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Banana and chocolate chip bars are moist, chewy, slightly fudgy, and loaded with vegan chocolate chips in every bite! They’re a crowd-pleasing breakfast, snack, or dessert using leftover ripe bananas, now made 100% dairy and egg-free!
Why You’ll Love Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bars
We’re no strangers to the combination of plant-based chocolate and banana, regularly throwing vegan chocolate chips into our banana pancakes, muffins, and banana bread. Now, get ready to fall in love with these moreish vegan chocolate chip banana bars.
These easy banana bars are a delicious alternative to banana bread, with a texture somewhere between that and blondies (so denser and chewier), made even more addictive with PLENTY of melty vegan chocolate, because duh! The result is a highly requested, crowd-pleasing treat.
Best of all, this recipe is so easy to throw together with inexpensive pantry staples (also highly flexible and customizable) and simple steps in under an hour. Plus, we’ve now made them egg and dairy-free, so more of the family can enjoy them regardless of dietary requirements – with no sacrificing texture or flavor!
Looking for more simple banana-based snacks? Try choc chip banana bites, peanut butter and chocolate-covered bananas, or banana oatmeal zucchini cookies.
The Ingredients
What Could I Add To Banana Bars
This vegan chocolate chip banana bars recipe is customizable with all your favorite mix-ins alongside or instead of making the banana bars with plant-basedchocolate chips.
- Cocoa powder: For a double plant-based chocolate banana bar recipe, add 3-4 tbsp cocoa powder and a splash of extra plant milk.
- Berries: Use about ¾-1 cup fresh or frozen (no need to thaw) blueberries, raspberries, chopped strawberries, etc.
- Nuts: Add ¼-⅓ cup chopped walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, pistachios, etc.
- Coconut: Add 3-4 tablespoons of unsweetened shredded coconut for flavor/texture.
- Dried fruit: Like raisins, cranberries, or chopped dates/apricots for sweet chewiness.
- Nutmeg: Just a tiny pinch for more warm depth.
- Almond/Peanut butter: Microwave until drippy, then swirl into the top before baking the vegan banana and chocolate chip bars.
- Jam/jelly: Likewise above, add a few dollops and swirl into the top of the batter.
- Glaze: Add a simple vanilla or cinnamon powdered sugar glaze for decadence.
- Vegan frosting: i.e., vegan cream cheese frosting, Biscoff frosting, peanut butter frosting.
How to Make Banana and Chocolate Chip Bars
Step 1: First, preheat the oven to 350F/175C and grease or line a 9×13-inch baking pan/dish. Then, in a small bowl, beat the flax meal and water for about a minute, then transfer it to the fridge to thicken for 10 minutes.
Step 2: Meanwhile, using a fork/potato masher, mash the bananas in a large bowl.
Step 3: Stir in the remaining batter ingredients (oil, plant milk, vanilla, flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt), including the flax eggs.
- Be careful not to over-mix the batter. Do so only until everything is combined.
Step 4: Fold in ¾ cup vegan chocolate chips/chunks, then pour it into the prepared pan.
Step 5: Sprinkle the remaining vegan chocolate over top, then bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (or with a few moist crumbs).
Step 6: Allow it to sit in the pan for 10-15 minutes before transferring it to a wire cooling rack to fully cool. Finally, slice into bars or squares, and enjoy!
Enjoy a vegan chocolate chip banana bar alone or served warm with tea/coffee and a scoop of vegan ice cream or some plant-based whipped cream/yogurt and berries.
FAQs
We use enough flax egg mixture to replace 2 medium chicken eggs. You may be able to use unsweetened applesauce instead, though the texture of the bars may change slightly.
Yes, but thaw them first and drain any excess liquid.
Although we haven’t tried it, we imagine you could replace the AP flour with a gluten-free all-purpose blend, like King Arthur’s or Bob’s Red Mill. The gluten-free chocolate chip banana bars may be slightly drier and/or denser, though.
Oil helps make tender, moist vegan banana and chocolate chip bars. However, you could likely replace up to 50% of oil with applesauce without negatively affecting the texture.
Pro Recipe Tips
- Measure the flour correctly: Fluff it in its bag, spoon it into the measuring cup , and level it with the back of a knife rather than scooping it straight from the flour bag. Too much flour makes dense banana bars.
- Use very ripe bananas: They’re easier to mash but also sweetest for the best overall flavor and texture.
- Don’t over-mix the batter: You could overwork the gluten in the flour and end up with denser, drier banana bars.
- Experiment with add–ins: With so many options, have fun experimenting with this flexible banana chocolate chip bars recipe.
Storage Instructions
Store the banana and chocolate chip bars in an airtight container on the counter for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. They taste even better on day two.
You can also freeze them for up to 3 months, sliced and layered with parchment or wax paper between the layers. Allow one to thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours, in the fridge overnight, or from frozen in a toaster oven/microwave.
Banana Chocolate Chip Bars
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds
- 6 tablespoons of water
- 4 large ripe bananas, peeled
- ¼ cup of vegetable or canola oil
- ½ cup of plant-based milk (any variety)
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour
- ½ cup of brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1 cup of non-dairy semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9×13 baking pan or dish.
- In a small bowl, beat together the flaxseed meal and water for 1 minute. Place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
- Using a fork or potato masher, mash the bananas and stir in the oil, plant-based milk, vanilla, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and flaxseed mixture until it’s well-combined. Fold in ¾ cup of the vegan chocolate chips (or chunks).
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top, and bake for 50 minutes. Test by sticking a toothpick in the middle of the loaf. If the toothpick comes out dry, the loaf is done. If it’s not, bake in 5 minute increments until the toothpick comes out dry.
Video
Notes
- Measure the flour correctly: Fluff it in its bag, spoon it into the measuring cup , and level it with the back of a knife rather than scooping it straight from the flour bag. Too much flour makes dense banana bars.
- Use very ripe bananas: They’re easier to mash but also sweetest for the best overall flavor and texture.
- Don’t over-mix the batter: You could overwork the gluten in the flour and end up with denser, drier banana bars.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
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Such a yummy sweet treat!