Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana “Monkey’ Bars (Oil-Free, Date Sweetened)

Preheat your oven to 350.

Soak the Dates: Soak dates in warm water at least 5 minutes, to soften.  Line a 9×13 baking pan with foil or parchment paper.

For Whole Wheat Dry Ingredients: Sift together the dry ingredients: whole wheat pastry flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.  Set aside.
For the Oil-Free Wet Ingredients: Squeeze the dates from soaking liquid. Check for any pits and remove. Save the soaking liquid. Drain and rinse black beans. Combine the dates, black beans, flax meal, applesauce, mashed banana, and vanilla in a food processor. Add 1/2 cup of the date soaking liquid. Puree until smooth.
To make the Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Monkey Bars Batter: Add the pureed wet mixture to the sifted dry ingredients. Add the chopped peanuts to the batter.  Stir together just until combined. Be sure not to overmix. Spread brownie mixture evenly in the pan.  Sprinkle on the remaining chopped peanuts.
Bake at 350, 50-60 min. Bars are ready when a toothpick can cleanly be inserted and removed. The top will also start to crack. Remove from the oven and let cool before slicing.

Cut into 24 bars and serve.

Servings: 24
Yield: 24 bars (9×13 pan)

Chef Katie’s 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.