Baked banana bars recipe
Chewy and sweet yet brimming with wholesome, healthy ingredients, these baked banana bars are something of a one-bowl wonder. Whip up a batch at the weekend or one afternoon (they require minimal prep) and you’ll be set for quick breakfasts and on-the-go snacks all week long.
Developed by nutritionist and best-selling cookbook author Charlotte Stirling-Reed, this recipe features in her latest book How to feed your family: Your one-stop guide to creating healthy meals that everyone will enjoy. In it, Charlotte navigates the challenges of cooking for a young family, offering an array of recipes and suggestions for increasing veg consumption, eating more healthily and reducing food waste along the way.
On that note, next time you find yourself with a few overripe bananas, we highly recommend giving this recipe a whirl.
Things to note:
This recipe makes 24 small squares or 12 bars.
You will need a 20 cm (8 in) square shallow baking tin (pan).
The bars will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or can be wrapped in cling film or beeswax sheets and frozen individually, then defrosted on the counter overnight. You can also heat them in the microwave for 30 seconds if you’d like to serve them warm.
Charlotte says that this recipe is suitable for babies who have reached the stage when they can handle slightly more complex finger foods. If you do make them for babies or toddlers, grind the seeds to a powder, rather than adding whole (or just omit entirely).
For US ingredients and measurements, use the drop-down menu and select 'Cups'.
Ingredients
- 100 g rolled oats
- 180 ml milk of your choice
- 2 large, very ripe bananas
- 85 g sultanas, raisins, chopped dates or chopped dried apricots
- 0.5 tsp mixed spice, ground cinnamon or nutmeg, to taste
- 3 tbsp mixed seeds
- 3.5 oz rolled oats
- 6.3 fl oz milk of your choice
- 2 large, very ripe bananas
- 3 oz sultanas, raisins, chopped dates or chopped dried apricots
- 0.5 tsp mixed spice, ground cinnamon or nutmeg, to taste
- 3 tbsp mixed seeds
- 3.5 oz rolled oats
- 0.8 cup milk of your choice
- 2 large, very ripe bananas
- 3 oz golden raisins, raisins, chopped dates or chopped dried apricots
- 0.5 tsp mixed spice, ground cinnamon or nutmeg, to taste
- 3 tbsp mixed seeds
Details
- Cuisine: British
- Recipe Type: Snack
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 5 mins
- Cooking Time: 55 mins
- Serves: 12
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4 and line a 20 cm (8 in) square shallow baking tin (pan) with non-stick baking paper (parchment).
- Stir the oats, milk, bananas, dried fruit and spices together in a large bowl. Use a fork to mash the bananas, ensuring they are completely broken up and everything is combined.
- Spoon the mix into the prepared tin (pan) and use the back of a spoon to level the surface. Sprinkle the mixed seeds over the top. (If you plan to serve the bars to babies and/or toddlers, see note above).
- Bake in the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes, until the top is crisp and golden. Once cooked, remove from the tin (pan) and leave to cool on a wire rack until either warm or at room temperature.
- To serve, slice into 24 small squares or 12 larger bars.
Recipe adapted from How to feed your family: Your one-stop guide to creating healthy meals that everyone will enjoy by Charlotte Stirling-Reed. (Ebury Press) Photography by: Haarala Hamilton.
How to feed your family: Your one-stop guide to creating healthy meals that everyone will enjoy.
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