You know those days when you get up at 4 a.m., prepare a healthy gourmet breakfast, and get all your work done before noon?
Me either.
But eating a healthy breakfast is a priority for me, so even though you won’t find whipping up a vegan hazelnut carob gateau de crepes every morning (or ever in my life), I always make sure there is something nutritious tucked away in my freezer for a quick, easy, and warm breakfast on busy mornings (isn’t that every morning?).
If you know me, you know that my freezer is always stocked with waffles because I can just pop them in the toaster while I get the nut butter, applesauce, and fresh fruit, and in 5 minutes I have a delicious and nourishing homemade breakfast.
But sometimes it’s nice to have something different for a change. These Banana Date Bars hit the spot.
Naturally sweet, nutritious, and very satisfying, these breakfast bars also freeze well, so they’re perfect for meal prepping. Make them ahead of time for a quick, easy, grab and go breakfast for the family to enjoy all throughout the week.
Why not just buy a packaged breakfast bar?
Those boxes of breakfast bars at the grocery store look so innocent and healthy in their beautifully persuasive packaging that boasts “whole-grain goodness”, “good source of fiber”, or “high protein”; but nearly every one is loaded with sugar, refined flour, refined oil, and a host of other weird ingredients that have no place in a supposedly nutritious food.
How healthy are bananas?
Very. Not only do bananas add natural sweetness to these healthy breakfast bars, but they also add fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. When included as part of a healthy diet, bananas have been shown to help with weight loss, protect against type 2 diabetes, strengthen the nervous system, and help with the production of white blood cells.
What I like about these Banana Date Bars:
They’re made with clean-eating, healthy, whole-food ingredients.
They contain no weird ingredients.
They’re loaded with fiber – so they’re really helpful for weight loss.
They’re made with heart-healthy oats.
They give you a good dose of omega-3s.
Even though they are slimming, they’re also filling – so you won’t be hungry two hours later.
If you use gluten-free oats, they’re gluten-free.
The nutrients in these Banana Date Bars provide you with energy to keep you going all morning long!
They are sugar-free.
They are dairy-free.
They’re vegan.
They’re oil-free.
They’re a fun recipe to make with your kids.
Grab a couple (or 3 or 4) of these bars along with some fresh fruit in the morning and you have a healthy, sugar-free breakfast
Sugar-Free Banana Breakfast Bars FAQ
Can I double the recipe?
If you double this recipe, bake it in two 8-inch x 8-inch dishes instead of one large dish to ensure it bakes thoroughly in the middle.
How long can I store the oatmeal bars?
Since the refrigerator tends to dry out these bars, if I want to make them ahead of time, I store them in a freezer-safe bags in the freezer. Packaged well, they’ll keep for about 3 to 4 months.
OR, if we’re going to eat them the very next morning, I’ll keep them on the countertop overnight and reheat them for 5 minutes or so in the morning.
Do I have to reheat the Banana Date Bars?
These bars definitely taste best warm. And the texture is best when they are warm. But they are easy to reheat.
How do I reheat the bars?
There are several ways you can reheat them.
- Place in a covered dish and reheat in oven at 350 for approximately 10 minutes.
- Heat in a toaster oven.
- Thaw slightly. Toast in toaster.
- Place in a cast iron pan. Cover. Heat over very low heat until they begin to brown on the bottom. Flip over and heat on the other side.
I try to remember to take these out of the freezer the night before we need them because they will them reheat more quickly.
Can I freeze these bars?
Yep.
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Sugar-Free Banana Date Breakfast Bars
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 8 2-inch bars
Naturally sweet with no sugar added! These delicious breakfast bars are made with healthy, whole-food ingredients, like heart-healthy oats, nutrient-rich bananas, and brain-beneficial walnuts.
Ingredients
- 2 cups quick oats (Use gluten-free quick oats to make these bars gluten-free)
- 3/4 cup chopped dates
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut (I use unsweetened shredded coconut)
- 1/2 cup chopped raw walnuts
- 1/4 cup date sugar
- 2 - 3 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups mashed, very ripe banana (about 3 medium bananas)
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients (first 7 ingredients).
- In another bowl, mash bananas with almond butter, and vanilla. Add this mixture to dry ingredients and mix well.
- Press mixture into an oiled 8-inch x 8-inch baking dish. (I used a glass baking dish.) Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes or until browned on the edges.
- Remove from oven.
- When cool, cut into 12 or 16 bars. If you plan to freeze these bars and you don’t have a wide-slot toaster, you may want to cut the bars crosswise also so they are thin enough to put in your toaster.
Notes
When I make these bars, I line the baking dish with parchment paper to keep the bars from sticking. I cut the paper a little larger than necessary so it hangs over on two sides so I can easily lift the bars out of the pan.
To Reheat
These bars taste best when warm. If you have leftovers, here are several ways you can reheat them.
- Place in a covered dish and reheat in oven at 350 for approximately 10 minutes.
- Heat in a toaster oven.
- Thaw slightly. Toast in toaster.
- Place single layer in a cast iron pan. Cover. Heat over very low heat until they begin to brown on the bottom. Flip over and heat on the other side.
Timing
These bars take about 20 minutes of hands-on time to prepare, but if you chop your dates and walnuts ahead of time (or buy pre-chopped ingredients), you can reduce that time to about 15 minutes.
Courses Breakfast
BANANA DATE BREAKFAST BARS is currently my favorite recipe. It tastes good for my whole family.
I’m presuming the bowl of dry ingredient and the bowl of wet ingredients are blended together before baking. Is that correct?
Yes, that is correct. Thank you for pointing out this omission. I’ll correct it in the recipe above.
Thank you,
Jennifer
Hi I have just found you when looking for a vegetable stock recipe and have made it according to your info and directions. It tastes good enough to eat as a soup but will be superb as a base for home made soups. Thank you for your clear comments.
I am seriously considering joining your slimming club but my problem is this: I live on a very small European island (MALTA) and don’t think it is possible to purchase some of the ingredients (for the date and banana breakfast squares. Just to mention one or two – almond butter, date syrup, unsweetened coconut. For raw walnuts could I just buy walnuts in their shells? Can I make almond butter myself at home? Sorry to be a pain but if it is difficult for me to follow the recipe instructions I wonder how I would get on with the Diet.
I would be grateful to hear your comments.
Kind regards,
June Clark
Hi June,
So glad you found this website! Sorry you aren’t able to get the ingredients to make these Banana Date Bars in Malta. Yes, you certainly could buy walnuts in their shells and crack them yourself. And you can make your own almond butter. And instead of the date sugar, you could just add a few more chopped dates, if those are available to you.
As far as the weight loss program, I think you’ll find that it will work great for you! When I designed the program, I kept in mind that the ingredients available in one country aren’t always available elsewhere (I’ve taught weight loss classes all over the world), so I tried to make the program very flexible. It offers many options – if one dish doesn’t work for you, you can use another.
Plus, through the support group you can connect with other members around the world and get easy substitution ideas from them.
I hope this is helpful for you.
Blessings,
Jennifer