These Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars are easy to make using a granola bar mold and fun for kids to eat! Enjoy them for breakfast, pack them in lunches, or have them ready for an after-school snack. They are freezer-friendly, so they make a big batch of bars to have on hand at all times.
I have to admit that these Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars aren’t really different from banana muffins, but for some reason, my kids went crazy for them. I recently bought a silicone granola bar mold, and while I still haven’t made granola bars, these Banana Bread Bars have quickly become a favorite.
My youngest is in his pickiest eating stage yet, and at first, he didn’t even want to try these bars. But when he finally did, he didn’t want to stop eating them! I’ll report back with any other great kid recipes I come up with using this bar mold. 🙂
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bar Recipe Ingredients
- Bananas – I like to use four medium- to large-sized bananas in my banana bread. It’s best if they’re on the ripe side to add more sweetness to the recipe. Unfortunately, my bananas weren’t super soft in these bars, so you can see some banana chunks in them. They still taste great.
- Milk – I used plain, unsweetened almond milk in this recipe because that’s what I had on hand, but any kind of milk will work.
- Eggs – I use two large eggs. You can make this banana bread vegan using a vegan egg substitute, but the texture will be on the mushier side.
- Oil – You can use any mild-flavored oil in this recipe if it’s melted and at room temperature. I like to use vegetable-based oil or refined coconut oil.
- Coconut Sugar – I used half a cup of coconut sugar. Brown sugar can be substituted.
- Flour – I used regular, all-purpose flour. You can make this recipe using whole wheat flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour. Let me know if you have questions about other types of flour.
- Cinnamon – I love adding cinnamon to my banana bread; it adds a nice warming flavor.
- Chocolate Chips – I used semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can use any kind you like. Peanut butter chips would be delicious, too!
- Vanilla Extract
- Salt, Baking Soda, Baking Powder
How To Make Banana Bread Bars
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place your granola bar molds (I used these ones) on a large baking sheet. There’s no need to grease the silicone molds, but you may need to grease if using aluminum. Add the bananas to a large bowl and mash well. Banana bread is best when the bananas are super ripe! Next, add the coconut oil, eggs, coconut sugar, vanilla, almond milk, and maple syrup to a large bowl and mix until combined.
- Next, add the remaining dry ingredients and mix again until everything is well combined. Add the chocolate chips and gently fold them into the batter. Use a 1/4 cup scoop to scoop the batter into the granola bar mold. The batter should settle on its own into the mold.
- Bake banana bread bars until cooked through and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Once done, the bars will feel firm.
- Let banana bread bars cool in the mold for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool the rest of the way.
Banana Bread Bar Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I still make these if I don’t have a bar mold? If you don’t have a bar mold, you can either make muffins out of the batter or bake it on a thin baking sheet and then cut the thin banana bread into bars.
- Is this recipe gluten-free? No, but you can easily make it gluten-free by using good-quality, all-purpose gluten-free flour, and xantham gum.
- Is this recipe vegan? I added eggs to this banana bread recipe, but you can make it vegan using an egg substitute. You will also need to use dairy-free milk and vegan chocolate chips, but those should be easy to find!
- Can these bars be frozen? Yes! They can be frozen in an airtight, freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months.
- How long will leftover banana bread bars last? If stored in an airtight container they should stay fresh 4-5 days. They will last longer if you store them in the refrigerator.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below, and I will get back to you ASAP.
Looking For More Vegetarian Kid Friendly Snack Recipes?
Chocolate Covered Almond Butter Dates
PrintChocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars are made using a silicone granola bar mold and they are super easy and fun for kids to eat! Great for breakfast or snacks.
Ingredients
4 medium sized bananas, the riper the better
1/2 cup melted coconut oil, use refined if you don’t want it to taste like coconut
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place your granola bar molds (I used these ones) on a large baking sheet. There is no need to grease the silicone molds, but you may need to grease if using aluminum. Add the bananas to a large bowl and mash well. Banana bread is best when the bananas are super ripe! Next, add the coconut oil, eggs, coconut sugar, vanilla, almond milk and maple syrup to a large bowl and mix until combined.
- Next, add the remaining dry ingredients and mix again until everything is well combined. Add in the chocolate chips and gently fold them into the batter. Use a 1/4 cup scoop to scoop batter into the granola bar mold. The batter should settle on it’s own into the mold.
- Bake banana bread bars until cooked through and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Bars will also feel firm once done.
- Let banana bread bars cool in the mold for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool the rest of the way.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Snack, Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
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Abby says
These were a huge hit with my kids! I subbed the vegan ingredients for animal based ones like grass fed butter and whole milk. They turned out fantastic!
She Likes Food says
That is so great to hear, Abby!!
Charlotte says
Would it be possible to bake these in muffin tins if you don’t have the granola pan?
She Likes Food says
Definitely!
MO says
How long does it need to bake in the oven?
She Likes Food says
About 25-30 minutes 🙂
MO says
Delicious! Made tonight, super easy, moist and tasty! I love the bar concept too; like 16 mini banana bread loaves. Thanks for the recipe!
She Likes Food says
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed them! For some reason the mini bars are just so much fun, haha!