Paleo Banana Breakfast Bars

Dairy-free, grain-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free

I love fruit. There is pretty much no fruit I do not like (well, except for papaya). When I was younger, I would eat about 4 apples a day, probably some grapes, maybe some berries. But there was one fruit that I wanted to like, but just never really craved it on its own: bananas.

I do not reach for a banana as a snack. However, I will reach for a slice of banana bread or the like. Basically, I only eat bananas when they are made into a baked good. It might have to do with the fact that I would only get banana bread when we were in Martha’s Vineyard and would go with my dad to this one local coffee shop in the mornings. I would get to choose whatever I wanted to each on the boat ride back and I always went between banana bread and a cinnamon roll. 

I have made a lot of banana breads. I have made a lot of banana desserts. This was my attempt at making something that was somewhere between a breakfast bit and a dessert treat. These bars are lusciously soft and moist in the center, slightly chewy on the edges and jus the right amount of sweetness. They are easy to make and add whatever you like to them. 

Tahini

The secret to these bars is tahini. Bananas are naturally very sweet and slightly floral in flavor. While that is [part of what I love about bananas, their natural sweetness needs to be balanced out. Tahini is a great way to do that since tahini has a subtle savoriness and a nutty flavor. That slight savoriness tamps down the floral flavor of bananas. While I like to use a mixture of tahini and olive oil (for that added moisture), you could use all tahini and get a boost of that savory, nuttiness. 

If you are going to use tahini, make sure that it is a good tahini. Some can be incredibly acerbic and strong in flavor (not in a good way); these are not the good ones. Soom is probably the best tahini I have ever had (no I am not sponsored by them, just love it). Just order some, give it a try and you will be hooked. 

Date Syrup

I love date syrup. I discovered it about 2 years ago and fell in love with its caramel-like flavor and texture. It really is hard to believe that it is just dates. While you can certainly use maple syrup or agave nectar, date syrup adds that vanilla-caramel sweetness to these bars the I love. Not to mention it imparts a dark amber color to the batter. 

You can get date syrup at Whole Foods or online. I use either Soom Foods’ Silan or the Date Lady’s date syrup.  

Coffee 

I love coffee in almost any form. In these bars, coffee helps to boost that toasted, roasted flavor that helps to balance out the sweetness from the banana, date syrup and coconut sugar. I will go between using finely ground coffee or espresso powder to add a little bitterness. Sure, you can get an added caffeine boost, but really the bitterness is what we are going for here. 

It is important that you use a finely ground coffee; you do not want to munch on gritty coffee. You can also use instant espresso powder, which I always have in my pantry. 

Alright, short and sweet today; let’s get to the good stuff. 

Recipe

210g (about 1 cup, 2 medium) bananas, mashed 

40g (about 3 tbsp) tahini 

20g (about 2tbsp) olive oil 

70g (1/4 cup) date syrup 

45g (1/4 cup) coconut sugar 

1 large egg 

185g (1 3/4 cups) superfine almond flour 

30g (1/4 cup) tapioca flour 

6g (1 tbsp) flax meal 

1/2 tsp baking soda 

1/2 tsp salt 

1 tsp finely ground coffee

Optional: 80g (about 1cup) chopped paleo chocolate 

Additional tahini for drizzling on top

Preheat the oven to 350F and liberally grease an 8 inch square baking dish (you can also line with parchment paper).

In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, tapioca flour, flax meal, coffee, baking soda and salt. Mix together and make sure to get out any lumps of almond flour. Set aside. 

In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork or a whisk (leave a few chunks; we all like a few chunks). Once mashed, add the tahini, olive oil, date syrup and coconut sugar; whisk to combine it all. Add the egg and whisk again to incorporate. Add the dry mix to the wet and stir together. Add the chocolate chips (holding back some to sprinkle on the top).

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, using a spatula smush it into the corners and even it out. Drizzle with tahini and sprinkle chocolate chips and flaky sea salt across the top. 

Bake for 30-35 minutes. The edges will turn golden brown and pull away from the side. The middle will stay pretty soft, but have no fear; it is done and gooey delicious. 

Let cool completely before slicing and serving with another drizzle of tahini, maybe top with almond milk yogurt. Or just have one as a morning snack before work. 

Store at room temperature in an airtight container for a week. You can also package the individually, freeze them and keep in the freezer for an easy breakfast! 

Variation: you can make this in a cast iron skillet for a seriously good brunch treat. Use a 9-inch cast iron skillet, liberally greased. While you are making the batter, put the cast iron pan into the pre-heating oven. When the batter is ready, pour it into the hot cast iron skillet and then place back into the oven and bake. This will give you a super crisp edge and a gooey center.