No-Bake Banana Bars

Banana bread is one of my favorite foods. I was inspired to make these bars as a healthier alternative to snacking on addicting sweets all the time. I wanted the same flavors with a little bit of crunch that I could toss in my purse to take with me for an on the go snack. The little nibs of cacao really up the crunch factor. A little secret: these are super healthy, but just sweet enough that my kids think they are a “special treat”. Mom win. 

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray, for greasing the pan

1 small banana

1 cup pitted dates (about 10)

1/4 cup cashew butter

2 tablespoons agave nectar

2 cups rolled oats

1/3 cup cacao nibs

1/3 cup raw pepitas

2 tablespoons chia seeds

Kosher salt

Cooking Instructions

Spray an 8-by-8-inch square baking dish with nonstick spray. Line the pan with parchment leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 of the sides.

Pulse the banana and the dates in a food processor until finely chopped and a dough ball is created, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed (you may need to do this a few times as the dates are sticky). 

Melt the cashew butter and the agave nectar in a large heatproof bowl in the microwave until warm, about 30 seconds. Stir to combine. Fold in the date mixture, rolled oats, cacao nibs, raw pepitas, chia seeds and 1/2 teaspoon salt with a large rubber spatula until well combined and sticky (if the mixture is sticking to your spatula, spray it with a little nonstick cooking spray). 

Evenly press the mixture into the prepared pan and refrigerate until hardened, 2 hours and up to overnight. Use the parchment overhang to remove from the pan and cut it into 8 bars. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week making sure to place a piece of parchment between each bar if layering is needed. 

Yield: 8 bars

Active time: 20 minutes

Total time: 2 hours 20 minutes (includes chilling time)

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That’s all you need.