Chocolate. When the craving strikes, it’s almost impossible to find a substitute that satisfies as much as rich, velvety chocolate does. Almost. But, today’s post proves that even if chocolate has been removed from your diet (like it has been from mine), you can still enjoy a treat that is a close second to that dark, magical, chocolatey bliss!
Throughout my autoimmune protocol (AIP) journey, I’ve gotten a lot of questions about what foods I’ve missed the most. And the first thing that always comes to mind is chocolate! I’ve tried to curb my chocolate longings with fruit desserts, coconut butter, coconut milk ice cream, and other AIP-approved treats, but it really wasn’t until I found carob powder that I was able to fill the chocolate void. In fact, my first experience with carob happened on my 32nd birthday, when my sweet mom made me a carob layer cake! I was in faux-chocolate heaven!
Now, let me just preface this recipe with a statement that carob is unique and doesn’t taste EXACTLY like chocolate. It’s actually a tad sweeter and has an almost prune-like smell. (It turned me off at first, but I promise it tastes better than it smells!) After baking with it, I can truly say that carob a great substitute for cocoa powder! Which brings me to my debut of my AIP Carob Banana Brownies! These delightful Paleo chocolate-like brownies are like a cross between banana bread and chocolate cake! Just a few bites of my fudgy, dense, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free bars will satisfy your chocolate cravings and not destroy your AIP diet! (Plus, it’s a perfect way to use up ripe bananas!)
Now, some of you who are familiar with carob might be wondering what took me so long to jump on the bandwagon! I will say that I’ve been aware of carob long before now. However, since I have celiac disease, I had heard rumors that carob was typically cross-contaminated with wheat. That is true of some brands, but I can say now with confidence that I’ve tried Chatfield’s carob powder
Those of you who are not familiar with carob might be wondering what in the world it is! Well, carob comes from pods that are grown on carob trees. The pods are ground up into powder, with a consistency that is similar to cocoa. One major difference from cocoa (aside from a slight difference in taste) is that carob is caffeine-free. It’s also a less inflammatory option over cocoa and easier on the gut, so for us AIP-ers, it’s a helpful cocoa substitute.
So, in short, I’ve become a huge fan of carob powder and I can’t wait to try it in more AIP treats! Keep in mind, if you don’t need to avoid cocoa or chocolate, you could easily swap out the carob for cocoa powder in this recipe. (I haven’t tried that myself, so let me know how it tastes with cocoa!) The other specialty ingredients I used in my AIP Carob Banana Brownies include coconut oil, Artisana coconut butter
While the ingredients are more unusual than most typical brownie recipes, I was so impressed with the texture and taste of these brownies! Even my non-AIP friends and family enjoyed them! And even though the recipe uses coconut products, I didn’t really notice a coconut flavor. They also stay super moist, thanks to the ripe bananas!
To make my AIP Carob Banana Brownies recipe, you’ll just need to mix the wet and dry ingredients, then combine them together and prepare the gelatin egg in a saucepan over the stove. Once everything is combined, you’ll end up with a very thick and delicious carob brownie batter. I recommend an 8×8” pan for thick brownies, but you could bake them for less time in a larger pan.
Once baked, cut them to your desired size, but I couldn’t resist some super-sized brownies, so I divided mine into 9 squares. I’ll be honest, when I cut them smaller, I always end up eating more than one anyway! 🙂 Check out these gorgeous, guilt-free brownies!
Since we’re entering back-to-school season, these AIP Carob Banana Brownies would be a wonderful, healthy treat to make your kids for an after-school snack! They’re also an easy go-to dessert for any dinner party or summer picnic. And why not try them out on your friends and family over Labor Day weekend?! Enjoy them plain with a tall glass of almond or coconut milk or with a generous scoop of coconut milk ice cream! YUM! (And if you CAN tolerate chocolate and eggs- you’ll also want to try my super easy Flourless Fudge Brownies, which are also Paleo, gluten-free, and incredible!)
- 1.5 cups mashed banana (3 ripe bananas)
- ½ cup coconut butter, melted
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- ⅛ cup raw honey
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ¼ cup carob powder
- ¼ cup arrowroot powder
- 1.5 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 gelatin egg (1 tablespoon gelatin + 4 tablespoons water)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8x8'' square pan with coconut oil.
- Mix the wet ingredients in a large bowl and the dry ingredients in a small bowl, except for the apple cider vinegar and gelatin egg components.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet. Add the apple cider vinegar and stir gently.
- Make the gelatin egg by adding 4 tablespoons of water to a small saucepan. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of gelatin powder over the water. Let sit for a minute, then whisk over low/medium heat until the mixture gets foamy.
- Stir gelatin mixture into the brownie batter and spread batter into the pan. (Batter will be thick.)
- Bake brownies for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
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Delicious! My sister who doesn’t eat AIP even loved them, and she is particular . Thank you for sharing this recipe! Will be making more!
I’m so happy to hear that, Syna! 🙂 Thank you for sharing! Glad you and your sister enjoyed them!
Sounds delicious! Planning to make this recipe for Mother’s Day! Can I substitute Collagen Peptides in place of gelatin (Vital Proteins)?
Hi Katie!
Thanks so much, hope you enjoy them! So, collagen and gelatin aren’t interchangeable in this recipe, unfortunately. But you could try omitting the gelatin egg or sub 1/4 cup of canned pumpkin if you don’t have any powdered gelatin on hand. I’ve had a couple readers do this and they said it still worked. Haven’t tried it myself so I can’t guarantee the texture will be as good, but I hope you have success with it!
Not only were these great but the recipe was also very forgiving! I didn’t have cream of tartar so skipped that. I only had my homemade carob chips, so I melted those and added it to the wet ingredients. Really good. Hit the spot. Will make again!
Kate, thank you for sharing! It’s so great to know that those substitutions work well! I’m so glad you enjoyed the brownies, too! 😊
This was so delicious! I was craving an AIP-compliant treat this weekend and this totally hit the spot. The recipe was easy and produces such a lovely dense, fudgy and (dare I say this word…) moist brownie. I was really happy with the result and so was my bf who gobbled these up, and he hates most of my AIP foods. Thanks for the recipe!
Helen, thank you so much for the compliments! Very happy to hear they were a hit with you guys! 🙂
So good! The texture was amazing, soft and fudgey. Just sweet enough to feel like real dessert. Wish I could stop eating them! And my 12 yo son even liked them – yay!
Haha, thank you, Lori! They are quite addictive, aren’t they?! 😉 Glad you enjoyed them!
These are so tasty & surprisingly fluffy and fudgy! I’ve been following the AIP protocol for the most part last 2 years (trying to reintroduce) and of the many baked treats I’ve made, these are the best & my go to for my children’s parties and other special occasions!
Bessie, I’m so thrilled to hear that! Thank you for the compliments! Glad these brownies have become a staple treat in your home! 🙂
I’ve made these a few times now and, had to freeze them so I didn’t eat them all at once, so, so good!! I microwave one at a time and they come out warm and delicious each time. I’ve been recommending them to everyone on various AIP groups online. Must spread the word!!
Lori, that’s so awesome! Thanks for sharing my recipe! And so helpful to know that they freeze well, too! I’ll definitely have to try doing that in the future! 😀
I started AIP a few weeks ago and it has been a challenge to not be able to eat chocolate!! I came across your recipe and had never really tried carob powder. These are absolutely amazing!! I feel normal eating my “brownies” again! Thank you for sharing! 😊
Yay! So happy to hear that, Melissa! I’m with you- not doing chocolate on AIP is tough! But glad these brownies help curb the craving! 😉 Thanks for sharing!
What would you suggest in place of the coconut butter? I hate to buy it for just one recipe (I don’t have shredded coconut to make my own). Would appreciate any ideas! These sound wonderful by the way.
Hi Laura,
Totally understand your dilemma! Unfortunately, I can’t think of a great substitute for coconut butter that’s still AIP, aside from possibly tigernut butter, which is also a specialty ingredient. If you can tolerate nuts, then a nut butter might work as a substitute. If you can get some shredded coconut to make your own, that might be a good cost savings over buying the premade coconut butter. I’ve never made the brownies using anything else so I’m sorry I can’t be of more help! If you try any alternatives, let me know if they work out!
These were very yummy! I made them for my Bible study group for a birthday celebration! The birthday girl is trying to eat less sugar. And I am Paleo. Not strict AIP so are use cocoa powder instead of Carob. Everyone love them and they were shocked that they were so healthy! I share the recipe and I will be making them again as well! So good to have yummy recipes for special occasions!
Kelley, thank you so much for the sweet compliments! Glad you and your friends enjoyed the brownies! And great to know that they work well with regular cocoa powder, too, for others who don’t need to use carob. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I can’t wait to try this! Instead of the gelatin egg, would a flax egg or regular egg work?
Hi Denise,
I don’t see why not! 🙂 I haven’t personally tried it but since the gelatin egg is basically just a binder and not a leavening agent, I think either of those subs should be fine! Happy baking!
If using a regular egg, would you still add it after mixing both wet/dry ingredients together? Or add it with the wet ingredients before adding in the dry? Thank you! 🙂
Hi Emily! I’ve never actually made them with a regular egg but I think you could add it with the wet ingredients. Gelatin “eggs” are best added last since they quickly bind and stiffen up the mixture but a regular egg acts differently and should be fine added earlier. Enjoy!
BROWNIES!!! I’ve been wanting some since I started AIP over a year ago(I’m still strict AIP for a bit longer), but have found out that coconut anything is no bueno for me. Any subs for the coconut ingredients? I’d LOVE to feel normal when my fam eats brownies!
Hi Dena,
That’s a tough one! I haven’t ever made these with subs for the coconut products but you might be able to try subbing the coconut butter with tigernut butter, the coconut oil with melted palm shortening, and tigernut flour for coconut flour (though you’ll likely need more tigernut flour to compensate for how drying coconut flour is). Those would be my best guesses. But it’ll definitely be an experiment!
Another option for you is a different brownie recipe (but still as yummy) from Meagen at It’s All About AIP. She doesn’t use coconut products except for the oil. Here’s the link: https://www.itsallaboutaip.com/easy-aip-brownies/
Wonderful AIP dessert! I just started AIP and needed something to help my chocolate cravings. These are also great for a little snack as they help curb your hunger a little. All my kids were fans even though they said they tasted like banana muffins. I had never had carob powder before and it is not as chocolaty as I had hoped. I did just realize that I forgot to add the coconut oil to the recipe but they still turned out great. I also didn’t have access to great lakes gelatin so I made a gelatin egg with the box of stuff you can buy with the jello at Wal-Mart. It was unflavored gelatin used for canning your own jellies and I used 3 of the 4 packets in the box because I doubled my brownie recipe. Lol. I am pretty sure that is not AIP but I plan to pick up the more expensive kind now that I know it will get used on this recipe for sure! I also only baked half of the doubled batch last night and left the other half to sit in the fridge overnight then pulled them out to sit a bit before baking them today and they turned out great. I plan to try to keep a batch of these in the fridge at all times! Will be making many more times in the future!
Dayna, thanks so much for sharing your experience, substitutions, and compliments on the brownies! So thrilled they worked well for you and will be a staple treat in your home! 🥰
I also used tapioca flour because I did not have arrowroot and it worked great.
That’s great! Thanks for letting me know!
Great recipe! Thank you! Made these for my son…I didn’t have bananas ….so used a can of pumpkin. I also eliminated the gelatin egg (but it seemed to be moist enough from the pumpkin). I also eliminated the honey, as they were sweet as they were. All my kids (even my non AIP kids) LOVED them! Thanks again for this wonderful recipe!
Jill, thank you so much! That’s so helpful for me (and others) to know that the recipe works with the substitutions you made, too! I definitely have to try them using pumpkin! Great idea! Thanks for sharing! ☺️
I forgot…I added mint flavoring, because my kids LOVE chocolate mint!
Sounds delicious! Another great idea!
Instead of the gelatin egg, can I use flaxseed and water egg?
Hi Patti,
Go ahead and give it a try! 🙂 I haven’t tried it myself but I’m guessing it would be a fine substitute. Hope it turns out well for you!
OMG THESE ARE AMAZING!!! Wow!! I’m trying out a a Paleo while also helping my mum navigate the AIP diet and this is our first successful treat!
In my Paleo baking experience so far , this wins the award for PERFECT TEXTURE!!- They are fluffy and NOT GRAINY at all!! Wow!!
I must say though that they taste more like banana bread than brownies but I’m not complaining!!
That leads me to ask a few questions:
I love the texture so much and I wanna make a banana bread out of this. I see in your banana bread recipe that you use 3 bananas as well but use 3 eggs instead of 1 and a few other additions. Is that the only major change I need to make or do I need to add more baking powder so it rises? I’m simply asking how to turn this delicious brownie into bread.
Thanks, JD! Glad you enjoyed them! And yes, I also describe the flavor as a banana bread/brownie hybrid! Thanks for the compliments!
As far as turning it into a banana bread loaf, it will probably take some experimenting, since my banana bread recipe uses different flour, eggs, and other liquid ingredients. That said, you could try baking these brownies as is in a loaf pan and bake it a little longer, and see what happens. Or if you don’t need it to be AIP, you could try adding a couple real eggs in place of the gelatin egg and a bit of baking powder for more of a rise.
Play around with it and see what happens! Best of luck! 😉
This is an absolute hit in my household
Never thought on flour baking can result in such fudgy delightful brownies
My son says it’s the best he has every had
It’s just has to be baked before the last brownie finishes
Thank you
Replaces gelatine with egg and carob with cocoa though
Thank you so much, Halina! Thrilled to hear these were a hit for you and your family! 💕 Great to know they work with eggs and cocoa powder, too!
Just delicious. I used a REAL egg and some applesauce as I did not have any bananas at the time of baking. They are very fluffy and not too sweet a very nice treat. Thanks!
Awesome, Zeenie! So glad you enjoyed them and thanks for sharing your substitutions! Great to know they turned out well for you! 🙂
This was soooo good! I had just one banana at home, so I added punpkin puree as a subtitute and it came out GREAT. They were fudgy and fluffy. Thank you for this great recipe!!
Thank you so much, Soumaya! Great idea to add in the pumpkin puree! I’ll have to try that next time! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed the brownies!
Has anyone tried replacing the coconut butter with avacado?
I’ve never tried that, Tammy, but if you do, let me know if it works! (Coconut butter does add some natural sweetness, so they might be slightly less sweet as a result.) Hope it turns out well for you!
Very satisfying! My first time trying carob as a replacement for chocolate. I am so grateful for this!
Wonderful, Marissa! So glad you enjoyed the brownies!