{QUICK NOTE: Facebook live is going down today at 2pm EST. Come hang out!} You guys may have noticed, but lately I am super into turning my chocolate treats healthy…or maybe more healthy…ish. I’ve always been pretty aware of the food my family and I eat, making easy, healthier swaps whenever possible, but this last year I’ve made a bit more of a push to healthify the foods I’m making, especially when it comes to dessert. Don’t get me wrong, I will never be one to not make a serious chocolate birthday cake (with the BEST whipped chocolate buttercream) or good old-fashioned chocolate chip cookies, but for every-day-chocolate treats, I’m aiming for them to be just a bit healthier. I am totally one of those people who full on believes in the “food is medicine” thing, and with some recent family sickness and even cancer scares, it’s just something I’ve been a little more aware of. DON’t worry, the over the top chocolate treats are not going away, but you know, balance is always a good thing! Sooo, these bars, even though they’re packed full of all healthy things, you’d truly never know it. Like never. I mean, do you see that raw chocolate layer?! It’s the best.
If there is one combo I truly love, it’s banana and chocolate. When I was a kid, my mom taught me this little trick of sticking chocolate chips on a banana for a quick and easy chocolate treat. I LOVED it. Now a days I do a banana and chopped dark chocolate <–not going to lie, it’s the best snack when you need a quick little chocolate fix. That little snack, plus banana bread, are two of the reasons why I love the banana chocolate combo so much, and these banana cream pie bars are just adding to my obsession.
If you are a lover of banana cream pie, these bars are totally for you. Honestly, I think they are better than the original, but that might just be because I love cashews and coconut, and these bars have BOTH. YUM. OKOK, so here’s how these go. The base is a mix of buttery pecans, sweet dates, coconut, and vanilla. Add the ingredients to a food processor until they’re finely ground and then firmly press into the bottom of a pan. The base is simple and might not seem special, but the combo of pecans and dates is really delicious. Think extra buttery and sweet, but without any actual butter or added sugar…oh, and chewy too, super chewy! The filling is my favorite part. I used roasted cashews, coconut and a touch of vanilla to create a cashew cream that very closely resembles the pudding in banana cream pie, only I think better…but again, I love cashews and coconut…love, love, love. I like to use roasted cashews not only for the added flavor, but also because they blend quickly into a creamy mix. If you want to use raw cashews, I recommend soaking them overnight in water, draining and adding a pinch of salt to the mix. For my chocolate layer, I really wanted to go the completely RAW route. Cacao is a major superfood for many reasons (google cacao if you are curious), and my family has really grown to love it over the last year. Making raw chocolate is super easy, you just need cacao or cocoa powder, coconut oil, and a touch of honey for sweetness. Simple as that. If you are new to cacao powder, be warned it’s bitter and needs the honey for sweetness. I recommend using half cacao and half cocoa if you are nervous about it! You could also just melt some dark chocolate and easily go that route as well! Top with tons and tons of bananas and DONE. Surprisingly, these bars are SO easy to make and require no oven time. Got to love that!
I really can’t express enough how much I am obsessed with these bars. I hope you guys try them and love them so we can soon share this obsession!! Hoping that everyone’s weekend plans include these bars. I will be making them, eating them, and telling NO ONE…sharing is just too hard! <—just kidding!
Four layers of perfection…you are welcome. Happy chocolate banana cream filled FRIDAY!
