Flourless Banana Bread Bars (Dairy Free Option)

Got ripe bananas? These Flourless Banana Bread Bars are an easy way to use up those bananas with minimal ingredients.  No butter needed; just healthy ingredients like almond butter, gluten free rolled oats, and greek yogurt to blend with ripe bananas. The refined sugar free streusel-like topping is optional but delicious if you want to make these into a dessert bar! Dairy free option, too.

I collaborated with my good friends at Bob’s Red Mill for this gluten free Banana Bread Bars recipe post. As always, thanks for supporting the businesses that help to keep the Cotter kitchen grinding out recipes for you!

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Got ripe bananas? Got milk? Just kidding. But not on the bananas part, because we’re seriously going to utilize them today, and then some!

You see, if you were sitting across the table from me with a cuppa coffee in hand, I’d probably ask you first, how’s your day? And then second, tell me what you’ve been totally HOOKED on lately. Food and recipe wise that is! Then I’d share my latest “you must try these” food obsession. By the end of our coffee talk a chain of recipe swaps would have occurred.

My friends, these flourless banana bread bars is that type of MUST TRY recipe.

I may not be a true baker, however, I am a PRO when it comes to short cutting gluten free baking. And flourless baking for that matter. I hope you can appreciate that. Scrappy Chef Cotter at your service. (More tips for gluten free baking at the end of this post).

Now, about this healthy (healthier) banana cake-like bar with no flour or oil needed thing a ma jig. .

YAS!

I’ve made these banana bars four times in the past month, and 4 different ways! With a topping (streusel), without topping for no sugar added, with extra banana (to make these bars more dense), with ground almonds (almond meal), and with almond flour (versus almond meal) for a more cake like texture. Decision fatigue anyone?

So yes, you can make them five different ways but today we’re going with … drumroll please.

A flourless banana bread recipe in snack/dessert bar form.

Minimal ingredients. Easy peasy. Addicting.

That being said I’ll share all my notes of how to dress up these bars for dessert and more in the recipe notes. Sound good? Bob’s Red Mill has just about everything you need for all banana bread bar versions. Thank goodness!

Ingredients for FLOURLESS BANANA BREAD Bars:

• Gluten-free rolled Oats  from Bob’s Red Mill (for quick version, try out Bob’s Red Mill gluten free oat flour). Gluten Free rolled oats make a delicious superfood breakfast, yes. But did you know they also make for an amazing flour base? Just use a food processor or blender to grind your rolled oats into a flour.  Perfect for flourless baking!

• Almond meal (natural almond flour) – Almond meal is different than almond flour in that Natural Almond Meal (flour) is ground from whole almonds, skins and all. Almond flour is made from blanched almonds. Both perfect for paleo and gluten free, grain free baking. Both almond meal and almond flour work well with this flourless bar recipe. Texture will vary, but all in all the result is delicious. Note: If you can’t get your hands on pre-made Almond Meal, you can certainly make your own. Except, why would you when Bob’s has it ready and waiting for you…. just sayin (wink wink).
• Greek yogurt or non dairy yogurt/milk – Greek yogurt is a great substitute for oil or butter in this banana bread bar recipe. Plus it’s lower in fat and high in protein. If you can’t tolerate dairy, then swap the yogurt for non dairy milk or yogurt! Baking times will vary just a wee bit.
• Bananas – ripe as can be! Which you can mash in with the batter and slice for on top.
• Lastly you could make these bars with no stir sunflower seed butter or nut butter. No oil or butter needed

Optional mix ins and toppings.

Option one: No sugar added. Totally delicious but warning, they are not too sweet. So be sure to add a lot of sliced banana on top or mix into the batter if you are going to make these without sugar.

And option two? Haha, total opposite! Refined sugar free CINNAMON STREUSEL TOPPING made with oats or Almond flour. Mix in ½ c coconut sugar to the banana bread batter and add a cinnamon streusel like topping on top. Bam! A flourless Banana Bread dessert bar has been made.

Before we jump to the recipe, let’s go over a few more recipe tips.

FLOURLESS GLUTEN-FREE BAKING TIPS:

• Use a starch to help bind. For instance, here we used gluten free oats (grounded) and banana.
• Increase your leaveners. Instead of ¼ tsp, we are using close to 1 tsp.
• Lower baking temperature to 350F or sometimes even 325F if you are baking without eggs. Altitude baking not taken into consideration. Oye, that’s just trial and error in my house. Haha!
• Be patient, not every oven works the same. Sometimes gluten free baked goods will take longer or less time to bake. I always check about ¾ way through suggested cooking times.

Okay Okay, we are done going bananas over BANANAS. But you get what I’m saying here, right? You’re gonna want to save this recipe. Whether it be for a brunch snack cake, breakfast to go, or a dessert bar with refined sugar-free topping. Spring and summer brunch holidays are upon us, so might as well start collecting those easy desserts.

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Well, our coffee talk has come to end. But you still must tell me, what’s your latest MUST TRY recipe? Maybe add banana bars to that list… soon!

Cheers!

Keep up with the compassionate, fun-loving Bob’s Red Mill on social media. They are full of gluten free inspiration! Facebook, Twitter   Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest

LC