Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Banana Bars
These lightly sweetened breakfast bars taste like baked banana chocolate chip pancakes. With just one bowl, a fork, a spatula and about 10 minutes of prep, you can have a delicious snack cake at the ready. With under 8g sugar per serving plus a hefty dose of potassium, they also make an excellent post workout snack or a mid-day pick-me-up.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 Overripe Bananas
- ¼ C Coconut Oil or sub neutral oil
- ¼ C Milk of Choice
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- ¼ C Brown Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 ¾ C Whole Wheat Flour sub AP or gluten free 1-to-1
- ¾ C Chocolate Chips divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray two 8x8 baking tins with nonstick cooking spray.
- Mash your bananas in a mixing bowl. I used a fork, but you can also use a hand mixer if you prefer. Add coconut oil and mash to incorporate.
- Add eggs, vanilla and sugar and stir to incorporate.
- Sprinkle with baking powder and allow to rest for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and cinnamon, then stir to combine.
- Working in batches, add about half of the flour and stir to incorporate. Add the milk and stir until uniform. Add remaining flour and stir until uniform.
- Add about ½ of the chocolate chips and stir to incorporate. Pour the batter into prepared baking tins, then sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips.
- Bake at 350F for 20-22 minutes, until bottoms are golden and toothpick comes out clean. Rest for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Cut each square into 9 wedges and pack in an airtight container. Bars will last up to a week in the refrigerator. To serve, warm a piece in the microwave for about 20 seconds, or in a toaster oven for about 5 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
If you need to quickly brown some bananas for this recipe, you can easily speed up the process by placing them on a parchment lined rimmed sheet pan and baking at 300ºF until their skins turn black.
Optional Variations & Dietary Swaps
- Lighten It Up: Swap brown sugar for coconut sugar or monkfruit to reduce calories and lower the glycemic index.
- Mix-Ins: Chocolate chips are a favorite, but feel free to experiment! Try chopped pecans, walnuts, cacao nibs, or dried berries. For a fun twist, swirl in dollops of peanut or almond butter—maybe even with a little jam.
- Vegan-Friendly: Use flax eggs (1 tablespoon flax meal + 3 tablespoon water, let sit 5 mins), and sub vegan butter or coconut oil. Choose any non-dairy milk you like—almond, oat, hemp, etc.
- Pumpkin Bars: Swap banana for pumpkin purée, use pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon, and add ½ teaspoon maple extract for a cozy fall version.
Expert Tips
- Scale Down: This recipe makes two trays at once so you can freeze extras for easy breakfasts. Feel free to halve the recipe if you prefer.
- Melt Smart: Warm coconut oil for ~15 seconds to avoid clumps in the batter.
- Go Dark: Dark or semisweet chips keep sugar lower and flavor richer—but use milk or white if that’s your jam.
- Top It Off: Sprinkle extra chips on top for a polished look.
- Ripe Bananas = Best Flavor: The riper, the better.
Storage/Reheating
- Enjoy warm or pack at room temp for lunch.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week (cool fully first to prevent sogginess).
- To freeze, wrap individually in plastic and place in a freezer bag. Reheat in the microwave for 20–30 seconds to enjoy melty goodness anytime.
Nutrition
Calories: 115kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 3gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 169mgPotassium: 171mgFiber: 2gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 47IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!