Name: Swirled Peanut Butter Banana Brownies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 2 eggs; 2 medium ripe bananas (mashed); 1/2 cup butter melted; 1/2 cup sugar; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2/3 cup flour; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/4 cup cocoa powder; 1 1/2 tsp instant coffee; ½ cup creamy peanut butter (I used Inspired Organics)

Prepare to have your mind blown as you bite into one of these gooey, chocolate brownies with a hint of natural banana sweetness and finished with a delicious swirl of peanut butter! This is a recipe you’ll make again and again!

Why These Peanut Butter Banana Brownies Are Delicious

Take a second and imagine if your favorite recipe for brownies, like my best ever bakery style brownie, and your go-to banana bread (Or banana muffins!) recipe had a baby… Are you imagining heaven? Because I am. BUT, that heaven is made into reality with these peanut butter banana brownies!

Adding mashed banana to brownies makes these brownies ULTRA moist and chewy! Plus, the natural banana sweetness really brings out the chocolate flavor and, of course, pairs so well with a touch of peanut butter!

How To Know If Your Bananas Are Ripe Enough For Baking Peanut Butter Banana Brownies

To make sure these brownies turn out perfectly, it’s important to first make sure that your bananas are ready for baking. Here is what you want you bananas to look like:

See how these bananas have dark spots on them, but they’re not totally black? This is what you want! They should be on the softer side, but they shouldn’t feel super mushy when you push down on the peels.

Can Overripe Bananas Make You Sick?

While overly ripe bananas with those dark, black spots can look scary, they’re usually totally safe to eat. What’s happening to your bananas is called enzymatic browning. As this happens your bananas get softer and sweeter, which is why these spotted bananas are perfect for baking!

If my bananas get to this point and I’m not quite ready to use them I throw them in the fridge which helps to slow the enzymatic browning process. Meaning, your bananas will stay fresh and usable, longer!

When Should You Throw Out Bananas?

If your bananas have mold on the outside, obviously that’s a pretty good sign that it might be time to throw them out. Usually, what I’ll do is open the banana and look at it. If it’s black and super mushy on the inside I toss it. However, sometimes the inside doesn’t look so bad! At this point I’ll either use it for baking, eat it, or freeze it.

What Is The Best Way To Freeze Bananas?

When I freeze bananas I like to peel them first and then freeze them. I like to use frozen bananas for smoothies, but you can also thaw them and use them for baking, like making these peanut butter banana brownies! Just be sure that when you’re thawing them you put them on a bowl or plate, as they might let out some moisture.

Here Is What You’ll Need For Banana Brownies:

Gather these ingredients before making your peanut butter banana brownies:

2 medium ripe bananas
butter melted
sugar
brown sugar
vanilla extract
eggs
flour
baking powder
salt
cocoa powder
instant coffee
creamy peanut butter (I used Inspired Organics!)

Supply-wise you’ll need:

a large & medium sized mixing bowl
fork or potato masher (to mash bananas)
spatula
parchment paper
8×8″ baking dish
knife (to swirl peanut butter)

How to Make Banana Brownies With A Peanut Butter Swirl

First, you’re going to want to preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper. Essentially, you’re making a “sling” with 2 pieces of parchment paper that are cut to be roughly 8″ by ~12″.

To help the pieces of parchment paper stay in place lightly spray the pan and the paper with non-stick spray. It should look like this when you’re done:

Next, mash your bananas into the large bowl.

Now, add in melted butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla and mix well. Be sure that your butter is room temperature and not hot, otherwise your eggs will cook! And we do not want that.

In a separate medium sized bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, instant coffee, baking powder and salt.

Slowly add the flour mixture into the banana mixture, stirring until just combined.

Now, pour your banana brownie batter into your prepared baking dish.

Drop spoonfuls of your peanut butter on top of the brownie batter then take a knife and drag it through the batter in an “s” shape to create a swirl.

Bake your peanut butter banana brownies for 25 minutes.

Remove your brownies from the oven and allow to cool before cutting. (This is hard, I know!) I like to place them into an ice bath.

How To Make The Perfect Peanut Butter Swirl

Let’s face it, there is nothing more drool-worthy than a good peanut butter swirl! As humans we also eat with our eyes and I firmly believe that a good finishing touch like a swirl makes everything taste a million times better! I can’t be the only one who thinks that, right?!

The key to making a perfect swirl is to use peanut butter that is nice and drippy. I used Inspired Organics peanut butter for these brownies, which gave me the PERFECT swirl! Their peanut butter is so delicious, is made from just peanuts, and like all of their products, is organic.

I have an entire blog post on the topic of organic VS non-organic foods, if that’s a topic you’re looking to learn more about and finally find out if it’s “worth it”.

I also like to pop my peanut butter in the microwave for just about 15-30 seconds to get it to be at it’s drippiest!

Once your peanut butter is plopped onto your brownies use a knife to swirl the peanut butter around, as I said, in an “s” shape. Be sure to allow the knife to gently reach the bottom of the pan, this will help your peanut butter swirl reach deeper into the brownies (i.e. more peanut butter in every bite!)

Tips For Perfect Peanut Butter Banana Brownies

Here are a few other tips to keep in mind when making your peanut butter banana brownies:

Once you take them out of the oven, immediately place them in an ice bath. This will help to stop the cooking and give you the most fudgy brownies ever! I usually fill a 13×9 pan with ice water and plot the cooked brownies right in there!
Allow your brownies to cool FULLY before cutting them! This is KEY! Otherwise, your brownies won’t have clean cut lines because they’re not totally set.
Another tip about cutting your brownies: use a plastic knife. This is a tried-and-true trick! It gives you the most clean cuts!
Store your bananas in a ventilated container for 5 days or in a sealed container for 7 days. I know this sounds weird, but these brownies are so moist if you have the lid sealed they’ll get soggy!

Can You Freeze Banana Brownies?

Absolutely! To be honest? I like eating these brownies frozen! They’re so delicious and they also make a great ice cream sandwich…just sayin’! I’d recommend cutting your banana brownies first, then freezing them on a cookie sheet BEFORE placing them in a bag, removing all of the air. This will prevent them from sticking together! They’ll stay good for 2-3 months in the freezer.

I hope you LOVE these peanut butter banana brownies as much as I do (and my husband does, too!) Be sure to leave a star rating on the recipe card and a comment- I love hearing your feedback!

And also be sure to use the Inspired Organics store locator on their website (You can find that here!) to find some near you!

More Recipes You Might Like:

Happy Eating!

XOXO

-Colleen

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