I’m obsessed with these banana bread granola bars. They are so easy to make and are an ideal snack to meal prep for the week ahead, so you always have a healthy snack on hand!
Granola bars are a convenient snack, but store-bought versions often fall short on fibre, plant diversity, and flavour.
I’ve been working on an easy, homemade alternative that not only tastes great but also boosts my weekly plant points — and I’ve finally nailed it with these banana bread granola bars!
These bars are 100% plant-based and offer a perfect balance of healthy fats, protein, and fibre to keep you satisfied longer. And the best part? They taste even better than anything you’ll find on the shelf.
If you’re a fan of chocolate chip banana bread, these are a must-try!
What You’ll Need
Here is a list of everything you will need:
- 2 ripe bananas – It’s really important that your bananas are ripe and spotty for the best taste!
- Rolled oats – The chunky, less processed ones.
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Walnuts – Great source of plant-based omega-3.
- Ground flaxseeds – This will need to be mixed with 4 tbsp of water in a bowl to create a “flax-egg”.
- Dark choc chips – Feel free to sub these for milk or white chocolate chips. I have chosen dark chocolate for this recipe as these tend to be lower in sugar (and the recipe is sweet enough with the honey and bananas!).
- Almond butter – Opt for one that doesn’t have any added sugar or salt.
- Honey – If you’re vegan, you could use maple syrup or agave as an alternative.
- Vanilla extract
How to Make These Banana Bread Granola Bars
1) Mash the Bananas
Mash the bananas with a fork in a bowl or on a plate.
2) Mix Together Wet Ingredients
In a separate bowl, mix together the flaxseed and water mix, almond butter, honey and vanilla extract, and combine with the mashed bananas.
3) Mix Together Dry Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, add the oats, seeds, walnuts and chocolate chips and stir well.
4) Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients
Slowly add the wet ingredients to the large bowl with the dry ingredients, and gently mix to combine.
5) Add to a Lined Baking Tin
Line a square or rectangular baking tin with baking paper (I used an 8inch/20cm square tin) and add the mixture to it. Gently press it into the tin, making sure it’s right in the corners, and top with some extra pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.
6) Time to Bake!
Bake in the oven for 40 minutes and allow to cool before cutting into bars of 8.
Storage
To keep your banana bread granola bars fresh, store them in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
For longer storage, you can also freeze them for up to three months — just let them thaw properly before eating!
Looking For More Healthy Snacks?
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Healthy Banana Bread Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 2 medium sized ripe bananas
- 1.5 cups rolled oats (the chunky, less processed oats)
- 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds (plus extra for topping)
- 1/3 cup sunflower seeds (plus extra for topping)
- 1/2 cup walnuts (broken into smaller pieces)
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseeds (mixed with 4 tbsp water in a bowl)
- 1/3 cup dark choc chips
- 1/3 cup almond butter
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 150℃ Fan.
- Mash the bananas in a bowl. Add the flax/water mix, almond butter, honey and vanilla extract and combine with the mashed bananas.
- In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine thoroughly.
- Line a square or rectangular baking tin with baking paper (I used an 8inch/20cm square tin). Add the mix to the lined tin and gently press the mixture into the tin, making sure it’s right in the corners. Top with some extra pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.
- Bake in the oven for 40 minutes and allow to cool before cutting into bars of 8.