This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This rich, chocolatey, gluten free brownie recipe is almost too good to be true! This healthy skillet brownie is made healthier with nut butter and zero refined sugars. This recipe is also ready to eat in 15 minutes!
I’m still here! Almost 39 weeks and holding strong – thank goodness – because now I can share with you this little treasure I’ve been sitting on for a month. I created this fudgy, rich, decadent masterpiece in a skillet one day when I was craving chocolate something fierce; but not just any chocolate. All I wanted was warmth, gooey-ness, and minimal effort. A little bit of a “healthier” treat wasn’t the worst idea either.
Why Is This a Healthy Gluten Free Brownie?
So not only is this brownie gluten free, but it is definitely “clean” eating; it’s full of protein, thanks to the peanut butter (almond butter would work too), and it’s made with zero refined sugars! The whole thing only has 1/3 cup honey, and it’s also sweetened with banana. Pretty awesome, right? You could practically eat this for breakfast. Really. There’s even espresso powder in there, so you can get your coffee fix in too.
I like to top our skillet brownie with salted caramel sauce, and a bit of ice cream, but you could even use coconut whipped cream or nothing at all! The ice cream in these pictures is another no-churn recipe I’m perfecting – I can’t wait to share it too!!!
Follow on Instagram
Ingredients for This Skillet Brownie
As I mentioned before, this healthy brownie is made with the BEST ingredients! You’ll need:
- banana (the riper the better)
- creamy peanut butter
- honey
- egg
- melted coconut oil
- pure vanilla extract
- cocoa powder
- baking powder
- instant espresso powder (optional)
Banana: I think some people will be turned off by this recipe with the mention of banana, if they’re not a big banana fan; however, it is only used for texture and sweetness! I promise you can’t even taste the banana
Peanut Butter: I always use real, natural peanut butter, not the kind with a ton of sugar and strange ingredients.
Coconut Oil: If you aren’t a big fan of coconut oil or don’t have it on hand, you can substitute it with a different oil such as avocado oil, or even melted butter
Espresso Powder: Have you ever noticed that a lot of chocolate cake recipes call for espresso or coffee? This is because the coffee actually enhances the chocolate flavour! You can definitely leave this out though and it’ll still taste great.
Directions for Gluten Free Brownie
A one bowl recipe winner!
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and lightly grease a 10 or 12″ cast iron skillet with coconut oil or non stick spray.
2. Mash the banana in one big bowl, until no chunks are remaining. Add in the peanut butter and combine thoroughly with a large wooden spoon. Add the honey, egg, coconut oil and vanilla extract and stir until combined. Add the cocoa powder, baking powder and instant espresso, if using. The batter will be very thick.
3. Spread the batter evenly into the skillet, and bake for 12-13 minutes. Use a toothpick to test the center of the skillet after 12 minutes; it’s ok if it’s a little wet, if you’d like more of a gooey brownie. Top with ice cream and salted caramel sauce, and serve immediately!
Substitutions and Tips
I’ve made this skillet with almond butter too and it’s terrific; however, I haven’t tried it with sunflower butter or anything other than those two options. If you do, let me know!
As for the honey, you could also swap that out for maple syrup and use a flax egg instead of a regular egg to keep things vegan.
One other little tip – if you undercook the brownie just a tad then it is also exceptionally gooey on the inside! I found 12-13 minutes to be just perfect.
Whew. I’m so glad I got this post out! Be sure to keep an eye on my Instagram stories for any baby developments (if there are any). Fingers crossed!
PS – make this brownie this weekend!!!!
Some Of My Favourite Gluten Free Goodies
Some other gluten-free and healthier goodies on the blog for you to check out:
- gluten free chocolate coconut tart
- grain free chocolate chia pudding pie
- chocolate nice cream pie
- gluten free banana cake
Gluten-Free Skillet Brownies
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 1 skillet brownie 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This rich, chocolatey, gluten free brownie recipe is almost too good to be true! This healthy skillet brownie is made healthier with nut butter and zero refined sugars. This recipe is also ready to eat in 15 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 ripe banana
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter*
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder (optional)*
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and lightly grease a 10″ oven-safe skillet with coconut oil.
- In a large bowl, mash the banana until no large chunks remain. Add the peanut butter and combine thoroughly with a large wooden spoon. Add the honey, egg, coconut oil and vanilla extract and stir until combined. Add the cocoa powder, baking powder and instant espresso, if using. The batter will be very thick.
- Spread the batter evenly into the skillet, and bake for 12-13 minutes. Use a toothpick to test the center of the skillet after 12 minutes; it’s ok if it’s a little wet, if you’d like more of a gooey brownie. Top with ice cream and salted caramel sauce, and serve immediately!
Leftovers can be removed from the skillet and placed into an airtight container to keep at room temperature for 1-2 days.
Notes
- Sub the peanut butter for almond butter if you’d like. I used natural peanut butter.
- The espresso powder is entirely optional, but I find it really brings out the chocolate flavour (I promise, it won’t taste like coffee)!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: desserts
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: american
ohh…all of that chocolatey goodness and none of the guilt! I’ll take your advice on undercooking it just a little to make it extra gooey!
Yeees definitely heed that advice! Thank you Marissa! I hope you love it!!
Haha! I love the justification that this would be legitimate breakfast food! Sold!!! Hope that sweet babe has arrived!! xo
It’s absolutely legitimate 😉 Haha thanks Liz! Baby girl is here and keeping me busy!! XO
Lovely and mouth wateringrecipe. Can’t wait to try this brownie <3