Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars
Do you like buying food in bulk? J came back from a trip to Canada yesterday and my Family stocked him up with all my baking and cooking essentials from Costco and David’s Tea.
I think that liking things in bulk is totally an American/Canadian thing. I just like knowing that I have chia seeds and chocolate chips to spare and that there’s no chance that I’ll run out of flax seeds any time soon. The first time J visited Canada he couldn’t get over how B-I-G everything was. He was all “Why would you need that much cereal at once” and “Why are your fridges so big”. He says that buying things in bulk is just a marketing technique – you end up not saving any money because, subconsciously, you know you have more of the product to spare so you end up using more of it.
Which is probably true because I like putting chia seeds in everything and am not shy with my chocolate chips in baking… at all (lol). Nevertheless, Costco is still one of my favorite places in the world and I love having my health food supplies in bulk… just in case 😉 But honestly, I’m running out of room! Our kitchen and our dining room cupboards are full and I’ve started storing kitchen stuff under the bed. I guess that student apartments just weren’t built for food bloggers or kitchen enthusiasts. Ha! Anyways, the buying in bulk thing is sure to catch on here soon, I bought dish soap the other day at the store that I’m sure will last me for months!
But let’s talk about the recipe at hand here – delicious and hearty Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars. Based off my Dark Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Banana Bars – these Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars are soft, moist and full of melty chocolate chips. I love banana breads like this that are made with simple, good-for-you ingredients and come together in a cinch in one bowl. Did I mention these Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars are also made with ground up oats and almonds – making this recipe 100% flour free, oil free, vegan, gluten free and pretty darn healthy if you ask me 😉
Meaning you can have one (or two!) or these Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars for breakie and then sneak one later for a snack. Like all banana bread, these Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars taste even better the next day once the flavors in the bread have had some time to settle. I like nuking these bars for a couple seconds in the microwave and smothering them with my Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Spread. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m sure that a dab of coconut or almond butter would taste just as mind-blowingly amazing too. #EatHappyLiveHappy
And if you do bake these Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars or any other recipes from my kitchen, it makes my day hearing about it! 🙂 Insta or Tweet it to me (@cearaskitchen with hashtag #cearaskitchen) or Facebook it to me via the Ceara’s Kitchen Facebook Page! Have a wonderful week!
Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 12 bars 1x
Description
These Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars are soft, moist and full of good-for-you and tasty ingredients. They come together in a cinch in one bowl and make the perfect on-the-go breakfast or snack.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups mashed banana (4 bananas)
- 1/2 cup brown cane sugar*
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp ground flax seeds
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups oats (or scant 1 1/2 cups oat flour)
- 1 cup almond flour/meal
Mix-Ins
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp chocolate chips
- 1/2 cups oats
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 375F or 180F. Grease a square baking pan with coconut oil or non stick spray.
- Blend the oats until a fine flour forms (using a blender or an immersion blender).
- Add the banana to a large mixing bowl. Blend or mash the banana. Add the rest of the wet ingredients to the large bowl. Whisk them together until they are fluffy and fully combined.
- Whisk and add the seeds, baking powder and sea salt, one by one, to the wet ingredients in the large bowl. Fold in the oat flour and almond meal until a thick and fully combined batter is formed.
- Fold in the oats and chocolate chips (1/2 cup) to the batter until the oats and chocolate chips are evenly dispersed.
- Pour the batter into the pan. Smooth out the top with the back of a spoon and sprinkle the extra 2 tbsp of chocolate chips on top. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until the bars begin to golden and a toothpick inserted in the bars comes out almost clear. Leave the bars to cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
- Cut and store the cooled bars in a sealed container in the freezer for a couple of weeks or in a sealed container for up to 4 days in the fridge. Enjoy!
Notes
* Substitute brown cane sugar with light brown sugar (Note: this recipe will no longer be refined sugar free)
* Ensure that all your products are certified gluten-free if necessary (oats, baking powder, almond meal)
* Ensure that all your chocolate chips are certified vegan if necessary
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Dessert
