So much better than store-bought! These soft and chewy banana bread granola bars are made without any refined sugars or oils, and LOADED with chocolate and banana flavour! They’re gluten-free and vegan, with a higher protein option for those who want it.The perfect easy and healthy snack.
One of the best things about having a food allergy is that it forces you to be more conscious of what you’re putting into your body [so that you can avoid dying and/or getting very sick].
Having been blessed born with a severe peanut allergy, I’ve pretty much been looking over ingredients labels since I learned how to read, and it’s a little scary when you realize how much crap goes into the food we eat.
I mean, you’ve gotta love it when you can’t even pronounce half of the things on a list that’s a mile long; and of the things you can pronounce, half say something like: artificial colours, artificial flavours, high fructose corn syrup, BHA, BHT, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, etc., etc., wtf.
Uhm. Yum? Those sound super tasty ?
The other great thing about living with a food allergy (#gratitude), is that it forces you do a lot of cooking/baking at home.
Case in point: I can’t eat most store-bought granola bars. In fact, I don’t even think I ever had one as a kid because there wasn’t a tonne of allergy awareness back in those days, and from what I remember, every bar had peanuts, nuts, and/or traces of one or the other.
You don’t even KNOW the kind of happy dances I did when I learned that popular granola bar manufacturers would be coming out with a nut-free line… only to be completely underwhelmed when I finally tried them.
So what’s a Spoon to do when she wants a convenient and actually satisfying snack bar but can’t find one that won’t put her in a hospital?
She makes her own!
… and they rock.her.socks.right off.
You guys know I love my soft and chewy protein granola bars (I’ve probably made 100+ batches at this point??), but I’m tempted to say that these banana bread granola bars might just give the original version a run for its money — for a few simple reasons:
I love bananas.
I love oats.
I love almond butter.
I love chocolate.
And I love that these bars COMBINE ALL FOUR in a soft and chewy portable morsel of deliciousness that tastes just like a slice of day old (i.e. the best kind!) banana bread and doesn’t leave you wanting more.
Nutritious, filling, chocolatey, banana-y, sweet, and — have I mentioned — soft and chewy?!
But the best part issss –> no sketchy ingredients!! None! No chemicals, no preservatives, no artificial this or that. Heck, no refined sugars at all, depending on what kind of chocolate chips you use.
Nothing but wholesome, natural ingredients in these convenient and actually satisfying bars.
Happy eating!
I’d love to know if you make this recipe! Leave a comment and rating down below to let me know what you think, and subscribe to our mailing list to receive new recipes in your inbox!
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Soft and Chewy Banana Bread Granola Bars
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 10–12 bars 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cups (160 g) regular or quick oats
- 2 Tbsp (14 g) ground flaxseed
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 medium ripe bananas, mashed (150 g or 3/4 cup)
- ¼ cup (64 g) almond butter (or any nut/seed butter)
- 1/4 cup (80 g) brown rice syrup (or honey, if not vegan)
- 2 Tbsp (30 ml) unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (60 g) mini dairy-free chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F (176C) and prepare an 8×8 (20cm x 20cm) baking pan by lining it with a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper, leaving a few inches of overhang on the sides to allow for easy removal. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, flax, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the mashed banana, nut butter, sweetener, and vanilla, mixing until the ingredients are fully combined and the mixture is smooth. Pour the wet mix into the dry mix and stir until everything is fully incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan, and use a greased spatula or your hands to spread the mixture evenly throughout the pan.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the top sets and the edges begin to turn golden brown.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the bars cool in the pan for ~15 minutes before using a sharp knife to cut them into individual bars. Store them in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
* To make these PROTEIN granola bars, add 1/2 cup of your favourite protein powder to the dry mix, and an extra 1/4 cup of almond milk to the wet mix.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
Looking for more healthy granola bar recipes? Try one of these!
Soft and Chewy Protein Granola Bars
Strawberry Banana Oat Bars
Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Granola Bars
Blueberry Almond Oat Bars
Honey Almond Granola Bars
These were excellent!!! I added protein powder and extra milk as you suggested. Thank you for posting this recipe! 🙂
I’m about to try this. Can I use wowbutter instead of almond butter ?
I just made these and even without the chocolate chips they were delicious. Definitely will be making them again this time with chocolate. The only thing I added was a tablespoon of egg white and I only had crunchy peanut butter but they were great with the peanut pieces.
Does the milk get added to the wet ingredients? It’s not in the instructions. Thanks!
Can these defrost well if I store them in the freezer? My baby likes these, Thanks!
Yes! I like to store my granola bars by wrapping them in plastic wrap first and then keeping them in a ziplock bag.
Just made these tonight! Fabulous! I love your recipes bc my toddler thinks he’s getting treats but it’s always so healthy!!!
RICE CRISPY TREATS! Seriously, that and brownies are on repeat at mine.
Yummmm. I love all of those ingredients too, and I’m digging the short ingredient list! I’m definitely going to make these, and I want to try em with protein powder.
Homemade trumps store bought ANY day so these bars am thinking are totally inhalicious! Love your use of flax for an added dose of lignans! Happy Monday!
And I love that you managed to toss “lignans” in there 😆 Happy Monday, Shashi! <3
Is there a way to make these without the flax?
I think you should be fine to just leave it out completely, Sarah. I’ve done that [on accident] before and they came out just fine.
why yes, this is one reason why having a food allergy works. Makes you useful! haha. And DIY everything. And i’m okay with that because I have you. and these bars! <3
Pinning this recipe now! Looks freaking amazing! Thank you Amanda for the recipe. 🙂
Thank you for pinning, Julia! xox
Mmmm. Soft and chewy are two adjectives that I love when it comes to granola bars. Banana and almond butter and oats are three foods that I love IN granola bars, so I have a feeling I’ll love these 🙂
I pretty much always make my own…oatmeal? As in, I never use the pre-packaged ones that you just add hot water to, unless I’m traveling. I think most people in the healthy living blog world are on the same boat though.
I usually stay away from the little packets too. Unless I’m travelling, and even then it’s just plain oats without any flavours or sugars. I just steal packets of honey from Bux to sweeten them 😉
Eek! These look so good. Can’t wait to try them out.
I hope you like them, Daisy!
I so wish I could find brown rice syrup. I have so many yummy recipes I want to try that require it!
You could easily sub it with honey if you don’t need them to be vegan! I’ve made these kind of bars with honey before and they come out just as good.
This post makes me want to NEVER buy store bought granola bars again. I’ve made my own many of times but I still fall victim to convenieve every now and then. But when they look this good and the ingredient list is that simple, there’s really no reason not to make your own. Or, even better, you could just start your own granola bar business and I can buy yours!! 😉
I hope you have a great weekend, lady! xo
We all fall victim to convenience… like me with hummus 😆 I’d probably do it with bars too if I could eat all of the good ones out there *wistful*
I would 100% choose these over anything store bought! I fell like we are in the same boat here with having to make so many of our snacks. Dave has a peanut and tree nut allergy so it’s all about the seeds when I make him food! I’ll bet trying this with sunbutter 🙂
Looove the Sunbutter! Have you ever tried roasted soy nut butter? It’s got a really nice flavour that’s a lot more “nutty” and mild. And you don’t have to worry about it turning baked goods green 😆
Sound great! Though I’ll pass on the protein ones. I don’t know where the protein fad came from, but while I was on it for some time (when I thought it was the answer to keeping me stay full), I’m definitely weirded out by it more and more. You should be able to get enough protein in your diet if you consume the right number of calories. If you have to rely on macronutrients from canisters of animal by-products for proper nutrition, well, that doesn’t sound too good. Now I’m not saying that to YOU, per se, but just in general 😉 I like stirring the pot, haha.
Lol! You’re definitely a bonafide pot stirrer 😉 I’ll use protein powders for flavour and texture in some things, but I don’t see them as an actual protein source in my diet… especially since so many of them can make my stomach go wonky 😕
Do you buy ground flax seed or do you use a coffee grinder to make your own? Just curious. These look delicious!
I’ve done both. The ones I have right now are already ground, but grinding them in the coffee grinder works perfectly as well. And it’s actually better if you plan on keeping them around for a while because they don’t go rancid as fast when they’re whole.
Making your own bars is so much cheaper and healthier and I completely understand the food intolerance issues. Eating gluten free (or trying to) has been really hard. Good thing I love to cook! It’s really too bad that more brands and restuarants can get back to the simplicity that so many of us are begging for.
I can imagine that trying to eat GF must be quite the adjustment. I’ve had these allergies since I was born so it’s the only lifestyle I know, but finding out you can longer eat something you’ve been eating for your whole life? Eep. Tough.
Nice! I definitely understand about food intolerances and allergies–I’m always excited to find a recipe I can eat! I’ll have to give these a try. I love your protein granola bars, but I don’t love the $ of protein powder and the fact that I have such a hard time finding protein powders that I can tolerate.
I can completely relate to that, Joyce. A lot of protein powders can make my stomach a bit wonky as well, so I try to avoid them when I can.
You know what sucks? The fact that I have ALL of these ingredients [including just right bananas for baking!] and don’t have a freaking working oven!! Mine went and died on my this week. It’s very restricting for a foodie to not have an oven! Thank goodness I still have a stove top, but it means I can’t make your delicious bars….yet 😉
No… oven?!?!?! 😯 I’d kind of be in trouble too, which is why I’m glad I have a backup toaster oven. I can’t even tell you how many muffins/bars/cookies I’ve made in that little thing 😆
I’ve had a mad craving for banana bread recently! Bars seem like the perfect quick option to satisfy that 😉
For some reason, January feels like a good time for banana bread. Even though I can never seem to find any ripe bananas 😕
These sound delicious. I’m also all over those four ingredients. Maybe I’ll just eat a spoonful of each at the same time.
Lolol! Totally been there. The lazy girl’s granola bar 😉
I am definitely making these this weekend! They sound deliicous!
I’d love to know how you like them, Ash!
Yum these look so good! And I 100% hear you on the store bought stuff – I’m the no-fun mom who refuses to buy anything but Larabars or the occasion Kind bars and even then my kids can’t actually take them to school because of the nuts. They are obsessed with granola and banana though so this is a winning combo.
My mom was like that when I was little too, and it’s actually something I appreciate a tonne now!
Ahh so yummy! Luckily for me I have no food allergies, so it’s open season on everything in my house. Something I always make instead of buying would probably be any kind of pasta sauce. Last time I picked up a jar sauce the second ingredient was corn syrup, so I decided it’s better and tastier to just make my own!
That’s actually one thing that I’ve never tried making myself! You’re right, though — those tomato based sauces can be SO sneaky with the sugars.
Yes! I was swooning over these yesterday 🙂 do you think steel cut oats work ok with this? I guess maybe those are regular oats. I bought a huge bag from Costco only to realize they don’t microwave as well so I haven’t used many, ha!
I’m honestly not sure how well steel cut oats would work since they’re so much denser and harder. Hmm. They would probably work, but I I think they might make the bars slightly chewier?
These look amazing! Banana bread is my favorite ever, so these sound like my dream granola bar!
They seriously taste like a slice of banana bread! Only denser and chewier 😉
I made big batch of rawnola yesterday, and I can definitely say I would NEVER buy it again. So sweet and good for my body, also it`s first recipe I photoshoot and I am really proud of it!
That’s so awesome, Marina! I love the thrill that comes with making and photographing something awesome. Happy dances all around!
I adore your Trail Mix granola bars so I’m sure I’d love these as well, mostly because they involve our beloved bananas.
Also bonus points for rocking a mini list mid-post. 🙂
Our beloved bananas are causing me a lot of grief 😡 I can’t seem to find any ripe ones, so I think I’m just going to have to stock up on a tonne of the neon green ones, let them ripen at home in huge batches, and then freeze them until I need them. Ahhh winter…
If you keep the bananas in a dark place and pull each apart that helps them ripen quicker.
These look good. I’m glad you were able to make something that doesn’t send you to the ER. I like chewy bars too…crunchy bars aren’t that appealing to me.
I’d like to make it a goal in life to avoid the ER as much as possible 😉 Although I almost sent myself there this morning after slicing my finger in the kitchen 😯