These banana peanut butter brownies are perfectly rich, fudgy, and so satisfying. They're made with mashed banana, lots of chocolate, peanut butter, and a generous sprinkle of flaky salt on top.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- These banana peanut butter brownies are so rich, fudgy, and dense yet soft in the middle. They're absolutely delicious!
- These brownies taste like peanut butter cups!!!
- You don't need any special tools to make this recipe. Not even a hand mixer! You just need a regular whisk.
Tools
- 9x9" square pan - This recipe is scaled for a 9x9" pan. This produces the perfect size of brownie, in my opinion, not too thick and not too thin. To make this recipe in a larger or smaller pan, you can multiply all the ingredients by 2 or divide by 2.
Ingredients
As always, the full recipe card with ingredient amounts and instructions is at the bottom of this post!
- Bananas - Use very ripe bananas that have become dark and spotty, just like you would for banana bread. The bananas help these brownies become extra moist while adding a subtle banana flavour.
- Egg
- Cocoa powder - Use natural cocoa powder, not dutch-processed cocoa powder. Natural cocoa powder is the most common kind you'll find in grocery stores. If you're not sure what you have, it's most likely natural cocoa powder.
- Espresso powder - Espresso powder enhances the flavour of chocolate in any dessert. It's optional so if you don't have any, you can just omit it!
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Vanilla extract
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Dark chocolate -ย Use any dark or semi-sweet chocolate you like. I'd recommend dark chocolate since brownies are already inherently sweet. Roughly chop it into smaller pieces to help it melt down quickly and evenly.
- All-purpose flour
- Peanut butter - You can use either natural peanut butter or regular peanut butter but I prefer and would recommend natural peanut butter to avoid adding more unnecessary sweetness.
How to make banana peanut butter brownies
Prep -ย Preheat oven to 350ยฐF. Line a 9x9" square pan with parchment paper on the bottom and all sides. Set aside.
Mash bananas - In a large mixing bowl, add ripe bananas and mash with the back of a fork. Add the egg and whisk until combined.
Add dry ingredients - Add in cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, salt, and vanilla extract. Whisk again until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
Melt butter & chocolate -ย In a small saucepan on low-medium heat, melt butter, sugar, and dark chocolate. Stir until most of the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is hot and glossy.
Whisk in warm mixture -ย Slowly stream the warm chocolate mixture into the bowl of the banana mixture while whisking constantly with your other hand. Keep whisking until combined.
Add flour -ย Finally, add the flour and whisk until just combined and no large flour patches remain.
Fill pan - Pour the brownie batter into your lined pan. Use an offset spatula to spread the batter into the corners and edges.
Swirl peanut butter - Transfer the peanut butter to a piping bag or ziploc bag. If the peanut butter is too stiff, warm it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds before using. Cut the tip off the bag and pipe it across the top of the brownie batter in large squiggle. Use a chopstick to swirl the peanut butter and brownie batter together in circular motions until you like how it looks.
Bake -ย Bake for 25-28 minutes or until the edges are set but the center is still soft and moist.
Chill brownies - Immediately sprinkle the top with flaky salt and transfer the pan and the wire rack to the fridge to stop the cooking process. Chill the brownies for at least 3 hours or until completely cool. The middle will get fudgier as it cools.
Slice -ย Once chilled, release the brownie from of the pan by lifting it by the parchment paper overhangs. Cut the brownies into 9 squares. Serve at room temperature or heat up individual slices.
Storage
Room temperature - These banana peanut butter brownies can be stored in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Fridge - They can also be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days but allow them to come back to room temperature before serving.
Freezing - These brownies can be frozen by storing them in an airtight container or wrapping well in plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil and freezing for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for several hours before serving.
Tips for success
- Use very ripe bananas. Your bananas should be very spotty. Ripe bananas are sweeter, have the most banana flavour, and they're easier to mash.
- Heat the butter, sugar, and chocolate mixture well. It should be very warm but not simmering yet. This mixture makes brownies dense and fudgy with a crackly top (that you'd see if the peanut butter wasn't on top).
- Chill the brownies immediately after baking. This stops the cooking process so that the middle of the brownies don't overcook and stay moist and fudgy.
- Only slice the brownies when completely cooled. The center of the brownie will be very soft and gooey while it's still warm. For clean cuts, only slice into it when it's completely cooled and chilled.
- Serve brownies with a scoop of ice cream. I mean... is there a better way to eat brownies? This seriously makes them so much better.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can multiply all the ingredients by 2 for a larger pan or divide by 2 for a smaller pan.
Yes! These brownies should be chilled for several hours or overnight so it's a great recipe to make in advance 1-2 days before you plan on serving them.
More chocolate recipes to try
Recipe
Banana Peanut Butter Brownies
Equipment
Ingredientsย ย
- 2 ripe bananas
- 1 large egg
- 100 g cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 225 g unsalted butter
- 350 g granulated sugar
- 300 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 180 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g natural peanut butter
Instructionsย
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350ยฐF. Line a 9x9" square pan with parchment paper on the bottom and all sides. Set aside.
- Mash bananas: In a large mixing bowl, add ripe bananas and mash with the back of a fork. Add the egg and whisk until combined.
- Add dry ingredients: Add in cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, salt, and vanilla extract. Whisk again until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Melt butter & chocolate: In a small saucepan on low-medium heat, melt butter, sugar, and dark chocolate. Stir until most of the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is hot and glossy.
- Whisk in warm mixture: Slowly stream the warm chocolate mixture into the bowl of the banana mixture while whisking constantly with your other hand. Keep whisking until combined.
- Add flour: Finally, add the flour and whisk until just combined and no large flour patches remain.
- Fill pan: Pour the brownie batter into your lined pan. Use an offset spatula to spread the batter into the corners and edges.
- Swirl peanut butter: Transfer the peanut butter to a piping bag or ziploc bag. If the peanut butter is too stiff, warm it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds before using. Cut the tip off the bag and pipe it across the top of the brownie batter in large squiggle. Use a chopstick to swirl the peanut butter and brownie batter together in circular motions until you like how it looks.
- Bake: Bake for 25-28 minutes or until the edges are set but the center is still soft and moist.
- Chill brownies: Immediately sprinkle the top with flaky salt and transfer the pan and the wire rack to the fridge to stop the cooking process. Chill the brownies for at least 3 hours or until completely cool. The middle will get fudgier as it cools.
- Slice: Once chilled, release the brownie from of the pan by lifting it by the parchment paper overhangs. Cut the brownies into 9 squares. Serve at room temperature or heat up individual slices.
Tricia says
hi gail, thanks for the lovely recipe, canโt wait to try! may i check the weight of two ripe bananas in the recipe? thanks!