These banana oatmeal chocolate chip bars are the perfect healthy snack to have on hand during a busy week or bring to a party.
Ok fine. So maybe I do bake. A little bit. But I promise there’s never yeast involved because baking with yeast frightens me. I leave that crazy bread baking business to my Italian husband who enjoys spending three days tucking his bread into a warm blanket and singing it lullabies as it rises under a heat lamp. In order for me to bake I need a recipe I can actually eat within an hour or so and a guarantee that I won’t be able to ruin it.
Speaking of no-fail guarantee, if you find me baking you will most likely find a Silpat® on my pan. Do you own any silicone baking sheets? Like magic, cookies will glide right off the pan every. single. time. No butter, grease or baking spray required. Want to know what’s even more fun than that? They also make a baking pan, the Silpat® Entremet, from the same non-stick silicone I’m madly in love with!
See that? You simply place the Silpat® Entremet on a baking sheet, pour in the batter then pop in the oven. No buttering or flouring required. Baking anxiety = gone. My husband goes through half a jar of cristco every year greasing pans for his famous hermit bars every Christmas so you better believe we will be using this pan during the holidays!
Another note I must point out: the pan gave these bars the most perfect, subtle crust. Not too crispy, just perfectly browned with a crunch to balance out the moist cake-like consistency of the bars. They can be stored in an air-tight container room temperature but we actually like to keep them cool in the fridge. The choice is yours. You will love them either way.
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Banana Oatmeal Bars with Chocolate Chips
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 cup oats
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup flax seed meal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup plain low fat yogurt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 3 ripe bananas mashed
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts optional
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 and spray a 15 x 10 x 1 baking pan with cooking spray or place a Silpat Entremet silicone baking pan on a large baking sheet.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together whole wheat pastry flour, oats, white flour, flax seed meal, baking powder and salt; set aside.
- In a stand mixer, cream together coconut oil, brown sugar and white sugar over high speed until nice and creamy - about 2 minutes.
- Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add in yogurt and vanilla. Add eggs in one at a time and blend until incorporated.
- Add mashed bananas and blend until combined using a rubber spatula to clean the sides of the bowl.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and blend until just incorporated - careful not to over mix.
- Remove bowl from the stand mixer and gently fold in chocolate chips and chopped walnuts.
- Pour mixture into baking pan and bake for 45 minutes until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before slicing into 24 bars.
Disclaimer: I was not paid to write this post. I have been baking with Silpat® for as long as I can remember so when they offered to send me a complimentary Silpat® Entremet to try on my own, I eagerly said yes! All thoughts are 100% my own.
Joanie
I plan to make this banana oatmeal chocolate chip bars for my family and the cadets at West Point if I win the Silpat pans. Sticking bars make me a bit nervous, and I only like to send treats to West Point that come out clean, as I figure they already must get a little banged up in the mailing.
Please let me be the winner!
Liz DellaCroce
Hi Joanie – I’m afraid this giveaway closed in June! Enjoy the recipe!
Kyana
I would bake all sorts of stuff. My vegetarian lasagna with zucchini and mushroom, chocolate chip cookies, banana peanut butter bread with walnuts, cornbread… the list goes on
Angela Messina
I have Whole Wheat Flour – is that the same as Whole Wheat Pastry flour?
Liz DellaCroce
Hi Angela – It is actually not the same thing. Whole wheat pastry flour is better for baking because it results in a much lighter, airy texture/consistency where as I find 100% whole wheat flour results in a heavier baked good. Highly suggest buying a bag of whole wheat pastry flour for pancakes, muffins, cookies and anything else you’d like to bake!!
Liz
I would definitely do more baking – such a nice item. I get your newsletters
Local Forkful
I just tweeted the contest! @localforkful
And I subscribed to the monthly newsletter! localforkful@yahoo.com
Local Forkful
I’m definitely ready for a new silpat! Mine is all battered and abused from culinary school. And I love tuille cookies, so of course those bad boys are going in the oven first!
Jessica
Also following Silpat on twitter!
Jessica
I tweeted as well!
Jessica
I signed up for the the weekly newsletter!
Jessica
I am following on twitter!
Jessica
I would make lemon bars. I have a million lemons sitting on my counter that are dying to be used!
Lisa Shapiro
Liz, I’m not much of a baker, but I’d love to learn. I’d like to really master basic chocolate chip cookies for my two kids.
Linda S.
Lemon bars