Espresso Banana Blondies

Banana bread flavors, but in soft, gooey, dense blondie form. Espresso and chocolate complement that nostalgic sweet banana flavor, perfect for using up one ripe banana. Serves 9-16.

Ingredients:

• 115 grams (one stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 60 grams dark brown sugar
• 60 grams granulated white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 85 grams overripe banana (about 1 small banana), mashed well
• 150 grams all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder (optional)
• 130 grams chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips, plus more for topping
• Flaky sea salt, for topping (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 180 Celsius (350 Fahrenheit). Line a 20 x 20 cm (8 x 8 inch) square pan with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, place the melted butter, sugars and salt and whisk for about 1-2 minutes, until emulsified. Let the mixture cool slightly.
3. Add the egg yolk and vanilla, and whisk until combined. Add the mashed banana and mix again.
4. Add the flour, baking soda, espresso powder and chocolate and fold in with a spatula until all the flour disappears.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Top with more chocolate or chocolate chips, if desired.
6. For the best flavor and texture, let the blondies chill, covered, in the fridge for at least 3 hours before baking and up to 24. You can skip this and bake them right away, but refrigerating the dough makes them denser and chewier with a more developed flavor.
7. Bake for 18-20 mins, or until the blondies have puffed up bit and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached. Avoid overbaking if you want fudgy blondies. Blondies that have been baked longer will be more cake-like, but still delicious.
8. Right after removing the blondies from the oven, give the pan a tap on the counter to deflate them (optional).
9. Let cool slightly, slice and enjoy! Espresso banana blondies can be kept in the fridge for a few days or frozen for longer storage.

Notes:

• Espresso powder: instant espresso is a fine powder made to quickly dissolve in liquid, not to be confused with coffee grounds, which will leave a gritty texture. If you can’t find any, you can skip it for classic banana bread flavor or use instant coffee.
• Recipe updates: This recipe was originally published in April of 2023, and was updated in 2026 to include new photos and clarified instructions. The original recipe called for a full egg in the batter, but was updated to just a yolk to keep the blondies from being cakey.