Vegan Caramelized Banana Granola Bars
User Reviews
5
Vegan Caramelized Banana Granola Bars
Description
The recipe starts by caramelizing banana slices in the oven, which concentrates their natural sugars and softens their texture. Nuts and oats are toasted separately before combining with half of the oats and all the nuts in a food processor. After pulsing to a coarse meal, dates and caramelized bananas are added to form a sticky mixture. Cinnamon and salt provide flavor depth, while the remaining oats help add structure.
Pressing the mixture into a parchment-lined pan and baking at a low temperature helps set the bars so they hold their shape once cooled. The bars have a chewy texture with nutty crunch and sweet banana flavor throughout. Cinnamon adds warm notes while salt balances sweetness.
These bars can be refrigerated for up to two weeks, making them convenient for grab-and-go snacks. You may customize them with optional ingredients like vanilla, nutmeg, dried fruits, or chocolate chips to suit your preferences.
Ingredients
- 4 banana sliced into 1/2 cm thick slices
- 1.5 cup nuts , mix of walnuts cashews, almonds, pecans
- 1 cup oats
- 6 dates
- 1/4 tsp salt
- cinnamon
Instructions
- Place sliced bananas on a parchment lined baking sheet. Add oats and nuts to another baking dish. Bake the sliced banana at 375 deg F (190 C) for 15 mins, Reduce temperature to 350 deg f (180 C) then add the nuts and oats to the oven and bake for another 15 mins. Let cool.
- Alternatively, you can cook the bananas in a skillet with 2-3 tbsp non-dairy milk until caramelizing.
- Add the toasted nuts and half of the oats to a food processor. Pulse to break the nuts into a coarse meal, then add dates along with the caramelized banana, and pulse to break down the bananas a bit. Add cinnamon, salt, the other half of the oats and pulse again until a dough like state. (If your dates are not very soft, process with the banana to break them down before this step)
- Press this mix into a parchment lined brownie pan and bake at 300 F (150 C) for 20 mins.
- Cool, slice and store refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Adding vanilla essence or freshly grated nutmeg can add complexity to the bars' flavor.
- Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting to maintain their shape.
- Use coconut or pistachios as nut alternatives for different flavors and textures.
- Dried fruits like raisins or cranberries can be added for variety and added sweetness.
- If more sweetness is desired, adding vegan chocolate chips is an option.
- For a nut-free version, substitute nuts with a mix of seeds and include dried fruits for texture.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12bars
Amount Per Serving
Calories 15963 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1bar | |
| Calories | 159.63kcal | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 21.05g | 7% |
| Protein | 4.34g | 9% |
| Fat | 7.65g | 12% |
| Saturated Fat | 1.18g | 6% |
| Sodium | 51.25mg | 2% |
| Potassium | 294.63mg | 6% |
| Fiber | 2.52g | 10% |
| Sugar | 8.05g | 16% |
| Vitamin A | 25.17IU | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 3.5mg | 4% |
| Calcium | 12.81mg | 1% |
| Iron | 1.5mg | 8% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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