Recipes: Plantain Brownies
I’ve done the near impossible! I’ve created the most perfect brownie recipe that’s gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, doesn’t taste like cardboard or strange hippie healthy takes on dessert, and it’s under 10 ingredients! I’m making a valiant effort to create less intensive recipes these days, and this one falls under the category of beyond simple. I actually developed this recipe well over a year ago (I know, I’m sorry I’ve been sitting on this for so long!), and after dozens of times making these, it’s safe to say they’ve become a tried-and-true favorite amongst friends and family… even my most doubtful taste testers!
I’ve made several variations of these brownies, and have found this recipe to be versatile in texture. If you like fudgey, dense brownies, then increase the oil to 1/3 cup. If you like them fluffy, then use less oil. The majority of the sweetness comes from the ripe plantains, but the maple rounds it out with a touch of smoky richness. You can also play around with adding mint instead of cinnamon or a swirl of nut butter, the base is pretty solid and can be tweaked for different flavor cravings as your heart desires. So without further adieu, the easiest healthy brownie recipe ever…
PLANTAIN BROWNIES
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup maple syrup (or more if desired)
3 large overripe plantains
1 cup raw cacao powder (or carob powder)
2 tbsp ground flax
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp sea salt
Preheat oven to 375F and grease a small baking dish with olive oil. Combine all ingredients in a food processor or high-speed blender. Puree until smooth. Pour the batter into your greased baking dish and place in the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes, or until you can poke a toothpick or knife into the brownies. Serve warm or cool with a big glass of almond milk or your favorite tea. You can also frost them with my favorite avocado-based frosting!
Makes roughly 16 brownies
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Can I say I love you? Yes, I can.
I can’t wait to try them!
Hi Claire, these sound fabulous. Could you give approximate dimensions on your baking dish?
This sounds interesting. But no idea if i could find plaintains here, would banana’s work as well, what do you think?
These sound fantastic! And how creative are you for thinking to use plantains here? Just perfect, can’t wait to try them!
Oh it was such a fun discovery! Can’t wait to hear what you think <3
Ja! Brilliant recipe. I have had them twice—once with bananas (delicious), and once with plantains, The latter gives no banana essence, so they were like a real baked good. They rose higher (~1″) than I expected in my 6 x 12 pan, Next time I will use a 12 x 12 (and remember to press my timer!), to get a nice 1/2 inch gooey brownie.
My not-necessarily-health-conscious guests gave them a thumbs up as evidenced by going in for seconds.
Just made these! They are delicious!! Super moist, and really really tasty.
Hi! I couldn’t quite get the mixture to blend in my Vitamix, so I added about 1/4 cup almond milk to get the job done. I then ended up having to extend the cooking time to at least 55 min and they were still “raw” inside. They still tasted good the next day…very fudge-y type of dessert. But I’d love to get the normal brownie consistency you all are getting. Any thoughts? 🙂
can I use normal bananas? I can’t find plantains anywhere 🙁
These are amazing! I’ve made them twice now, in a 9 x 9 inch pan, perfect and fudgy and -wow! I can’t believe they are flourless, and such simple healthy ingredients. Thanks so much!
Isn’t this a fun one? I’ve been experimenting with different varieties of bananas here on the island and it’s been fun to see how versatile this recipe is. I’m glad you’re enjoying it!
Have you tried making these with any different oils? I’m low on olive oil but I have lots of coconut oil, think that would work? Thanks!
Yes you can make these with coconut as a substitution, just make sure it’s lightly melted when measuring it out and mixing it in.