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3-Ingredient Banana Flax Bars {vegan, oil-free, grain-free}

Healthy 3-ingredient banana flax bars that taste like banana blondies! They are vegan, oil-free, grain-free, added sugar-free, and only 87 calories each.

3-Ingredient Banana Flax Bars for Breakfast, Snacks, & Dessert

Some things are destiny. 

For example, these bars (soon) topping your list of favorite recipes!

If I could have, I would have performed a back flip when they emerged from the oven, and several more when I tasted them. They are the perfect trifecta of delicious, easy, and nutritious.

They are my latest creation, 3-Ingredient Banana Flax Bars.

The Goodness (Taste & Health) of the Bars

The flavor and texture of the bars is akin to a banana blondie, perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth. But they are so packed with natural goodness, you can happily eat one, two, or even three (depending on the extent of your morning activities and hunger level) for breakfast. 

Kids and (at least one) picky teen(s) love them, too. Major score. 

They are all of the following, yet so much more:

  • Vegan
  • Oil-free
  • Paleo
  • Grain-free
  • Added sugar-free
  • High in fiber
  • Only 87 calories each

Ingredients

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.

To make the bars, you need nothing more than the following:

If the nut butter you choose is minimally, or not at all, salted, you can also add a bit of salt.

How to Make Banana Flax Bars

Step One: Preheat Oven & Prep Baking Pan

Preheat the oven to 325F (160C). Line an 8-inch square baking pan that has been lined with parchment paper.

Step Two: Mix Everything in a Bowl

Mix everything in a medium bowl until blended, and then let the dough sit for about 5 minutes. This gives the flaxseed meal a chance to absorb some of the liquid from the mashed bananas and thicken.

Step Three: Spread in Pan

Spread the dough into the prepared baking pan, The bars are somewhat soft after baking; the parchment paper overhang makes it easier to remove them from the pan.

The dough is quite thick and somewhat springy, so I use my fingertips to help smooth the top and nudge the dough into the corners. Bonus: licking my finger afterwards.

Step 4: Bake

Bake the bars in the preheated, 325F oven for 16 to 19 minutes until the surface appears dry and the center feels firm to the touch.

Set the pan on a wire rack and cool completely before using the overhang to lift the bars out and transfer to a cutting board.

I cut 16 squares, but you can go with bar shapes, bigger squares, or, if you are geometry whiz, isosceles triangles, trapezoids, and more :). 

These are perfectly sweet bites of yum.

If you like, turn perfect into plus-perfect with a drizzle of dark chocolate. 

Happy baking! Oh, and if you like these bars, I know you will also love my 2-Ingredient Vegan Banana Bars. They are also oil-free and gluten-free (made with oats).

More Easy & Delicious Vegan Flax Baked Goods:

3-Ingredient Banana Flax Bars {vegan, Paleo, oil-free, grain-free}

3-Ingredient Banana Flax Bars {vegan, Paleo, oil-free, grain-free}

Yield: 16 squares
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 19 minutes
Total Time: 24 minutes

3-ingredient banana flax bars, made with only mashed bananas, flaxseed meal, and creamy nut or seed butter. They taste like banana blondies and are vegan, paleo, grain-free, oil-free, added sugar-free, and only 87 calories each.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (250 mL) mashed, very ripe bananas
  • 2/3 cup (170 g) smooth nut or seed butter (e.g., almond, peanut butter, cashew)
  • 1/2 cup (56 g) flaxseed meal
  • Optional: fine sea salt, to taste
  • Optional: 1 to 2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips, melted

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on opposite sides (for easy removal).
  2. In a medium bowl, stir together the banana, butter and flaxseed meal until completley blended and smooth. Taste the batter; add a pinch of salt, if needed. Let stand for 5 minutes. Spoon and spread into prepared pan, smoothing the top.
  3. Bake in the preheated oven for 16 to 19 minutes until top appears dry and the center is firm to the touch.
  4. Cool completely in pan set on a wire cooling rack. Use paper overhand to remove bars to a cutting board. Cut into 16 squares or bars.
  5. If desired, drizzle bars with melted chocolate. Place in refrigerator to set the chocolate.

Notes

Storage: Store the cooled bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.

Note: The bars will keep, unrefrigerated, while transporting during the day (e.g., for lunch, picnics, hiking) but are best stored in the refrigerator due to their high fat content (they are soft at room temperature, firm when refrigerated).

Add-Ins and Adornments: Oh, the places you will go with these bars! Consider adding extracts (vanilla, almond) finely grated zest (hello, lime), spices (cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves, oh my!), finely chopped nuts and/or seeds, or perhaps some dried fruit.

Chocolate Drizzle Tip: I usually add a wee dab of coconut oil to the chocolate chips when I melt them. It makes it easy to drizzle a tiny bit of chocolate over multiple bars!

Nutrition Information
Yield 16 Serving Size 1 square
Amount Per Serving Calories 87Total Fat 6.2gSaturated Fat 0.6gCholesterol 0mgSodium 33.5mgCarbohydrates 6.9gFiber 2.4gSugar 2.7gProtein 2.9g

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @powerhungrycamilla on Instagram and hashtag it #powerhungrycamilla

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Cheryl

Sunday 30th of July 2023

Are they supposed to be like a not fully baked cookie. Mine are tacky and I followed the recipe. I even cooked longer cuz to me it seemed they weren't ready

Camilla

Monday 31st of July 2023

Hi Cheryl! They are supposed to be like blondies or fussy brownies in texture (fully baked, but soft and moist--not like crisp individual cookies). I hope that helps. If they were baked in a smaller pan (smaller than an 8x8-inch), they might be more gooey (because they will be thicker).

Brigitte

Sunday 21st of May 2023

I made this today and loved it. I added 1/8 tsp of my Osmo pumpkin spice sea salt, 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract, and topped it with cinnamon after baking. I’d make these again for sure, but I will use a loaf pan. Even an 8x8 was too big for the amount of batter this made.

Camilla

Monday 22nd of May 2023

I am so glad that you liked the recipe, Brigitte!

Melinda

Friday 2nd of September 2022

Made with “milled golden roasted flax” and was absolutely not a fan. Between the flax and the nut butter they were so greasy they soaked through the paper and never did firm up. Clearly others have had better luck so leaving a comment to warn of that type of flax. It smelled really strong too.

Camilla

Sunday 4th of September 2022

Thanks for the tip, Melinda. I have not heard of that type of flax before. When made with regular flaxseed meal (I typically use golden flax seed meal in this recipe), they are not greasy at all, so that must be a function of the roasted meal for some reason.

Maddie

Friday 8th of July 2022

Holy sh.....t this is tasty af. I added raisins, choc chips and cinnamon. Just wow.

DigDug

Monday 27th of June 2022

Love these bars! I added walnuts, but kept everything else the same. Super yummy and filling. Great snack and great breakfast. So easy and quick to make and great use of old bananas. Thank you!

Camilla

Tuesday 5th of July 2022

Yippee! It *the recipe) is an oldie but a goodie, so glad you like it!

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