These homemade Banana Blondies are rich, fudgy and full of tropical banana flavour. Like my Gluten-Free Banana Cake, this is a great way to use overripe bananas. Using simple store cupboard ingredients, you will love how quick and easy it is to make this recipe, and I am certain they will become a family favourite.
AH-MAZ-ING!
I served them initially warm from the oven with ice cream and they were so gooey and delicious. Also fantastic cold the next day although we didn’t have much left. Can’t wait to make them again – off to buy bananas just to let them go brown now haha!
- Georgina
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- The Banana Blondies are made from simple ingredients which are readily available, or you may already have on hand.
- This is a very easy recipe. No special equipment is required for this recipe.
- The brown sugar gives the blondies a rich, buttery caramel flavour which perfectly complements the banana.
- You will love how versatile they are. Serve them for morning tea, a snack in a lunch box or warm them up and serve them for dessert with our No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream.
- They can also be made gluten-free; just use the appropriate flour blend.
Recipe Inspiration: this recipe has been adapted from one that came from my American friend Shannon. I once asked about her favourite desserts and this one topped the list - I hope you'll enjoy them just as much too!
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Light brown sugar – adds a delicious caramel flavour.
- Butter – I prefer to use unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Eggs – I use large, free-range eggs at room temperature as they will incorporate more evenly into the batter. If you forget to remove the eggs from the refrigerator just place them in a bowl of warm water for about 5 minutes.
- Bananas – for the most vibrant flavour use overripe bananas.
- Vanilla extract – use vanilla that is naturally extracted and not one which is artificially flavoured.
- Plain/all-purpose flour – this is a versatile flour that does not contain a raising agent. Substitute for gluten-free if necessary. (This has been tested many times, and works perfectly - simply ensure your flour blend contains xanthan gum.)
- Sea salt – we use coarse cooking salt and not table salt which is stronger.
- Baking powder – a little adds lift to the mixture.
- Chocolate chips - milk or dark chocolate are ideal for this recipe.
Variations:
Nuts – instead of the chocolate chips, you could add chopped walnuts, pecans or another nut of your choice.
Gluten-free – this recipe has been tested many times using gluten-free flour and works perfectly. Ensure that your gluten-free flour blend contains xanthan gum to stabilise and provide structure to the recipe, and always weigh your ingredients for accuracy.
How To Make Banana Blondies:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 – Whip the butter and brown sugar:
Add the melted butter and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and glossy. You can also use electric hand beaters for this step.
2 – Add in the remaining wet ingredients:
Using a wooden spoon, add the beaten eggs, vanilla and banana and mix until just combined.
3 – Fold through the flour:
Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the mixture and stir until almost combined. Add in the chocolate chips, and finish stirring until the ingredients are combined.
4 – Add the mixture to your baking tin:
Add the mixture to your baking tin and place into your preheated oven.
When just cooked, remove the tin from the oven and leave the blondie in the tin until completely cool. Once cool, the blondies can be cut.
Hint: to achieve the desired fudgy centre, the skewer needs to come out with a little stickiness. The Blondie will continue cooking a little further after removing from the oven. Don’t wait for the skewer to come out clean; the Blondie will be overcooked at that stage.
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
Once they are cool, store the blondies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The blondies are at their best on the first day. If keeping longer store in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze them. After a few days, they are better served warm.
Yes, they freeze well. To freeze, wrap the slices in cling wrap then transfer them to an airtight freezer container or wrap in foil. You can freeze them for up to three months. Be sure to label and date them as frozen goods can be difficult to identify. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
Yes, they can, and they are delicious served warm. Preheat your oven to 175 degrees C (350 F). Place the Blondies on a baking tray or heatproof platter, cover loosely with foil and heat for about 8 minutes. Keep in mind, this will cook them further and they won't be as fudgy, however, they will still taste delicious.
Absolutely – I have kept them plain as I find them sufficiently sweet, but you could certainly add a frosting/icing of your choice. I use a delicious cream cheese frosting on my Banana Slice that would work well.
Top Tip:
You will get the best flavour in these dessert bars by using bananas that are overripe. A perfectly ripe banana, which is great for eating, lacks flavour when baking.
Serving Suggestions:
You will find many occasions to enjoy the Banana Blondies. Some suggestions are:
- They are delicious served for morning or afternoon tea.
- Enjoy them as a quick snack.
- Add to lunch boxes.
- They are sturdy enough to be portable so are ideal for picnics or potlucks.
- Pack some in a pretty box; they are an ideal edible gift.
- Serve them warm for dessert with my No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream. I enjoy the contrast of warm and cold, the ice cream slowly melting onto the warm blondie. There are no words!
I look forward to hearing if you try the Banana Blondies - be sure to let me know in the comments below.
Alex xx
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Banana Blondies (Gluten-Free Option)
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
- 300 g (1 ½ cups) light brown sugar
- 250 g (1 cup) unsalted butter - melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs - beaten and at room temperature
- 1 cup mashed banana - from overripe bananas, approx. 2 med bananas See Note 1
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 300 g (2 cups) plain/all-purpose flour - can use gluten-free See Note 2
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup chocolate chips - milk or dark
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 175 Degrees C (350 F).
- Line a 20 × 20 cm (8 × 8 inch) tin with baking paper. We recommend allowing some overhang, to make it easier to remove the blondies.
- Add the melted butter and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 5 minutes, until the mixture is thick and glossy. (Or, use electric hand beaters in a large bowl.)
- Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. Using a wooden spoon, add the beaten eggs, vanilla and banana and mix until just combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the mixture and stir until almost combined. Add in the chocolate chips, and finish stirring until the ingredients are combined.Add the mixture to your prepared baking tin and place into your preheated oven.
- Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes. (My oven takes 38 minutes for perfectly fudgy blondies.)
- To check when they are ready, use a very thin skewer or toothpick. You don't want it to come out completely clean, but the mixture should not appear raw. To achieve the desired fudgy centre the skewer needs to come out with a little stickiness. The blondie will continue cooking a little further after removing from the oven. Don’t look for the skewer to come out clean; the blondie will be overcooked at that stage.
- When cooked, remove the tin from the oven and leave the blondie in the tin until completely cool.Once cool, cut into twelve pieces and enjoy!
Notes
- Banana: use overripe bananas for the most intense banana flavour. This is one occasion where measuring in a cup by volume is more accurate than weight.
- Flour: either regular all purpose flour or gluten-free will work in this recipe. If you are using gluten-free flour, ensure your blend contains xanthan gum to stabilise and provide structure.
- Measurements: for the most accurate measurements when baking, we suggest you weigh your ingredients.
- Storage: once they are cool, store the blondies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The blondies are at their best on the first day. If keeping longer store in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze them. After a few days, they are better served warm.
- Freezing: to freeze, wrap the cooled blondie in cling wrap then transfer them to an airtight freezer container. You can freeze them for up to three months. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
- Reheating: preheat your oven to 175 degrees C (350 F). Place the Blondies on a baking tray or heatproof platter, cover loosely with foil and heat for about 8 minutes. Keep in mind, this will cook them further and they won't be as fudgy, however, they will still taste delicious.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
This recipe was originally published as Gluten-Free Banana Blondies. It has since been updated to show gluten-free as an option, as both versions are equally delicious! Minor improvements have been made to the recipe and new photos and more information have been added.
Matt says
I used almond flour for this recipe, that didnt have any gum in it. (I didnt see that part at the time) After 40 min they are still very much a liquid. I turned down the heat and tented the top since it was browning. Wish me luck. The gum must have been very important
Alexandra Cook says
Hi Matt,
I am afraid I haven’t tried almond flour in this recipe before.
Although it is delicious in many gluten free recipes, it isn’t always a direct swap to gluten free all purpose flour.
In the case of my GF Chocolate Brownies versus my Almond Flour Brownies, as an example, I found I needed to use an additional 1/4 cup almond flour to get the ideal consistency. (And that recipe only used 100 g flour originally.)
This is due to almond flour being more moist than regular flour.
Hopefully a little extra time in the oven will work for you, but I’d definitely recommend trying the recipe as written next time, as they really are delicious 🙂
Best wishes, Alex
Matt says
Thank you for the advice! I am new to being gluten free and didnt realize that almond flour was different from a GF blend. Do you have any advice on adding protein powder to baked goods? I have been experimenting with different methods and its never consistently good accross all recipes. Sometimes I add an extra egg or more milk to make up for the added powder, but it doesnt always come out as planned lol
Alexandra Cook says
You're most welcome 🙂
I personally don't use protein powder in baking, but can point you in the direct of a blog that has some great recipes:
Link to The Big Man's World - there's lots of great protein recipes here.
Hope that helps! 🙂
Brian says
So enjoyable. Easy & Quick to put together. A delight to have with coffee, a great success.
Alexandra Cook says
Thank you so much, Brian.
So pleased you enjoyed this recipe and appreciate you taking the time to let me know.
Alex xo
Georgina says
AH-MAZ-ING!
I served them initially warm from the oven with ice cream and they were so gooey and delicious. Also fantastic cold the next day although we didn’t have much left. Can’t wait to make them again - off to buy bananas just to let them go brown now haha!
Alexandra Cook says
Thanks so much for making this recipe, Georgina!
Your serving suggestion sounds absolutely superb 🙂
Alex xo
Sophie says
The batter became thick and dense even though i didnt mix the flour a lot. It did not look like the pictures you had even though i followed the recipe. It tasted more like banana bread.
Alexandra Cook says
Hi Sophie,
I am sorry that this recipe didn't work out for you - I know how frustrating that can be.
A few thoughts:
- you mentioned the batter didn't look like the photos - did you weigh your ingredients for the best accuracy? It certainly shouldn't be dense.
- what brand of gluten free flour did you use?
- if it came out like banana bread, it likely needed to be cooked for a few minutes less.
Thanks for sharing your feedback.
Kind regards, Alex
Cassie says
I made these for Valentine’s Day, and they were a great success. I added some semi sweet choc chips and some chopped walnuts. My oven runs hot, so I took them out a few minutes early and they were perfect. Had a nice squidge to the centre!
Alexandra says
Hi Cassie, thanks for the great feedback. I am so pleased you enjoyed the blondies. Kind regards, Alex
Sarah says
These were just okay - it was my first time making them, and they turned out like dense banana bread, so it was not the texture I was expecting. Nice flavor though.
Alexandra says
Hi Sarah!
I am sorry to hear that -
The only thing I can think is perhaps they were cooked a little long? They should have a nice fudgy texture, not like banana bread 🙂
Did you make any changes to the recipe? Please feel free to let me know!
Kind regards, Alex
Luisa says
I react badly to sugar. Would these still turn out by reducing the sugar to 1/2 a cup? Thank you!!
Alexandra says
Hi Luisa,
I haven't tried this, so couldn't say for sure - it might make it a little drier and not have as fudgy a texture.
If you give it a try, I would be curious to know how you get on 🙂 Thanks, Alex
Alyssa Zahler says
One of my go to recipes. So easy to make and a big crowd pleaser!
Alexandra says
Hi Alyssa, I am delighted to hear that you enjoy the GF Banana Blondies. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know. 🙂
Jean says
Our overripe bananas were made into these blondies and turned out so good!
Alexandra says
Hello Jean, I am delighted to hear that you enjoyed the Banana Blondies, thank you so much for letting me know. 🙂
Justine says
These blondies were a hit! I used all-purpose flour and the texture was still perfect. Their softness and rich banana flavor are unmatched. I am grateful to have happened upon this delicious recipe with so many overripe bananas to use!
Alexandra says
Thank you so much, Justine - I am so happy to hear this!
I love it when I have overripe bananas to use up so I can make these 🙂
Alice says
Omg first time a make a gluten free flour dessert that comes out perfect!! Thank you so much for this recipe. I used a mixture of Bob's red mill all purpose flour, tapioca flour, and a local brand of rice flour, rice cream and a little cornstarch. I thought it was going to be a huge mess but it turned out to be one of the tastiest banana desserts I've tried! 🤗🤗🤩😍
Alexandra says
Thanks for sharing, Alice! So pleased you had success your first time making a gluten free dessert 🙂
Sam says
Easy recipe and so delicious! Love serving warm with peanut butter ice cream. They’re so good!
Alexandra says
Oh Sam, with peanut butter ice cream sounds SO good - I am definitely going to make a batch and try it! Yum - thanks for sharing! Kind regards, Alex
Nancy says
I made these twice with gluten free flour and I don't know why but it came out as cake rather blondie both times. Don't know what went wrong!
Alexandra says
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for trying the recipe. Did you alter it in any way? Also, may I ask if you weighed your ingredients or used cups? We do provide cup measurements, but for accuracy, we recommend weighing ingredients.
Otherwise, the only reason I can think of for the blondies to come out cake-like would be that they are overcooked. All ovens do vary, so if you were to try this recipe again, I would recommend checking them sooner - they should have a fudgy centre. Feel free to let me know if you have any queries.
Kind regards, Alex
Iuliana says
I did twist the recipe às I do not eat sugar, I used 3 bananas instead of butter, 1 cup of coconut oil, 70% chocolate chips, a handful of chopped pecan...and voila...perfect for me. I did use the GF flour Thanks..
Alexandra says
Thank you for sharing!
I am sure other readers who also don't eat sugar will find it useful. I love the addition of the chopped pecans - yum!
Amanda says
WOW made these tonight and they were SUPER YUMMY. So moist, delicious and had a great fudgy texture. Thank you so much for this recipe ! Will definitely be making these again!!!
Alexandra says
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment, Amanda - I am happy you enjoyed the blondies!
amy gann says
can you substitute coconut flour for the gluten free flour?
Alexandra says
Hi Amy!
I am sorry, but I have never baked with coconut flour before, so I couldn't honestly say.
Let me know if you give it a try, I would be curious to know how it works out!
Christy says
Made these over the weekend and wow! They are amazing! I am thinking I cooked them a little longer than needed as had more a cake texture than fudge! However the taste was sensational! I am making them again today and cooking them slightly less. No way would you think these blondies are gluten free! Delighted with this recipe. Thank you
Alexandra says
Hi Christy!
Thank you so much - I am so pleased to hear you enjoyed them and are making them again 🙂
Gerry Golub says
I am wondering if the flour blend should have xanthan gum or not?
Alexandra says
Hi Gerry, the flour blend that I have used contains xanthan gum. Please let me know if you try the recipe. 🙂
Jamie says
I had some overripe bananas sitting on my counter and decided to make this and they came out so good! The whole house smelled amazing and the brown sugar and vanilla added such a nice flavor to them. I'll definitely be making these again!
Alexandra says
Don't they smell fantastic when they're baking Jamie? I can hardly wait for them to cool down. Caramel flavours and bananas - always a winner. 🙂