Vegan Banana & Peanut Butter Brownies

Brownies will always be my favourite form of cake so I’m regularly experimenting with new ingredient combinations. There are so many amazing ways of making brownies! These easy to make banana and peanut butter brownies are vegan, Coeliac friendly (gluten free), refined sugar free and FODMAP friendly! I love using ground almonds in my cakes as it makes them so light and fluffy but as they are a moderate FODMAP food I always balance it with another low FODMAP flour such as buckwheat, oat or rice as I have with this recipe.

Peanut butter and banana are always the perfect combination so I couldn’t wait to create this recipe, adding the banana also adds a natural sweetness thus reducing the amount of maple syrup needed.

This recipe is so easy to make and contains no added oil (just peanut butter). I’ve never been an advocate for a low fat diet as it has so many nutritional benefits but as someone with IBS I am well aware that too much of the good stuff can cause our symptoms to flare up. So if you’re looking for a simple vegan brownie recipe that is a little lower in fat then this one is definitely for you!

Serves 12

INGREDIENTS:

1 large ripe banana (140g when peeled)

65ml maple syrup

100g smooth peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1.5 tbsp chia seeds

4.5 tbsp cold water

220ml rice milk (or any other plant milk)

30g ground almonds

100g buckwheat flour

65g Indigo Herbs cacao powder

METHOD:

• Mix the chia seeds in a small bowl or glass with the cold water and leave them to soak for 10 minutes
• Preheat the oven to 150oc and line a 8×8 inch brownie tin with baking paper
• Mash the banana in a small bowl with a fork
• Stir in the peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla, rice milk and chia seed mix until smooth
• In a large bowl, combine the ground almonds, buckwheat flour and cacao powder
• Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir well using a spatula or wooden spoon to make sure the chia seeds are spread evenly
• When the brownie batter is ready pour it into the lined tin and bake for 25 minutes until firm
• Leave the brownies to cool in the tin for 30 minutes before cutting into 12 and placing them on a cooling rack until completely cooled
• Store in an airtight container (in the fridge is best as they will last longer)
• Enjoy!