Superfood Chocolate Banana Brownies (Gluten Free, Vegan)

This post is generously sponsored by Matakana SuperFoods.

There’s something magical about the combination of chocolate and bananas. Not only is it addictively delicious, but there are also countless ways to enjoy the duo, from a loaded chocolate smoothie bowl to today’s epic gluten free dessert (or breakfast!): superfood chocolate banana brownies.

Just imagine it: a tray full of soft, pillowy brownies with chunks of dark chocolate found in every bite. I originally wasn’t sure whether to call these “brownies” or “banana bread,” since they're really a cross between both. Whatever you call ‘em, though, these gluten free brownies are crazy delicious - and secretly healthy since the “chocolate” flavor and chunks actually come from Matakana's superfood chocolate mix, Superchoc, and pieces of Matakana's superfood chocolate bar. 

In fact, Matakana's Superchoc is packed with organic superfoods like criollo cacao powder, raspberry powder, beetroot powder, chia seed powder, lucuma powder and quinoa powder. This chocolate superfood blend is sweetened with pure coconut sugar, and is free of artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, dairy, gluten and GMOs, making Matakana's Superchoc a delicious ingredient in gluten free, vegan and paleo baked goods, smoothies or drinks. Meanwhile, Matakana's Superfood Chocolate Bar features superfoods like cacao nibs and maqui berry powder, and is higher in protein and antioxidants and lower in sugar than your traditional chocolate treat. Plus, the cacao nibs add a delicious crunch to this vegan chocolate bar!

Combine Matakana's Superchoc mix and chocolate bar with one mashed banana, some gluten free flours (including quinoa flour for even more vegan protein) and plant based milk, and you end up with superfood brownies that are healthy enough to eat for breakfast but full of enough chocolate flavor to enjoy as a gluten free dessert. The sweetest news? Matakana's Superchoc just became available on Amazon, which means that you can try these gluten free superfoods with the click of a button. Find the Superchoc here, and Matakana's other superfood powders here. Their Superfood Chocolate Bar will hopefully become available on Amazon in the near future, as well.

Ready to dive into some chocolate banana brownie goodness? Let's get started! 

Ingredients for Your Gluten Free Chocolate Brownies: 

1 ripe banana, mashed (around 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup all purpose gluten free flour
1/4 cup quinoa flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
2 TBSP Matakana Superchoc
1/2 cup of plant-based milk
A drop of vanilla extract
Dash of cinnamon
Half of a Matakana Superfood Chocolate Bar (around 2 TBSP)

How to Make Your Superfood Chocolate Banana Brownies:

Begin your superfood baking adventure by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Then, add all of your dry ingredients (except for the chocolate) into a large bowl and mix until they’re fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, mash your banana until it’s a purée. The riper the banana, the sweeter these brownies will be, so try to use a banana with plenty of spots! Once mashed, add your banana to the dry ingredients, along with your milk and vanilla extract. By the time you mix all of these ingredients together, your batter should be on the liquidy side of brownie batters. 

Now for the chocolate! Matakana's Superfood Chocolate Bar is addicting on its own (super creamy with bits of crunch from the cacao nibs + full of dark chocolate flavor without tasting bitter), so I couldn't think of any better chocolate to include in these brownies. For my chocolate chunks, I roughly chopped up half of one Superfood Chocolate Bar, ending up with about two tablespoons of chocolate. (If you are an extreme chocoholic, you can certainly chop up the whole bar for even more chocolate goodness). I like my bananas brownies chunky, so I left some larger chocolate pieces, but you can chop your chocolate as thick or thin as you like. Add around 3/4 of the chopped chocolate to your vegan brownie batter, stirring just enough to incorporate it throughout.

Next, line a baking pan (I used a 9X9 cake pan) with parchment paper and pour your batter inside. Don’t worry if your batter looks thin in terms of height (though I wouldn’t recommend using a bigger pan than the size I used). These chocolate banana brownies will rise a good amount during the baking process! 

Sprinkle the remainder of your chocolate chunks/shavings on the top of your gluten free brownies, and then pop the pan in the oven. I baked my banana brownies for 18-20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. By the time your vegan dessert is done, it should be tall and fluffy, slightly browned on top and full of melty chocolate chips. 

Because these banana brownies have a cake-like texture, you’ll want to wait to cut them until they’ve cooled completely and use a sharp knife when you do. If you can’t wait (like a certain blogger you know, cough cough), you can also just use a spoon to dig on in! 

As mentioned earlier, these superfood brownies are perfect for breakfast and dessert. They taste delicious paired with coconut yogurt and fruit, or warmed up (for the ultimate gooey, chocolate action) and eaten with banana ice cream. If you're really craving a super(food) hit of chocolate, you can even mix Matakana's Superchoc with your choice of milk and enjoy some superfood dipping action with your brownies. (Mind - and taste buds - blown.) I stored my gluten free banana brownies in the fridge after two days, and they stayed soft and scrumptious for the week it took me to eat them all. 

Bananas and chocolate are a classic combination that's delicious in a variety of forms. However, I think that these Superfood Chocolate Brownies take the cake (pun intended) when it comes to fluffy, chocolatey (and secretly superfood-packed) goodness. Whether you're looking for a chocolatey breakfast to help you power through a busy day or a vegan dessert to celebrate a job well done, these gluten free brownies will hit the spot.

Like this post? Send me some Twitter love by clicking here: "Craving #glutenfree brownies or #vegan banana bread? Then fall in love with my Superfood Chocolate Banana Brownies featuring @MSuperfoods Superchoc mix & superfood chocolate bar! Find the full (delectable) #recipe here --> http://bit.ly/2qdJAaz"

And if you just need to eat the other half of the Superfood Chocolate Bar to ensure it doesn't go to waste? Well, I'm sure that'll just make life even sweeter!

*I received free products and monetary compensation in exchange for spreading the word about Matakana SuperFoods. However, I only partner with brands and products that I personally believe in, and all opinions, photographs and recipes are my own. Thank you for supporting what supports Casey the College Celiac!*