100-Calorie Chocolate Banana Cake Squares {Vegan}

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by cookiesnchem
Hi guys! I have a final exam the day after tomorrow and reeaaalllly should be studying right now!
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But first, let me introduce you to these crazy good brownies cake squares. I gushed about them in my last post and couldn’t wait to share the recipe with you all!
By the way, if you are related to Madhulika and reading this because she likes this recipe – please know that she is one of the most fantastic human beings I’ve ever met! We had a great time freaking out over the fizzy, YELLOW sink water today. Another story… 😉
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Don’t they just look heavenly? I’ll try to describe how they taste:
  • Similar to my favourite microwave chocolate mug cake for one, but with more moisture and slight banana flavour
  • Super tender and moist, but not at all “wet”
  • Rich, decadent chocolatey flavour
  • Naturally sweet from ripe bananas
  • Gooey, warm melty chocolate chips when fresh out of the oven (or microwaved)
  • Chewy, cake-like, but melt-in-your mouth
  • Amazing flavour from vanilla, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and of course, banana
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My roommate and I loved these SO much that we made them TWICE – in four days. We finished the first batch in three days and couldn’t wait to make another! Leftovers kept beautifully in sealed containers at room temperature but didn’t last that long 😦 Since we ate them, of course.
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I enjoyed mine with blobs of Greek yogurt + peanut butter to make a peanut butter cream that complemented the rich chocolate. So, so, freaking amazing. If you’re skeptical about Greek yogurt with nut butter and chocolate, I promise you won’t be disappointed. The cool creaminess goes so well with the decadent cocoa flavour, and it’s just to die for. Seriously… I could eat six of these squares.
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This was the second batch – Madhulika made this one! She used bigger chocolate chips. We established that we’ll probably buy 12 bananas a week and let them go completely black to make this recipe until we get sick of it! Next time I will bake my favourite black bean brownies for her to try – or maybe peanut butter chickpea blondies. 🙂
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This was equally delicious. We couldn’t wait to dig in as soon as they emerged from the oven, steaming hot. My square was blobbed with peanut butter – no surprise there!
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You would never, ever guess that these are completely oil-free, butter-less, and don’t involve eggs. Plus, if you use spelt flour, it’s a completely wheat-free recipe too! 🙂 Enjoy.
Chocolate Banana Cake Squares {Vegan}
Serves: 16 squares
Ingredients
  • 2 very ripe bananas
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar (next time, I will decrease this to 1/4 cup)
  • ½ cup applesauce
  • ⅓ cup water
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp lemon juice OR white vinegar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • Sprinkle cinnamon (optional)
  • ¼ heaping cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1¼ cups spelt flour (or all-purpose flour)
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided into 1/4 and 1/4 cup (I used mini chocolate chips) – you could also use 1/3 and 1/3 cup
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Spray 8×8 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
  3. Mash bananas in a medium size bowl.
  4. Stir in sugars, applesauce, water, and vinegar until thoroughly combined.
  5. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt just until combined.
  6. Fold in 1/4 cup of chocolate chips.
  7. Pour batter into prepared dish.
  8. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top.
  9. Bake for 35-37 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.
  10. Let cool, slice in 16 squares, and serve.
This recipe is egg-free, rendering it free of cholesterol. Naturally-ripe bananas make this low sugar, and it’s also very low in fat because there’s no oil or butter. Each square, if cut in 16, is only 100 calories, high in potassium, manganese, and selenium, and has a whopping 2.5g of fiber. Sweet!
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You are going to adore this recipe! I know I posted a vegan banana blondie recipe just a couple weeks (or was that days?) ago, but this one blows it out of the water with twice the moisture, flavour, and okay, it’s got cocoa in it. What’s not to love? I BEG you to try it and tell me that vegan food is restrictive 😉
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I just had one and a half, topped with PB and sunbutter (no, autocorrect, not sunbather) and now I am super full and satisfied. Full stomach… empty brain.
Time to study – Chemistry’s done and Sociology is the next hurdle! Have a great week everyone 🙂

31 thoughts on “100-Calorie Chocolate Banana Cake Squares {Vegan}”

  2. […] 100-Calorie Chocolate Banana Cake Squares: YES. This one is in the Top 3 for sure. You would never guess that it’s made completely oil-free by swapping the butter for applesauce, and with a rich, deep chocolatey flavour, this satisfies all my dessert cravings with minimal oil and sugar. I buy extra bananas to make this. Heck, my roommates “preserve” their bananas so these cake squares can be made. […]

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  5. I’m a chocoholic and I love the idea of these low calorie cake squares 🙂 It’s great how you came up with fat free ingredients for the batter! Baking can almost be like a form of meditation sometimes, so I’m always doing it when there’s stressful things going on!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It is truly therapeutic! Baking always seems to calm me down and make me happy – well, then I see the dishes to wash – but it’s all worth it when something warm (AND CHOCOLATEY!) emerges from the oven! 🙂

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  11. […] Doesn’t it take away from the richness? Isn’t it… weird? It’s baby food! After making this healthy chocolate banana cake, however, my preconceived notions on applesauce were blown out of the […]

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  12. Oh man, I do not miss studying for finals. Well, I DO miss school, so I guess finals comes with the territory?
    I just love banana + chocolate, so I like the sound of these cake squares. PB or sunbutter would make them even more delish! (And autocorrect tried to do the same to me, haha.)

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    1. School is great. Honestly I think school is fantastic. I wouldn’t mind being in school for the next decade of my life! The learning component comes easy for me, but sometimes managing academic stress and living on my own for the first time can take its toll… that’s why I need sweets like this! Haha 🙂 Right?! Nut butter takes everything up a notch – I’m gonna have to get some almond butter to smear on these too!

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    1. My roommate’s boyfriend (I just wrote “my boyfriend”…. haha… ha.) calculated it on another program and got slightly different numbers, but under 120 for a square nonetheless! Fantastic recipe and guilt-free, too. Also love the fact that I don’t have to use one of my precious eggs. 😛

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  14. I’m glad the hurdle of your chem exam is over with. Not one of my favourite courses even if it was my minor. Every once in a while I get a brownie craving. It’s great not having to think of an icing/frosting while still enjoying a bit of ‘cake’. 🙂

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    1. Did you major in Biology? 🙂
      I know what you mean about the hassle of making icing and frosting. I’m personally not a fan of frosting or icing (that’s partially because I’m never had a truly good one), so that’s kind of a good thing! What are your favourite healthy dessert recipes? 🙂

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      1. Yes, it was my major. My master’s thesis was an environmental survey for pathogenic amoebae in local beaches and other water sources. (Fun times.)

        I don’t really have a sweet tooth so I don’t need to have something sweet with every meal. DO enjoy cookies, bars, cakes etc so when I have them, I don’t look for healthy versions or adaptations. I think draining Greek yogurt (through a coffee filter) so it’s nice and thick and serving it with fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey is as healthy as I’ve gotten.

        Here’s a fancy version of one such dessert.

        https://aboleyn01.wordpress.com/2015/06/19/strawberry-mango-margarita-compote/

        And an earlier version when I had a lot of fresh plums on hand.

        http://a-boleyn.livejournal.com/204420.html

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    1. It always seems like when I want them brown, they’re always green – but when I don’t have time to bake, they get brown so quickly! Maybe I can hire you as my professional banana-planner. Have you tried baking them to make them sweeter faster? I’ve read about that technique but haven’t tried it yet!

      Thank you so much Jacklyn 🙂 You are so kind. And best of luck to you as well, for your final exams! I am sure you will ROCK them – and soon we’ll both be home sweet home 🙂

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