Description
Whipping up chocolate chip banana bars is a delightful way to rescue those overripe bananas sitting on your counter. These moist, sweet treats come together quickly and satisfy your afternoon snack cravings with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
Primary Ingredients:
- 3 ripe bananas
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup unsalted butter
Supporting Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Seasoning and Leavening Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Prep your 9×13-inch pan by lining it with parchment paper and heating the oven to exactly 350°F.
- Mash 3 ripe bananas thoroughly in a large bowl until they reach a smooth, creamy consistency.
- Beat ½ cup unsalted butter with ¾ cup brown sugar and ½ cup granulated sugar until the mixture becomes light and airy.
- Incorporate 2 large eggs and 2 tsp vanilla extract into the butter mixture, blending until completely smooth.
- Gently fold the mashed bananas into your wet ingredients, ensuring even distribution.
- Combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, and ½ tsp salt in a separate bowl.
- Slowly integrate the dry ingredients into your wet mixture, stirring carefully to prevent overmixing.
- Tenderly fold 1 cup chocolate chips and ½ cup chopped walnuts (if using) throughout the batter.
- Transfer the batter to your prepared pan, spreading it evenly with a spatula to create a smooth surface.
- Slide the pan into the preheated 350°F oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely in the pan for approximately 1 hour.
- Carefully lift the bars out using the parchment paper edges and slice into individual squares for serving.
Notes
- Overripe bananas make the most flavorful bars, so let those spotted bananas sit on the counter until they’re super soft and sweet.
- Soften butter at room temperature for about 30 minutes to ensure smooth, even mixing with sugars and creating a tender texture.
- Avoid overmixing the batter after adding flour, which can make the bars tough – stop stirring as soon as dry ingredients disappear.
- For a gluten-free version, swap all-purpose flour with a cup-for-cup gluten-free blend and check that your chocolate chips are also gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: Dessert Bars
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 243 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 141 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 37 mg