free from gluten and the top 8 allergens
Look no further for the perfect brownie.
We know the internet is full of “best ever” recipes, but these double chocolate banana brownies are simply amazing! They’re chocolatey and oh so delicious, and bring the best textures of two worlds, fudgy and cakey.
Maybe you ask, how do brownies fit into a healthful lifestyle? They can and this recipe was created for our friend Myra’s upcoming birthday…
Baking healthier brownies and eating them in moderation, is a safe way to enjoy these timeless treats.
Have you heard that not allowing yourself to enjoy foods in moderation can trigger great amounts of stress? I see how this could happen at a holiday dinner, or how about turning down cake at a best friend’s wedding or birthday? That would be real tough, unless of course, you have food allergies.
We like the idea of making sweets healthier. If you check out recipes for brownies, you’ll find that most contain alarming amounts of sugar. Some call for equal parts flour and sugar, while others even call for double the amount of sugar to flour. Yikes!
We’ve cut the sugar way back and have added mashed bananas to provide the perfect amount of sweetness. Applesauce is added with the bananas so there’s no need for oil or eggs.
The subtle flavor of the bananas make for the ultimate brownie.
ingredients for double chocolate and banana brownies
Making these gems are super simple! Gluten-free flours, sugar, cacao powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt are whisked together.
In another bowl, mashed bananas, alternative milk, applesauce, and vanilla extract are also whisked together. The wet ingredients are folded into the dry. Allergy-friendly chocolate chips are stirred in.
That’s it! The batter is poured into a prepared pan and baked for about 25-30 minutes at 350-degrees F.
Enjoy the brownies naked, or add a layer of chocolate decadence.
For the double chocolatey goodness, make ganache (for the extra layer of chocolate decadence) by placing chocolate in a stainless steel bowl. Fill a saucepan with about 3-inches of water. Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat to low and place the bowl of chocolate over the saucepan as shown below.
The bowl should sit nicely in the saucepan without directly touching the water. Gently stir the chocolate until melted, monitoring the water to ensure it’s not boiling, but gently simmering. Turn off heat and remove bowl from saucepan.
Heat alternative milk, such as unsweetened hemp, just until warm. Gently whisk warm milk into the melted chocolate until smooth. Set aside and let cool at room temperature for several hours, until it thickens.
Pour ganache over brownies and smooth with a spatula. Place pan in refrigerator for about an hour to let the ganache set. Remove from fridge and slice.
How about a brownie a la mode?
Don’t forget, eating a brownie on occasion can be part of a healthy lifestyle.
Happy Birthday Myra! We love ya!!!
Double Chocolate Banana Brownies
Yield 9 brownies
Free of: gluten and top 8 allergens.
These double chocolate banana brownies are chocolatey and oh so delicious, bringing the best textures of two worlds, fudgy and cakey.
Ingredients
Brownies
1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour blend
3/4 cup organic cane sugar
3/4 cup cacao powder (see recipe notes)
1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour
1/2 tsp xanthan gum (omit if using a flour blend that contains xanthan gum)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium bananas)
1/2 cup alternative milk, such as unsweetened hemp
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup vegan mini chocolate chips, such as Enjoy Life Mini Chips
Ganache topping (optional)
5 ounces vegan mini chocolate chips, such as Enjoy Life Mini Chips, or other allergy-friendly high quality semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup alternative milk, such as unsweetened hemp
Instructions
- For the brownies, preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Lightly grease an 8x8-inch square baking pan and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine gluten-free flour, sugar, cacao powder, oat flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Whisk until the cacao powder is broken up and incorporated. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together bananas, milk, applesauce, and vanilla extract. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until well incorporated. The batter will be quite thick.
- Fold in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan. Using an offset spatula, smooth batter into an even layer.
- Place in oven and bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until edges and top are crisp and set. Let cool completely before frosting, at least 2 to 3 hours.
- For the ganache, place chocolate in a medium stainless steel bowl. Fill a medium saucepan with about 3-inches of water. Bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to low and place the bowl of chocolate over the saucepan. The bowl should sit nicely in the saucepan without directly touching the water. Gently stir the chocolate until melted, monitoring the water to ensure it's not boiling, but gently simmering. Turn off heat and remove bowl from saucepan.
- Heat hemp milk just until warm. Gently whisk warm milk into melted chocolate until smooth. Set aside and let ganache cool at room temperature for several hours, until it thickens.
- Pour ganache over brownies and smooth with offset spatula. Place in refrigerator to let ganache set, about an hour. Remove from fridge and slice.
Notes
Cacao powder vs cocoa powder: Is there a difference?
There is a big difference between the two. Cacao and cocoa both start the same way, as harvested beans from the plant's seed pods. Raw cacao powder is made by cold pressing unroasted cocoa beans while cocoa powder is made by roasting the beans at high temperatures.
When processing raw cacao powder, the enzymes and nutrients are left in. However, since cocoa powder is made by roasting at such high levels of heat, the enzymes are destroyed and you are left with less nutrients in your powder.
Cocoa powder is less expensive, slightly sweeter, and does have some benefits. However, cacao is one of the highest sources of antioxidants and magnesium of all foods.
Courses Sweets
Mary they look awesome