Thank you Pinterest for giving me so many great ideas for lots of awesome banana recipes. Including this amazing Banana Praline Snack Cake recipe that even the most skeptical eater will enjoy. Most importantly it lead me to this post where the author is using some not as healthy ingredients as I would like. So I changed it up and my husband and I have been making this recipe every week for well over a year, maybe even two.
I started using the base of this recipe to make breakfast cookies for my husband. Because I was afraid of bananas and I had recently cut sugar, gluten and dairy from my diet, I didn't plan on eating them because in the first batch I put in every chip that was left in our house that I couldn't eat. I think there were butterscotch and semi-sweet chocolates along with craisins and raisins and almonds. He loved them and asked for more.
So I kept making them and after a few batches I tried one myself. Low and behold I didn't get sick, so I have been eating one with my coffee every morning. I love them, the bars are a great start to the day and usually keeps me from having to eat again for about 3 1/2 or 4 hours.
We always start with bananas that have been ripening on the counter for at least a week, if not more. They should be brown and fragrant. Then we add various nuts and seeds and dried fruits to the mix. The ratio is basically 2 bananas to 1/2 cup of oats and 1 tbsp each of seed variety.
Incredible Breakfast Bars
6 large ripe bananas or 8 medium/small bananas
2 cups rolled oats (Gluten Free if needed)
3 tbps chia seeds
3 tbsp hemp seeds
3 tbsp flaxseed
3 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped raw almonds (any nut will do though)
8-10 chopped prunes
1/4 cup raisins or dried cherries
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped unsweetened chocolate
(Optional: 1/4 cup apple sauce. This adds moisture and some sweetness, so if you find that your bars are dry try adding some apple sauce.)
2 tsp coconut oil, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and oil a 9 x 13" glass pan with the coconut oil.
In a large bowl mash the bananas. They should be liquidy and smooth and no longer resemble bananas. Add the oats and mix. Then stir in all the additional ingredients until evenly covered.
Evenly spread the mixture into the greased pan. Smooth the top and place in a 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes or until the top and edges are golden brown.
Let sit until cool and cut into 10 pieces or desired sizes. We do 10 pieces so that we each have breakfast for the week.
I really hope you enjoy them, we sure do!
6 large ripe bananas or 8 medium/small bananas
2 cups rolled oats (Gluten Free if needed)
3 tbps chia seeds
3 tbsp hemp seeds
3 tbsp flaxseed
3 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped raw almonds (any nut will do though)
8-10 chopped prunes
1/4 cup raisins or dried cherries
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped unsweetened chocolate
(Optional: 1/4 cup apple sauce. This adds moisture and some sweetness, so if you find that your bars are dry try adding some apple sauce.)
2 tsp coconut oil, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and oil a 9 x 13" glass pan with the coconut oil.
In a large bowl mash the bananas. They should be liquidy and smooth and no longer resemble bananas. Add the oats and mix. Then stir in all the additional ingredients until evenly covered.
Evenly spread the mixture into the greased pan. Smooth the top and place in a 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes or until the top and edges are golden brown.
Let sit until cool and cut into 10 pieces or desired sizes. We do 10 pieces so that we each have breakfast for the week.
I really hope you enjoy them, we sure do!
