You’d never guess that these luscious, super chocolaty, brownie bites are made with belly friendly green banana flour which helps promote a healthy, happy gut microbiome, along with other resistant starch foods.
Have you heard the scoop about the health benefits of green banana flour and other resistant starch foods?
Ever since I attended Natural Products Expo West last Spring, I haven’t been able to get my mind off of the ooey, gooey gluten free brownies I sampled, made with organic green banana flour.
They were THAT good.
So, naturally, when I was shopping at Thrive Market {affiliate link}, and saw green banana flour for sale, I had to try it.
Of course that was several months ago, and, up until today, when my chocolate craving officially hit {raise your hand if you’re in this with me!}, I hadn’t opened my bag of green banana flour.
Oh, man.
After making these Happy Belly Green Banana Flour Brownie Bites, I’m SO glad I did!
They’re no-bake, gluten free, vegan, and grain free, and they take less than 10 minutes to make.
Oh, and did I mention they are super duper chocolaty and delicious???
Before I share the recipe with you, let’s talk about the nutrition scoop on resistant starch, so you can learn why you should eat these Green Banana Flour Brownie Bites {other than because they’re delicious!} & other forms of belly friendly resistant starch foods.
What is resistant starch?
Resistant starch, simply put, is a type of starch that is resistant to digestion in the small intestine. It functions similar to soluble fiber, and provides food for the good bacteria in the gut, making it an important addition to a healthy diet. When the friendly bacteria in our guts feed on resistant starch and fermentable fiber, they produce beneficial short chain fatty acids {SCFAs} including acetate, propionate, and, the most important one for digestive and overall health, butyrate.
What are the health benefits of resistant starch?
As the preferred source of energy for the cells of the large intestine, butyrate may provide protection against colon cancer, and may be beneficial in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. In addition, because it helps decrease intestinal permeability, butyrate has a potential therapeutic implication for autoimmune disease, heart failure, and fatty liver disease.
Resistant starch has also been found to improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels, potentially decreasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. Further research needs to be done, however, because not all studies with resistant starch have shown the same benefits.
In addition, adding resistant starch to meals increases satiety and feelings of fullness, which may aid in weight loss by helping people eat fewer calories.
Importantly, because resistant starch is fermented slowly in the large intestine, it may be better tolerated by individuals with Irritable Bowel Syndrome {IBS}, and other digestive disorders because it leads to less gas formation than other fibers.
Besides green banana flour, what other resistant starch foods should you be eating?
While underripe bananas, which is what green banana flour is made from, contain some of the highest levels of resistant starch {4.7 grams/1 unripe banana}, other resistant starch foods include: uncooked rolled oats, lentils, white beans, cooked and cooled potatoes {i.e. potato salad}, hi-maize flour, and more. Refer to this list and this list for more resistant starch foods.
Intakes of 6 to 12 grams of resistant starch at a meal have been shown to improve insulin and blood glucose levels, while 20 grams or more per day may be necessary for digestive health benefits.
It’s important to note that resistant starch is lost as foods are cooked, so to get the full health benefits of green banana flour, and other resistant starch foods, they should be eaten in their raw form.
References + Further Reading: Resistant Starch, Butyrate, and Resistant Starch Foods
- Resistant Starch-This Type of Fiber Can Improve Weight Control and Insulin Sensitivity ~ Today’s Dietitian
- Butyric Acid: an Ancient Controller of Metabolism, Inflammation and Stress Resistance ~ Whole Health Source
- Resistant Starch 1-1-Everything You Need to Know ~ Authority Nutrition
- How Resistant Starch Will Help to Make You Healthier and Thinner ~ Chris Kresser
Interested in learning more about what foods to eat for a healthy gut microbiome & digestive health?
- The Best Foods With Prebiotics and Probiotics to Boost Your Health
- How to Cultivate a Healthy Gut Microbiome
[clickToTweet tweet=”Why You should eat these Happy Belly Banana Flour Brownie Bites + Resistant Starch 101 #health #microbiome” quote=”Why You should eat these Happy Belly Banana Flour Brownie Bites + Resistant Starch 101″]
Green Banana Flour Brownie Bites
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup vegan dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup green banana flour {i.e. Let’s Do Organic Green Banana Flour}
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup or to taste*
- 2-3+ tablespoons almond milk or other non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Melt chocolate chips in the a small microwave safe bowl, on high power, in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir, and microwave for an additional 30 seconds, or until chocolate chips are fully melted. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
- Combine banana flour, chopped pecans, cocoa, maple syrup, almond milk, vanilla extract, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 1 minutes then add melted chocolate chips to mixture, and process for an additional 2-3 minutes, stopping to scrape side of bowl as needed, until mixture is very fine fine and crumbly.
- Using clean hands, form mixture into 8 ~ 1 inch balls, and place them on a serving dish, or in a storage container. If not consuming all of the Brownie Bites right away, you can store them in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 week,
Notes
Nutrition
*If you’re not already a member of Thrive Market, you can sign up here, through my affiliate link, for a free 30-day trial, and receive 15% off your first order. Disclosure: I receive a commission if you sign up after 30 days, at no extra cost for you. Thrive member typically save 25-50% off their favorite healthy food brands, so the membership usually pays for itself after only 1 or 2 orders.
Let’s Chat!
Have you tried green banana flour before? Did you learn anything about the health benefits of resistant starch in this post? Do you have questions about resistance starch? Are you craving chocolate today too???
Hi There! I’m EA, a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) in sunny San Diego. I create easy, DELICIOUS gluten free recipes & low FODMAP recipes for a wide variety of diets: anti-inflammatory, low carb, Mediterranean, paleo, vegan, vegetarian, & more. I offer nutrition coaching for wellness nutrition, digestive health (celiac disease, IBS, IBD, SIBO), autoimmune disease, & healthy aging. Learn more about my nutrition philosophy and my nutrition coaching services, sign up for my newsletter, or get in touch~I’d love to connect with you!
32 comments
Tried this with Deccandiaries brand NeeRaw Jaggery(coconut nectar) instead of maple syrup . Was super nice!! Was a little skeptical to use raw banana flour but turned out really good.
Didnt taste sweet, tasted mostly like cocoa powder, and definitely needed a bit more than 3 tbsp of milk to make it moist enough to form into balls. We had to use lactaid instead of almond milk and are trying covering them in powdered sugar and putting them in the freezer, to see if they make a nice cool treat.
Hi Paulelle! Thanks for your feedback. The recipe indicates to add additional sweetener per your own taste. And, I just added another tip in the recipe, based on your feedback, to add additional milk if the dough is not sticky enough.They definitely have an intense chocolate taste 🙂 Hopefully you got them made to your taste with the additional powdered sugar. Cheers!
Why go to all the trouble of creating “healthy” recipes, only to toxify it using a microwave???
Thank you for this great recipe that sounds so good. Haven’t made them yet. Just wondering if you know if we could substitute carob for the chocolate? Unfortunately for me, I’m not supposed to be eating chocolate, but I really love dark chocolate. anyway, if anyone knows, I’d appreciate your response. Thanks!
can you bake these? or do you just put them in the fridge?
Hi Caroline! You just put them in the fridge-no baking required 🙂 Honestly, I’m not sure how they would turn out if you tried baking them, but please let me know if you give it a try! Cheers1
Pretty cool idea, I can’t wait to try making these! Banana flour is very easy to make at home. Just peel the skin off the green banana lengthwise along the ridge using a knife to cut into the top layer, slice thinly and place on parchment paper, then dry it out either in the oven on its lowest setting for at least 3 hours or in the sun until all the moisture is gone. Then you can blend it into a fine powder. That’s it! Store it in the fridge or freezer in an air tight container. Traditionally in the Caribbean, we make a porridge with it in its ground up state with milk and sweetener, cinnamon, star anise and nutmeg and cook it over low medium heat for 15 minutes until thick. It’s a very hearty and comforting dish and a great alternative to cream of wheat.
I made a wonderful ginger cookie with green banana flour then found out I should be eating it raw not cooked. Was pointed here by a friend and tried these brownie bites and they were wonderful Since I do not eat sugar at all, I subbed out Yacon Syrup for the maple syrup and actually used hemp milk, found I needed the full 3 TBS. OH I also used Lilly’s Stevia sweetened chocolate and they turned out perfect. Though note melt on 30 second stirring intervals at 50% power or Lilly’s will burn. These were amazing!!! They will be in my Christmas cookie tins for sure and I plan to keep a box in the fridge frequently and they were great to take to a cookout and share.
Hi Shellia! Thanks so much for your comment along with your substitutions. I’ve never eaten Yacon Syrup, but it’s on my list to try now 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoyed the brownie bites! Feel free to send me a tin at Christmas. Ha, ha. Cheers!
I would love to know how else green banana flour can be used in its raw form. Thank you
Hi Sandra! I like to stir it into my oatmeal (or overnight oats) or blend it into smoothies. Cheers!
O.M.G. Tried making these last night. I subbed 1/2 cup cashew butter, as I was just missing the pecans. They came out perfect and delicious!!! Can’t wait to try them with pecans next time as I love pecans too. Oooh, then maybe macadamia nuts….oh the possibilities 🙂
Yum! Your addition of cashew butter sounds delicious~I need to try that next time 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing your experience making the recipe Michelle. Cheers!
I made these exactly as directed and never got a “crumbly” texture. Made some adjustments and tasted okay, but weird overall
Hi Susan. Thanks so much for letting me know about your experience with making the brownie bites. I wonder if the difference is in the food processor, as the pecans need to get very finally chopped up-almost to a nut butter consistency, but not quite. Sorry they turn out well for you!
I have never heard of green banana flour and doubt we have it yet in the UK, but I”m coming back to see my Dad in Florida in March so will hunt it down then. I’m not a huge banana fan (I grudgingly eat one before a long workout) but I read above in the comments that the flavour disappears in recipes. Great info on RS too. Sharing xx
No doubt you will be able to find green banana flour in Florida 🙂 It really doesn’t taste like bananas at all-my MIL can’t stand them, and I’m sure she would have no idea these are made with bananas. Glad you enjoyed the post-thanks so much for sharing!
I can’t wait to try these!
Hi Kristen! I hope you do give them a try-I’d love to know what you think 🙂 Cheers!
I’ve read about resistant starch, but haven’t taken action on it. Never even heard of this green banana flour. So interesting! Does it taste like bananas? I have to confess, I’m not a banana fan!
Not a banana fan? You and my mother-in-law, both 🙂 If you were to taste the green banana flour straight up, you might detect a slight hint of banana, but once it’s mixed with the other ingredients, you can’t taste it at all!
I’ve so been wanting to try green banana flour, so many benefits!
I hope you get to the the green banana flour soon Kelli! Can’t wait to see what you make 🙂
I feel so informed now! I’m always fascinated by resistant starch and all that I continue to learn about it. But I’d never heard of green banana flour! What a great idea. I can’t wait to try it out at home!
Hi Marisa! Glad to know you learned something new about resistant starch and green banana flour 🙂 Let me know what you think if you give the Brownie Bites a try!
Oh I can’t wait to try these! An interesting topic too!
Thanks so much Sara! If you give them a try, I’d love to know what you think of them 🙂 Cheers!
Thanks so much sweet Liz!!! I will try and bring some chocolate banana flour treats for sure next time we hike 🙂
Okay, you’ve done it again. First off, mind blown on this recipe. Have never tried this banana flour but now I’m heading to sprouts and going to look for it! If not for sale there, going to buy online for sure! I definitely learned some new things on RS and think I need to tell my mom to eat more! She’s trying to fill her diet with dementia busting foods so this is a great way it sounds like, even if research is still on the fence. It can’t hurt her! Please bring one or two or three for my chocolate craving next hike 🙂
I’ve read about resistant starch before and never did anything about it. I really want to try these bites!!
Hi Lauren! So glad you stopped by 🙂 It’s such a fascinating area of research to me-hope you get to try these soon! Cheers!