Blueberry Banana Bars

When we started our health journey I was introduced to all kinds of new cooking and baking ingredients.

I like to keep things simple so I tend to gravitate towards things that I would most likely have on hand. It's the worst feeling when you want something, gather everything but are missing just one or two things!

These bars are just one bowl - no mixer needed - super easy - quick - and a tasty treat.

This recipe is Paleo and Gluten Free friendly. It uses almond flour, does not have any refined sugar and there is no dairy. I have never tried to substitute other kinds of flour or sweeteners for these bars.

Almond flour (not almond meal) can be found in most grocery stores. It can also be made by using a food processor to finely grind up almonds. This is what I did for years until my Blendtec died. Now I prefer the Bob's Red Mill brand.

This batter could easily be divided into muffin cups. For muffins, spray the inside of the cupcake liners with nonstick spray and fill the cups 3/4 full to allow for rising.

Coat the blueberries in a bit of flour. This way they won't sink to the bottom of the pan when cooking.

If you don't want the blueberries to pop, use frozen ones or take the fresh berries and put them in the freezer.

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas

1 tsp Baking Soda

2 Eggs

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup Honey

2 1/2 cups Almond flour

1/2 tsp Baking powder

1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

3/4 cup Blueberries

Instructions:

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees.

2. In a bowl mash the bananas with a fork until they are smooth.

3. Add the baking soda and stir.

4. Add eggs, vanilla, honey, almond flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir it all together until mixed well.

5. Add your flour-coated blueberries and gently fold them into the batter.

6. Pour into a greased 9x9 baking pan.

7. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Check the center with a toothpick to see if it is done. My oven needs 30 minutes and all ovens vary a bit.

8. Put the pan on a cooling rack before you cut them.

9. I can get 9 big squares or 12 smaller squares per pan.

10. Store in an airtight container

I prefer to use Thrive Market or all my pantry and fridge items. Check out the store and get 25% off your first order. Thrive Market.

Nutrition (from MyFitness Pal):

1 bar (from a 9 bar pan)

A smaller bar would lower these numbers

Calories: 255

Total Fat: 16.8

Cholesterol: 41.3 mg

Sodium: 242.1 mg

Carbohydrates: 22.8 g

Fiber: 4.5 g

Sugar: 13.1 g

Protein: 8.5 g

Calcium: 16.9%

Iron: 7%