Banana Bread Protein Bars

These have become one of my favorite breakfast/healthy snack options ever since I tried them for the first time a few months ago. I make a double batch in a 9x13 inch baking dish, cut them into bars and store them in the freezer. They are perfect with a green smoothie for a healthy breakfast.

Banana Bread Protein Bars

Yield: 10 bars
Dry ingredients:

• 2/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup raw buckwheat groats*, ground into flour
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup unflavored protein powder
• 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 3 tbsp chia seeds
• 3 tbsp mini dark chocolate chips 
• 2 tbsp ground flax seeds
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt

Wet ingredients:

• 3/4 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 small-medium)
• 1/2 cup natural smooth peanut butter
• 1/4 cup coconut nectar syrup or brown rice syrup (Rachel's note: I use brown rice syrup)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line an 8-inch square pan with 2 pieces of parchment paper, one going each way. Tip – to get the parchment to stick to the pan, give the base a spray with olive oil and do this for the next paper too.

2. Add raw buckwheat groats into a high-speed blender and blend on high until a fine flour forms. Whisk all dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.

3. Mash bananas until smooth and measure out 3/4 cup. Stir together the banana and all the wet ingredients in a bowl.

4. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir well until combined. If it is too dry, you can add a bit of water. The dough should be very sticky!

5. Scoop batter into prepared pan. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the batter and press it down to spread out the batter evenly. You can also remove the paper and wet your hands lightly and spread it out that way. Make sure it’s as even as possible.

6. Bake at 350F for 22-26 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the bread is firm to touch. Cool in the pan completely (I left it for 1 hour) before removing and slicing into bars.

*Notes: Raw buckwheat groats are not the same as kasha or toasted buckwheat. Raw groats have a milder flavour than toasted. You can find raw groats online, in some health food stores, or the bulk bins of Whole Foods.

Read more: http://ohsheglows.com/2013/04/17/banana-bread-protein-bars/#ixzz2WhVXJmWo