Health bars always sound promising, but most of the time, they taste a bit like sawdust. That said, when you hit that mid-morning or after-lunch slump, health bars come in handy. So, how to get the best of both worlds — something that will up your energy but also taste good? By making these banana oatmeal bars yourself.
Ingredients:
- 4 medium-sized ripe bananas
- 1 ⅔ cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup nut butter (can be substituted for your choice of oil)
- 1 ⅔ cup ground almonds
- 8 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- ⅔ cup chocolate chips / flaked coconut / chopped nuts (optional)
Instructions:
- Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
- Peel the bananas and place them in a small bowl, then use a fork to mash until you get a smooth paste.
- Add the nut butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, ground almonds, and oats to the same bowl.
- Mix well, adding a tiny splash of milk if it’s looking too dry.
- Leave the mixture for 10 minutes to allow the oats to soak.
- Transfer the mixture into a baking tin lined with greased baking paper.
- Scatter over the chocolate chips, coconut, or chopped nuts and press them down into the batter.
- Bake in the oven for around 20 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool before cutting into squares.
