Now that I’m not cooking with added oils, sugar or salt, it’s been a challenge to find baked recipes that still taste good. My favorite one up to this point is my Banana-Sweetened Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies recipe. These babies hit the spot when you just need a cookie:
My NEW favorite baked treats are my Grab-n-Go Chocolate-Banana Oat Bars. These bars are sweetened only with one banana and each ingredient is health-promoting. I originally made these bars to take on the road this weekend to San Diego, but I had to cancel that trip based upon bad weather coming into the area. I was bummed to miss the trip, but I loved how these bars turned out. They have no added sugar, so they are appropriate for breakfast, yet they are sweet enough to qualify as a healthy dessert as well.
Here’s how I made them. In a medium bowl, mash your ripe banana:
Add the rest of your ingredients into the bowl:
Mix it all up and then press the ingredients into a lightly-oiled square Pyrex dish:
Bake for 20-25 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Let bars cool and then enjoy or refrigerate to eat later. I tried them both hot out of the oven and chilled overnight in the fridge. It was a toss-up as to which way tasted better. They have a wonderful, chewy texture with the flavor of bananas and chocolate. Very satisfying and healthy, the perfect combination!
Grab-n-Go Chocolate-Banana Oat Bars
Ingredients:
1 large, ripe banana
1 1/2 cups rolled oats, uncooked
1 cup frozen blueberries, thawed
1/4 cup raisins
3 tablespoons acai berry juice or pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons flaxmeal
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon raw cacao powder
1 tablespoon hemp protein powder
*note: if you are missing any of the ingredients, just add more of another. If you don’t have the juice, you could substitute soy or almond milk as well.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mash banana with a fork. Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix well. Press into a lightly-greased 8×8 square baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy warm or chilled.
I’ve been seeing lots of recipes on the blogs for healthy, raw truffles made with dried fruits and cacao. Perhaps one with no added sugar will be my next endeavor? Are you concerned about added sugars in your diet? Do you have any low-sugar recipes that you love?
I’d also like to announce the winner of my Hemp-Themed Giveaway! The random number generator selected entrant #1, Erica from Sunshine and Saffron. Congrats Erica!
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
The Chocolate-Banana Oat Bars sound awesome! I love all the ingredients. Thanks for the recipe
Those look delish! And more importantly, super healthy. Nice job!
Your bars look fantastic – can’t wait to try them. I think my boys would like them too. I love portable healthy snacks. Sorry your trip was stopped by the bad weather. (We got 4 plus inches of rain today.)
Hi Rebecca, I bet the boys would like these too! We got a teeny bit of rain here in the desert but nothing like you got. Stay dry and thanks for the blog comment.
those bars look so gorgeous and healthy I love on the go snacks!
I found some gluten-free oats this weekend. This recipe makes me wish I had gone ahead and bought them. I’ll bookmark it and get them next Saturday.
Great idea Johanna! How wonderful that you can find gluten-free oats. Enjoy the bars!
They sound awesome, but I have some questions as I am still new to cooking healthier.
Our local grocery store has a health market, plus we have a health food/organic grocery store. Where in these places do I find flax seed, hemp protein powder and cacao powder?
Hi Robyn! Most of these items should be available in the bulk section of a health food store. You can usually buy flax seeds whole or ground. When they are ground, it is called flaxmeal. You get the most nutritional benefit from grinding flaxseeds into flaxmeal. Or, you can just buy the flaxmeal so you don’t have to grind it. I do both. I buy cacao powder from a website called vitacost.com. I think their prices are the best. The hemp protein powder I buy at Trader Joe’s, but you could really use any kind of protein powder you want. I use hemp because it is vegan. Let me know if you have any other questions, I welcome them!
Thanks, Carrie
These bars look yum-o. I’m a big fan of bars in general. You’re always doing the healthiest food challenges. I cant imagine eating no oils. I’m glad you are finding tasty recipes.
Wow that looks wonderful! I love this line “each ingredient is health-promoting” That’s how all recipes should be!
These looks awesome! I am always looking for easy to make bars like this.
YUM! Love bananas and chocolate together.
Your so inspiring. I have read Dr. Fuhrman’s Eat to Live book and I really want to do the program. Do you have any tips? Would you recommend that people ease into the program or just do it cold turkey? Thanks!
Hi Mallory! I would recommend following the 6-week program that Dr. Fuhrman outlines in his book. You’ll note that he describes that you may not feel well for the first several weeks while you are withdrawing from caffeine, sugar, salt, etc., but pretty soon you’ll start to feel much better as your body adjusts and you start to lose excess weight. Good luck!!!
Thanks so much! I just created my own blog/tumblr. Check it out here
http://healthequalsbodyandsoulinharmony.tumblr.com/
I know this is an older post, but I’m loving your site. You are glowing and I can’t believe you are only a year younger than me! I started a loosely followed Eat to Live plan about a month ago, and have lost some unwanted pounds. These bars are the perfect thing to prevent me from pigging out on holiday goodies. Made them this morning, yummy!
Thanks for the sweet message, Carisa!
I’m glad you are doing well on Eat to Live, that’s great!!!
Oh, I’m so excited to have found this recipe (and your blog) – they look so tasty!
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