GRAB & GO: BANANA SNACK BARS

5-6 bars, 20-25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium ripe bananas, smashed (option to sub 4 tbsp pumpkin puree or applesauce - I haven't tried that, but I bet it would be good)

• 2 tbsp + 2 tsp maple syrup

• 4 tsp almond butter or another nut/seed butter

• 4 tsp ghee or coconut oil

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup flour (GF flour blend or oat flour)

• 1/2 cup almond flour

• 1/4 cup hemp seeds

• 1 tsp cardamom seeds, freshly ground (or sub sweet spice mix)

• 1/4 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 2 tbsp optional mix-ins (nuts, seeds, chocolate chips)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Mash the bananas with a fork or potato masher.

3. Then mix in the maple syrup, ghee, almond butter, and vanilla. Then add the rest of the ingredients and mix into a dough (should be a cookie-dough type of consistency).

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using clean hands, form the batter into bars or cookie shape, about 1/4 cup scoop each, or your desired size.

5. Bake for 13-15 minutes. Allow to cool. Enjoy warm or room temperature!

#vata #pitta #kidfriendly #summer #spring #winter #fall #breakfast #snack

recipe adapted from minibatchbaker.com

Notes

• As a mom, I noticed that most snack bars are either super expensive or filled with sugar and questionable ingredients. Then I thought, I can easily make these and ensure they are good for my toddler. So, I found this copy-cat recipe for Simple Mills almond flour soft-baked bars from minibatchbaker.com and then tinkered with the recipe to make it balanced, nutrient-rich, and more digestible for my toddler.

• It may be fun to switch up the flavor (pumpkin or applesauce instead of banana), depending on the season.

• I find that if I make them too thick, they become too dense and are hard to cook all the way in the center. So, I make them a little bit bigger than cookie shape, not super thick in the middle, and that works well.

• Good for kids, no matter the dosha - especially considering the alternative kid snack bars. Generally, kaphas would want to have these in moderation - although, they are not terrible for them - perhaps try applesauce instead of banana to off-set the heaviness of banana. Best overall for vata & pitta.