Banana Oat Breakfast Bars

Currently these breakfast bars are hanging out near the top of my long list of favorites. I'm really loving them. I discovered the recipe a few months back when I was looking for some kind of breakfast bar that was easy to whip together using ingredients I usually have on hand, and was on the healthier side as baked goods like this go. Oh, and of course, they had to taste good too! This recipe easily meets all of these requirements. I love that they are full of hearty oats, sweetened with banana and just a hint of honey. I added pumpkin for extra moisture, which also adds a nice golden color without adding any additional flavor, I promise you won't even notice it's there. Plus, I love that I can add a vegetable into my breakfast treat and don't even notice it. My favorite way to eat these is by cutting them in half lengthwise and spreading both pieces with peanut butter, it's a perfect combination and a perfect breakfast.

The texture of these bars is a little different, not really bread-y the middle is almost creamy and custardy thanks to all the milk. I really like this, but if you prefer your baked goods a more firm, I'd be sure to bake them just a tad longer, but not too long that they dry out. The banana flavor really shines through, but I don't think the bars really taste like banana bread, they just taste like banana bars! The oats make them heart and chewy, just how I like it. And if you're into removing refined sugar from your diet, these are perfect; sweetened with banana and a little bit of honey. Skip the honey completely and you have no added sugar other than what's in the banana.The whole combination just makes me happy in the morning, it's a healthy and delicious alternative to my normal muffin.

Banana Oat Breakfast Bars
Adapted from Gringalicious
Ingredients

• 1 banana, mashed
• 1/2 cup (4.25 oz) canned pumpkin (or you can sub applesauce for a little more sweetness)
• 1 1/2 cups (12 oz) milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons (1.5 oz) honey
• 2 cups (7 oz) old fashioned oats 
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a small baking dish with parchment paper and spray the parchment paper with baking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the banana, pumpkin, milk, egg and honey. Add the oats, flour, salt baking powder and vanilla. Mix until just combined.

Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.

Yields: 8 bars

Nutrition: 197 calories each