Banana, Walnut and Cacao Bars

By lovinghomemade on September 18, 2016 • ( 3 )

I have so many recipes that use bananas as an ingredient that I could almost write a cookery book on those alone. I’m always ready to try a new one, especially as I often find I have over-ripe bananas… The recipes are generally quickly and easily made and make cake a little more healthy: not only does banana bread contain fruit, you are also replacing some of the refined sugar with fruit sugar.

This is a dense, tasty bar and in this recipe I have tried to optimise the healthy aspects without losing any of the taste. I have used agave instead of adding refined sugar, included walnuts and ground flaxseed for extra Omega 3 and fibre and used cacao powder for the benefits that can bring (although I’m not sure if they are all destroyed by cooking but it makes for a delicious chocolately bar). I have used light olive oil instead of butter, not because there is anything wrong with butter, just because it makes it a super quick method. You can make this in a 2lb loaf tin but I thought bars would make a nice change to a loaf. I took them to my brother’s when I went to visit: it was great with strong coffee in the morning, as well as tea in the afternoon!

If you don’t know what to do with your over-ripe bananas, this cake is a great option!

Recipe

Ingredients

100ml light olive oil

100g agave syrup

2 eggs

3 ripe bananas, mashed

100g walnuts, chopped

150g SR flour

70g cacao powder

30g ground flaxseed

Method

Set the oven to 170°C and grease and line an 8″ square tin if you want bars, or a 2lb loaf tin for a loaf.

Beat the oil, syrup and eggs together for a minute or two, to combine and get a little air into them.

Add the mashed bananas and chopped walnuts and mix in.

Sieve in the flour and cacao powder and add the ground flaxseed. Fold in, making sure the mixture is properly combined and there are no lumps of flour in it.

Tip into your prepared tin and level gently.