Banana Peanut Butter Granola Bars (No Refined Sugar)

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We made granola bars this week and I have to tell you about them, because they are one of the better-tested versions I have found. The combination of banana and peanut butter keeps them moist without needing tons of butter or oil, and my favourite part: there is no refined sugar in these at all. They are sweetened naturally with honey (or maple syrup if that is what you have).

Very brown bananas are perfect here, so this is also what to do with the ones nobody on the counter is going to eat.

Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas (very brown is perfect), mashed
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 1/3 cup honey (or maple syrup)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional, but highly recommended)

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 325°F (160°C).
2. Line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment.
3. Mash bananas until mostly smooth.
4. Stir in peanut butter, honey and vanilla.
5. Mix in oats, cinnamon, salt, seeds, nuts and any extras.
6. Fold in chocolate chips last.
7. Press very firmly into the pan. This is the secret to bars that do not crumble.
8. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly golden around the edges.
9. Let cool completely, then refrigerate for an hour before slicing.

A couple of notes from my kitchen: I doubled the batch in a 9x13 pan last night and it turned out awesome, and I used my KitchenAid stand mixer to make the mixing easy.