Going Bananas
Posted: January 22, 2013 Filed under: baked goods | Tags: bananas, food, nuts, oats, recipes, vegan 7 Comments »
shh … they’re good for you
This recipe might lead some to believe that I’ve lost my mind. I haven’t. Well, I don’t think so. But I am branching out from my typical kind of baked good. Last week I was looking for something new to do with my ripe bananas. I love banana bread but just wasn’t in the mood. So when I found these banana oat bars I was intrigued. The most interesting thing: there’s no flour or sugar or eggs, so if you’re in the know, that makes them vegan. And if you know me, you probably just fell off your chair. But listen: they’re good. Really! I drizzled the top with a little maple syrup for a touch of sweetness. You could also mix in pretty much anything you like – craisins, raisins, chocolate chips, almonds – and these chewy, granola bar-like treats will make a great breakfast or satisfying afternoon snack. So who’s crazy now?
Banana Oat Bars
- 2 very ripe bananas
- 2 cups of rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- ¼ cup of dried & pitted dates
- ¼ cup of walnuts, roughly chopped (or pecans, hazelnuts or almonds)
- Maple syrup (or cinnamon or nutmeg)
- Cooking spray
Heat your oven to 350º.
In a mixing bowl, mash the bananas until smooth. It should look like banana pudding. Stir in the oats and vanilla, and then stir in the salt, dates and nuts. Lightly coat a 9×9 (or similar) baking dish with cooking spray. Press the mixture evenly into the dish. Lightly drizzle maple syrup over the top. Bake for 30 minutes or until the edges are golden. Let cool on a wire rack and then cut into bars.
Yum! I might have to try these on my daughter for breakfast!
Please do! Hopefully she’ll like them.
Lovely Tommy, they even look vaguely healthy too. I’ll bet they were tasty!
My brother’s fiance is vegan and bakes vegan desserts all of the time and surprisingly, I haven’t tried anything yet that I didn’t like. I’ve yet to try baking/cooking vegan, but these bars make me want to give it a try–they look and sound delicious!!
I was hesitant to bake something vegan too, but it was surprisingly better than I anticipated. Although next time I think I’m going throw in some chocolate chips, because you know, I can’t resist.
I’m always up for a way to use overripe bananas that isn’t banana bread. Ed hates overripe bananas and doesn’t really like banana bread – you can see my dilemma. These look like a good option…next time I have some spotty ripe bananas I’ll give it a go. *Pinning*
That does sound like a pickle. Give ‘em a try! I’m always looking for new ways to use bananas myself.