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BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS

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These Banana Chocolate Chip Bars have been a huge hit with my taste and recipe testers. They are perfectly moist and chewy, and sweet enough that my kids devour them (thank you sugar-free monk fruit sweetener!).

To boost the nutrition in these vegan-friendly snack bars, I like to use part chickpea or garbanzo flour. Chickpea flour is made from finely milled chickpeas and is naturally gluten-free and high in fibre and plant-based protein. If you don’t have access to chickpea flour, you can try making your own from dried chickpeas. Alternatively, you can substitute whole wheat (not gluten-free) or quinoa (gluten-free) flour.

Ingredients for 12 to 15 bars:

  • 2 eggs OR 2 Tbsp ground flaxseed plus 5 Tbsp warm water for flax eggs

  • 5 extra ripe bananas, well mashed

  • 1 cup Lakanto Golden sugar-free monk fruit sweetener (or coconut sugar)*

  • 1/4 cup avocado oil (or melted coconut oil, cooled)

  • 1/4 cup unsweetened almond or nut-free milk

  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

  • 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour

  • 3/4 cup chickpea flour*

  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • 1 tsp cinnamon

  • 1/2 tsp cardamom

  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

  • 1 cup sugar-free chocolate chips, divided (or finely chopped walnuts or 1/2 cup of each)

*Notes: If you prefer your baking to be less sweet, reduce monk fruit or coconut sugar to 1/2 cup. See note above for alternatives to chickpea flour.

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease a 9x13” baking pan (see note below*).

  2. If using a flax egg, mix together flax and warm water in a small bowl.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes until a gloopy egg-like consistency is achieved.

  3. In a large bowl, mix together banana, sweetener, oil, vanilla, and eggs or flax eggs.

  4. Add flours, baking soda, and spices, and stir until well-incorporated.  Fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips. 

  5. Scrape batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top.  Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips.

  6. Bake for 30 minutes, then tent with tinfoil to prevent the bars from browning too much before they’re cooked through. Bake for another 15 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool before cutting into bars.

*Note: This recipe can also be made into a banana loaf (see photos below). Cooking time will vary depending on the oven, but mine required 1 hr 20 minutes.

Banana Chocolate Chip Bars can be stored in an airtight container for 1 to 2 days, in the fridge for a week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

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Banana Chocolate Chip Bars baked in loaf form. Topped on the right with chocolate banana seed butter, grain-free granola, and berries.