Low Carb Maven

low carb recipes people love...

Home » Chocolate Banana Brownies (Low Carb, Grain-free)

Chocolate Banana Brownies (Low Carb, Grain-free)

By 58 Comments

Pin981
Share916

Low carb keto chocolate banana brownies are super moist thanks to coconut milk. Almond and coconut flour make them a delicious diary-free and Paleo treat.

Two low carb chocolate brownies topped with walnuts stacked on a white plate with a glass jar of almond milk in the background.

Originally, I developed this recipe to be a low carb Chocolate Banana Bread. After preparing it in mini loaf pans, as muffins, and in a regular sized loaf pan, I decided it would make amazing low carb brownies. The texture is moist and fudgy and delicious.

Don’t get me wrong, the recipe works beautifully baked in loaves or as muffins, but the texture — oh, the texture! I have never eaten anything so moist in my life. To call it a chocolate banana bread or cake did not do it justice. With a texture so rich, moist and fudgy, chocolate banana brownies was perfect.

The banana flavor does not overwhelm the chocolate and the texture appears cake-like in the photos, but deceives. The first and second time I made this recipe I used my favorite mix of Bensdorp and Black Cocoa from King Arthur Flour and the color was so dark they did not photograph well.

Using regular Hershey’s Cocoa resulted in the color you see pictured here, which is pretty dark. Both were good, but I preferred the flavor of my cocoa mix just a teeny bit more.

These uber-moist keto chocolate banana brownies would make the most awesome base for a sundae!

Two moist low carb brownies topped with walnuts stacked on a white plate.

I just want to say a few things about the recipe before you run-off to make these!

[LOW CARB BAKING INFO] Low carb baking is different than regular baking. It took me several years to forget what I knew about regular baking. Once I did, my low carb, gluten-free and dairy-free recipe have become better for it.

My batters are much thicker than regular batters – this provides structure with out having to add gums and other thickeners. I use a minimal amount of Erythritol, Swerve or Xylitol. These ingredients are expensive so I use less of them and augment with Stevia Glycerite, which is a very concentrated sweetener. All of my baked goods are much less sweet than traditional items. That’s how I like it. Add more sweetener per your taste. Lastly, baking is fun – enjoy!

These fudgy Low Carb Keto Chocolate Banana Brownies are 5 net carbs each

[Disclosure: This recipe contains affiliate links.]

Grain-free, Chocolate Banana Bread Brownies are amazingly moist and fudgy. | low carb, gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo | https://lowcarbmaven.com
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Low Carb Keto Chocolate Banana Brownies

Low Carb Keto Chocolate Banana Brownies is an out-of-this-world recipe that is not only gluten-free but dairy-free and Paleo, too. Chocolate and Bananas? Yes, please!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 16
Calories 159kcal
Author lowcarbmaven.com

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

  • 5 oz over-ripe banana (one medium)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon maple extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon banana extract (or almond or chocolate)
  • 1/2 teaspoon stevia glycerite
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar

Optional Ingredients shown in photo

  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 3 tablespoons Lili's Sugar-free Chocolate Chips or your favorite low sugar chocolate

Instructions

Preparation:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 and position the rack in the lower third of the oven.  Chop the nuts.
  • Spray a 9 x 9 inch square metal brownie pan with cooking spray. Cut a piece of parchment paper wide enough to cover the bottom of the pan, come up the sides and drape over. Position it in the pan.

Method:

  • Before measuring the dry ingredients, fluff them up with a whisk to remove any lumps. Lumps indicate compaction and you will end up using more than called for in the recipe. 
  • Measure and add the dry ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk together until combined. Add 2/3 of the nuts, stirring them in. In a smaller bowl, mash the banana with a fork - then add the flavorings, the eggs one-by-one, the coconut milk, and vinegar mixing in between additions. Scrape into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix with a hand mixer until completely incorporated.
  • With a spoon, place the batter evenly around the brownie pan. With the back of the spoon, gently distribute the batter in the pan - it is very thick and you will not be able to distribute it evenly with the spoon. Cut a piece of waxed paper and spray it with baking spray. Lay it over the batter and VERY GENTLY, with a sliding motion, use your fingers and hands to distribute the batter as evenly as you can. It just takes a minute and it won't be perfect -- don't worry, it will fill-in as it cooks. Add the rest of the nuts and all of the chocolate to the top, barely pressing them into the batter.

Bake:

  • Place in the oven and cook for about 25 minutes. The chocolate banana brownies are ready when the top feels springy, but not soggy and wet, when lightly pressed with a finger.
  • Cut into 16 servings. Each brownie is 5 net carbs. 

Notes

Nutrition Facts
Low Carb Keto Chocolate Banana Brownies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 159 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 18%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Cholesterol 40mg 13%
Sodium 213mg 9%
Potassium 225mg 6%
Total Carbohydrates 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 4g 16%
Protein 6g 12%
Vitamin A 1%
Vitamin C 1%
Calcium 10%
Iron 6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition

Calories: 159kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 213mg | Potassium: 225mg | Fiber: 4g | Vitamin A: 1% | Vitamin C: 1% | Calcium: 10% | Iron: 6%

Pin981
Share916

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Hi! I’m trying to make these for my mom, but she’s super strict about how much swerve we’re able to use because it’s expensive. Is it okay to use coconut sugar instead?

    Reply

    • Okay so I did it! I used the same about of coconut sugar and their super super good! Also I made 3 flax eggs instead of regular eggs because I didn’t have them! Super yummy! Oh and also I didn’t have any of the right extracts except vanilla, but I used sugar free maple syrup and simply syrups like for coffee in mocha and it’s tasty! Thanks!

      Reply

      • Great! I’m glad that your recipe tinkering worked out. I love the new recipe you created and am happy to hear that the flax eggs were a success! -Kim

        Reply

  3. Super brownies made with pumpkin instead of banana, since I don’t have kids or bananas. And I’ll be trying it as muffins or cupcakes too! Thanks for all your great recipes!

    Reply

    • I have not tried because this was a way to use up overripe bananas from my kids. but I bet you could. You may need to use more sweetener. -Kim

      Reply

  6. I’m very confused with the measurements for each thing. What do you mean by 3.75 eggs ? Or .34 cup? Would really love to make these brownies but I’m confused.-

    Reply

    • Hi Julie. I’m not seeing the 3.75 eggs. I just went through the recipe and deleted any of the gram measurements I included for European visitors. Let me know if it looks better now. -Kim

      Reply

  7. Hello! I wondered if you have ever tried doubling the recipe for a 9×13 pan?? I’m planning on trying out your suggestion of the canned pumpkin, only because we don’t have bananas on hand. Thanks for taking the time to keep this blog, and for creating such fantastic recipes!

    Reply

    • I haven’t doubled the recipe, but I don’t thing it would be any problem. I actually haven’t tried it with pumpkin. It was a suggestion from another reader who said she tried it. I have only made it with the banana. I generally make these for my kids and just have one or a half a piece. Enjoy. -Kim

      Reply

      • The day that I can have “just one” of anything will be a happy one! Thanks for the quick response, I’ll post results!

        Reply

    • Sure, you can use all almond flour. I’m not sure how much to add since I didn’t test the recipe with all almond flour. Start with 1/2 a cup? -Kim

      Reply

        • Hi Kerri, you would do better searching for an all coconut flour recipe. Each recipe has to be engineered and tested multiple times (sometimes as many as 10 times) to get it right. You just can’t do a straight sub. Sorry. -Kim

          Reply

  9. What a great recipe! I recently was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and trying to keep some joy in life while limiting myself to such a strict diet has been nearly impossible until finding this site! These brownies are moist, gooey and fudgey and have such a great flavor to them! I subbed apple cider vinegar for white and they still taste great. I also only used 1/3 cup sugar substitute, as a previous recipe from this site was just a tad too sweet for me. I couldn’t be happier with this recipe. I cut my batch into 12 servings so each brownie is less than 1 carb serving (or 13g carb each). Taking out a bit of sugar also helped lower carbs. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Great, Jessica! I’m so glad you like the recipe. It’s one my kids always enjoy and a great way to get rid of that overripe banana that they always seem to leave around. Thanks for commenting and for sharing your thoughts. Have a great weekend. -Kim

      Reply

  10. Can I substitute granulated monk fruit for the sweeteners? I find an aftertaste with Swerve. Subtle but it’s there. Haven’t tried the other one you mention. Would this also cover the stevia glycerite as well? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Sure, you can use the Monkfruit sweetener – it the Lakanto, right? I found that if I used more it affects the texture and that is why I use the Stevia to add more sweetness. -Kim

      Reply

  11. It says that they are 6g carbs and 159cals per serving . whats the serving size in oz, grams etc…? thanx cant wait to try

    Reply

  12. These are very good. I’ll add this recipe to my book. I did use 3 duck eggs somthey were more cakey but no problem!

    Reply

  13. Can the coconut milk be subbed with hwc? These look so amazing, I will eat zero carb all day to eat these at night!!!

    Reply

    • Sure, you can sub. I would actually do 3 parts cream and 1 part water, since coconut milk is a little thinner. I haven’t tested the recipe with the HWC but it should sub fine. These blotter is super thick so spread it into the pan quickly before it thickens more as it sits. I hope you like them. -Kim

      Reply

  14. Hello, these look terrific! Going to be trying them in the next day or two, curious what purpose the parchment serves. Is it mainly for the bottom? I only have a round pan and not looking forward to trying to line the whole thing lol :)

    Reply

  15. Hey Kim, I want to try this recipe for a dinner party this week. I’d like to use a combo of almond meal and hazelnut meal. What are your thoughts of using both in this recipe?

    Reply

    • Kelly, for some reason, ground walnuts popped into my mind. They are lower in carbs like hazelnut meal and are more moist than hazelnut meal. If you have almond flour (blanched, ground almonds) you will have a better results than using almond meal (ground almonds with the skin). I’d say go for it. Let me just say that you are brave not testing the change before bringing! :) I know the recipe as written is really good, but I can’t guarantee the tweak. Let me know how it tastes with the hazelnut meal because I love how the combination sounds. Have a great week! -Kim

      Reply

      • Thanks for the reply Kim. I have the super fine blanched almond meal. If the hazelnuts are drier, I certainly don’t want a dry dessert.

        Reply

        • Hi Kelly. It’s not really that they are “drier” but have more texture, I guess. They might be really great in the recipe! The recipe is so fudgy that it might not make a difference. I’m sorry if my response sounded off. My children are home for the Summer and one of them honestly doesn’t stop talking or making noise from morning until night. I’m interrupted at least every 30 seconds. It’s not good for coherent thought…. Try it and see if you like it. It’s only cooking. :) Have a great day and thanks for your understanding. -Kim

          Reply

  17. These are magnificent! I substituted heavy cream for coconut milk (because that’s what I had), and used only almond flavoring. They are incredibly moist and delicious. Thanks for putting the weight measurement required for the bananas (6 oz.) because the first banana I mashed was only 3.7 oz and that would have made the brownies too dry. These are definitely doing in the “Keeper” file!

    Reply

    • Rhonda, I’m so glad you liked the brownies and I love that you used the almond flavoring! Yum! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment. You made my day! Have a great weekend. -Kim

      Reply

    • Dee, I have never tried subbing sour cream for the banana because I intended to use the banana; which lends extreme moistness and subtle flavor to the banana bread brownies. You can try, but I don’t know the results would be as it would completely change the recipe. If you just don’t like bananas I think that subbing canned pumpkin would work. If you want another brownie recipe you can try this one https://www.lowcarbmaven.com/fudgy-keto-brownies/ . Please let me know if I can answer any more questions. :) Have a great weekend! -Kim

      Reply

  19. These look soo yummy! Does the banana serve any truly necessary purpose? I only ask because of diabetes… I try to stay away from fruit.

    Reply

    • Hi, Darla. Great question. Yes, the banana makes the brownies so fudgy – it is important. You could try to sub canned pumpkin and lower the carbs by almost 1 gram and use Lily’s chocolate chips which would also help. I developed the recipe before I knew about Lily’s sugar-free chocolate chips. I hope this helps. -Kim

      Reply

  20. I just found your blog, as I’m constantly researching almond flour low-carb recipes, been eating LC 6 mos (I’m fighting pre-diabetic sugar levels). Your site and recipes look “out of this world” good and I can’t wait to try them. I’m impressed that your shortcakes and brownies are described as “moist,” and shortbread cookies described as “crisp” because my forays into LC baking haven’t given me consistent results. Thx also for explicit recipe instructions.

    Question though, on your recipes I see you add “vinegar.” Do you prefer distilled white or apple vinegar?
    Thanks, and I look forward to more of your recipes!

    Reply

    • Hi Patti. Thanks so much for taking the time to say “hello”. Yes, aren’t we lucky to have such wonderful low carb ingredients available, like nut flours, that result in moist baked goods! I agree – crispy cookies are impossible in low carb recipes, so I sweetened a cracker recipe. Is it the same buttery texture as a traditional cookie? No. But, it is crispy and not cakey. I’m glad you find the recipes explicit as I strive to be as clear as possible. As far as the vinegar, I use white distilled so that it doesn’t add any off flavors. Such a great question! Have a nice week. -Kim

      Reply

  21. These look so delicious! Holy moly! You are completely right, these would be killer as a base for ice cream sundaes :) And thank you for teaching me about baking without grains each time I read your blog! I’m understanding it more and more with each post!

    Reply

    • Thanks, Michelle. I’m glad you are finding my posts informative! I think this is one of the nicest comments I’ve received.
      -Kim

      Reply