With a few new projects in the works and taking up much of my spare time recently, I fell into the bad habit of ignoring the state of my desk. Up until last week, a precarious stack of notebooks sat one side, a messy pile of papers on the other, and multiple receipts lay scattered in between. As someone who’s typically very organized and a bit of a neat freak, it started to drive me nuts!
So this past weekend, I finally tackled all of those stacks. The notebooks found their way to a shelf, the papers tucked themselves away into binders, and the receipts slipped inside of folders. I even dusted off the desk, one of my least favorite chores….
It feels like spring here with temperatures consistently near (or above!) 70°F for the past two weeks, so that must have been my motivation for cleaning!
My mom must have felt the same inspiration from the warm sunshine because she took charge of the kitchen while I slowly moved through cleaning the rest of my office. She wiped lingering flour spills from the countertops, put away the clean dishes from the drying rack, and placed my photography props back on their shelves.
While she whirled about, Mom discovered a bunch of very ripe and speckly bananas tucked away next to the toaster. Although tempted to bake banana bread, I decided to make something else—something with a little more chocolate—as a thank you to Mom for helping me. (I inherited my chocoholism from her—she was a huge inspiration for my Healthier Chocolate Treats cookbook!)
So I baked these Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Brownies instead! They have the same familiar flavor as banana bread, warm and sweet and fruity, but the extremely fudgy texture of my favorite brownies. It’s quite a fun combination, and when my dad told me he took in a few to share with people at the office, he reported that they all raved about these treats.
Knowing the people my dad works with, that’s quite a compliment!
This easy recipe begins with white whole wheat flour. White whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of white wheat, whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier type of red wheat. This gives white whole wheat flour a lighter taste and texture, similar to that of all-purpose flour, which makes both the banana flavor and fudgy texture of these “brownies” really shine! Even better, white whole wheat flour still has all of the same health benefits of regular whole wheat flour. How’s that for a perfect combination?
Note: Whole wheat pastry flour would be the perfect substitute! I also include my preferred gluten-free flour blend in the Notes section beneath the Instructions.
Many typical banana bread or brownie recipes call for ½ cup or more of oil and a couple of eggs. Yikes! However… These sweet treats only contain 1½ tablespoons of coconut oil and absolutely no eggs! The rest of their fudgy texture comes from two key ingredients: mashed banana and Greek yogurt. Yes, the mashed banana provides both flavor and texture! It also replaces the eggs in this recipe, so it’s perfectly safe to eat the batter raw. (Not that I tried or anything…)
As for Greek yogurt, it’s one of my favorite ingredients in healthier baking! It provides the same moisture as extra oil or butter for a fraction of the calories, and it gives your healthy chocolate chip banana bread brownies a protein boost, too.
Note: For a vegan version of these healthy chocolate chip banana bread brownies, substitute additional mashed banana for the Greek yogurt! Or if your bananas are extremely large and you end up with more than ¾ cup of mashed banana, you can add the extra in place of the same amount of the Greek yogurt. This recipe is very forgiving!
To give these fruity brownies a little more sweetness than what’s simply in the bananas, you’ll use one of my new favorite ingredients: liquid stevia. Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that’s clean eating friendly, and it’s very concentrated. A little goes a long way! I buy this one because I love its sweet flavor and don’t notice any strange aftertastes like with some other brands, and you can find it in many health-oriented stores. However, I’ve found the cheapest price is online here! (You’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
And finally, the most important part… (Well, at least to a chocoholic like me!) You’ll use miniature chocolate chips for this recipe because their smaller size ensures that every bite contains at least a morsel of chocolate. I love Ghirardelli’s because they melt really well, and when chocolate is warm and gooey straight from the oven…
It’s just so hard to resist! 😉 And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy chocolate chip banana bread brownies!
| Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Brownies | | Print |
- 1 ¼ cups (150g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tbsp (21g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup (195g) mashed banana (about 2 large)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt (see Notes!)
- ¾ tsp liquid stevia
- 2 tbsp (30mL) nonfat milk
- 3 tbsp (42g) miniature chocolate chips, divided
- Preheat the oven to 300°F, and lightly coat a 9”-square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together the coconut oil, mashed banana, and vanilla. Mix in the Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps remain.* Mix in the stevia and milk. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in 2 ½ tablespoons of chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan, and sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top. Bake at 300°F for 17-20 minutes. Cool completely to room temperature in the pan, and let the brownies rest for an additional 3 hours before slicing for the fudgiest texture.
Whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour. In a pinch, regular whole wheat flour will work, but the brownies will have a slightly more wheat-y flavor that may mask some of the banana flavor.
Measure the mashed banana by grams or cups, NOT by bananas! Not all "large" bananas are the same size.
The combined amount of mashed banana and Greek yogurt should equal 1 ¼ cup. If you have slightly more than ¾ cup mashed banana, you can substitute some of the extra for some of the Greek yogurt, and vice versa.
I highly recommend using the liquid stevia! I buy it online here because that's the cheapest price I've found, and you'll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too. (I promise it's not a one-time-use ingredient!)
The best substitute I can recommend in place of the liquid stevia is 2 ¼ teaspoons of this powdered stevia. If substituting a different sweetener (i.e. coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup, etc.), you’ll need 5-6 tablespoons, and the baking time and texture will be different.
If the coconut oil or butter re-solidifies upon adding the Greek yogurt, microwave the mixture for 10-14 seconds to re-melt it (ONLY if your bowl is microwave safe!).
VEGAN + DAIRY-FREE VERSION: Use the coconut oil option, your favorite non-dairy yogurt (ie soy-based, almond-based, coconut-based, etc) or additional mashed banana in place of the Greek yogurt, your favorite non-dairy milk in place of the nonfat milk, and vegan-friendly miniature chocolate chips (these are my favorite!).
{gluten-free, vegan, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, lower sugar}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
Does it need to be Greek yoghurt, or do you think regular yoghurt would work?
Regular yogurt should work! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the banana bread brownies Mary!
Yummy. Just made these but added an egg. so tasty. great texture as well.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them Nadine! 🙂
Hi Mary!
I was wondering if olive oil would work well, instead of butter/coconut oil
Thanks in advance! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Yes, olive oil will work! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the banana bread brownies Cecilia!
Can I use whole wheat flour instead of white whole wheat? Can I just honey or maple syrup instead of ¾ tsp vanilla crème stevia? Thank you!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Crystal! I’ve actually answered both of your questions already in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions). I know it can be easy to miss! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these banana bread brownies!
They turned out well! I made them for mum and she loved them!
Thank you for the wonderful recipe, Amy! x
I’m so glad you and your mum enjoyed the banana bread brownies Cecilia! That really means a lot to me. Your mum is so lucky to have you to make her homemade treats! 🙂
Hi Amy, these brownies turned out sooo flippin’ GOOD! My family loves them! They are moist and tasty and naturally sweet. Making another batch now to bring to a friend’s house tonight. We are soooo addicted to your site and all your lovely recipes. We luv you! Thank you!
Awwwww I ♡ you and your family right back, Carmelina!! You guys are the sweetest! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed the banana bread brownies, and I’m truly honored that you’ve already baked another batch for your friend! 🙂
The flavour of these was fab but the texture was a bit odd almost rubbery. Not sure I’d make them again because of it, did anyone else have a similar issue?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Emma! Did you happen to use a stand mixer or electric mixer to make the batter, by chance? If so, then that’s probably why they turned out rubbery! Stand mixers and electric mixers tend to overmix batters (like this one!) that are healthier and don’t contain as much butter or oil. This is why I always recommend using a fork for my recipes, unless explicitly directed otherwise! Using a fork prevents overmixing, so you baked treats end up with the perfect texture. 🙂 If that wasn’t the case and you used a fork, then did you make any recipe modifications, including those included in the Notes section underneath the Instructions? I’m sure we can figure out what went awry so you end up with soft and fudgy-like-brownies treats!
Hi Amy, I am making these at the moment. I have let them sit for some time but it is still very gooey. Is it supposed to be like this? Or should I pop them in the oven until the batter comes off clean on a skewer?
Thanks!
Ellie
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Ellie! The brownies should be “done” when the center still looks slightly underdone but the edges look firm and fully set. If they’ve been baked long enough, the edges of the brownies will begin to pull away from the rim of the pan within 10 minutes of removing them from the oven. The center won’t fully set until the brownies have cooled completely to room temperature and they’ve rested for 3+ hours after reaching room temperature. Does that make sense? How long did you leave them in the oven and let them rest once at room temperature? Did you make any substitutions, including the ones I mentioned in the Notes section? We’ll get this sorted out! 🙂
Hi. I have allowed them to cool for 3+ hours but they have a very gooey and almost gelatine consistency. I didn’t swap any ingredients out and I’m sure I followed the recipe closely. Is there anything I can do to get them to firm up a bit? Thanks, Lyndsay!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Lyndsay! Let’s figure out what happened. 🙂 Did you make any substitutions, including those in the Notes section of the recipe? Are the banana bread brownies’ texture more towards gelatinous or more towards fudgy? They’re supposed to be fudgy like extra fudgy brownies, not bread-like or cakey like traditional banana bread! Does that make sense?
Loved these so much the first time… making a second batch today. Apart from being yummy, the recipe is quite forgiving. It comes out great and my kids love it.
I’m so glad that you and your kids love these banana bread brownies Asha! That really means so much to me — thank you for taking the time to let me know! 🙂