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!
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
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PREHEAT oven to 350F.
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LINE a cookie sheet with parchment paper, with about 1 inch of parchment paper overlapping the sides.
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SPREAD out the oats and chopped nuts on a baking sheet.
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BAKE at 350F until they are lightly toasted, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
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MASH bananas with a fork in a large bowl.
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STIR in applesauce until combined.
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MIX in chopped dates, ground flax seed (flax meal), seasoning, and salt.
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ADD the oats and pecans.
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STIR until well combined and starting to clump.
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POUR onto the cookie sheet and press down evenly.
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BAKE at 350F until the bars are golden brown and starting to separate from sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.
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COOL on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
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USE the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan.
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COOL to room temperature, then cut into bars.
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SERVE warm OR store in an airtight container.