Berry Banana Bars (Nut-Free, No Added Sugar, and Plant-Based) Recipe
Use whatever berry you desire. We like to do half cranberries and half blueberries, but this would also work with strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc. Get those berry flavonoids in you however you can.
If your berries are frozen, nuke them in a microwave with the vinegar for a minute, let them sit out until thawed, or throw them in a pan on simmer. However you wanna get them unfrozen is fine.
Additional Flavors: add cinnamon, nutmeg, other sweeteners, and more salt per taste.
It’s all about forward movement around here, so this is a good oatbar to end on for awhile. It is created with the most frequency, takes the tiniest amount of time to whip up, has the smallest environmental footprint, and is the product of streamlining my first two oatbar variants.
What sets it apart from the decadent Cranberry Dark Chocolate Chip Oatbars? Though delicious, chocolate has a bit of a environmental footprint and should be enjoyed in considerate moderation as a treat, and not a staple. *sound of my Hobbit tooth wailing* And the powerful punch of almonds in the Strawberry Banana Oatbars comes with its own thirsty footprint. Again, fine in moderation, but if you have a tasty go-to bar for daily use, you can table the other recipes for as-needed treats.
I’ve covered the health of oats and berries in previous posts, but for a fun refresher:
Oats: they are full of beneficial fiber, protein, iron, and many other minerals.
Cranberries: packed with minerals and Vitamin C to help you absorb the iron of the oats, they even have cardiovascular benefits.
Blueberries: also boasting Vitamins C but they are rocking a lot of Vitamin K too, and “blueberries can help heart health, bone strength, skin health, blood pressure, diabetes management, cancer prevention, and mental health.”
Bananas: did you know bananas are hiding 2.5g of protein? (I previously had no idea.) We know they are bursting with potassium, but they also are high in B6 and Manganese.
Items needed to start a batch: oats, berries, bananas, baking powder, chia seeds, apple cider vinegar and oatmilk.
In this house, each batch is a little different. This one had some nutmeg and cinnamon.
Unlike the first two bars, this one is doubled up so it thoroughly fills a 9X13 and will power a family of 3 for a week. (Cut the recipe in half, share some with friends, or put extras in the freezer if this amount seems overwhelming.)
Those berry bags are resealable and make great reusable bulk-food bags, or can also be recycled where plastic bag recycling is accepted.
If you don’t have oatmilk on-hand, you can make some quickly by adding oats and water to a blender/nutri-bullet.
In this case, I combined 1 cup oats (plus the baking powder) and 2 cups water. I used the same Pyrex that held/heated up the berries so I could siphon off a little more berry flavor, and blended it for a minute.
Another occasional-add: nutritional yeast. Adds a buttery flavor and gives you some nutritionally needed B12.
This is the batter consistency you’re looking for. If yours is too thin: add a few more oats. If it’s too thick: add a little more oatmilk.
Sprinkle hemp-hearts on top if you want added crunch and health benefits. (<—full of protein, minerals, vitamins)
Take them out when a toothpick pulls out clean, but you’ll note that they can still appear too gooey when they come out. There are no eggs in here to worry about and they will solidify as they cool, so leave them be. <3
If you’re free of nut allergies, they taste fantastic with a side of peanut butter.
Like all my recipes, these will you fill you up with power, health, and kindness. Enjoy! <3
