Banana Blueberry Bars
A portable but healthy breakfast or snack option is key when I don’t have time to sit down and eat in the morning or if I need a mid-afternoon snack. These moist, tender bars taste a bit like a banana blueberry muffin, but they won’t crumble if you or the kids need to eat them in the car, and they pack well into lunchboxes.
Vegan & Gluten-free
Makes 24 bars (one 9-inch/23 cm square pan)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
1 cup (250 g) mashed ripe banana
2 Tbsp (16 g) ground flaxseed
2 cups (200 g) regular rolled oats (certified gluten-free, if needed)
1 cup (150 g) chopped pitted dates
½ cup (75 g) dried unsweetened blueberries
2 Tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp baking soda
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease a 9-inch (23 cm) square pan and line it with parchment paper so that the paper comes up the sides of the pan.
2. Stir the mashed banana and flaxseed together in a bowl and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir in the oats, dates, dried blueberries, oil, vanilla, cinnamon and baking soda until well combined. Press the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes, until firm when gently pressed. Cool the pan on a cooling rack completely.
3. To serve, lift out the parchment paper and portion the square into bars. The bars will keep in an airtight container in the fridge or well wrapped in a lunch bag at room temperature for up to 1 week. They can also be wrapped in plastic and frozen after slicing. A frozen bar packed into a lunch bag will thaw gradually throughout the morning.
