Oaty, chewy, fruity bars with a hint of spice and a walnut crunch. (These are super yummy.) Easy to make, healthy, and great for people on different special diets.
Patty
Combine in a blender (or mash and mix by hand):
2 Tbsp flax seeds (grind in blender or coffee grinder first) or 3 Tbsp pre-ground flax
3 large very ripe bananas (about 1 1/2 c)
1/4 - 1/3 c oil or melted butter (coconut oil tastes great)
1/4 c unsweetened apple or white grape juice concentrate (or maple syrup, or agave syrup)
2 - 4 tsp vanilla
Combine seperately:
2 c large flake / old fashioned oats rolled (for gluten-free use gluten-free oats)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
*1/8 - 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Mix wet with dry. Then add:
1/2 c walnuts (chopped roughly)
1/2 c dates (chopped roughly)
*2 Tbsp candied ginger or candied orange peel (chopped finely) OR 1 tsp finely grated lemon or orange zest
*1/3 c dark chocolate chips OR 2 ounces of dark chocolate (chopped roughly)
*optional ingredients
(If you have the time, let the batter sit for 10 minutes or longer.)
Grease a medium-sized pan and press mixture in. Bake in a pre-heated
oven at 350 for about 40 minutes. Allow to cool at least 10 minutes
before cutting.
Enjoy these superb bars!
*If you dig these booty bars, you will probably also love these super-healthy Chia Banana Bars.
November 30, 2007 - 09:49
Great recipe! So healthy and yummy looking!
Mimi
January 30, 2008 - 14:47
Mmm i just finished eating one of these...they were SO GOOD!
I left out the chocolate and the orange zest, but I'm sure that would have tasted great with them too!
These bars are lightly sweet and very fresh tasting with the cinnamon and nutmeg spices..YUM! I will definitly be making these again!! -B.
January 30, 2008 - 16:44
Awesome :-) Thanks for the feedback!
September 17, 2008 - 20:54
Hi, Patty - I made these last night and they are sooo good! I used coconut oil plus added the optional orange zest and dark chocolate. I only added 1/4 cup of 60% cacao chips and that was just enough.
September 18, 2008 - 10:00
Thanks Koala! When it comes to chocolate, quality over quantity - for sure.
September 23, 2008 - 17:02
i am planning on making these soon- they look delish! could i substitute half the oil with apple sauce or will it ruin the texture of these bars?
thanks so much,
ashley
September 24, 2008 - 20:24
Hi Ashley,
Personally, I like the richness the oil adds... but I think these would still work well with half apple sauce. Try it, I dare you! Then please let us know how they turn out :-)
January 19, 2009 - 20:31
If I wanted to make a nut free version (omitting the walnuts), do you have a suggested substitution (seeds are fine, tree nuts are out for us due to allergies)
they sound divine!
January 22, 2009 - 20:21
Instead of the 1/2c of nuts, try using 1/4c-1/3c of sunflower seeds, pepitas, or a mix of both. (I'm not sure if you can eat coconut, but if you can, try 1/2c shredded coconut, or 1/4c pepitas + 1/4c shredded coconut.) Please let us know how it goes - have fun experimenting :)
thanks!
February 23, 2009 - 15:21
Hello!!
I have tried this lovely recipe with unsweetened coconut (1/4 cup), pepitas (1/4 cup), raisins instead of the dates, and also threw in a couple of handfuls (~3 tbsp??) of hemp hearts...Delicious!!!
Thanks for so many great recipes!
February 26, 2009 - 14:00
Sounds delicious and nutritous - I love pepitas and hemp seeds... Thanks for sharing!
My pleasure :)
March 17, 2009 - 13:30
I made these bars and the Black Eyed Susan cookies for a friend's family (she is on a dairy- egg- gluten- nut- free diet). These bars were particularly good. I used 1/4 c maple syrup, 1/3 c sunflower seeds in lieu of the walnuts and 1/4 c safflower oil. They took about 50 minutes at 350 to be done. Thank you very much for sharing both of these tasty recipes.
June 27, 2009 - 09:07
You're welcome + thanks for sharing your nut-free variation. :)
June 19, 2009 - 13:03
Wonderful.
I added some hempseeds in for added nutrition and taste.
September 4, 2009 - 21:06
What size pan should I use for these?
September 6, 2009 - 13:13
I use a medium-sized pan. I'm not sure what the exact measurements are (since I just moved, and most of my ceramic bake ware broke in the move) - it was about 9" x 9". This is a pretty forgiving recipe, so exact pan size isn't that important. If anyone else knows their pan size for this recipe, please share!
February 18, 2010 - 14:52
Great recipe! First time I made it, came out great (even though I used substitutions of things I had in the pantry). Next time, I will follow the recipe & I'm sure that will be super as well.
Thanks!
February 21, 2010 - 22:23
Thanks + you're welcome! Happy to hear your experimenting went well. Feel free to share your substitutions - I love hearing about delicious new variations. :)
February 25, 2010 - 20:55
My first time subs were to replace banana's with unsweetened apple sauce, walnuts w 1c finely chopped toasted almonds & 3/4c toasted unsweetened coconut flakes. Also added cardamom. Today I made it as per your recipe and I love it! Thanks again!
February 26, 2010 - 09:26
Apple Booty Bars - YUM. Great idea. Thanks for sharing + you're welcome :-)
May 23, 2010 - 19:12
mmm mmm mmmm Banana booty bars are excellent!flour free, egg free and so great for you!i have also used this recipe to make apple booty bars(2 cups shredded apple with peel) and pumpkin booty bars (2 cup pumpkin and 11/2 tbs pumpkin pie spice).
Thank you so much Patty!
May 24, 2010 - 17:45
Thank you and you're welcome! Your apple booty bars and pumpkin booty bars sound awesome - thanks for sharing these great variations. :)
May 27, 2010 - 06:31
I have been looking for something like this for a while now. Great to stick in my purse or take to work for the mid day snack. I use carob powder or carob chips in place of the chocolate.
Thanks for the great recipes. :)
May 28, 2010 - 09:45
I love carob, great addition. Thanks for the feedback and you're welcome Sandy!