Banana-Bread Brownies

These amazing banana-bread brownies are perfect for anyone who can’t decide between two favorite desserts! Kids and adults will go crazy for these swirled treats that combine the best of both worlds in every single bite.

Recipe Details

Timing & Servings: Prep Time: 20 minutes, Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes, Serves: 16 people.

Nutrition Profile: Nut-Free, Soy-Free, Vegetarian.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 185 Calories, 10g Fat, 25g Carbs, 2g Protein.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Granulated sugar: You’ll need ¾ cup of regular white sugar. This gives our brownies that perfect sweetness and helps create a nice texture.

Neutral oil: Grab ½ cup of canola or avocado oil. These oils won’t compete with our banana and chocolate flavors – they just make everything moist and delicious!

Light brown sugar: Pack ¼ cup of light brown sugar into your measuring cup. This adds extra moisture and a hint of caramel flavor.

Large eggs: You’ll need 2 large eggs at room temperature. They help bind everything together and make the texture perfectly fudgy.

Vanilla extract: Use 1½ teaspoons of pure vanilla extract. It makes both the banana bread and brownie parts taste even better!

White whole-wheat flour: Measure out ¾ cup of white whole-wheat flour. It’s a bit healthier than regular flour but still gives you that tender crumb.

Salt: Just ½ teaspoon of salt brings out all the sweet flavors. Don’t skip this – it makes a huge difference!

Very ripe bananas: You need 2 large bananas that are super ripe with lots of brown spots. The riper they are, the sweeter and easier to mash they’ll be.

Baking powder: Use ½ teaspoon of baking powder to help the banana bread layer rise just right.

How to Make Banana-Bread Brownies

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray so nothing sticks.

Step 2: Grab a large bowl and whisk together the granulated sugar, oil, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until everything looks smooth and well combined. Stir in the flour and salt until you have a nice batter.

Step 3: In a medium bowl, mash those super ripe bananas with a fork until they’re mostly smooth. Stir the baking powder right into the mashed bananas. Add this banana mixture to your large bowl and stir until just combined.

Step 4: Here’s where the magic happens! Pour exactly half of your batter back into that medium bowl. To the remaining batter in the large bowl, add the cocoa powder and chocolate chips. Stir until just combined – don’t overmix!

Step 5: Drop spoonfuls of about half the brownie batter into your prepared baking dish. Pour all the banana bread batter on top. Then dollop the rest of the brownie batter over everything. Take a knife and draw it through both batters to create pretty swirls.

Step 6: Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. Let them cool completely before cutting into 16 squares – I know it’s hard to wait!

Easy and Quick Banana-Bread Brownies Version

Want to make these even faster? You can use a boxed brownie mix for half the batter! Just prepare half a box of brownie mix according to package directions. For the banana part, mash 2 ripe bananas with ½ cup of pancake mix and 2 tablespoons of oil. Swirl them together and bake for about 35 minutes. It’s not quite the same, but it’s still super yummy and saves you tons of time!

Serving Ideas

These brownies are amazing all by themselves, but they’re even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Try serving them with a glass of cold milk or a cup of coffee. They also make the perfect dessert after a family dinner – everyone will be asking for seconds!

Storage

Store your brownies covered at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also wrap them individually and freeze them for up to 3 months. To reheat frozen brownies, just let them thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or pop them in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.

Substitutions

No white whole-wheat flour? Regular all-purpose flour works just fine! You can swap the oil for melted butter if you prefer – just use the same amount. If you don’t have brown sugar, you can use all granulated sugar instead. Dark chocolate chips work great instead of semisweet if that’s what you have on hand.

Pro Tips

Banana ripeness matters: Use bananas that are really brown and soft – they’ll mash easier and taste sweeter.
Don’t overmix: Once you add the flour and cocoa, mix just until combined. Overmixing makes tough brownies.
Perfect swirls: Make your knife cuts in both directions – up and down, then side to side for the prettiest pattern.
Test for doneness: The toothpick should come out with just a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
Cool completely: I know it’s tempting, but letting them cool makes cutting so much easier and cleaner.

FAQs

Can I use regular cocoa powder instead of unsweetened?

You bet! Unsweetened cocoa powder works best because it gives you that rich chocolate flavor without adding extra sweetness. If you only have sweetened cocoa, you might want to reduce the granulated sugar by about 2 tablespoons.

What if my bananas aren’t ripe enough?

No worries! You can speed up the ripening process by putting your bananas in a paper bag for a day or two. Or, if you’re in a hurry, bake unpeeled bananas at 300°F for about 15 minutes until the skins turn black.

Can I make these in a different size pan?

Sure! A 9-inch square pan will work, but your brownies will be a bit thinner and might bake faster – start checking at 35 minutes. You can also use a 9×13 pan, but you’ll want to double the recipe to get the right thickness.

How do I know when they’re done baking?

The toothpick test is your best friend here! Stick a toothpick in the center – it should come out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. If it’s covered in wet batter, give them another 5 minutes and test again.

Final Thoughts

I hope you love these banana-bread brownies as much as my family does! They’re such a fun twist on two classic treats. Let me know how yours turn out – I’d love to hear about any fun variations you try!