No-Bake Banana Snack Bars

Back in my pharmaceutical outsourcing days, I visited India to tour manufacturing plants. At one, the CEO mentioned that in addition to owning the chemical company, he also owned a cashew plantation. As a cashew-lover, I was totally intrigued, and extremely excited when he gave me a two pound bag of the biggest, most delicious cashews I’ve ever tasted. There’s just something so buttery and rich about these nuts that I think they are extrememly underrated.

In fact, when you blend them up with some bananas and and dates, the natural sweetness almost makes them taste like caramel. And that’s why these banana energy bars are so completely irresistible!

Banana Energy Bars – Naturally Sweet No-Bake Snack!

It’s so easy to whip up a batch of these and keep them in the fridge to put into lunchboxes and take on road trips. I love making them and my kids love devouring them! Here’s why…

• Just a few ingredients. Yes, only five (and one is optional) – banana, dates, cashews, and flaxseeds come together to make these chewy bars. Then, you can never go wrong with a little white chocolate for some bursts of creamy goodness.
• Fast to make. It’ll take just a few minutes to whip up everything in a food processor or blender and press it into a pan. The hardest part will be letting it firm up in the fridge for a bit, but if you sneak a few bites first, I won’t tell anyone!
• Adjust for many allergies. While I always recommend reading the labels of your ingredients for crosss-contamination, the four main ingredients are naturally gluten free. Just check your brand of white chocolate chips (for example, Ghirardelli is not gluten free). And for those, you can even buy a brand that is dairy free, if needed. There are also no eggs or peanuts.

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s that short list of the five ingredients to look for in your pantry or add to your shopping list. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full amounts and step-by-step directions.

• Banana. You’ll need about half a banana, but make sure it is very ripe so it blends in thoroughly and is nice and sweet.
• Dried pitted dates. Buy them with the pits already removed or be sure to remove them yourself.
• Raw cashews.
• Ground flax seeds. This may also be referred to as flax meal or flaxseed meal.
• White chocolate chips. Use a brand that is gluten free, if needed, and you can also use dairy free chips, such as Enjoy Life.

Tips for Making and Storing Energy Bars

• Line your pan. A piece of wax paper or even parchment (though that sometimes sticks more) will help you lift the bars out of the pan for cutting them into squares.
• Use the double pan trick. While you can use your hands or a glass to press the mixture into the pan, I like to use a second pan of the same size to press down on the top for a nice, even thickness.
• Try variations. You can use milk or semisweet chocoate chips, use a different nut or add some toasted walnuts or pecans when you add the chips so you have a little crunch.
• Roll into balls. You can make energy bites instead by rolling about tablespoon-size portions into balls.
• Store as long as needed. The banana energy bars should be kept refrigerated, and will keep for up to a week in an airtight container. You can even make a few batches to keep them on hand in the freezer for up to two months, so you always have a portable snack ready.

More No-Bake Snack Bars

• Cherry Energy Bars
• Mango Energy Bars
• Apricot Chia Bars