These spiced nutty banana oat bars are actually vegan and dairy free. And whilst I'm neither, I do like to experiment with different recipes so my housemate can try them, and even some of my colleagues. I find sometimes that vegan bakes can be a little bland, but the mixed spice in these counteracts that as well as the dark chocolate drizzle which finishes them off.
I actually started off with three over-ripe bananas, and not knowing what I wanted to do with them. See, I always make a banana loaf. And I do get a little like "been there, done that".. "had that a lot already". I wanted to do something a little different. Something which would be a good brekkie on the go. Especially for those mornings when I do kickboxing and I'm limited on time before my first meeting. Or when I need food quickly after a workout to bring my blood sugar back to normal. You know the days.
So thinking about breakfast biscuits, and how easy they are (yet really not exciting), I thought I'd make my own breakfast bars. Oat bars with nuts and seeds, made with peanut butter, to add the protein you need in your first meal of the day.
I didn't have golden syrup, and I didn't want to add too much sugar so went with maple syrup to keep them natural. I knew they might lose their flapjack edge without the syrup, so counteracted the loss of flavour and sugar with mixed spice. This gave them a sweeter edge and yummy flavour...although they're not as gooey as some flapjacks, so don't make these if you're looking for a gooey recipe, because this isn't. These are more healthy oat bars, than indulgent sweet treats. Although there's always space for both in your diet.. it's all about that balance.
The dark chocolate drizzle on top makes them feel a little indulgent, adds more sweetness and a tasty finish. I used a Doisy & Dam Coconut and Lucuma for extra flavour which was fab! The coconut just shining through. I do recommend getting this if you can, but good quality plain dark chocolate would work just as well.
I've been taking these to work this week, and enjoying alongside a piece of fruit first thing. I've really enjoyed it. It's been nice to have something different. What do you have when you fancy something different?
I've popped the recipe for these Spiced Nutty Banana Oat Bars with Dark Chocolate below. As always, let me know your thoughts!
Chloe xx