These healthy treats are cheap, simple to make and keep for weeks. They’re a great way to use up ripe bananas.

If you follow my blog you’ll notice something…. I’m bananas…. I mean I love bananas 😉. I can’t resist a good deal on ripe bananas and I’m constantly buying them in bulk whenever I find a good deal. Most of them get peeled and frozen, perfect for making smoothies later. Dehydrating bananas is another way to preserve them while making a tasty treat and banana bread is a classic way to use up ripe bananas. I have a recipe for vegan banana bread and instructions on dehydrating bananas on some earlier blogs. Bananas are cheap, full of nutrients, and best of all, my children love them! I’m always looking for simple ways to cook with bananas that my family will enjoy.

The next recipe was created just before a road trip last month. I had bought dozens of ripe bananas for just pennies each. I couldn’t resist the deal but I was about to set out on a 5 day road trip. I froze as many as I could but I ran out of room in the freezer. I made banana bread, dehydrated some into banana chips, but I still had bananas left and I wasn’t going to waste them. As I stared at this bowl of ripe bananas I noticed the quick oats sitting on the table. I remembered these banana oatmeal snacks I used to buy from a local health food store. This gave me the inspiration for these bars. The oven was on for dehydrating bananas so I figured I’d make a little experiment. I simply mixed the mashed bananas with some oats, added some berries and nuts that needed to be used up, and put it in the oven to dehydrate with the bananas. The result was an amazing road food snack that preserved and travelled well! Healthy and delicious! They quickly became a family favourite. Perfect for packing in school lunches, great for bringing to work and of course, perfect to bring on a road trip.

This is one of those simple recipes where measurements do not have to be exact.

You will need

5 or 6 ripe bananas (thawed frozen bananas work fine)

2 cups quick oats

1/4 cup agave or maple syrup

Optional

1/2 cup berries or chopped fruit

1/2 cup nuts (crushed almonds, walnuts, pecans)

Preheat oven to 170. These bars are dehydrated not baked so the oven needs to be kept at a low temperature. Mash bananas in a large mixing bowl. Add oats, agave, and any optional ingredients. Mix well.

Spread the mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Form into a large rectangle and pat into shape. Leave in the oven to dehydrate for 8-10 hours. When done, cut into squares or bars. Let them cool completely before storing. They can be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

These nutritious treats are perfect for a snack or as a breakfast bar. Great for those mornings when there just isn’t time to make breakfast. Best of all, they’re cheap to make! Oats cost very little and ripe bananas are the ones that the grocery store sells cheap. It’s also a great way to use up ripe fruit as an optional ingredient.

Hope you try this simple but delicious treat for yourself. Check out Cheapveganmom.wordpress.com for more recipes and meal ideas.