Baked Banana Oatmeal Bars

This is a delicious, super healthy bar that is perfect for snacking and taking on the go! These bars are softer and more moist than traditional granola bars and can be enjoyed both cold or heated. It will fill you up and give you energy that lasts - plus they are a lot cheaper to make than it is to buy a box of granola bars at the grocery store. You can also customize this recipe to your preference by adding in any type of dried fruit or nuts you like!

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/3 cup raisins or dried cranberries

1/3 cup chopped nuts and/or seeds -
I have made these using a mixture of walnuts and almonds and also with sunflower seeds

1 egg, lightly beaten - You can use a flax egg or egg replacer to make this recipe vegan

1 large or 2 small ripe bananas, mashed

1 and 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8" or 9x9" baking pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, baking powder, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, dried fruit, and nuts. In a separate bowl, mix the egg, banana, almond milk, and vanilla until combined. Add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and evenly spread with a spatula. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until it is firm. Let cool completely on a wire rack, then cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container or individually wrapped in plastic.

*Recipe adapted from Oh She Glows