Banana Oat Breakfast Bars

Sad, sad news. I found out I'm allergic to wheat. Like legitimately allergic, I'm not trying (or wanting) to jump on the gluten-free bandwagon.


With an allergy to wheat, I can still have items containing rye, just not foods with "wheat" in the ingredients. What is interesting about food allergies is that you can train your body over time to tolerate certain amounts, with appropriate guidance of course.


Finding out about this wasn't all bad. I'm taking it as a challenge to learn what my patients have to go through when they find out about new allergies or intolerances. So you know what that means....experimenting with gluten-free flours! My kind of fun!

I figured I would start out with something super simple - oat flour. You can buy oat flour (I use Bob's Red Mill) or you can make it yourself by grinding gluten-free oats in a food processor.

These breakfast bars are flavorful, soft, and moist. With no added oil this was definitely a surprise to me! Give them a go and let me know your thoughts in the comments!


Banana Oat Breakfast Bars
Slightly adapted from Ambitious Kitchen
Makes 12 bars


Ingredients:

• 2 cups oat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 medium ripe banana
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 large egg (or use 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons stevia
• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
• Optional chocolate drizzle:
• 2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x9 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. Place bananas, vanilla, egg, honey, and stevia in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Add to oat flour mixture and stir just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
4. Pour batter into baking pan, spreading evenly (batter may be a bit thick). Bake for 15 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test. Allow to cool 10-15 minutes.
5. Optional chocolate drizzle: Heat small saucepan on medium heat. Add coconut oil and allow to melt. Add chocolate chips and stir until melted. Drizzle on top of bars.
6. Cut bars into 12 pieces. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information (per bar):
Calories: 136 kcal,   Total carbohydrates: 25 gm,   Total fiber: 3 gm,   Total fat: 4 gm,   Protein: 3 gm