These chocolate chip banana bars are perfect for breakfast or a healthy dessert alternative. They are full of banana and chocolate, a perfect match.
I have had a lot of extra bananas lying around. They are spotty and soft so I have extra to experiment with in the kitchen. I know banana bread is typically the go to for most people with extra bananas. I decided to switch things up and make some chocolate chip banana bars.
This bread is similar in texture to banana bread, soft and fluffy. However rather than slices, it’s bars with a crispier topping. I want to compare it to brownies. It’s a hybrid of banana bread and brownies!
These bars are great warmed up or eaten with a little butter on them. They pack easily in a lunch and are indulgent enough for dessert.
- This recipe is perfect for breakfast or a healthier dessert. Some other breakfast treats are my
- Banana Blueberry Breakfast Cookies
- Cinnamon Sugar Muffins
- Cranberry Oat Bars
This recipe calls for spotty ripe bananas
You will need about a cup of mashed bananas (which is about 3 bananas) since they vary in size, you may end up with a little more or a little less. Try to get as close to 3 cups as you can for the best texture. Bananas bring moisture to the mix so too much or too little can mess up this recipe.
You will also need sugar. I choose coconut sugar but white sugar will work great.
Coconut oil is what we will be using for the fat added to this recipe. You can opt to use butter, however coconut oil will keep this recipe dairy free. You will want to melt your coconut oil a bit so it mixes in well.
Peanut Butter. I added some chunky peanut butter to this recipe for extra flavor and texture.
Milk. I used unsweetened almond milk. You can use any milk you prefer. Note that if you opt for coconut milk, you will have a slight coconut taste to the bars.
One egg. So the bars stick together and rise a little.
Dark chocolate chips. This is the start of the recipe. If you prefer milk chocolate or white chocolate that works great but I went with dark chocolate chips for this one. You will also need baking soda and some vanilla extract.
There are lots of options you can use for add-ins with these bars. I like to add nuts or nut butter to mine for more flavor. One of my favorites is walnuts. the chocolate chips with walnuts creates a great texture.
Questions?
- Can I make these gluten free? Yes! But I would check your ratios for baking because I haven’t tried it.
- Can I add nuts to these? Yes! it would add great texture.
- I have a peanut allergy can I use another nut butter? Yes, cashew, almond or sunflower butter will be a perfect substitute
Chocolate Chip Banana Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed ripe banana (2- 3)
- 3 tbs Melted coconut oil
- ⅓ cup sugar (I used coconut sugar)
- 1 egg room temp
- 2 tbs plant based milk
- 1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¾ cup flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips
- ¼ cup peanut butter (I used chunky!)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mash up ripe bananas with a fork in small bowl. Make sure you measure them out to be sure you have 1 cup exactly for this recipe. Mix in the oil, sugar, egg, milk, vanilla with a whisk.
- In another bowl mix all dry ingredients together with a clean whisk. Slowly add all the wet ingredients to dry ingredients using a spatuala or wooden spoon. Do not over mix! Fold in the choclate chips and nuts if you choose to use nuts.
- Add mixture to a gresed 8×8 pan. Bake for about 16 – 18 minutes. Check with a toothpick before pulling out. Let it cool before cutting and serving. Cut into 9 or 12 squares.
Always looking for recipes with bananas!