Vegan Protein Brownies

Name: Vegan protein brownies
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 2/3 cups (375g) overripe banana puree (equivalent of ~3 medium/large bananas or apple sauce (note 1)); 1 cup (250g) smooth natural peanut butter; 2 tablespoons (40g) maple syrup (optional to taste); 1/3 cup (35g) cocoa or raw cacao powder; 1/3 cup or 1 scoop (35g) vegan protein powder ((note 2)); 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/4 cup strawberries (or berries of choice, sliced thinly)

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5 from 3 votes

Easy vegan protein brownies made with only 6 ingredients and are incredibly easy to make! They are flourless, healthy yet fudgy and decadent.

And if you have any dietary requirements, these brownies are refined sugar-free, gluten-free, naturally eggless, keto and grain-free!

Stack of fudgy and dark vegan protein brownies with bite out of top brownie showing texture.

6 ingredients you'll need

Banana puree is our main sweetener and binder. I used banana puree instead of mashed banana because I didn't want chunks of banana throughout my chocolate treats! The banana puree gives the brownies a slight banana taste which helps balance out the taste of the protein powder.

Smooth natural peanut butter, as a source of protein and fat. This helps make the brownies rich, fudgy and oh so delicious.

Cocoa powder or raw cacao powder. I prefer using cocoa powder as it tends to give brownies a classic 'chocolatey' flavour whereas cacao powder can make baked goods a little bitter. You can read about the difference between cocoa and cacao powder at Taste of Home.

Vegan chocolate protein powder which is already sweetened. If your protein powder isn't sweetened, I'd recommend adding maple syrup.

Maple syrup (optional) for flavour and some sweetness. The banana adds a lot of sweetness but with a strong banana flavour. Instead of adding more bananas, I compensated with a little maple syrup. However, if you find your brownies sweet enough, you don't have to add maple syrup.

Baking soda helps the brownies rise a TINY amount so they don't have the texture of pure fudge. Many vegan protein brownie recipes don't have raising agents creating overly dense brownies (fudge in the shape of brownies). By adding a little baking soda, these brownies are closer to traditional brownies.

As always, the quantities of ingredients are at the BOTTOM of this post in the grey recipe card. For ingredient substitutions, see the FAQ at the bottom of this post.

Flatlay of 6 ingredients for the brownies.

How to prepare the protein brownies

These vegan protein brownies are awesome because you only need one bowl to make them. AND the raw batter is edible!

First, if you haven't pureed your banana, add them to your large mixing bowl and use a stick blender to puree them.

Simply add ALL your ingredients and mix until you have a smooth fudgy batter. The batter should be thick and slightly sticky. However, it shouldn't be too thick that it's hard to mix.

In this case, a thick brownie batter leads to more dense brownies. Conversely, a thinner brownie batter creates slightly cakier brownies. We want somewhere in between!

Two image collage of how to make the protein brownie batter.

Decorating and baking the brownies

Simply pour the batter into a square baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula. You can bake the vegan protein brownies undecorated OR top them with sliced berries for a pop of colour and freshness!

The brownies took around 20 minutes to bake (give or take) every time I tested them. For fudgier and moist brownies, bake them for a little less time. Or for sturdier brownies, bake them for a little longer.

The brownies may puff up a little in the oven. They are ready when you can poke a skewer in the middle and there are some wet crumbs or a tiny smudge of batter. Unless you want to be eating unbaked batter with your brownies (I won't judge, it's delicious), make sure your skewer isn't coated in wet batter.

Two image collage showing undecorated brownie batter in tin and brownie batter covered in sliced strawberries.

Customising this recipe

Can I use something instead of bananas?

Yes, you can use apple sauce instead! Pumpkin puree or sweet potato puree will work but your brownies won't be as sweet.

Can I use something except peanut butter?

Any other smooth nut butter (such as almond butter) or sunflower seed butter will also work. I haven't tried tahini, though I predict it'd have a very strong aftertaste!

What kind of protein powder can I use for these?

I tested these brownies with a vegan protein powder blend which is mostly pea protein and was sweetened with stevia. It worked well without the additional maple syrup.

I also tested these brownies with unflavoured protein powder (brown rice protein powder) and found the brownies needed a little extra sweetness. However, you can taste the raw batter and adjust as needed!

Flatlay of sliced protein brownies with a shiny surface and sliced strawberries throughout.

Can I add vanilla extract, vegan chocolate chips, nuts or other things to these brownies?

Yes! All of these will take this high protein vegan dessert to the next level :).

Can I use powdered peanut butter?

I haven't tested this recipe so can't vouch for results!

Can I serve these as mini protein bites?

Yes, these brownies are sturdy enough to be divided into mini bites!

How long do the vegan protein brownies last with the strawberries on them?

After 1-2 days, the strawberries tend to soak in the colour of the cocoa powder and lose their natural colour. This is only natural! However, they still taste delicious.

Stack of vegan protein brownies with strawberries on top of each brownie.

Other healthy vegan desserts

Other vegan chocolate desserts

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5 from 3 votes