Strawberry Banana Oat Bars

Strawberry Banana Oat Bars

You’d never believe that these soft and chewy strawberry banana oat bars are vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and made without any butter or oil! The perfect healthy breakfast or snack!

Remember my frozen strawberry conundrum? Where I was left with bags and bags of nothing but frozen strawberries after picking out all the rest of the fruits from my bags of frozen mixed berries? It got to be a serious problem… I had, like, 4 bags going.

And it’s not that I have anything against strawberries, but trying to eat them frozen is like trying to bite into a rock — those suckers are hard! And because I’m afraid of the dentist and would prefer to avoid ending up in ‘the chair’ with a chipped tooth that needed fixing, I pretend the strawberries don’t exist and eat around them until that’s all that’s left in the bag. And then I go out and buy another bag. Womp, womp.

Prep Time: 30 Mins

Cook Time: 30 Mins

Total Time: 1 Hour

Author: Amanda @ Running with Spoons

Yields: 9 - 12 squares

Ingredients

For The Strawberry Chia Jam:

• 2 cups (350 g) frozen strawberries*

• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) maple syrup

• 2 Tbsp (14 g) chia seeds

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For The Banana Oat Bars:

• 2 cups (160 g) rolled oats, divided**

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 2 medium-sized ripe bananas, mashed (200g or 1 cup)

• 1/4 cup (60 ml) maple syrup

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Make The Jam:

1. Add strawberries and maple syrup to a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Heat until the berries begin to release their liquid, about 5-15 minutes depending on whether or not they were thawed first. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until berries begin to break down and thicken, about 5 -10 minutes. Use your spoon to break them apart further if desired.

2. Stir in the chia seeds and vanilla, continuing to cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the jam to cool. It will continue to thicken the longer it sits, which is why I usually like to make it the night before I'm planning on making these bars.

Make The Bars:

1. Preheat oven to 375F (190C) and prepare an 8x8 (20x20cm) baking dish by lining it with a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper, leaving a few inches of overhang on the sides to allow for easy removal. Spray foil with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Place 1 cup of oats in a food processor or blender, and process until they resemble a fine flour. Transfer the oat flour to a large mixing bowl, and add the remaining rolled oats and baking powder, mixing well.

3. Add the mashed bananas, maple syrup, and vanilla extract, and mix until everything is well combined and a dough is formed.

Full Recipe: Click Here

Created: BANKHEALTHY