Whenever my heart feels heavy, lost, or confused I tend to turn to the kitchen to distract myself. Seeking comfort in food isn’t as bad as those ridiculous diet magazines make it out to be. Food can bring us all together and make us pause to enjoy the simple pleasures in life. Sometimes, a big pot of chili and garlic bread, creamy avocado pasta, or warm walnut banana bread is just the thing we need in that moment. Other days, it’s a big kale salad or a juicy basket of strawberries and coconut cream. Monday night, I made pasta with homemade spaghetti sauce while we watched the news. I felt like a zombie as I cooked, but I knew we needed something to settle our bellies.
It’s been an emotional week to say the least. I find myself extra sensitive about everything, trying to make sense of all the loss in this world. I haven’t made any sense of it yet and there’s no feeling of progress made in my mind. Despite this heavy heart, I can’t help but be inspired by all the good out there. The selfless people helping in a time of need. The bravery and generosity going on is a beautiful thing to see. Sometimes I don’t always see the good, but it’s there. Love always prevails.
These banana bread bars were my solution to another comfort food craving yesterday. Think of them as soft, doughy granola bars filled with crunchy walnuts, omega-3 lovin’ chia seeds, and a sprinkling of dark chocolate chips. The wet batter is made up of spotty bananas, a generous scoop of protein-packed peanut butter, a splash of vanilla, and just a hint of sweetener to round it all out. I’ve been enjoying them around the clock, so it’s safe to say they work nicely as breakfast, snack, or even dessert. Your call.
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Banana Bread Protein Bars
Yield
10 Bars
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
These banana bread bars were my solution to another comfort food craving yesterday. Think of them as soft, doughy granola bars filled with crunchy walnuts, omega-3 lovin’ chia seeds, and a sprinkling of dark chocolate chips. The wet batter is made up of spotty bananas, a generous scoop of protein-packed peanut butter, a splash of vanilla, and just a hint of sweetener to round it all out. I’ve been enjoying them around the clock, so it’s safe to say they work nicely as breakfast, snack, or even dessert. Your call.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2/3 cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 1/2 cup raw buckwheat groats, ground into flour
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 3 tbsp chia seeds
- 3 tbsp mini dark chocolate chips (such as Enjoy Life brand)
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 small-medium)
- 1/2 cup natural smooth peanut butter
- 1/4 cup coconut nectar syrup (or brown rice syrup)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch square pan with 2 pieces of parchment paper, one going each way. Tip – to get the parchment to stick to the pan, give the base a spray with olive oil and do this for the next paper too.
- Add raw buckwheat groats into a high-speed blender and blend on high until a fine flour forms. Whisk all dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
- Mash bananas until smooth and measure out 3/4 cups. Stir together the banana and all the wet ingredients in a bowl.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir well until combined. The dough should be very sticky!
- Scoop batter into prepared pan. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the batter and press it down to spread out the batter evenly. You can also remove the paper and wet your hands lightly and spread it out that way. Make sure it’s as even as possible.
- Bake at 350°F for 22-26 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the bread is firm to touch. Cool in the pan completely (I left it for 1 hour) before removing and slicing into bars.
Tip:
Raw buckwheat groats are not the same as kasha or toasted buckwheat. Raw groats have a milder flavour than toasted. You can find raw groats online, in some health food stores, or the bulk bins of Whole Foods. I buy mine in bulk from Upaya Naturals online. You might be able to substitute the ground buckwheat for oat flour, but I have not tried this myself. If anyone tries it, please leave a comment and report back.
Nutrition Information
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Hello
Thanks for the recipes. Where did you buy the gluten free rolled oates please??
I have never seen it in Australia as yet.
Kind regards
Maureen
Hi Maureen, Bobs Red Mill makes them – I find them in the natural food section of my grocery store, but you can buy them online too. Good luck!
I made this with agave nectar (had on hand) and I ran my regular sized chocolate chips through my hand crank nut chopper. I’m trying to get used to the crunch of chia seeds in baked goods (I sometimes sub them out for flax, like in your gingerbread), but these are really growing on me. Thanks for the recipe!
Where did you purchase the bar pan? I would love one of those.
I can’t do Walnuts, and I think Pecans are an issue too. Do you have a suggestion of a viable alternative? Thanks!
Looking foreword to trying some of your recipes! I keep wanting to eat vegan more but gluten and several nut intolerances have made me shy away…
Hi Daniel, What about sliced almonds? I’m sure any nut or seed of your liking would work. Enjoy!
I subbed oat flour and honey and they turned out so good. I LOVE them. Highlight of my day so far :)
Just made these before my yoga class (up at 6 AM, who am I?)
yummy!!! I used buckwheat flour instead of groats and it worked just fine. Also agave syrup because that was all I had.
These look like the perfect breakfast- yum! Can’t wait to try ’em :)
i was looking in whole foods and found organic buckwheat flour in the baking section, will that be okay ?
Hi Natalie, Does it say raw or untoasted? If it’s toasted buckwheat flour it will have a more pronounced earthy taste, but Im sure it will work! Let me know how it goes :)
Wow. Angela, these are incredible. I made a batch last night to bring on an a three day trip out of town. My fiance insisted I leave at least a few behind because he loved them so much. I had one for a mid-morning snack today and all of my co-workers were peaking. I get really tired of taking Lara Bars and Cliff Bars on trips, so these were a wonderful substitute. I will absolutely be making them again. Maybe another batch to take on the flight to Ireland in a few weeks??
This is a great tasting recipe that’s very yummy and healthy. I tried making this for breakfast earlier and my husband and son enjoyed it. I added a little maple syrup for flavor and sweetness!! Thank you for sharing!!
Just made these awesome bars last week. Unfortunately, we forgot to buy the coconut! They still turned out great though. All of my friends loved them. They beg me to bring them before every softball and soccer practice! Thanks for all the amazing recipes, I’ll continue to make them on my path to veganism.
– Kinsey
so glad to hear they turned out even without the coconut! :) Enjoy!
Dear Angela,
I made the banana bread protein bars using oat flour instead of the buckwheat groats one. Also, I substituted the walnuts with pecans and hazelnuts. I was truly amazed of how good this recipe turned out to be. I think these bars are my new favorite snack. Thanks again for sharing it with us.
-Chiara
Has anyone used almond meal/flour?
I have a bunch at home and would like to use it to make protein bars without using protein powder and am in search of a recipe so that I can use it up!
I love these! I have been buying bananas like crazy and waiting for them to ripen just right on the counter (impatient!) :-) so I can make another batch! Soooo good!
I subbed wheat bran for the groats – it adds fiber and a bit of hearty texture. I also subbed maple syrup for the brown rice syrup as I have never used brown rice syrup in baking but had plenty of maple syrup on hand!
The first couple batches I made in a big pan, and then cut into bars when cool. The most recent batch I made in a mini-loaf pan (think elongated cupcake wells) and they came out the perfect granola bar size.
Thank you so much for your recipes – they are accessible and easy and delicious! Love your images, too!
So glad you enjoyed them Ellary! Thank you so much for your feedback :)
Just made these today and substituted with sunflower butter, almonds and added dried cherries they were SO yummy!
Oh and added a scoop of protein powder:)
Ahhh delicious! love the ingredients in these as I dont like buying store granola/protein bars as always seem to have hidden sugars/chemicals – could I use coconut oil instead of nectar or is it too different??
I made these without chocolate & subbed oat flour. A filling a comfort food snack… It was just right for my mid-afternoon fuel!
I made these over the weekend. Super yummy!! Hubby loved them as well. Only extra thing I did was add chopped dates. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi there! I made these recently and they ROCK! I did substitute with oat flour and they turned out great for anyone who doesn’t have buckwheat groats. They are a wonderful snack for on the go. They keep great in the fridge! Thanks for another awesome recipe!
Can I just use buckwheat flour instead of groats and can i use date syrup instead of brown rice x
Hey Nell, Buckwheat flour (if made from kasha, which is toasted buckwheat) has a stronger, earthier flavour, so I’m not sure how it would impact the overall flavour of these bars. You can certainly try it! I haven’t tried date syrup in the bars, so it would be an experiment. Let me know how it goes if you try it!