Chocolate Banana Oat Bars That Made Me Stop Buying Sweets

I used to keep a stash of candy bars in the kitchen drawer. These cocoa oat bars are what replaced them. Ripe bananas, rolled oats, unsweetened cocoa, a spoon of peanut butter and a few chopped dates, baked in one pan and cut into squares. There's no flour and no added sugar; the sweetness comes from the bananas and dates, so they taste like a soft, fudgy chocolate oat bar rather than a sugary brownie. When I want something sweet in the afternoon, one of these with a glass of milk does the job.

Servings: 12 · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 25 min

Ingredients

• 3 medium (about 1 1/4 cups / 300 g mashed) ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup (64 g) smooth peanut butter (no sugar added)
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups (180 g) rolled oats
• 1/4 cup (25 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 cup (75 g) pitted dates, chopped
• 1/3 cup (40 g) walnuts or pecans, chopped

Method

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on two sides.
2. If your dates are dry or firm, cover them with hot water for 10 minutes, then drain well. Soft dates can be used as they are.
3. In a large bowl, mash the bananas until smooth. Whisk in the peanut butter, milk and vanilla.
4. In another bowl, mix the oats, cocoa, baking powder and salt, breaking up any cocoa lumps. Add to the banana mixture and stir until no dry cocoa is visible. Fold in the dates and most of the chopped walnuts or pecans.
5. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes, then press it firmly and evenly into the pan with the back of a spoon or wet fingers. Sprinkle the remaining nuts on top and press them in lightly.
6. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the top looks dry and the bars feel set when touched in the center. They will still be soft; they firm up as they cool.
7. Cool completely in the pan, ideally chilling for 1 hour, then lift out with the parchment and cut into 12 bars with a sharp knife.

Tips and variations

• The riper the bananas, the sweeter the bars. Black-spotted bananas are perfect here.
• Swap the dates for raisins or chopped dried figs.
• For a little crunch, add 2 tbsp of cacao nibs or sunflower seeds to the batter.
• Keep the bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze them individually wrapped for a month.

A pan of these on Sunday and the candy drawer stays empty all week. I hope they become your new afternoon treat too.