Fudgy Chocolate Banana Brownies
Where do all the brown bananas come from?! For a banana-loving family, I’m forever baffled by the sad-looking bananas left in our fruit bowl that suddenly nobody will touch.
Thankfully, overripe bananas are exactly what you need for these banana brownies. Rich, fudgy and loaded with dark chocolate chips, they’re somewhere between a classic chocolate brownie and banana bread – with plenty of gooey chocolate thrown in for good measure.
This recipe came about when I had two rather sad bananas sitting on the bench and couldn’t bear to throw them away. Forty-five minutes later… chocolate banana brownies. I’d call that winning.
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What you are going to love about these chocolate banana brownies
Seriously fudgy. These are proper gooey chocolate brownies – rich with Dutch cocoa, dark chocolate chips and mashed banana.
Perfect for using up brown bananas. Because apparently the second a banana develops a brown spot, no one in my house knows how to eat it.
Chocolate + banana. It’s a classic combination for a reason, and the banana makes these brownies beautifully soft and fudgy.
Easy to make. No mixer and nothing fancy required. About 45 minutes and you’ve got a tray of chocolate banana brownies ready to go.
Here are a few simple ingredients you need to get started
- Butter – I use unsalted butter.
- Plain flour and brown sugar – Just your everyday pantry staples. All-purpose flour if you’re in the US.
- Dutch cocoa – I always use good-quality Dutch cocoa in my baking. It gives these brownies that lovely rich, intense chocolate flavour.
- Eggs – Large, free-range eggs at room temperature.
- Vanilla extract
- Overripe bananas – The browner the better! I use two average-sized bananas, mashed roughly with a fork. You’ll need around ¾ cup of mashed banana.
- Dark chocolate chips – I’m a dark chocolate kinda girl, so I use 70% dark chocolate chips. They add little pockets of gooey chocolate throughout the brownies.
How to make banana brownies
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F. Grease and line a 30 x 15cm biscotti pan with baking paper.
2. Melt the butter. Place the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Once melted, add the brown sugar and stir to combine. Set aside to cool for a couple of minutes.
3. Combine the dry ingredients. Add the flour and cocoa to a large mixing bowl and whisk briefly to remove any lumps.
4. Make the brownie batter. Add the butter mixture to the dry ingredients and stir gently to combine. Add the eggs, followed by the vanilla and mashed banana, stirring until just combined.
5. Add the chocolate. Fold through the dark chocolate chips, being careful not to overmix.
6. Bake. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until just cooked.
7. Cool. Leave the brownies in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Equipment
- 30 x 15cm biscotti pan
- Small saucepan
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk and wooden spoon or spatula
- Baking paper
- Wire cooling rack
Cooks notes
Don’t overmix the batter. Once you’ve added the flour, mix only until everything is combined.
Don’t overbake them. We’re after fudgy banana brownies, not chocolate cake. Start checking them around the 25-minute mark.
Get them out of the pan. Leave the brownies to settle for around 10 minutes after baking, then transfer them to a wire rack. Leaving them in the hot metal pan means they’ll continue cooking as they cool – and we’re trying to keep all that lovely fudginess!
Now let’s take this up a notch
Personally, I do like a good slice of brownie for my afternoon tea, BUT I LOVE serving my brownies up for dessert in a fudgy brownie and ice cream sundae. As teenagers with a smidge of freedom, we used to head to this place that did the best brownie sundaes that were big enough for three of us to share – a chocolate lover’s dream! My eldest cousin worked there, so there was always someone watching after us, but we didn’t care; we felt so grown up, and we loved it! To make a brownie sundae, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to a bowl with a brownie square. Go nuts with some toppings like this whisky butterscotch sauce. You could also add some homemade chocolate ganache or a spoon of dulce de leche, chopped nuts, or banana slices to make it into the ultimate chocolate dessert.
How to store chocolate chip banana brownies
Store banana brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Start slow. Cook confidently.
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Fudgy Chocolate Banana Brownies
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 18 brownie squares 1x
Description
A fudgy chocolate brownie with a good hint of banana and some chocolate chips thrown in for good measure!
Ingredients
- 250g unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 c brown sugar
- 1 1/4 c plain flour
- 1c dutch cocoa
- 3 eggs, beaten with a fork
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 overripe bananas, peeled and mashed
- 1/3 c 70% dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F. Grease and line a 30 x 15cm biscotti pan with baking paper.
- Place the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Once melted, add the brown sugar and stir to combine. Set aside to cool for a couple of minutes.
- Add the flour and cocoa to a large mixing bowl and whisk briefly to remove any lumps.
- Add the butter mixture to the dry ingredients and stir gently to combine. Add the eggs, followed by the vanilla and mashed banana, stirring until just combined.
- Fold through the dark chocolate chips, being careful not to overmix.
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 25–30 minutes.
- Leave the brownies in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
I used two average-sized bananas and crushed them with a fork into a rough paste-like consistency. It measured roughly 3/4 cup of mashed banana.
Please note all recipes on this website are in US measurements. Eg, 1 cup / 240ml, 1 tablespoon/15mls. Oven temperatures refer to a fan-forced oven.
This brownie recipe was made in a 30 x 15cm biscotti pan.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Sweets
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Made these for dessert last night. Served them up with chocolate sauce and ice cream. Hit the spot!
such a rich and beautiful consistency – one of the best brownie recipes ive ever made
Much appreciated Dianne, glad you enjoyed them so!
x
Recipe looks great but I couldn’t see when you added the chocolate chips?
Thanks for picking up on that Sandy! It’s now in the recipe. Happy baking! x
Excellent, I used a 20 x 20cm tin and 50gms less sugar. Definitely making them again 👍🏻
Thats good to know Jane! So happy you liked it. Have a great weekend x
When I have this in US measurements it reads 1/4 1/4c plain flour, how much plain flour should I use?
Damn thanks for picking that up! Anywhere on my site that I state “cups”, this is in US cups. S for that recipe it’s 1+1/4 cups of flour 🙂