The Perfect vegan banana brownie recipe for the calorie-conscious

The key to mastering vegan brownies can be a challenge for novice bakers especially if you are unsure how to go about with vegan substitutions and ingredients. But the bottom line remains the same, all of us want the same fudgy and chocolatey brownie without it tasting like an entirely different creation that doesn't feel like brownies at all. The steps are easy, like the usual batch, with all the ingredients dumped in a bowl and mixed well and baked. We've got some tips and tricks just for you below, and a fudgy vegan brownie recipe with banana later. 

Tips and Tricks for Vegan Brownies

Vegan brownies are a tad healthier than the non-vegan versions especially if you’re using veggies in your brownies. Don’t worry, the recipe below is devoid of any vegetables, but it does contain a fruit, take a guess which one it is. It also has dairy substitutions, for a vegan recipe, so, here are some tips on how to get the perfect batch of vegan brownies. 

Ingredient Quality

The key to achieving that perfect fudgy texture for your vegan lies in understanding your ingredients and how they interact. Start by choosing high-quality cocoa powder, we recommend Cadbury Cocoa Powder, it will form the backbone of your brownie’s impeccable chocolate flavor. As for the other dry ingredients, especially when measuring them, say, flour, use a measuring spoon and level the top, to weigh your ingredients before adding them to the batter, to avoid adding too much or too little in your batter. 

The Banana Factor

An eggless recipe needs a substitute and a banana or two serves as an excellent egg replacer in this recipe below, not only providing moisture but also acting as a binding agent. For best results, use an overripe banana, as you would for banana bread, the spottier it is, the better. This banana although pungent will be easier to mash and blend easier in the batter. 

Don’t Miss the Coffee

The addition of hot coffee is a clever trick used in many brownie and chocolate cake recipes, to enhance the chocolate flavor. If you're not a coffee fan, hot water works too, but coffee really does amplify the cocoa flavor. As for the vegan brownie recipe with banana below, coffee works wonders here too.

If this is your first time trying vegan baking, don't be scared to experiment, and also don't be discouraged if your first batch isn't perfect. With practice and minor adjustments, you’ll be baking more and more batches of vegan banana brownie recipe often. 

Vegan Brownie Recipe

(Serves 9)

Ingredients:

• 1 mashed banana
• 200 gm coconut sugar
• 115 gm whole wheat flour
• 85 gm Cadbury Cocoa Powder
• 85 gm vegan butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp salt
• 30 ml hot coffee
• 100 gm vegan chocolate chips, set aside 15 gm for sprinkling on top
• 16 banana slices, cut into discs

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 165°C, and as your oven heats, also grease an 8-inch brownie pan with vegan butter. You can stick parchment paper as well. Set aside.
2. Take a big bowl, mix the dry ingredients first, making sure you have no lumps in them, for seamless mixing later, and set aside. The chocolate chips go last. 
3. Mix all of the wet ingredients, check for solid bits, and whisk while adding the dry ingredients to it bit by bit. Mix well to ensure a lump-free batter, taking care not to overmix. 
4. Fold the chocolate chips into the brownie batter. You will have a thick batter. 
5. In your greased or parchment-lined pan, pour the batter and spread evenly with a spatula. Press the banana slices into the batter, followed by sprinkling the chocolate chips over it. 
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until brownies are set and the wet look is gone. Test with a toothpick inserted in the center for moist crumbs. You need a fudgy consistency not cakey, so a few crumbs clinging, not sliding off, are okay. 
7. Remove from the oven, let it cool, and then use a sharp knife, to cut into squares, with a banana disc going with each piece of brownie.
8. Turn it into a sizzling hot brownie with ice cream, by serving a piece in a skillet of hot fudge sauce bath, and a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream on top.