Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients

• 1 cup (230g) mashed bananas (about 3 medium or 2 large ripe bananas)
• 1/2 cup (125g) creamy or crunchy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup (50g) coconut sugar or brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup (120ml) milk
• 2 and 1/2 cups (213g) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper with enough overhang on the sides to easily remove the bars from the pan. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer, mash the bananas. On medium speed, beat or whisk in the remaining ingredients in the order listed. Batter will be a little thick, but still pourable.
3. Pour/spoon the mixture evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 25-28 minutes or until the center is set (it will still look relatively soft!).
4. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. After that, place the pan in the refrigerator for 1 hour until chilled. The bars are difficult to cut if they haven’t been chilled.
5. Remove bars from the pan using the overhang on the sides then cut into bars. Sometimes I drizzle melted peanut butter over each, but that’s optional. (Note: the parchment paper is always a little moist from soaking up some moisture from the bars.)
6. Cover leftover bars tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Notes:

• Substitute egg with 1/4 cup (45g) unsweetened applesauce