Banana Brownies with Walnuts
When the craving for rich chocolate brownies hits, this walnut banana brownies recipe should be your go to! These ultra fudgy brownies are made using simple ingredients and are the perfect way to use up those overripe bananas you've got lying around. Made without using vegetable oil, they're also a slightly healthier option the whole family will love!
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ cup dark chocolate chips plus more for mixing in to the batter
- 150 g flour gluten free 1:1 or all purpose flour, sifted
- 50 g unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder optional
- 1 cup white sugar or monk fruit sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 overripe bananas mashed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup walnuts
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven and prepare the brownie pan. Pre-heat your oven to 350F. Grease an 8×8 brownie pan and then line it with parchment paper. I like to cut a sheet of parchment in half and line the pan as shown below.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, combine sifted flour, sifted cocoa powder, espresso powder and salt. Mix together with a fork or whisk to fully incorporate.
- Heat butter & chocolate chips. In a small saucepan over medium low heat, melt butter + chocolate chips stirring gently with a silicone spatula. As the butter starts melting, turn the heat to low and continue to stir until the chocolate is melted, then transfer to a large mixing bowl. Be sure not to let the mixture boil or burn.
- Prepare the mashed banana. In a medium mixing bowl, add overripe bananas and mash using a fork. Alternatively, you can also make the banana puree in a food processor to save time.
- Beat in banana, vanilla, eggs & sugars. In the same large mixing bowl you just added the butter and chocolate mixture, add the mashed banana, vanilla extract, then the monk fruit sugar and the coconut sugar, whisking to combine. Then add each egg one by one, whisking lightly between each egg then whisking one last time a bit more vigorously once all eggs have been added to fully incorporate, about 30 more seconds.
- Mix the batter. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients, folding in gently using a silicone spatula until all dry ingredients are fully combined and no clumps or traces of flour remain. Add extra chocolate chips and fold into batter along with walnuts if using. You can also add slices of banana to the top of the batter if you're a true banana lover and have an extra banana around.
- Bake & chill. Bake the brownies for 35-45 minutes until a toothpick comes out of the center clean and there is no wobble in the batter if you jiggle the pan. Allow brownies to cool at room temperature, then chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Chilling the brownies helps them set and the texture becomes extra fudgy.
Notes
How do I make super fudgy brownies?
The key to making the fudgiest brownies possible is in the eggs. The more eggs you use, the more you will achieve cake-like brownies. I typically use 2-3 eggs for fudgy brownies. You can also use egg yolks; two yolks is equal to one whole egg and will really kick the fudginess up!
What if my eggs aren't room temperature?
Using room temperature eggs is preferable because they incorporate more smoothly into the batter. If you forgot to take your eggs out of the fridge ahead of time, one of my favorite ways to hack this is to simply fill a bowl with warm water & add the eggs to the bowl. You will have room temperature eggs in less than 10 minutes.
Is it necessary to use espresso powder?
If you want to enhance the chocolate flavor in brownies, using ingredients like espresso powder and vanilla extract is the best way to take regular brownies up a few notches!
What kind of butter should I use?
There's a debate in the baking world whether or not you should use salted or unsalted butter. Personally, I use unsalted butter because you can control the saltiness of a recipe better, but if you love salt then go for salted butter!
Do I have to chill the banana brownies?
One of my favorite ways to make brownies easier to slice is to chill them after baking. You can either let them come to room temperature before chilling or place them immediately in the fridge for a cleaner slice. You can chill anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight. If chilling overnight, allow the brownies to come to room temp before slicing as the chocolate will have solidified in the fridge and they will be difficult to cut.
How do I store fudgy banana brownies?
You can store the brownie at room temp in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Alternatively, you can freeze your brownies if you don't want to be tempted to eat them all at once! Make sure to wrap the brownies in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and store in an airtight container or freezer bag. They will keep up to one month.
Tried this recipe?Mention @prettydeliciouslife or tag #PDLrecipes!