If peanut butter brownies and banana bread had a baby, it would be these peanut butter banana brownies. Are you in love yet?
Got a couple overripe bananas on the counter? They are just what you need to make these chocolate banana brownies. Well, that and a few other staples you probably already have in your pantry.
I’m all for an easy brownie recipe and a box of brownie mix is always one of my pantry staples. But sometimes I’m just really in the mood to bake something from scratch.
With a peanut butter swirl on top of the brownies and a rich chocolatey flavor with a hint of banana, this has quickly become a favorite recipe of mine.
This peanut butter banana brownie recipe would make a killer base for a banana split or brownie sundae. With the flavors of peanut butter, banana and chocolate, it’s a dessert fit for Elvis himself!
Peanut Butter Banana Brownies Ingredients
- Ripe bananas – Mashed bananas are easier to achieve if they are really ripe. That means brown spots and all.
- Sugar – While ripe bananas are pretty sweet on their own, we also need to add some sugar to this recipe.
- Unsalted butter – I always prefer to use unsalted butter so that I can control the amount of salt going in. Make sure it is melted.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla is used in baking to round out all of the flavors, and add another flavor profile to your brownies.
- Egg – Eggs act as a binder. When a recipe calls for eggs, always assume it means large eggs.
- All-purpose flour – The flour is what holds these brownies together.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – This is what gives us that rich, chocolatey brownie flavor that we all know and love.
- Baking powder – This helps provide lift and gives our brownies a cakey texture.
- Fine sea salt – We use unsalted butter for these chocolate brownies so that I can control the amount of salt in the recipe. I prefer using fine sea salt when baking.
- Creamy peanut butter – I prefer to use smooth peanut butter rather than crunchy peanut butter. I’ve never tried these brownies with other nut butters, but I bet almond butter would work just the same. Natural peanut butter is not usually great for baking though.
- Peanut butter chips – These help really bring out the peanut butter flavor, but feel free to use regular chocolate chips or even dark chocolate chunks instead.
How to Make Peanut Butter Banana Brownies
- Prepare oven and brownie pan. Preheat the oven and line a square baking dish with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray.
- Combine wet ingredients. In a, large bowl, combine the bananas with sugar, melted butter, vanilla and egg.
- Sift dry ingredients. Sift or whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
- Combine. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in the peanut butter chips.
- Add to pan. Pour the brownie mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Melt peanut butter. Heat the peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl just to loosen it. Add dollops of peanut butter on top of the batter in spoonfuls. Using a butter knife or toothpick, swirl through the batter as best you can.
- Bake. Bake until the center is set and no longer jiggly. These are fudgy brownies, so the toothpick test isn’t always reliable.
- Cut. Remove and allow to cool fully before removing using the parchment paper like a sling. Cut into bars.
Want to take these bad boys up a notch? Try topping them with gooey, warm fried bananas.
How to Cleanly Cut Brownies
We’ve all been there. A beautiful tray of brownies and now we need to slice them without totally destroying them. Cutting brownies neatly isn’t a skill, it just requires the right tools. Here are a few tips on how to cleanly cut brownies.
- Wait until brownies are cooled. If you have the time, you can also chill them.
- Use a plastic knife. Plastic doesn’t stick as much.
- Run a metal knife under hot water, repeat after each slice.
- Spray the knife with cooking spray.
- Clean the knife after each slice.
Storage and Freezing
Store this Peanut Butter Banana Brownies recipe in an airtight container. Just like regular brownies, they will be good for up to five days total.
You can freeze these moist brownie for up to three months. These are best enjoyed at room temperature (no one likes cold brownies!) so allow them to come up to room temp to enjoy any leftovers.
More bar desserts:
Peanut Butter Banana Brownies
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas peeled and mashed
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 /2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9 square baking pan with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray. Set aide.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or the bowl of a large mixing bowl with a handheld electric mixer, combine the bananas with sugar, melted butter, vanilla and egg.
- Sift or whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
- Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until just combined.
- By hand, fold in the peanut butter chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
- Heat the peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl or glass measuring cup for 30 seconds-1 minute just to loosen it. Dollop onto the brownies in 9 spoonfuls. Using a knife or toothpick, swirl through the batter as best you can.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the center is set and no longer jiggly. These are fudgy brownies, so the toothpick test isn’t always reliable.
- Remove and allow to cool fully before removing using the parchment paper like a sling. Cut into 9 large bars (or 18 smaller bars).
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Dana Sandonato
This recipe had me at PB and banana, and it did NOT disappoint. Best flavors to include in a brownie!
Claudia Lamascolo
My son was so surprised to come home to these and said they were the best brownies ever!
veenaazmanov
Love this delicious combination of Peanut Butter, Chocolate and Banana. This is definitely a must try recipe.
Diana Reis
These were so good. I love the texture banana adds and you can’t go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate.