Banana Granola Bars

Banana Granola Bars

My husband loves granola bars! They are so easy to make and easy to grab for a sack breakfast or lunch. Most granola bars in the store are so full of sugar they might as well be candy, so I decided to make some low-sugar ones that I don't have to worry about if he eats them every day. These are flavorful, but sweetened with bananas and applesauce, so they aren't anything like dessert. If you use gluten-free oats, they are gluten-free as well!

Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Keyword bars, breakfast
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Cooling time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 16 bars
Calories 157 kcal

Ingredients

Toast in Oven:

  • 3 ½ cups rolled oats
  • 3/4 cup walnuts OR pecans, roughly chopped

Combine in a large bowl:

  • 3 large ripe bananas mashed
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 3/4 cup chopped dates OR raisins
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 Tbsp ground flax seed OR flax meal
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp maple flavor (OR 2 t. vanilla flavor, opt.)

Instructions

  1. PREHEAT oven to 350F.

  2. LINE a cookie sheet with parchment paper, with about 1 inch of parchment paper overlapping the sides.

  3. SPREAD out the oats and chopped nuts on a baking sheet.

  4. BAKE at 350F until they are lightly toasted, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

  5. MASH bananas with a fork in a large bowl.

  6. STIR in applesauce until combined.

  7. MIX in chopped dates, ground flax seed (flax meal), seasoning, and salt.

  8. ADD the oats and pecans.

  9. STIR until well combined and starting to clump.

  10. POUR onto the cookie sheet and press down evenly.

  11. BAKE at 350F until the bars are golden brown and starting to separate from sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.

  12. COOL on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

  13. USE the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan.

  14. COOL to room temperature, then cut into bars.

  15. SERVE warm OR store in an airtight container.

Nutrition Facts
Banana Granola Bars
Amount Per Serving (1 bar)
Calories 157 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 75mg3%
Potassium 243mg7%
Carbohydrates 25g8%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 16IU0%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Calcium 23mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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