What are you grateful for?
We often take life’s simple gifts for granted: warm running water, the taste of morning oatmeal, a safe place to sleep, laughter. Each night I write five things I’m grateful for, and tonight life itself tops the list.
Call it Life, Love, Spirit, or simply the presence that connects everything — I aim to live with that awareness always. I am grateful not only to recognize that I am alive, but to feel that presence within me. It’s a practice I return to again and again.
Number two on tonight’s gratitude list is these Banana Brownies and my growing love of vegan baking.
Brownies are one of life’s simple pleasures — easy to make and deeply comforting. For many people they evoke childhood memories: warm from the oven, sometimes topped with ice cream, walnuts or chocolate chips. As a chocolate lover I favor rich, fudgy brownies with depth — hints of espresso and perhaps fruity undertones. When I bite into a brownie I savor it and give thanks for this small delight.
I recently discovered you can use the thick cream from a can of chilled coconut milk to replace butter in some recipes, which makes soy-free vegan baking much simpler. Once I realized that, my head filled with possibilities: double chocolate coconut cookies, brownies, pie crusts, and more.
To test the idea I developed a vegan banana brownie recipe. I researched numerous brownie recipes and created this Sweet Potato Soul original that balances coconut cream, dark chocolate and banana for a moist, flavorful bar.
To get coconut cream, buy a good-quality can of coconut milk and chill it in the refrigerator. The solids will separate from the watery component; the thick white cream on top is what you want. Gently melt that cream with dark chocolate over steam until smooth, then let it cool slightly before adding to the wet ingredients.
This recipe uses only one cup of flour and one cup of sugar for a 9×9 pan. Mashed overripe banana contributes natural sweetness and texture, while instant coffee adds a surprising depth of flavor. Thin banana slices placed on top sink in slightly and caramelize as the brownies bake. The coconut flavor remains subtle and blends well with the banana and chocolate.
These banana-brownie hybrids are meant to be enjoyed without guilt. Food can be both nourishing and joyful — it’s worth being grateful for what we have and the small pleasures that bring a smile to our faces.
Without further ado, here is the Banana Brownies recipe — fluffy, moist, and vegan.
Banana Brownies
Makes one 9×9 pan. When making these, have three bowls ready. Slice the banana right before placing it on top of the batter. Serve warm alone or with vegan ice cream. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 cup cold coconut cream
- 8 oz (about 1 cup) vegan dark chocolate chunks
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp egg replacer (Ener-G) mixed with 3 tbsp water — or 1 tbsp flax meal + 2 tbsp water
- 1 overripe banana, mashed
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp instant espresso or coffee powder
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 ripe banana, thinly sliced lengthwise for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and lightly flour a 9×9-inch pan (or a 9–10-inch round pan) with coconut oil.
- Bring about 3 cups of water to a simmer in a small saucepan.
- Place the cold coconut cream and chocolate chunks in a heatproof metal bowl and set it over the simmering water (double-boiler method). Make sure the bowl does not touch the water.
- Stir the mixture frequently; after about 5 minutes the steam will melt it into a smooth chocolate-coconut mixture. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, rehydrate 2 teaspoons of Ener-G egg replacer with 3 tablespoons of water, stirring until dissolved.
- Add the mashed banana, vanilla, instant coffee powder and sugar to the egg replacer mixture and mix well.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder.
- Pour the cooled coconut-chocolate mixture into the banana/wet ingredients and stir to combine. Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until evenly mixed. The batter should be fairly wet.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Arrange the thin banana slices on top.
- Bake at 350°F for about 40 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick or paring knife; it should come out with a few moist crumbs but not raw batter.
- Allow the brownies to cool for 30–40 minutes before cutting to set. Serve and enjoy.
