Banana Oat Snack Bars
I really don't want to talk about this week, except to say there were some issues. Several of them, actually. Notably, my new food processor arrived in the mail. Also notable is that this machine has a blade that is very, very sharp. I found this out firsthand when I (like an idiot) stuck my finger inside the bowl to shift some ingredients around to check for salt. I wasn't sure I had added salt, you see, but that didn't matter because I subsequently bled all over the creation I was attempting (black bean brownies, anyone??). Yes, the darn thing is sharp. Yes, my husband was out of town. Yes, it was bedtime. Yes, I was bleeding profusely. Yes, I panicked. Yes, I was rescued by some dear friends who came over to examine me and assure me I did not in fact have to haul my kids down to the ER on a Sunday night while I got stitched up. It was close, kids. So while I am not exactly happy at this particular kitchen appliance (before it sliced me up it broke my back when I lifted the very awkward sized box into the house), I am happy that I used it to make these bars. I've made them twice in 3 days, and I adore them. I think I mostly adore them because they are legitimately "healthy" (read no sugar, no flour) and yet, they satisfy my dessert loving sweet tooth. This is very important when your husband is MIA and you are wrangling your children without a backup for days on end. Very, very important.
Banana Oat Snack Bars
-slightly adapted from melskitchencafe.com
- 2 1/4 cups rolled oats, finely ground in a blender or food processor (measure the oats before grinding), or if you are using quick oats just grind 2 cups of them (I've tried both types, equally good)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 medium bananas
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat an 8X8- or 7x11 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the ground oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add the bananas, vanilla, applesauce, and honey to the blender and process until smooth. Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and bake for 15 minutes until set around the edges and just barely moist in the center. These are easily freezable, and feel free to double (as I did) and bake in a 9x13 pan.