Banana Split Bars [Recipe]

I have been searching for healthy breakfast and snack recipes that are easy to make and can be adapted to whatever you have on hand. In attempt to do more cooking ahead of time and have breakfast and snack items already cooked, I have been trying different breakfast bars and granola bars.

Banana Split Bars are a great take on the traditional granola bar because they also work well as a breakfast bar. You can substitute additions (other dried berries, nuts, seeds, etc.) to change the flavor profile. You can a little bit of a nut butter and maple syrup for a sweeter and nuttier flavor.

Banana Split Bars

Yield: 12 servings
Bake time: 30-35 minutes

Ingredients
1/3 cup dry quinoa + 1/2 cup water, or 1 cup cooked quinoa
2 cup rolled oats
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 small ripe bananas, mashed
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup honey (can sub maple syrup)
1 tbsp coconut oil (can sub melted butter)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried cherries (can sub other dried fruits, chopped)
1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (can sub other nuts)

Other Additions (some or all)
Hemp protein powder (1 tbsp)
Nutritional yeast (1 tbsp)
Flax meal (1 tbsp)
Chocolate chips (1/4 cup)

Directions

1. Line an 8" square baking dish parchment paper.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
3. Combine quinoa and water in a pan. Bring to a boil over Medium-High heat. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10-12 minutes or until all of the liquid has almost been absorbed.
4. Remove from heat, keep covered, and let rest for 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and let it cool. (You can cook the quinoa ahead of time)
5. In a small bowl, combine oats, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. 
6. To the bowl of quinoa, add mashed bananas, egg, honey, coconut oil and vanilla extract. Stir to combine. 
7. Add the oats mixture to the quinoa banana mixture. Stir to combine.
8. Mix in cherries, walnuts, and any other additions.
9. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and push down into the corners. Smooth top to make even.
10. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. 
11. Place pan on wire rack and let cool completely.
12. Cut into 16 bars. (You can refrigerate for 20 minutes before cutting.) Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

My favorite addition to this recipe was 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is a great way to boost protein, fiber, amino acid count and mineral content of the foods that you create. It can be added to savory or sweet dishes. Nutritional yeast has a slight smell of cheese and tastes slightly salty. This makes it a great addition and seasoning to put inside of foods or sprinkle on top for a bit of added flavor. 

Nutritional yeast can also be used for baked goods and sweeter dishes. The flavor is not distinguishable so there is no need to worry about a sweet muffin tasting like cheese. I have been using nutritional yeast in my cooking and baking for several years. I liked the flavor, texture and quality of Sari nutritional yeast flakes and would purchase it.

Disclosure: This recipe was originally posted on All natural Katie. I received a sample of the product to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. This post contains Affiliate links at no cost to you. I receive small compensation to help support this blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. All opinions are my own.