High Protein Brownies (No Flour, No Added Sugar!)
These treats come with major brownie points—they’re rich in protein, made without any flour and contain zero added sugar. Plus, you don’t even have to add butter or oil… it’s sort of like baking magic!
As for the taste and texture? They’re super rich and fudgy with a gently sweet and chocolatey flavor. They also have subtle banana undertones, which is always a bonus in my book. This may be the easiest and healthiest homemade brownie recipe ever.
As a nutritionist, I love when a treat works double duty—these brownies satisfy your sweet tooth and sneak in extra protein. You can whip them up in a single bowl using just five everyday ingredients, and in less than 30 minutes, you’ll have a batch of chocolaty goodness cooling on your counter.
They’re also versatile. You can swap the peanut butter for almond or cashew butter (or sunflower butter and soy nut butter if you have allergies in the house), use your favorite chocolate protein powder, or even stir in a handful of chopped nuts for a little crunch and heart-healthy fat.
And if you’re in the mood for more protein-rich sweets, check out my Chocolate Banana Protein Pudding, Magic Shell Yogurt Cups, and Chocolate Protein Muffins—all big hits in my house!
Joyful tip: Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. When you’re ready to enjoy one, try warming it up in the microwave and topping it with a spoonful of vanilla yogurt, a drizzle of nut butter or a squirt of whipped cream—pure, fudgy bliss. Although, they’re also delish cold!
Try these Black Bean Brownies next!
High Protein Brownies (No Flour, No Added Sugar!)
Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter, or other nut butter
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ cup chocolate protein powder
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
Instructions
- Liberally coat an 8-inch square baking dish with oil spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a mixing bowl, mash the banana and stir in the peanut butter until smooth, but it’s okay to have lumps of banana throughout. Add in the egg. Stir in the chocolate protein powder and cocoa powder, and blend until the ingredients are well-combined and creamy.
- Add batter to the prepared baking dish, smooth with a spatula or spoon to evenly distribute, and tap on counter a few times to set. Bake in the oven on middle rack for about 25 minutes. Remove and let cool on counter for at least 10 minutes. Slice into 9 squares and enjoy!
- Store in an airtight container on the counter for 3 to 4 days or in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze them: Wrap individual brownies in plastic wrap and a second layer of foil. Place in an airtight container or zip-top bag. When you’re ready to enjoy one, allow brownie to defrost on a plate at room temp or microwave for 10 to 15 seconds on low.
Haven’t made yet but they sound amazing. It is on my weekend list to make.
Hi Roberta. We can’t wait to hear what you think! Please come back and let us know what you thought.
—Team Joy
Can I use vanilla protein powder? How will it change this? I have a huge can from Costco that I need to use.
Hi Tony! Yes, it’ll be more like blondies versus brownies, but should work well and taste great (vanilla-banana forward with possibly a subtle chocolate flavor from the 1/4 cup cocoa powder). Let us know how it turns out!!
These sound wonderful!
I wonder how chocolate collagen powder would work instead of chocolate protein powder?
Somehow our household has ended up with three canisters of chocolate collagen powder !
Hi Sandy! Joy hasn’t tried it yet, but if you use chocolate collagen powder instead of the chocolate protein powder (1/2 cup), you may need to add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oat or almond flour to replace the structure that the protein powder normally gives. If you give it a shot, let us know how it turns out! — Eliza (Team Joy)
Can I use powdered peanut butter?
Hi Lisa! Joy hasn’t tried powdered peanut butter in this recipe, but in theory, it should work. If you want to give it a shot, go ahead and mix the peanut powder with the appropriate amount of water to get a 1/2 cup yield before adding it into the recipe. Because it doesn’t have as much fat as regular nut butter, it may not work the same, but let us know!!— Eliza (Team Joy)
Can I assume a “serving” is one brownie? I find this an issue in a lot of recipes. I have made a lot of Joy’s recipes over the years. And, a lot of them don’t tell you how much or how many constitutes a serving.
Hi Jan! Yes — one brownie is a serving! And thank you for pointing this out. We try really hard to be as specific as possible with serving sizes, and we’ve gotten much better about it over the years. If you ever have a question about servings (or anything in a recipe!), please reach out… we’re always happy to clarify exactly what a serving looks like and will make it even clearer on the recipe page.— Eliza (Team Joy)
Can these be made with coca only ( in place of protein powder?
Hi Mary! Unfortunately, this recipe will likely not work using cocoa powder only (in place of the protein powder). The protein powder contributes flavor and sweetness, so the brownies may be too bitter without it. — Eliza (Team Joy)
I have a severe peanut allergy… I don’t eat any kind of nuts.
What is the best substitute for the peanut butter in this recipe?
Thanks so much!
Amy Schwalb
Hi Amy! Yes, you can swap in sunflower seed butter or soy nut butter in this recipe. It will be a 1:1 swap and Joy said it should work perfectly! Enjoy! — Eliza (Team Joy)