Description
Chocolate chip banana bars become the perfect sweet treat when ripe bananas meet chocolate in a quick, delightful bake. Grab your mixing bowl and whip up this simple snack that delivers comfort and flavor in one delicious square.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 cup mashed bananas
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup all purpose flour
Supporting Ingredients:
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter
Finishing Ingredients:
- ¾ cup mini chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare an 8×8 inch metal pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Melt ½ cup unsalted butter in the microwave for 1 minute. Let it cool until warm but not hot.
- Whisk ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 cup flour, and ½ teaspoon salt together in a separate bowl.
- In a large bowl, blend the melted butter with ¾ cup brown sugar until smooth.
- Add 1 large egg, 1 cup mashed bananas, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Whisk until combined.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two batches. Mix until just incorporated.
- Stir in ½ cup of mini chocolate chips, saving the remaining ¼ cup for topping.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips on top.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan at room temperature.
- Use the parchment paper to lift the bars out and slice into 16 equal pieces.
Notes
- Always use ripe bananas with plenty of brown spots for the deepest, sweetest flavor in your banana bars.
- Let the melted butter cool slightly before mixing to prevent accidentally cooking the egg when combining ingredients.
- Fold dry ingredients gently to keep the bars tender, stopping just when the flour disappears to avoid tough texture.
- For gluten-free bars, swap all-purpose flour with a cup-for-cup gluten-free blend and check baking time 2-3 minutes earlier.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
- Category: Dessert Bars
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 226 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 138 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 2.5 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg