I bet you weren’t expecting a recipe out of me today! As much fun as I have talking about babies all day long, I do assure you that I plan to start posting recipes more regularly again now that I’m feeling better and back in the kitchen. Perhaps it will be fun to see how my recipes evolve as my pregnancy continues!
This latest recipe was inspired by the last two blackened bananas hanging out in our fruit bowl. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the result was exactly what I was hoping for!
Chocolate Chip Banana Brownies
Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 cup organic cane sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1.5 cups soy milk (or other milk)
- 2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions: The thing I love about baking is that the instructions are almost always as simple as – mix dry, mix wet, add wet to dry, and bake. This recipe is no exception, but I will go through the steps with you anyways just for fun!
Casey had a conference call this afternoon, so I was baking with both dogs locked in the kitchen with me. They were highly intrigued by what I was doing…
Start by combining both flours, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and sea salt in a large mixing bowl.
In a second (smaller) bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork…
And then add the soy milk and vanilla. I have started using soy milk recently instead of almond milk, because being pregnant I am trying to sneak in as much extra protein as I can. I really like this organic unsweetened soy milk from Silk!
Combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients…
And NEVER turn your back on your mixing bowl.
Once all of the dry ingredients are incorporated, fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips. I used traditional Nestle for mine, but by using vegan chocolate chips this recipe will be entirely vegan!
Did I tell you to preheat the oven to 350 degrees yet? Whoops – do that now. Grease a 9×13 baking dish, and spread the brownie batter evenly into the bottom of the pan.
Make sure you use the 9×13 long dish, or else you will need to adjust your cooking time for anything smaller (since brownies will be thicker!).
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
Wait 10 minutes and allow brownies to cool before slicing.
Slice into 16 rectangles – each will be around 17o calories of dense chocolatey goodness, with only 3 grams of fat!
Serve with a cool glass of milk, and a friend to enjoy it with.
I wasn’t sure how these would turn out since I’ve never made vegan brownies before. I was worried that they would be too cakey, which was NOT what I wanted. If I wanted cakey – I would have made cake! I was thrilled to discover that these were moist, dense, and exactly what I was hoping for…
The chocolate chips and hunks of banana took it to the next level.
Who says vegan baking has to by dry and crumbly?
Only one thing left to do… DUNK!
Perfection.
Enjoy!
132 Comments so far
Leave a comment
Oooh yes. You make vegan baking look so much better than non-vegan goods! :)
[Reply]
Yum! LOL Huey wants to help!
[Reply]
Yum!! These look great. I’ve been feeling the urge to bake lately so maybe I’ll give these a try! I have to wait a couple days for my bananas to reeeeeally ripen though. (I’m just catching up on old posts so I will say all my comments here. Yay on baby nectarine and no more vomit-a-thons! I love the Baby Garnish onesie!)
[Reply]
Chocolate and banana is my FAVORITE combination. I am so tempted to come and steal one of these from you ;-)
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 14th, 2011 at 5:08 pm
Please do! Or I can save you one and bring it this weekend when we go maternity shopping! :)
[Reply]
Lisa Reply:
April 14th, 2011 at 5:10 pm
Please save me one! Can’t wait to go shopping.
[Reply]
MMMMM… this looks divine! Well done!
[Reply]
Delicious! I love brownies, and I love non-cakey brownies best.
[Reply]
Oh heck, you are killing me! That recipe looks GORGEOUS! As soon as I have blackened bananas (it’s gonna be a while – mine are green atm), I’m making those :D
[Reply]
YUM!
I LOVE that you added bananas to brownies because they add so much moisture and natural sweetness! Can’t wait to try them! HOpe you’re feeling better :)
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 14th, 2011 at 5:07 pm
The bananas work so well as a fat-free alternative for oil!
[Reply]
These sound great, bananas and chocolate are always awesome together!
[Reply]
ooooh delicious! i love chocolate banana combos :)
[Reply]
Hey Emily, could I use whole wheat flour instead of pastry flour? Is there a huge difference? Thanks!!
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 14th, 2011 at 5:07 pm
I think that would probably be fine – might just be a little heartier, but still good I’m sure! :)
[Reply]
Caitie Reply:
April 14th, 2011 at 5:07 pm
I second this question!
[Reply]
Ugh, I have been craving chocolate all day! I bought a few extra bananas this week to use in baking and they are just a few days away from ready…just in time for weekend baking…I will surely use them to test out this recipe! I love theat these have hunk of bananas and melty chocolate, texture bonus!
P.s…LOVE the photo of Huey formulating his plan to swipe some baked goodness!!!
[Reply]
Those look delicious! I kind of want to make them like NOW
[Reply]
Oh my gosh those look delicious! I recently made vegan brownies for Katie’s bake sale, and I was honestly nervous about how they would turn out, but they were so dense and moist! I will def. have to try these! Thanks for sharing. :)
[Reply]
I knew I was excited for this recipe… :)
[Reply]
These look amazing. Thank you for inventing a recipe using things already waiting in my kitchen. I know you did it just for me :) Kidding aside, I will be making these as soon as I get home. Only I will be trying to keep kittens and boyfriends out of the batter bowl!
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 14th, 2011 at 5:22 pm
I don’t usually plan my recipes ahead of time, so they usually end up being the things already in my kitchen too! :)
[Reply]
Gorgeous photos!
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 14th, 2011 at 5:21 pm
Thank youuuuuu! Hope my new place in Seattle has a nice outdoor spot with nice lighting! :)
[Reply]
Oh YUM! I’m glad to see you feeling better and back in that kitchen!
[Reply]
have I mentioned we have the same glasses? great minds think alike. this recipe sounds awwwwwwfully good. thanks!
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 14th, 2011 at 5:35 pm
YES! Love C&B. :)
[Reply]
Yeah. You had me at bananas in the title. Chocolate and bananas are definitely one of the best combinations created. Ever.
[Reply]
Wow those looks amazing! Love the ingredients list, but I might sub all whole wheat flour, I don’t mind my goodies dense in a whole grain way. That might make me really weird, but oh well. I have got to try these soon. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe :D
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 14th, 2011 at 5:35 pm
I am sure the WW flour would be great as well!
[Reply]
OH MAN THESE LOOKS AMAZING!! I just so happen to have 2 pretty brown bananas in my kitchen right now whewhooo!
Side note: A few weeks ago(maybe months) you posted about a journal you found at a card shop. I wrote down the name but cant find it now and thought it would be a great gift for friends. Can you help me out… :)
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 14th, 2011 at 5:35 pm
It is called “One Line A Day” – I got mine at Paper Source, but they also sell them on Amazon!
[Reply]
SaraRM Reply:
April 14th, 2011 at 5:41 pm
Fabulous, Thanks so much!
[Reply]
This recipe couldn’t have come at a better time! I have some ripe bananas I need to bake with. I think I might sub walnuts for chocolate chips to make it entirely vegan. Thank you, thank you!
[Reply]
Oh, I just started running again and need caaaaarbs. Yum.
Out of curiousity, would it be a big, huge pain in the butt to post your flour recipes with weights? I’m allergic to wheat and like the gluten free girl said–substituting by weight is the easiest way to bake! If it’s too much trouble, no problem. I can figure it out! :)
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 14th, 2011 at 7:36 pm
I could try, but I haven’t really measured that way before. I wouldn’t want to screw it up! I will give it a try next time and see how it goes. :)
[Reply]
mmmm- I NEED these brownies in my life!!! I will have to make these really soon!
[Reply]
Definitely was looking for a way to use my last three bananas without having to toss them. Count it!
PS- quick question: would you say wheat flour would work instead of wheat pastry flour?
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 14th, 2011 at 7:35 pm
Yep, WW will work too!
[Reply]
I could seriously use a brownie right now. Must make a buckwheat version!
[Reply]
What a fun way to use overripe bananas! Thanks for the recipe!!!
[Reply]
The one time I don’t have ripe bananas in the fruit bowl (or freezer)…can’t wait to try these. I made vegan brownies without banana and they completely crumbled but were very tasty.
[Reply]
Glad you are finding ways to squeeze in extra protein. Gotta keep that placenta in. Love the recipe….and I have some rotten bananers to use too!!
[Reply]
Yum! :) Brownies sound sooo good right now!
[Reply]
Those look so good. I think Indy and Huey looking longingly at them is subliminal messaging/picturing.
*Must try with GF flour. :-)
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 14th, 2011 at 7:35 pm
Let me know how it turns out!
[Reply]
Dense brownies all the way. I love how you didn’t have to use a flax egg or anything. Bananas do wonders in chocolate baked goods.
[Reply]
I have all of these ingredients in my kitchen right now! I think it’s fate :)
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 14th, 2011 at 7:35 pm
I think so too!
[Reply]
Those look so good and I have a ton of ripe bananas in my freezer! I do like your recipes, but I also love hearing about your pregnancy journey!
[Reply]
Just added this to my recipe page. Can’t wait to try it. LYUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.
[Reply]
These look GREAT!!
[Reply]
Hey Emily. I’ve been wondering about soy for a while. I know there are studies out that show how dangerous processed soy can be when it comes to tumor growth. Even my grandmother’s oncologist said that drinking soy milk is like drinking arsenic. I understand your point about getting extra protein, but do you get concerned when it comes to drinking soy, eating tofu and veggie burgers? I recently elliminated meat from my diet and have been consulting different sources.
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 14th, 2011 at 7:34 pm
I don’t eat particular processed soy produced, like a lot of veggie burgers or fake meats. The only ones I purchase are soy free, and I also avoid soy lecithin in other products. I do believe soy is fine in small amounts, particularly when in forms like edamame, tofu, tempeh, etc. There is conflicting research on dangers of soy, and I also think you can pretty much find a study to support anything you’re looking for these days. That’s just my personal take on it. I don’t drink a LOT of milk, and the soy milk I have started drinking has a short ingredient list and is all organic. I try to be really careful and pick and choose the soy products that make me feel comfortable!
[Reply]
Caitlin Reply:
April 14th, 2011 at 7:55 pm
I completely agree. Just looking for feedback from a long time vegetarian. Thanks for replying!
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 15th, 2011 at 9:51 am
Sure thing! Everyone feels so differently about it. It’s definitely a grey area!
[Reply]
I think my “recipes to try” bookmarked folder is 95% Daily Garnish recipes. Here comes another one. Looks great.
[Reply]
Your dogs are just too adorable for words! Our lab helps me cook too, and has learned that “oh, shoot,” means “Mom dropped food on the floor – hurry, snacks are waiting!” ;)
[Reply]
Oh, yum! Yesterday I had a oatmeal chocolate chip brownie at work and it was so tasty! I’d love to recreate them.
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 14th, 2011 at 7:32 pm
That sounds delicious!
[Reply]
I just bookmarked this recipe! I haven’t made brownies in forever and these look great!
[Reply]
cute typo” almost milk instead of almond milk.
these look great!
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 14th, 2011 at 7:32 pm
WHOOPS! Haha thank you – just fixed it. :)
[Reply]
Those look most excellent! You are so creative- wish I could get in the kitchen and bake something so yummy and vegan like that :) Baking is most definitely not my forte :)
[Reply]
i was so excited by this recipe, they are in the oven RIGHT NOW!
[Reply]
Those look delicious!! I love banana + chocolate :-)
[Reply]
These look amazing! I must say my favorite pics are the ones with the little pupper in them – hehe.
[Reply]
Stacey Reply:
April 14th, 2011 at 8:27 pm
Hehe :) I call my dog “pupper” and my cat “Kitty Kittykins”
[Reply]
fittingbackin Reply:
April 15th, 2011 at 8:47 am
kitty kittykins?! Love it. Before our puppers we had “hammy bears” (hamsters – Sara Jessica and Miles) LOL I love animals!
[Reply]
That dunking action is drool-worthy! ;) I love all of these vegan dishes you are making! Once I went vegan, I actually found it to be so much better than regular baking! Every baked item I’ve made has been moist and delicious :)
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
[Reply]
Those look delicious! I’m not a milk dunker though!
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 15th, 2011 at 9:50 am
You don’t have to dunk. :) I will forgive you!
[Reply]
Why did I give up chocolate for Lent? WHY?! WHYYYYYY?!
these look amazing.
[Reply]
Mmm…I love bananas and chocolate!
[Reply]
Thanks a lot….it’s 9:00pm and now I have to stop on my way home from work to pick up ingredients for brownies…..can’t not make them. :-)
[Reply]
You are a genius!!! Adding bananas to brownies is a brilliant idea. :) Baby Garnish must have been so happy after these. :)
[Reply]
Thanks for the recipe!! I found your blog a few weeks ago and have really enjoyed it…very inspirational! I recently cut dairy from my diet and have been wanting something sweet and chocolate-y. I’m nursing my 7 month old son and he may have a milk/soy protein intolerance so I’m eliminating dairy to see if that is the culprit that is making him so miserable :(. Thanks again, I’ll be making this tomorrow!
It has been fun reading about your pregnancy as well. Enjoy this time because it goes by verrrry fast!
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 15th, 2011 at 9:50 am
So glad you found the blog! :)
[Reply]
Can’t wait to try this one! My boyfriend is OBSESSED with your banana bread and I know he’ll be crazy about these brownies too!
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 15th, 2011 at 9:50 am
Yum – glad to hear it! :)
[Reply]
Yummy and a simple recipe! Must give this one a try :)
[Reply]
Hi! I am new to your blog and juat have to tell you how much I have enjoyed reading your past posts. This recipe looks delish! Congrats on you exciting news! Being a mother is honestly the most incredible gift. It is amazing watching this little person that you created, make their way through this world. I feel so blessed that I was given the opportunity to have a front seat and help guide her through her path. Very cheesy but something you will feel soon :)
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 15th, 2011 at 9:49 am
Thanks Lindsay!
[Reply]
Those look so good! I’m really impatient when it comes to making brownies. I always cut into them before they’ve cooled. :-)
[Reply]
These look pretty ridiculous :) The only thing better would be a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top :)
[Reply]
Those look amazing! Chocolate and bananas, oh my!
[Reply]
So I have a question, can I use applesauce or something else in place of the bananas? While I love bananas I have food sensitivity and don’t eat them, which is sad since they are in so many vegan recipes :(
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 15th, 2011 at 9:48 am
Yes, definitely try applesauce! You can also use oil (maybe 1/2 cup) but that would obviously change it nutritionally.
[Reply]
Any idea what the differences between regular and organic sugar are? I’ve been searching around just because I’m curious, but the results have been inconclusive. Thanks!
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 15th, 2011 at 9:47 am
I just try to buy as much organic food as possible, especially when it’s processed. I believe the organic sugar has less bleaching.
[Reply]
Jenn Reply:
April 15th, 2011 at 2:41 pm
Just an fyi – organic sugar is not processed in the way that most regular sugar is, which includes being ground up with animal bones, therefore organic sugar is guaranteed vegan….gross, right?!
[Reply]
YUM YUM YUM! I would like those in my mouth right now!
[Reply]
Wow! I’d give anything for a chewy brownie right now :(
[Reply]
YUM! Thank you soo much for sharing this, I can’t wait to make it!
[Reply]
Awesome! I love simple recipes. If only I had bought some cocoa powder while I was at the grocery store.
[Reply]
Oh, yes! This was just added to my weekend fun :)
[Reply]
Soy milk? :(
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 15th, 2011 at 9:47 am
You can use any type of milk that you prefer.
[Reply]
Meagan Reply:
April 15th, 2011 at 4:26 pm
I understand, I was more saddened that you are drinking soy milk. For the health of your new baby! I urge you to read this Emily :)
http://www.westonaprice.org/soy-alert
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 15th, 2011 at 4:43 pm
I do appreciate your concern. I have done my fair share of research on soy too, and I believe it is fine in small, relatively unprocessed amounts. Especially when organic. I am most definitely thinking about the health of my baby, and trying to get as much healthy protein as possible!
[Reply]
1 cup feels like a lot of sugar. Is there anything, chemically speaking, that changes if you cut that in half? Especially using sweetened chocolate chips, I’m just wondering if anything more than the taste is changed…
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 15th, 2011 at 9:45 am
You can cut some out if you prefer, but they aren’t really overly sweet. They are also cut into 16 large brownies, so the 1 cup is well distributed – about 1 tbsp of sugar in each. Wouldn’t change anything but taste, but I’m afraid they might get pretty bitter with the unsweetened cocoa powder.
[Reply]
Bananas and chocolate together! Doesnt get much better tasting than that! YUM!
[Reply]
Ahh…I am making these for Easter! My brother and his girlfriend are both vegan, so I’ve been racking my brain trying to find what to make them that everybody would enjoy.
FOUND it! Thank you! :D
[Reply]
oh bananas…the secret to many good vegan baked good ;)
[Reply]
These look fantastic! I would love to try them with almond milk…and perhaps a tiny bit of pb mixed in? I love anything chocolate-banana-peanut butter! :)
[Reply]
oh my, this looks DELICIOUS!! love the banana combo with the brownies! i must try this… i was just craving brownies the other day too. :)
i have a recipe, but mine is almond butter zucchini brownies! http://juniakk.blogspot.com/2011/01/almond-butter-zucchini-brownies.html
[Reply]
Mmm, I’m making these right after Easter when I can have chocolate!
[Reply]
Brownies should be dense and moist, I definitely agree. If I had wanted cake, I’d have made cake! My problem is I have been trying to make gluten-free brownies, but they keep turning out gummy. I want dense and moist, not gummy!
[Reply]
I have GOT to try this! Thanks for sharing :)
[Reply]
My pre-period uterus approves of this recipe! ;)
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 16th, 2011 at 10:45 am
HILARIOUS.
[Reply]
Hi Emily,
Just tried the recipe out tonight and they are Soooo Good! Good Good. This was my first vegan baking venture. Thank You!
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 16th, 2011 at 10:42 am
So glad you liked it! :)
[Reply]
Thanks for this recipe. It’s so good.
I had all the ingredients in my cupboards already so made some this morning and they are really yummy. I may or may not have eaten 2 of them already!
My last banana has gone into the freezer so I can have banana soft serve on a warm brownie for dessert tonight!
[Reply]
Hi Emily, just came upon your blog and see they you and I have the same taste. Your food looks divine.I see you like Silk too. I love the coconut milk. I look forward to making these brownies for my family.
[Reply]
I made these last night with no modifications and they were so ooey-gooey delicious! We had them with a scoop of So Delicious Vanila Bean and a drizzle of chocolate sauce. I have a feeling they will slowly/quickly disappear before the weekend ends!!! LOVE this recipe!
[Reply]
I literally was just wondering what I should make with the two way-too-ripe bananas sitting on m countertop! Done and done. Thanks :) Also, we live in Old Town too and have always wanted to try Trattoria de Franco but somehow never end up there. Now we are for sure going, ASAP! Good luck with the move to Seattle…my brother lives there and absolutely LOVES it. When I went to visit we went to Pike’s Place every day…trust me, you won’t be missing the Old Town market for too long! Oh, and good luck with the baby! So exciting!
[Reply]
[...] Chocolate Chip Banana Brownies (Adapted from Daily Garnish) You’ll Need: 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour 1 cup organic cane sugar [...]
This looks yummy! Especially the dunking in the milk part! ;)
[Reply]
I made these last night, using regular flour and granulated sugar, and omitting the chocolate chips – they were still AWESOME! I’m so happy to have a brownie recipe that tastes like a brownie, but is still (marginally) better for you than a traditional brownie. THANK YOU SO MUCH!
[Reply]
Hi Emily,
I’m anxious to try these brownies, but don’t have any ripe bananas. Would applesauce work? If so, how much? (I use applesauce as a substitute for oil in cake recipes all the time.) Thx!
[Reply]
Just tried these brownies and they were sooo good!! Dense and delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
[Reply]
Emily Malone Reply:
April 26th, 2011 at 9:16 am
Yum – I am so glad you liked them!
[Reply]
Just made these with regular whole wheat flour instead of pasty flour and they are awesome! I also had extra choc. chips; you can’t go wrong with more chocolate!
[Reply]
I just made this recipe and it turned out soooooo good. I love brownies and these were so rich and delicious. Great job Emily!!! I’ll be praying for you and your move coming up – so glad you are feeling better.
[Reply]
I just made these! I used 1 cup almond milk and 1/2 cup coffee left in the pot from this morning. They turned out really good, and definitely hit the spot with my chocolate craving!
[Reply]
Just made these and LOVED them! Didn’t have any chocolate chips and they were still amazing. I am storing them in the fridge and snacking on them throughout the week. Will definitely make again!
[Reply]
[...] did a little recipe digging and stumbled upon Emily’s Banana Brownies which sounded incredible! They were also packed with a healthy balance of ingredients to [...]
Emily, these are amazing!!! I am not vegan, but they looked so good. I loooove anything with banana! And an extra bonus for me is that I can lick the batter off the spoon – being pregnant and not being allowed to have raw eggs it is torture every time I make muffins! ; )
Thanks so ,uh for posting this recipe. I will be making these again for sure!
-Ashley
[Reply]
Emily, these are amazing!!! I am not vegan, but they looked so good. I loooove anything with banana! And an extra bonus for me is that I can lick the batter off the spoon – being pregnant and not being allowed to have raw eggs it is torture every time I make muffins! ; )
Thanks so much for posting this recipe. I will be making these again for sure!
-Ashley
[Reply]
Love your blog, you have so many amazing recipes! I made these last night using all whole wheat flour, and subbed 1 tbsp of coconut oil for one of the bananas. I also added a bit more milk. They were really good!
[Reply]
Leave a comment