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 Davidβs 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 thereβs no chance that Iβll run out of flax seeds any time soon. The first time J visited Canada he couldnβt get over how B-I-G everything was. He was all βWhy would you need that much cereal at onceβ and βWhy are your fridges so bigβ. 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 bakingβ¦ at all (lol). Nevertheless, Costco is still one of my favorite places in the world and I love having my health food supplies in bulkβ¦ just in case π But honestly, Iβm running out of room! Our kitchen and our dining room cupboards are full and Iβve started storing kitchen stuff under the bed. I guess that student apartments just werenβt 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 Iβm 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 π
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! π Insta or Tweet it to me (@cearaskitchen with hashtag #cearaskitchen) or Facebook it to me via the Cearaβs 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
This was a perfect afternoon snack for my kids! So much quicker than banana bread!
★★★★★
Yay! Happy your kids enjoyed them!
5 stars! For some reason I wasnβt able to manipulate the stars to work so I thought Iβd write it instead. This is my go-to banana cake recipe! It is spongy and moist and absolutely decadent. Itβs actually the only thing my husband wants for Christmas because it reminds him of Entenmannβs banana chocolate cake, which of course is loaded with fat, processed sugar and other things weβre avoiding. Truth be told I mix all the wet ingredients in my vitamix so there are no chunks of banana anywhere. It gets nice and smooth and then I add the dry ingredients individually in a big bowl as instructed. Thank you for this wonderfully easy and super delicious recipe!
Can we sub oat flour? I don’t have a blender.
Oh nvm. Missed the note
Wish me luck
I love these! I make them into muffins, any idea how many calories are in one muffin?
★★★★
I’ve made these several times recently, and this recipe has become my go to banana snack cake. I don’t need to eat GF, but it’s a nice change to, and this has great texture. The recipe is great with and without the choc chips too! Thanks for a great recipe!
★★★★★
Just made these and they are great! I used coconut sugar due to allergy to cane sugar, and quinoa flakes instead is the oats at the end, because I ran out. Baked it in muffin top pans. These will go into my regular rotation. π
I am so happy you enjoyed these and they worked out as muffins for you, Carol Ann!!! π Thank you for the feedback!
Tried the recipe and it came out really nice. π Thanks for sharing!
★★★★
So happy you enjoyed the recipe, Laura!!! <3 Thank you for the feedback π
It’s 6am here in the UK and I just found this recipe and I have every ingredient except flax seeds. Should never have let myself run out. I need to make these…
Hi Kizzy! You can definitely just use an extra tbsp of chia seeds instead of the ground flax seeds! Happy Baking π Would love to know your results if you end up baking them!
Halfway through making them now. I only have 1.25 tablespoons chia seeds! Nooooo! Half an hour till shop opens… Doh!
I don’t think it will make much of a difference π I’ve made these many times with different subs and they always seem to turn out! Can’t wait to hear how they turn out for you!
I LOVE David’s tea. I am going to a brunch potluck this weekend and this just flew to the top of my TO Make List : )
Yay!! Let me know if you end up trying them!! They are a favorite around here π
These look amazing! I can’t wait to make them! But I was just wondering what’s the nutrition facts for one bar?
Thanks so much for the kind words, Cecila! I’m not sure of the nutritional information off hand but you can plug in the ingredients and serving into this calorie counter and it will let you know π http://www.caloriecount.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php Happy Baking! Let us know how they turn out!
David’s Tea!!! I love their tea blends! Anddddd chocolate chip banana bread is totally the way to my heart. These bars sound so wholesome, I’m super hungry waiting for dinner to be ready right now and I could devour an entire pan of these!
David’s teas is the best <3 Can't live without it!!! Hehe, I know what you mean - choc. chip banana anything is the way to my heart!! <3 Thanks!!
Just had an Asian wrap earlier, but I think I could squeeze in a slice of your decadently mouthwatering barsβ¦and any of that leftover chocolate chips to make a cuppa of hot chocolate would be simply divine! I donβt like buying food in bulk, especially if itβs just me and D, we used to do that and most of them went bad. How sweet of his familyβ¦awww! Wishing you a fabulous day, Ceara!
These look so incredibly delicious Ceara! I love easy bar recipes like this! I don’t like bananas unfortunately, womp womp, lol! But my hubby and daughter sure do!! Too funny about what your boyfriend said too…so true. I buy lots of my nuts and chocolate chips in bulk, but not too much overall. Love that these are gluten-free too Ceara!
Thanks so much, Brandi!! I remember you mentioning that you’re not such a banana fan!! When I met my boyfriend he wasn’t such a big banana fan either but since living together some of my banana fanatacism has seemed to worn off on him π LOL! And YES to buying chocolate chips and nuts in bulk! I think I’d be running to the store all the time otherwise! π
Yummy grocery haul and these look truly decadent! Can’t believe they’re so healthy π
Thanks so much, Medha <3 Secretly healthy dessert like this are my favorite π
YUMMM Ceara this looks delicious! I LOVE banana bread and these made into bars = extra yummy π the center piece looks like it was just ooey gooey and amazing!
The center bar WAS just ooey gooey, chocolatey perfection π Thanks, Michele!
Love healthy food in bulk! It saves time and temptation! This looks like a yummy one, Ceara!
Thanks so much, Lori!
I’m actually obsessed with buying food in bulk π And I’ll definitely try to make these bars, love the flavors !
★★★★★
Thanks, Mira!!! π Glad to know I’m not the only one who likes food in bulk!! π
How tasty and good looking these Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars. Banana and chocolate are pretty much the best combination ever, Ceara! Pinned and tweeted!
Thank you for the kind words and shout-outs, Hadia!!! <3 So kind of you!!
These look amazing Ceara! I love banana bread, and chocolate, so I just know I’d love this recipe. Costco is awesome. I just bought a giant bag of ground flax seed for $8.00 and split it with Alex. Trust me, we saved a lot on that bag. Plus, it was organic!
<3 The Organic Flax Seeds from Costco!! Gets me through all the flax eggs I need for baking! I love that you and Alex shared a giant bag of it!
Banana bread, with chocolate? That’s like THE dream. I love that you have put flax seeds in this too. Yum!
Thanks so much, Dannii!! I love baking with flax! It adds so much goodness and moisture to baked goods! π
I just made some banana bread cookies yesterday and I just can’t get enough of the delicious smell of banana bread baking in the oven! So good! I love these healthy banana bread bars! They look like they would be perfect for a grab and go breakfast! I don’t buy too much in bulk because I tend to eat it all really quickly, but Costco does have some awesome deals! That looks like such a great care package he brought home to you π
Banana Bread Cookies sounds amazing, Izzy!! π And I totally agree with you – nothing beats the smell of delicious banana bread baking in the oven!! <3 Hope your week is off to a wonderful start!
I love Costco because I can buy flour and chocolate chips in bulk..haha! The bars look great Ceara! Pinned.
Haha, yes!!! Costco is the best for buying flour and chocolate chips in bulk π Thanks so much for the kind words and pin, Manali! Hope your week is off to a great start!
Wow, these bars look fantastic! I love banana chocolate chip anything! So good.
Thanks so much, Kelly!! Banana + Chocolate Chip = <3
I love Costco and buying certain things in bulk, too! It makes me stock up less often at the grocery store. I’m so loving these chocolate chip banana bars, Ceara! I love how thick and fluffy these are, all while being healthy. I definitely gravitate towards baked goods like these, especially ones made with simple ingredients. This looks like the perfect breakfast or anytime snack to me. Pinned! Hope your week is off to a great start!
Thanks so much, Gayle! I’m happy to know that I’m not the only one who loves Costco!! Baked goods with healthy and simple ingredients are the best in my opinion <3 Thanks for the pin!! Hope your week is off to a wonderful week!!
Many of the desserts and test recipes that I make end up in the hands (and mouths) of my co-workers at Starbucks. They’re great critics and help me to not gain 100 pounds by keeping all of my creations on my counter! They’ll be happy to get a healthy and sweet treat like this! Thank you. π
Sharing baked goods with loved ones and colleagues is the best π A lot of my baked goods get shared too because it feels like I’m always testing out some sort of new baked good!! π Let me know how these banana bread bars turn out if you end up baking them! Have a wonderful week π
I love any food in bar food and there isn’t anything it seems that I don’t want chocolate chips in!!! Oh yes, bulk must be a Canadian/American deal. My husband is incapable of not buying things in bulk and my biggest problem is storage. Where am I supposed to put 50 rolls of toilet paper and 200 light bulbs?
I know what you mean, Laura! I am addicted to chocolate chips! They are actually a rare find and super expensive here so I bring a huge bag back with me due to the amount I go through!!! π LOL and where does one fit 50 rolls of huge toilet paper?! Too funny!!! Hope your week is off to a wonderful start!!
Um, healthy banana bread in the form of bars?! WHERE have these been all my life? I’m swooning over how uber-soft and chocolate-y these look, Ceara!
Hehe!! Bars are just more portable sometimes, lol!! Thanks so much, Sarah!!! Hope your week is off to a wonderful start π
Mmmmm! These bars are totally my thing, they look super delicious and are packed with so much goodness.
I like bulk for certain things such as chia seeds and oats, which are things I use everyday, but for most things I just buy what I need, it’s a space issue.
I know what you mean – some things I love in bulk and some other things I’ll have to wait until we have a bigger space! Chia seeds and oats are definitively bulk essentials around here though! Thanks, Cara!
I love buying the essentials in bulk too since I am always terrified of running out. These banana bread bars look so soft and delicious! I love all the wholesome ingredients and how simple they are to make! They look perfect for breakfast!
We are totally on the same page, Kelly! I’m always worried about running out π These bars make such a yummy and hearty breakie! π Thanks!
J makes a very valid point. I do probably end up using items more often if I know I have nearly endless supply. Chocolate chips and chia seeds are like that for me too! These little bread bars look delicious! Seem really easy to make too π I’ll be trying this out!
★★★★★
Haha, he does and it’s probably true! But I still love my bulk food lol! Let me know if you end up trying this ‘nana bread – it never lasts long around here π Hope your week is off to a great start! Thanks, Vanessa!!