525. 4 Ingredient banana oat bars

It is healthy!

    Our Home Bakers Challenge for the month of October was Oat Bakes, recipes selected by fellow blogger Rafeeda of The Big Sweet Tooth. All the recipes were tempting to bake but for a change I chose the healthiest one. No sugar and no fat, yes you read right no sugar or fat. So you can imagine the bake without even fat. It was a big chewy but what I like about these bars is that it can be a snack for in between meals, a sweet treat after meals or can have it for breakfast. I know what I am going to carry with me when I am travelling next time especially by Ethiopian Airlines. As I mentioned before, long waiting hours at the Addis Ababa airport is not what I really look forward to. They still have to understand that there are vegetarians too in this world. Its difficult to find a vegetarian meal besides french fries at the airport. So before I travel I carry something small in my hand luggage. So next time round its going to be these delicious guilt free bars. You get all the sweetness from the banana and the dates. The day I baked them, hubby dear didn't really appreciate them. The usual complains, its chewy, not soft, not crunchy etc etc. The next day when I was having one bar I didn't offer it to him and he insisted that he wanted one! 
     Go on bake these and indulge in a guilt free treat. But let me warn you, there is nothing '4 ingredient' about the recipe, there are more than four.

4 INGREDIENT BANANA OAT BARS
Makes 9 squares
Recipe source : The Kitchn

2 large very ripe bananas (should get about 1-1¼ cups of mashed banana)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups rolled oats
½ tsp salt
¼ cup pitted and chopped dried dates
¼ cup chopped nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts etc)
½ tsp nutmeg or cinnamon powder

little butter or oil for greasing

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 9"X 9" tray lightly with butter or oil.
2. Peel and mash the bananas completely. You should get about 1 -1¼ cups of the pulp.
3. Add salt, oats, dates, vanilla extract and nuts to the banana puree.
4. Mix well.
5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tray. Pat down the mixture.
6. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon or nutmeg powder.
7. Bake for 25 -30 minutes or till the edges just begin to turn crispy.
8. Take the pan out of the oven and let it cool down on a wire rack.
9. When the mixture cools down, cut it into bars, squares or rectangles.
10. Store in an airtight container.

Tips :

• Can add any nuts of your choice. I used mixed nuts.
• Can add flax seeds, chocolate chips, other dried fruits etc. 
• I left mine for too long in the oven so it become a bit too brown.
• As I mentioned they are chewy bars.

You may want to check out the following :

no bake granola bars

simple scones

Iyengar style khara buns

Sending this recipe to the following event :



Home Baking challenge