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Chocolate Monkey Bars with Peanut Butter Banana Frosting - Healthy, Plant-Based, Oil-Free, Date Sweetened, Whole Wheat Vegan Baking Dessert Recipe from Plants-Rule — Chocolate Monkey Bars with Peanut Butter Banana Frosting – Healthy, Plant-Based, Oil-Free, Date Sweetened, Whole Wheat Vegan Baking Dessert Recipe from Plants-Rule

This kid-friendly vegan recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Monkey Bars is the ultimate treat! No one will know these oil-free, plant-based treats are full of healthy ingredients like black beans, whole wheat flour, and dates. This is is a healthy dessert you can “Go Ape” over!

Baking with Dates: A Whole Foods, Plant-Based Technique

I’m on a mission to cook with whole foods, avoiding ingredients like refined oil and sugar. By using whole foods, plant-based ingredients like dates, black beans, and whole grain flour, I can create recipes that are delicious and nutritious.

In particular, sugar can be strongly addictive. Our biology is hard-wired to seek the energy that comes from sugar. Refined sugar (like cane sugar, brown sugar, agave, and maple syrup) all pique that addictive instinct. However, using dried fruits like dates counters that addiction. The fiber and other nutrients in dates helps slow our cravings and counter that addiction.

Mexican Date and Black Bean Vegan Brownies with Chipotle and Cinnamon - Healthy, Oil-Free, Plant-Based Dessert Recipe from Plants-Rule — Dates naturally sweeten these healthy, whole foods, plant-based brownies

Black Bean Brownies: Healthy Vegan Baking

Another trick to these whole foods, plant-based brownies is using black beans. Black beans help give a rich, dense texture to these brownies. That’s because of the protein and fiber they contain. The same protein and fiber that makes them healthy also help make these brownies delicious!

Chef Katie’s Bean Tip: If you don’t have black beans on hand, you can swap with another kind of canned bean. I’ve made this recipe with Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and red kidney beans.

Peanut Butter and Bananas: A Classic Combination

What takes these Chunky Monkey Brownie Bars to the next level is the combination of bananas and peanut butter. My recipe for Peanut Butter Banana Frosting comes together easily and can be used on any of your favorite brownies, bars, or cakes.

Ingredients Needed for Healthy Whole Foods, Plant-Based Baking

Unlike traditional baking recipes that call for sugar, white flour, oil, and eggs, these healthy plant-based treats use whole foods ingredients. The more you start cooking WFPB, the more you’ll start stocking your pantry with these staples.

Pitted Dates — natural sweetness replace traditional sugar
Whole Wheat Pastry Flour — replaces refined white flour to help provide structure and chew to the brownies
Dark Cocoa Powder — gives you that intense, deep chocolaty flavor
Cinnamon — helps accentuate that rich, chocolaty flavor
Black Beans — provides structure and density to the brownies
Ground Flax Meal — replaces egg to work as a binder in baked goods
Mashed Ripe Banana — provides sweetness, moisture, and that banana flavor
Roasted Peanuts — add a nice crunchy topping and that essential roasted peanut flavor
Peanut Butter Banana Frosting — a healthy, whole foods plant-based sweet frosting

You can start using these ingredients in other whole foods, plant-based treats like: Oat-Rageously Healthy Black Bean Brownies, Vegan Black Forest Brownies with Cherries and Coconut, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Chocolate Secret Spinach Muffins.

Chef Katie’s Plant-Based Baking Tips:

Freeze your Ripe Bananas: Save over-ripe bananas in the freezer: Simply peel, break into pieces, and store in a plastic bag. When ready to make this recipe, thaw out in your refrigerator overnight.

Weigh your Ingredients: For consistent results, use a digital kitchen scale for precise measuring. This small investment will save you time from fooling with measuring cups. It will also help make you a better baker.

Sift the Dry: It’s always important to sift together the dry ingredients for a lighter, fluffier batter. This is even more important, though, when working with whole wheat flour. If you don’t have a sifter, use a whisk to combine the dry ingredients and add some air into the flour mix.

Gluten-Free? Simply swap out the whole wheat pastry flour for a gluten-free flour blend.

No Refined Sugars or Syrups: I’m on a mission to avoid using sugar, maple syrup, and other refined sweeteners. These ingredients leave you feeling hungry and can spike a sweet-tooth craving that pushes you to overeat. For this recipe, whole foods, natural sweetness comes from unsweetened applesauce, banana, and dates.