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Banana Split Quinoa Oat Bars

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The heart-healthy power bars have all the ingredients one might have on a banana split: made with quinoa, rolled oats, dried cherries, nuts and honey. Plus antioxidants from the cinnamon and chocolate – and they taste good too!

The heart-healthy power bars have all the ingredients one might have on a banana split: made with quinoa, rolled oats, dried cherries, nuts and honey. Banana Split Quinoa Oat Bars

I love making bars for the easiest on-the-go snack. A few of my favorites are Chewy Pecan Raisin Chocolate Granola, Skinny Cranberry Bliss Bars and Morning Maple Cranberry Pecan Oat Bars.

The heart-healthy power bars have all the ingredients one might have on a banana split: made with quinoa, rolled oats, dried cherries, nuts and honey.

I got a copy of the Power Hungry: The Ultimate Energy Bar Cookbook and couldn’t decide which recipe I wanted to make first, they all look so good. Such a fun book, I asked them if they wanted to give some away to my fans and they said YES! So, three lucky winners will have a chance to win this cookbook, with loads of recipes for protein bars, granola bars, endurance bars, and even knock-offs of many store bought bars like Luna bars, Clif bars, and Kind bars to name a few. All the recipes are healthy, easy to make and use all natural ingredients. For a chance to win, visit Skinny Bits and leave a comment there.

These make a great snack, perfect to pack in your lunch bag, or great for powering up a workout or post-workout. While these bars weren’t a big hit with my picky 3 year old, I thought these were tasty (I think she’ll love the chocolate chip protein cookies). For variations of this, you can make a Maple Blueberry Bar, swapping out the cherries and honey for maple syrup and dried blueberries, or she suggests a Peanut Chocolate Banana Bar omitting the cinnamon and cherries and adding 2/3 cup of dry roasted peanuts in place of the walnuts.

To store, wrap them individually with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months, keeping them airtight.

The heart-healthy power bars have all the ingredients one might have on a banana split: made with quinoa, rolled oats, dried cherries, nuts and honey.

The heart-healthy power bars have all the ingredients one might have on a banana split: made with quinoa, rolled oats, dried cherries, nuts and honey.

The heart-healthy power bars have all the ingredients one might have on a banana split: made with quinoa, rolled oats, dried cherries, nuts and honey.

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Banana Split Quinoa Oat Bars

4 from 3 votes
5
Cals:130
Protein:3
Carbs:24
Fat:3.5
The heart-healthy power bars have all the ingredients one might have on a banana split: made with quinoa, rolled oats, dried cherries, nuts and honey.  Plus antioxidants from the cinnamon and chocolate – and they taste good too!
Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Snack
Cuisine: American
The heart-healthy power bars have all the ingredients one might have on a banana split: made with quinoa, rolled oats, dried cherries, nuts and honey.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Yield: 16 servings
Serving Size: 1 bar 

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup quinoa, rinsed well
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 cups quick rolled oats, use gf oats for gluten free
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1-1/2 cups very ripe mashed bananas
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1/4 cup raw honey, or pure maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp virgin coconut oil
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup dried cherries, or craisins
  • 1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans
  • 1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with 2 pieces of foil or parchment paper, criss-crossing over so they fold over the pan; spray with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  • Combine the quinoa and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
  • Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 10 to 12 minutes or until liquid is barely absorbed.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Cover and let stand for 5 to 6 minutes, remove lid and fluff with a fork.
  • Transfer to a medium bowl and let it cool completely.
  • Mix together the oats, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
  • Add mashed bananas, egg, honey, oil and vanilla to the cooked bowl of quinoa and stir until just blended.
  • Add the banana mixture to the oats mixture and stir until just blended.
  • Mix in dried cherries, walnuts and chocolate chips.
  • Spread the batter evenly over the prepared pan.
  • Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
  • For best results, refrigerate 20 minutes before cutting.
  • Using the liner, lift the mixture from the pan and transfer to a cutting board.
  • Cut into 16 bars and refrigerate or freeze to store.

Last Step:

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 bar , Calories: 130 kcal, Carbohydrates: 24 g, Protein: 3 g, Fat: 3.5 g, Saturated Fat: 1.4 g, Sodium: 54 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 11 g

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