Mash Up Ripe Bananas For A Tasty Twist On Brownies

Banana bread is delicious, but if you've got some ripe bananas and a craving for chocolate, a batch of chocolate banana brownies is exactly what is called for. Chocolate and banana is a classic flavor combination, of course. Sprinkle some chocolate chips into your banana muffins, and you'll see what we mean. And, in this case, the mashed fruit adds extra moisture to the batter for a rich and fudgy brownie that will be good at room temperature for three days — if you can resist snacking on them all at once.

You might wonder how ripe the banana needs to be for good baking. Just like in a banana bread recipe, you're looking for a soft fruit that's anywhere from flecked with brown spots to fully darkened, but with no moldy spots. If the banana is leaking liquid or has an off aroma, toss it in the compost. When your bananas are at the perfect ripeness for baking but you don't have time to use them, pop them in the freezer, right in the peel. They'll wait a week or two for you, and as a bonus, the defrosted fruit is even easier to mash.

We all know that including more fruits and vegetables in our diet is good for us, so think of these brownies as a way to get a bit of extra fruit into your day in the most delicious way. The recipe also includes healthy flavanols in two different forms of chocolate: cocoa powder and dark chocolate chips. So, even though they are richly indulgent, you can feel good about getting a few extra nutrients while you treat yourself.

You'll also appreciate how easy these brownies are to whip up. There's no mixer required — simply stir the ingredients together. We always recommend sifting dry ingredients when cocoa powder is involved to prevent clumps in the batter, but that's quick, and your batter will be in the oven in no time at all. It's hard to resist a warm brownie but letting these cool in the pan helps the dense batter set up fully for that perfect fudgy texture.