If you like bananas, you're going to love these frosted banana bars! They're light, fluffy, easy to make, and topped with a delicious peanut butter and vanilla frosting! This dessert recipe is SCD, Paleo, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, and refined sugar free.
Bananas are a huge part of my diet and as a family we go through at least 3 bunches of bananas a week!
We enjoy them as is but also love them in smoothies and in my Banana Cream Pie recipe!
These 4 Ingredient Cinnamon Banana Pancakes are a go-to when my ulcerative colitis is acting up.
Growing up I loved Entenmann's Banana Ice Cake!
Does anyone remember that cake? I don't think they sell it anymore.
Either way, that cake was my inspiration for these frosted banana bars and I'm happy to say, they do not disappoint!
The banana bars are fluffy, moist, and full of banana flavor.
I typically top half the bars with vanilla frosting and the other half with peanut butter frosting.
Why? Because when I gave this recipe to 10 (that's right 10) different people to try, half loved the vanilla and half loved the peanut butter!
So I figured I'd give you the recipe for both frostings and let you decide how you wanted to frost your banana bars!
Banana bar ingredients
Almond Flour - Blanched finely ground almond flour works best for these frosted banana bars.
Coconut Oil - If you prefer, olive oil can be used instead.
All about bananas!
When it comes to baking with bananas, the browner and softer, the better!
Over-ripe bananas will yield a much stronger banana flavor then green or yellow bananas.
If you don't have ripened bananas, there are a few things you can do to hurry the process along.
- Put bananas in a warm spot, like on a sunny window sill. Depending on how ripe the bananas are, this method can take anywhere from 1 to 5 days.
- Place unripe bananas in a brown paper bag along with an apple and close the bag. The bananas should be ripe in 1 to 3 days.
- For super fast results, preheat your oven to 300F and place unpeeled bananas on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake the bananas for 15 to 20 minutes or until the bananas are black. Allow to cool before scooping out the banana flesh with a spoon.
How to make the banana bars
Begin by blending eggs, honey, olive oil, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and bananas until smooth and frothy (photos 1 and 2).
Add the dry ingredients to the blender (photo 3).
Blend, stopping to scrape down the sides of the jar as needed, until all of the ingredients are well combined.
Pour the batter into a greased and lined 9x13 baking pan.
The batter is fairly thick so use a knife or spatula to smooth out the top (photo 4).
Bake at 325F for 22 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the bars to cool completely before frosting and cutting.
Frosting Ingredients
Shortening - I get the best results by using Spectrum Organic All Vegetable Shortening . If your system can handle dairy, then unsalted softened butter can be used instead.
Peanut Butter - I used creamy peanut butter, but if you prefer crunchy, go for it! Before measuring, be sure to mix the peanut butter really well in the jar so that the oil is fully incorporated. For a paleo option, use almond butter instead.
Do I have to make both frostings?
Of course not!
I always make both frostings because my son and I prefer the peanut butter frosting while my daughter and husband like the vanilla better.
Although it might seem daunting to make two frostings, it is incredibly easy!
How to make the vanilla and peanut butter frostings
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the shortening, honey, vanilla extract, and lemon juice.
Continue mixing until the frosting is creamy.
If you only want to use vanilla frosting, then you're done!
To make both the vanilla and peanut butter frostings, mix the vanilla frosting as described above.
Remove half of the frosting from the bowl and set aside.
Add ¼ cup of peanut butter to the remaining frosting in the mixer bowl and mix until well combined.
After giving the frosting a taste, feel free to add an additional tablespoon of peanut butter if you'd like it more peanut butter-y!
For just the peanut butter frosting, make the vanilla frosting as described and add ½ cup of peanut butter to the mixer.
Assembling the frosted banana bars
Feel free to frost and garnish your banana bars however, you'd like!
I typically keep it simple and frost half the cake with vanilla and half the cake with peanut butter before cutting them.
I used chopped walnuts but chopped peanuts are a great choice as well.
Sliced bananas dipped in lemon water first (this prevents browning) look lovely too!
How to store the gluten free banana bars
When stored in an airtight container, frosted banana bars will keep at room temperature for about three days.
The banana bars can be stored in the refrigerator for three to five days.
When cold, the frosting will harden so you may want to allow the bars to come up to room temperature before eating.
More healthier dessert recipes to try!
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NOTE: If following the SCD diet, I suggest contacting the company to verify ingredients before using any prepackaged products.
NOTE: If following the SCD diet, I suggest contacting the company to verify ingredients before using any prepackaged products.
Recipe inspired by Entenmann's Banana Iced Cake.
Recipe
Frosted Banana Bars
Ingredients
Banana Bars
- ⅓ cup honey
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted but not hot
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 ripe bananas, about 1 cup if mashed
- 3 cups blanched finely ground almond flour
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Vanilla and Peanut Butter Frosting
- 1 cup shortening
- ⅓ cup honey
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
Instructions
Banana Bars
- Preheat your oven to 325F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking dish before lining with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Place the honey, oil, vanilla extract, lemon juice, eggs, and bananas in the jar of a blender. Blend on high speed until the mixture is smooth and frothy.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the blender and blend until well combined, stopping as needed to scrape down the sides of the jar.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. The batter will be fairly thick, use a spatula or knife to smooth out the top.
- Place the baking dish on the center rack and bake for 22 to 30 minutes until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the baking dish for 10 minutes before removing from the pan to cool completely.
Vanilla and Peanut Butter Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the shortening, honey, vanilla extract, and lemon juice on medium speed until well combined. If you only want vanilla frosting, then you're done!
- For vanilla and peanut butter frosting, make the frosting as described above. Remove half of the vanilla frosting for the bars. Add ¼ cup of peanut butter to the remaining frosting in the mixing bowl and mix on medium speed until well combined. Now you have vanilla and peanut butter frosting.
- For just peanut butter frosting, mix the shortening, honey, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and ½ cup of peanut butter to the mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed until well combined.
- Frost the cake as desired and cut into 12 equal size squares. Enjoy!
Notes
- In the bars, olive oil can be used instead of coconut oil.
- If your system can handle dairy, then unsalted softened butter can be used instead of vegetable shortening in the frosting.
- Store frosted banana bars in an airtight container for 3 days at room temperature or 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator.
- The frosting will harden when stored in the refrigerator, either enjoy it as is or allow to come up to room temperature before eating.
Abby
These are SO delicious! I absolutely love the peanut butter frosting. I started the SCD a number of weeks ago and your recipes have been a real comfort and outlet for my kitchen creativity. Thank you so much for posting!
Jennifer Brown
I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe! Good luck on your SCD journey!
Tammy
What about using frozen ripened bananas??
Jennifer Brown
You can do that. I suggest thawing the bananas first and discarding the liquid.