Chocolate Drizzled Banana Bread Brownies

These fun treats are perfect for guilt-free desserts—or even as healthy breakfast treats, according to my dad! They have the same flavor as banana bread and the exact fudgy texture of brownies. They’ll keep for at least one week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

for the brownies
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
¾ tsp vanilla crème stevia
2 tbsp (30mL) nonfat milk
for the drizzle
1 ½ tbsp (7g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ tsp pure maple syrup
1 tsp nonfat milk

Preheat the oven to 300°F, and lightly coat a 9”-square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
To prepare the brownies, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. 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.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan. 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.
Just before serving the brownies, prepare the drizzle by stirring together the cocoa powder, maple syrup, and milk in a small bowl until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a zip-topped bag, cut off a tiny piece of one corner, and drizzle on top of the sliced brownies.

Notes: For the gluten-free flour, use as follows: ¾ cup (90g) millet flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, ¼ cup (30g) brown rice flour, and ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends should work as well, if measured like this.

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.

The combined amount of mashed banana and Greek yogurt should equal 1 ¼ cups. 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.

Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.

For a vegan version, substitute mashed banana for the Greek yogurt, and substitute any non-dairy milk in place of the nonfat milk.

I highly recommend using the vanilla crème stevia! It's one of my favorite ingredients, and you'll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too. (I buy mine online here because it's the cheapest price I've found!) The best substitute I can recommend in place of the vanilla crème 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.

In the drizzle, honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup.

*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!).

*If the drizzle is too thick, add additional milk, ¼ teaspoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.

{gluten-free, clean eating, vegan option, low fat, low calorie, lower sugar}

Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2017/04/18/chocolate-drizzled-banana-bread-brownies/