Wholesome enough to fly as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up but scrumptious enough to satisfy sweet cravings, this healthy-dessert-meets-anytime-munchie is a recipe you can feel great packing for your kids’ lunches or rewarding yourself with after (or during!) a long day. They travel well for potlucks and picnics too. One of the reasons I adore banana recipes like these banana bars so much is that they allow me to sweeten up my baked goods more naturally.
Ripe bananas are sweet on their own, making them ideal for healthy desserts like these Banana Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips and these Healthy No Bake Cookies.
And when a dessert is better for you? You can feel great eating it more often. These banana bars are made from less processed ingredients and offer nutritional benefits too (just like the recipes on this list of 50 Healthy Desserts). A happy handful of chocolate chips on top certainly doesn’t hurt their appeal either! The ingredient lineup here is a more wholesome one. In addition to being naturally sweetened primarily with mashed banana, these banana bars are made without brown sugar. (I use coconut sugar, though you can swap in brown sugar if that is what you have on hand.) The banana bars are also 100% whole wheat. Even with these healthy swaps, however, this banana recipe will still satisfy any sweet tooth. I found a good reason to eat them at any time of day.
In the morning, I topped one of the banana squares with a generous portion of Greek yogurt and side of berries.After a workout, I grabbed one right out of the container and munched it while I finished off my water bottle. <—SUCH a perfect post-workout reward!For a mid-afternoon snack, I enjoyed these banana bars with applesauce.After dinner, I replaced the Greek yogurt with vanilla ice cream and—since we are all friends here—more chocolate chips.
How to Make Banana Bars
As written, these baked banana bars are sweet, but not overly so. Like these Strawberry Oatmeal Bars, and honestly the majority of the healthy dessert recipes on my site, they’re well balanced, nutritious, and hit the spot whether you need a 3 p.m. energy boost or a late-night treat.
The Ingredients
Banana. If you’re wondering what you can do with old bananas, this recipe is the answer! Overripe bananas are safe to eat, naturally sweet, and they’re truly scrumptious too. Plus, bananas are rich in potassium and fiber.Coconut Sugar. Coconut sugar is a more natural way to sweeten these bars.Milk. Helps keep these bars moist. I used unsweetened almond milk, but any milk you have on hand will work well. Vanilla. Enhances all the other flavors in the bars. Whole Wheat Flour. Whole wheat flour adds extra nutrition and a slight nuttiness that’s truly delicious.Cinnamon + Nutmeg. Warm and cozy spices that pair wonderfully with the banana. Chocolate Chips. Because chocolate chips are always a good idea!
The Directions
Banana Bar Recipe Upgrades
If you’d like to turn these light banana bars into a truly indulgent dessert, check out a few suggestions below.
Banana Bars with Peanut Butter Frosting. Peanut butter banana bars sound delish! Make the bars as directed. Let cool, then top with a peanut butter frosting. Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting. Make the bars as directed. Let cool and top with the cream cheese frosting from this dreamy Cranberry Cream Cheese Banana Bread.Banana Bars with Brown Butter Frosting. Top these bars with the scrumptious brown butter frosting from this Banana Bread Brownies recipe. Banana Bars with Glaze. Keep it sweet and simple. Drizzle the bars with a simple glaze like the ones on these Blueberry Oatmeal Bars.EVEN MORE ICING IDEAS. Banana bars with chocolate frosting or maple frosting would also be delightful.
Storage Tips
To Store. Store bars in an airtight storage container at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days.To Freeze. Freeze bars in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. If I’m trying to exercise serious self-control, I like to wrap and freeze my banana bars individually, then thaw them as cravings strike.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
Baking Pan. My all-time favorite baking pan.Parchment Paper. Helps keep the baking pan clean. (I love these precut sheets too.)Mixing Bowls. This set is perfect for making banana bread bars.
To keep the frosting from getting messy as the bars freeze, first place the bars in a container that is deep enough where the lid doesn’t touch the frosting.Place the container in the freezer.Once the bars harden, remove them from the container and wrap them tightly in plastic and/or foil to prevent freezer burn (since the frosting is frozen, it won’t become messy when wrapped).To thaw, unwrap the frozen bars, then let them thaw overnight in a deep container in the refrigerator. You can also simply wrap and freeze the frosted bars, then deal with messy frosting after they thaw. The bars will still be delicious!
Maple Bourbon Bars
45 mins
Healthy Pumpkin Bars
40 mins Leave a rating below in the comments and let me know how you liked the recipe.
Banana Bundt Cake
1 hr 40 mins
Banana Ice Cream
9 hrs
Banana Bread Brownies
1 hr 30 mins
