It’s that classic question… What can I do with these overripe bananas sitting on my counter?

I mean no disrespect to banana bread, but sometimes I just want something else. Something light and fresh tasting.

These delicious banana bars are a YES to light, YES to fresh, a big YES to new. They’re a family favorite in my parent’s house, but I’ve honestly never tasted anything quite like them anywhere else.

The only downside I’ve found to this recipe is that whenever I bring these to parties I usually have to explain what they are… turns out banana bars aren’t as self explanatory as brownies or chocolate chip cookies haha. This ends up giving me a great chance to showcase this awesome bake though!

We hope you enjoy this banana bar recipe as much as we do!

WHAT YOU’LL LOVE ABOUT THIS RECIPE

♡ These delicious banana bars are so LIGHT, I sometimes feel like I could finish off half the cookie sheet and still want more!

♡ Super MOIST - The result of butter + olive oil + banana in this recipe is an incredibly moist dessert.

♡ EASY: Hard to mess this recipe up. It’s one of those things that you really just need to mix it up (with very few special instructions) and before you know it, the batter will be ready to spread out on a cookie sheet. Also, let’s mention the cookie sheet! Forget the time-consuming process of shaping individual cookies. All you need to do here is pour the batter onto a pan. My favorite!

♡ QUICK: I can have this dessert done and ready to eat in 30 minutes or less (depending on how much I’m multitasking while baking).

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST BANANA BARS

1) Cream the butter and sugar well! This will help the banana bars be airy, light, and fluffy.

2) Don’t go light on CINNAMON SUGAR! It is a healthy-ish dessert, but it’s still a dessert. Make sure to treat yourself and get enough sugar on the top of these.

3) Use parchment paper on the bottom of the cookie sheet so the banana bars don’t stick! This will also make the pan easier to wash. See the recipe instructions for more information regarding this step.

SERVING IDEAS

FRESH (obviously) - Like most desserts, these are often best fresh out of the oven!

With VANILLA ICE CREAM

FROZEN - I’m hesitant to add this one because I’m not sure if anyone else will like it… but it’s one of my favorite ways to eat banana bars, so here we go! If I ever have a few extra banana bars after serving this dessert, I’ll put them in a container in the freezer. Rather than reheat them for a few seconds in the microwave, I love to eat these FROZEN. It’s seriously so good. Let me know if you try it out and like it!

STORAGE

If I have leftovers, I usually put plastic wrap over the cookie sheet with the extra bars on it and then bring it out after dinner the next day. I don’t recommend storing these for more than a few days on your counter because they are so moist.

If you still have leftovers after a few days, try freezing these either in a container with a lid, or in a plastic bag. You can either snack on these when they’re frozen OR reheat them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.

INGREDIENTS

- Sugar

- Butter: Melted butter makes this batter easier to mix. I've made these recipe both ways (melted butter and non-melted butter) and both have turned out delicious.

- Olive Oil: Half the fat content in this recipe is olive oil, which is a MUCH healthier alternative to butter. The great thing is, you can’t actually taste a difference in the banana bars! This isn’t one of those healthy tricks that end up tasting worse! Olive oil is associated with many health benefits including decreased inflammation, protection against cancer, and lower risk of heart disease. Be sure to buy extra virgn olive oil if you want to maximize the health benefits of this oil!

- Vanilla

- Eggs: Also helps with the rise and serves as a binder.

- Mashed Bananas: A natural sweetener, the main flavor, and helps make this dessert incredibly moist and delicious. Make sure the bananas are ripe (leaning toward over ripe). If you use a yellow banana, the banana bars won’t have as much flavor or be as sweet. You want the banana skins to have plenty of brown spots on them.

- Flour

- Salt

- Baking Powder: Crucial in helping the banana bars to rise!

- Cinnamon: Pairs incredibly well with bananas :)

HOW TO…

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, olive oil, eggs, and vanilla. I like to use beaters to cream these ingredients together. I usually mix it on high-speed for 1-2 minutes.

Meanwhile, begin mashing the bananas. You can put the whole banansa straight into the butter/sugar mixer and use the beaters to mix it in, or you can smash the bananas before adding them in (as I have done in this picture). The benefit of smashing the bananas before adding them into the butter/sugar mixture is that you can measure out exactly how much mashed banana you have.

Once the banana is well mashed, add 1 cup of it into the butter/sugar mixture. This usually ends up being about 3 bananas. It’s totally okay to add in a little extra banana… I usually add a heaping cup (as seen in the picture).

Mix the banana to the butter/sugar mixture. Once the mixture is well combined, start adding in the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well.

Now that the ingredients are combined, you can prepare your cookie sheet. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the cookie sheet. This isn’t necessary, but it helps the banana bars to not stick to the pan and it cuts down on the amount of scrubbing you have to do when you’re washing the cookie sheet later.

Put the parchment paper down in the cookie sheet and grease the sides of the cookie sheet (where the parchment paper doesn’t cover).

Begin pouring the batter into the cookie sheet and spreading it out to create an even layer of batter over the entire cookie sheet.

Once the batter is evenly coating the bottom of the pan, begin sprinkling the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the banana bar batter. Don’t go too skimpy on the cinnamon-sugar. You don’t want to heap it on, but you also don’t just want a light sprinkle. We’re looking for more of an even coating over the entire pan.

Feel free to sprinkle a little bit more cinnamon over the top of the banana bar batter to make sure it’s got enough :)

Bake the banana bars at 400 degrees F for 12 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the thickest section of bars.

Take the pan out of the oven and let it cool. Cut the banana bars into rectangular pieces. I usually get about 20 banana bars from one cookie sheet, but you can get more or less depending on how big you cut them.

Ingredients:

Directions: