Ingredients & Tools

Basic pantry items:

You only need a few basic items to make a batch of soft, chewy banana chocolate bars that are quick and easy to make.
You enjoy banana bread with a twist.These buttery banana bar cookies taste like a mix of blondies and banana bread.

Tools

• 1 metal pan that is 8×8 inches (20 cm)
• 1 piece of parchment paper
• 3 basins for mixing
• 1 whisk and a spatula or spoon that bends

• ◯ 113 g (½ cup) of unsalted butter
• ◯ 1 cup (120 g) of all-purpose flour
• ◯ ½ teaspoon of baking powder
• ◯ ½ teaspoon of salt
• ◯ ¾ cup (150 g) of light brown sugar
• ◯ 1 big egg that is at room temperature
• ◯ About two medium bananas, mashed into a cup
• ◯ 10 ml (2 teaspoons) of vanilla extract
• ◯ ¾ cup (128 g) of small chocolate chips, split up

Instructions

1. Set the oven to 350 F (177 C).Put parchment paper along the bottom and two sides of an 8×8 (20 cm) pan.
2. Put the butter in a bowl that can go in the microwave. Put the butter in the microwave for a minute to melt it. Mix the butter, and if necessary, heat it up for another 15 seconds.Let the melted butter cool for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it is warm but not hot. Put it away for now.
   113 g (½ cup) of unsalted butter
3. In a another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together with a whisk until they are all mixed together.
   One cup (120 g) of all-purpose flour, half a teaspoon of baking powder, and half a teaspoon of salt
4. Whisk the chilled butter and light brown sugar together in a big mixing basin until they are well mixed.Add the egg, mashed bananas, and vanilla extract and whisk until everything is smooth and properly mixed. It could look like the mixture has curdled. That’s absolutely okay! The batter will get smoother when you add in the dry ingredients.
   ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar, 1 large egg at room temperature, 1 cup of mashed bananas, and 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of vanilla essence
5. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until they are just mixed. I like to do this with about half of the dry ingredients at a time.Add the small chocolate chips and fold them in. Before baking, save some aside to use as a topping for the banana bars.
   ¾ cup (128 g) of small chocolate chips, split up

6. Spread the banana batter evenly into the pan that has been prepared.Spread the blonde brownie batter evenly on the pan using a flexible spatula. You can add more small chocolate chips on top if you want.
7. The chocolate chip banana bars should be baked for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sides are firm and the center is fully baked. A toothpick should come out clean or with a few crumbs when you stick it in the middle of the banana blondie bars.
8. Let the buttery banana chocolate bars cool in the pan until they are at room temperature. When the bars are completely cool, carefully pull the banana dessert out of the pan using the extra edges of the parchment paper. Cut it up and enjoy!

Recipe Variations and Tips

If you need them, here are my suggestions for changes to this buttery banana blondie bar recipe.

• All-purpose flour: To make this recipe gluten-free, use a good 1-1 gluten-free flour or oat flour. Change the amount of flour depending on weight instead of cups. This banana dessert bar has 120 g of flour in it.
• Baking Powder: What may I use instead of baking powder? 1 tsp of baking soda. The blondie bars will have a different texture, but they will still taste great.
• You can also use an equivalent amount of salted butter, vegan butter, or plant-based butter.
• Light brown sugar is called for in this chocolate chip banana bread bar recipe, but maple sugar would also work nicely to make it free of refined sugar.
• Mashed Banana: The bananas should be fully ripe and have some brown stains.
• Egg: This recipe hasn’t been tried without an egg.
• Vanilla extract gives the banana, light brown sugar, and chocolate chips a great background flavor that goes well with them. If you don’t have vanilla extract, use vanilla bean paste instead.
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: You can use any kind of chips or chocolate chunks you choose.

Mix-Ins: You can add 1/2 to 1 cup of chopped nuts, like pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts.

To make enough banana chocolate chip bars to feed a lot of people, double the recipe as it is stated. Add 5 more minutes to the baking time, or until a toothpick inserted into the buttery banana and chocolate chip mixture comes out with a few moist crumbs but not a smear.

M’s Expert Advice

• Let the melted butter cool.When you melt the butter, it makes the banana bars seem like blondie cookies. Before you use the melted butter in the recipe, make sure it is at room temperature or a little bit warm to the touch.
• Use bananas that are ripe.Ripe bananas taste better, are sweeter, and are much easier to mash than unripe ones. A ripe banana will be mushy and have a lot of brown patches on the outside. In general, bananas that are great for banana bread are also great for banana bars with chocolate chips.
• Let chilly components warm up to room temperature.This makes it easier for the ingredients to blend together, which means less mixing and tastier brown sugar blondie bars.
• Check for signs that the bars are done.Don’t follow the baking time exactly; use it as a guide. A light golden brown color, firm edges that have pulled away from the edge of the pan, and a thoroughly baked center are all signs that the banana bars are done baking.
• Let the bars cool in the pan.You need to wait until these banana chocolate chip bars are completely cold before taking them out of the pan. Let the pan and banana bread bars cool on a cooling rack until they are room temperature.

Storage and Freezing

Store: Put the banana chocolate chip bars in a container that doesn’t let air in. You can keep it at room temperature for three to four days. You may keep them for longer by moving them to the fridge for up to a week or the freezer for up to a month.

Freeze: The chewy banana bread bars with chocolate chips need to be totally cooled to room temperature. You may keep the banana squares in a ziplock bag in the freezer for up to a month.

Thaw: The best and easiest way to thaw the chocolate chip banana bars is to leave them out at room temperature until they are completely thawed.