Vegan Caramelized Banana Granola Bars

a stack of vegan banana nut granola bars with caramelized bananas

5 from 12 votes

Vegan Caramelized Banana Granola Bars

These easy healthy Vegan Banana Nut Granola Bars are packed with deep caramelized banana flavor & are made with only a handful of ingredients. No refined sugar! Pack them for an amazing plant-based office snack, sweet breakfast on the go, or for road trips with hungry kids.

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Keyword: banana granola bars, banana oatmeal bars, vegan granola bar recipe

Servings: bars

Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

4 bananas , sliced into 1/2 cm thick slices
1.5 cup nuts , mix of walnuts cashews, almonds, pecans
1 cup oats
6 dates
1/4 tsp salt
cinnamon

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place sliced bananas on a parchment lined baking sheet. Add oats and nuts to another baking dish. Bake the sliced banana at 375 deg F (190 C) for 15 mins, Reduce temperature to 350 deg f (180 C) then add the nuts and oats to the oven and bake for another 15 mins. Let cool.
Alternatively, you can cook the bananas in a skillet with 2-3 tbsp non-dairy milk until caramelizing.
Add the toasted nuts and half of the oats to a food processor. Pulse to break the nuts into a coarse meal, then add dates along with the caramelized banana, and pulse to break down the bananas a bit. Add cinnamon, salt, the other half of the oats and pulse again until a dough like state. (If your dates are not very soft, process with the banana to break them down before this step)
Press this mix into a parchment lined brownie pan and bake at 300 F (150 C) for 20 mins.
Cool, slice and store refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

Video

Notes

You could add some vanilla essence and maybe some freshly grated nutmeg to add a little extra dimension.
Make sure you allow for them to cool completely before you cut into them, otherwise the bars may fall apart.
These would taste pretty great with coconut or pistachios as well.
If you are a fan of dried fruit, feel free to add some raisins, cranberries, dried cherries or apricots.
If you find yourself craving a little more sweetness you could add a handful of vegan chocolate chips.
For a nut-free version, you can simply use a mix of seeds instead of the nuts and add in some dried fruit for variety.

Nutrition