
    • Transfer to center rack of 350F (175C) oven and bake for 30-33 minutes and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist fudgy crumbs (not wet batter)..
    • Allow to cool completely in pan before slicing and enjoying (they tend to fall apart when still warm!).

    Notes

    Chocolate

    I like to use a semisweet chocolate bar, but if you prefer to use chocolate chips you will need ⅔ cup of chocolate chips.

    Baking pan

    If using a glass baking dish note the brownies will take longer than indicated to bake completely.

    Storing

    Store covered or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 337kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 227mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 348IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 2mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mary Wall

      May 13, 2025 at 2:34 pm

      4 stars
      Absolutely delicious, thankyou!!

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 13, 2025 at 2:59 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Mary! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    2. Leslie

      April 09, 2025 at 9:23 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious! Needed to use up an over ripe banana and definitely not in a banana bread mood – these are so good! Love that fudgy and slightly tangy taste from the banana. It reminds me of your sourdough brownies but its own unique twist.
      A winner recipe for sure, and the fact that they donโ€™t take very long to prepare is an added bonus.

      Reply
      • Sam

        April 10, 2025 at 12:29 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Leslie! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    3. Tanya Vavitsas

      August 20, 2024 at 2:07 pm

      5 stars
      I made these delicious banana ๐ŸŒ brownies using your recipe. I love them. Tastes it with the real banana kick into it. ๐Ÿ˜‹

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        August 21, 2024 at 10:38 am

        We’re so happy you enjoyed the brownies, Tanya! Thanks for trying our recipe โค๏ธ

        Reply
    4. SA

      May 31, 2024 at 5:43 pm

      4 stars
      I used 60% cacao chips instead of the semi-sweet which is 75% of the sugar content and found the brownies to be extremely sweet. They did have a nice mild banana flavor (which is great because sometimes banana can be overwhelming) and a good fudgy consistency. If I made them again I would have to play around with sugar to make it even less sugary. These would pair well with vanilla ice cream.

      Reply
    5. Allie

      May 05, 2024 at 11:26 pm

      Hi, Sam ๐Ÿ™‚ these look yummy. What do you think about using frozen ripe banana? Thatโ€™s all I have right now.

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 06, 2024 at 11:53 am

        Hi Allie! I haven’t tried it, but I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    6. Eppie

      May 03, 2024 at 6:28 pm

      best d*** brownie recipe I’ve ever made. And I’ve been cooking and baking professionally for over forty years.

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 05, 2024 at 10:32 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    4.50 from 4 votes

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    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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