Banana Nut Bread Granola Bars
 
 
A chewy, slightly sweet granola bar with flavors reminiscent of classic banana nut bread.
Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast, Snack
Serves: 10-12
Ingredients
  • 3¼ c old-fashioned oats (*See Note)
  • ¼ c ground flax seed (optional)
  • 1 c mashed banana (**See Note)
  • ¼ -½ c honey or agave nectar (***See Note)
  • ½ t cinnamon
  • ¼ t nutmeg
  • ½ t salt
  • 1 t vanilla extract
  • 1 c chopped walnuts
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Coat an 8×8 in. baking pan with cooking spray.
  3. In a large bowl, toss together the oats and flax seed.
  4. In a medium bowl, stir together banana, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until well combined.
  5. Pour the liquid mixture over the oats mixture, and stir until evenly coated and the oats are moistened.
  6. Stir in the cranberries and walnuts.
  7. Press the mixture firmly into the prepared pan.
  8. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown, and firm.
  9. Cool in pan for about 5-10 minutes, cut into bars, and remove from pan to finish cooling completely.
Notes
*If you need these to be gluten-free, ensure that you are using oats that are certified gluten-free. **I used 1/4 c honey because my bananas were very ripe and sweet. ***I was using thawed frozen bananas, so they were quite soft. If yours were not frozen, you want to mash to a pulp, or put in a food processor.
Recipe by Cupcakes & Kale Chips at http://cupcakesandkalechips.com/2013/01/17/banana-nut-bread-granola-bars-january-improvchallenge-glutenfree/