The 3 Ingredients Required To Make Homemade Banana Brownies

Brownies are one of the best chocolate desserts out there. With that rich, chocolatey flavor paired with a gooey center and crackly top ... do I really need to say more? There are plenty of ways to make brownies extra fudgy or fancy, but this recipe is all about making your life simpler. And if you have a few ripe bananas sitting aimlessly in your fridge, here's the perfect way to use them: Turn them into three-ingredient brownies. All you need are bananas, unsweetened cocoa powder, and peanut butter.

Once you've mashed your bananas, just mix in the peanut butter and cocoa powder until your mixture resembles a brownie batter. Bake your creation for around 25 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and voilà! These will be the easiest brownies you've ever made. Both the peanut butter and banana will give you rich and fudgy results — and for maximum sweetness, use the ripest bananas you have. If they aren't super ripe, using sweetened cocoa powder or adding in some sugar is an easy fix.

Before you start scraping the dry bits from the bottom of your favorite jar of peanut butter, remember that every ingredient is crucial for success here. Using overly thick peanut butter will lead to dry brownies. For a perfectly fudgy texture, go with a natural, runny peanut butter. If you're not a fan of peanuts, try another nut butter or even tahini — just make sure it has a thin consistency. For those of you who like cakey brownies, adding a little flour to your batter will help.

It's important to keep a close eye towards the end of the baking time because these brownies can overbake quickly. They will set further once removed from the oven, so don't worry if the center still looks a little undercooked. Which brings us to our next point: Let these brownies cool completely before slicing so they hold their shape. You can also choose to customize this dessert by mixing in chocolate chips for a gooey touch, chopped nuts for extra crunch, maple syrup for some sweetness, or crushed pretzels for a salty, crunchy boost. Who says a delicious brownie recipe has to be complicated?