Recipe: Banana Energy Bars (Vegan & Grain Free!)

I'm a girl who needs serious fuel. I have a crazy busy schedule and a pretty active life and that means I need fuel in my tank if I want to achieve all the things I've got to do. 

When I'm running here, there and everywhere, that fuel has to come in the form of quick and easy snacks - and today I'm sharing one of our latest faves. These snack bars were actually inspired by Banana Leda Bars and whilst they don't have the same texture (as Leda bars use dried banana), they taste EVEN BETTER!

You see, I wanted to create a snack bar that was packed full of goodness and flavour but also a bar that was gluten free, sugar free, egg free and vegan - and just so I could please everyone, I also wanted to make sure it was grain free with nut free options too!

They're the perfect snack to throw into your handbag on the way out the door and are great for lunchboxes as they can be customised to suit your needs.

They're filled with healthy fats and naturally sweetened and the recipe gives you the option to make it your own. Whether you want thick cakey bars or larger thinner bars, bars with raisins mixed throughout or big chunky walnut pieces - the choice is yours!

So let me share the recipe with you! >> 

Vegan & Grain Free Banana Energy Bars Recipe makes 12 bars 

low fat, gluten free, vegan, egg free, nut free option, refined sugar free, 

grain free, clean eating friendly, dairy free and peanut free 

1 1/2 cups (180g) gluten free besan flour (also known as chickpea or garbanzo bean flour - this gluten free garbanzo and fava bean flour mix also works!)

1/2 cup (60g) gluten free tapioca starch/flour

1/3 cup (~30g) shredded coconut (we use this unsweetened sulphur free one)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda 

1 cup (170g) dates (fresh medjool or dried dates both work) 

3 medium bananas (300g or ~1 1/3 cups mashed), mashed

1/2 cup milk of your choice (we used almond) 

1/4 cup (~30g) raisins - optional*

~1/4 cup (~50g) chopped/sliced almonds - optional*

• Preheat oven to 180C/355F. Line a 8x8" baking tin (for thick, cakey bars) or a 9x13" brownie tin (for bars the size pictured) and set aside.
• In a bowl, mix your flours, coconut and baking powder/soda and set aside. 
• In a food processor, process your dates until finely chopped. 
• Add in your bananas and milk and process until all of your banana is mashed.
• Add in your flour mix and pulse until just combined. 
• Stir through your mix ins, ensuring everything is incorporated and pour into your prepared baking tin, spreading the mix out to ensure it's even. 
• The thinner bars take around 15-20 minutes to bake whilst thicker bars will take between 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of your tin. Take them out as soon as a skewer inserted into the middle removes clean and  your bars are golden on top. 
• Allow to cool before slicing. Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for 2-3 days. These bars also freeze really well. We make up a big batch to free in individual freezer bags and then place all of the slices in a large ziplock bag so we can grab a bar whenever we need one. Defrost them in the fridge overnight, on the counter for a few hours or in the microwave. 

*Feel free to mix up the mix ins - we tend to use around 1/2 a cup of whatever we have on hand! Sometimes we'll mix through walnuts instead of raisins and almonds or use a variety of mixed nuts - or you can leave the mix ins out altogether.

But tell me, what are your go-to snacks at the moment?

And what's your favourite store-bought snack?

Lately I've been remaking all of my favourite store-bought treats as they're so much cheaper (and more delicious too!)