Chocolate and banana bars

Too much chocolate hanging about from Easter or last night’s binging session? Add them to these fibre-filled energy bars and grab yourself a slice with your tea or coffee.

You don’t need fancy equipment to assemble these healthy energy bars – simply mix, bake and portion into 12 squares for the perfect pick-me up treat or lunchbox filler.

To switch things up next time, try substituting the chocolate for the same quantity of nuts or dried fruit. Banana chips and pecans are my new favourite combo!

How To Make Chocolate And Banana Bars

• Chef Catling’s recipe notes
• Recipe: Chocolate and banana bars
• Frequently asked questions

Tips & Notes To Know

• Pick the ripest bananas: The skin should be spotty and/or brown in colour, to the point that the flesh is mushy in texture. This will help to produce the best – and sweetest – energy bars.
• Cover yourself (and the tin): Use baking parchment for easy removal. There’s nothing worse than leaving half the contents stuck to the bottom of the tin.
• Test for doneness: Check around 22 minutes in — a toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter).

Chocolate and banana bars

Serves: 12 Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 25 mins 25 mins

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Ingredients

Olive oil, for greasing
100g milk chocolate, broken into small chunks
100g wholemeal plain flour
50g caster sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground sweet cinnamon
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
30ml semi-skimmed milk
50g butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large free-range egg, beaten

Instructions

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180C and line a 8 x 8 inch baking tin with baking parchment. Brush lightly with olive oil and set aside.

Step 2
In a mixing bowl, combine the milk chocolate chunks with the plain flour, caster sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and a pinch of salt.

Step 3
In a second bowl, add the mashed banana and stir in the milk, melted butter, vanilla extract, and the beaten egg.

Step 4
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine until there is no flour visible. Pour into the prepared tin and smooth the top.

Step 5
Bake the chocolate and banana bars for 22-25 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Step 6
Cool on a wire rack, then cut into 12 squares before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions?

How Long Will These Chocolate And Banana Bars Keep For?

Stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place, the chocolate and banana bars will keep for up to 4 days. Alternatively, they’ll last for up to a week in the fridge or three months if you choose to freeze them.

I like to have an emergency stash ready and waiting in the freezer. Let them sit at room temperature for an hour and they’ll be ready to eat.

Can I Substitute Wholemeal Flour For Plain Flour?

You can use either or half and half if you prefer. Just know that wholemeal flour is slightly nutty in taste and higher in fibre, hence it is more filling.

When baked, plain flour produces a softer texture whereas wholemeal flour benefits from adding a bit more liquid (hence the milk) to compensate for the dense and coarser texture of the bran.