Paleo Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars (Dairy Free)

If you've got ripe bananas and you're tired of banana bread, these Paleo Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars are your answer. They're soft, grain free, and packed with melty chocolate chips. Think banana bread, but baked into easy-to-grab bars with a lighter, more tender texture. No nut butter, no oats, no dairy, and no refined sugar, they're a great allergy friendly treat for snacking, dessert, or sharing.

The obvious go-to when you have overripe bananas is traditional banana bread, but I've made so many banana breads that I really wanted to do something different. I love a good bar because it's an easier-to-grab snack, and even though these are similar to banana bread, they're just different enough. Different shape means different taste and mouthfeel. Ya get me? 

I surprisingly nailed this recipe on the first try. I threw everything together haphazardly when I was trying to use up some ripe bananas and they turned out so good, I had to go back and nail down all the measurements so they'd be perfect for you all. Most paleo banana bars contain nut butter, but these are nut free. Despite no nut butter, these paleo banana bread bars are still the perfect balance of soft and fluffy with gooey and chocolatey (the best part!).

Why You'll Love these Paleo Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars

• Paleo and allergy friendly: gluten free, dairy free, grain free, and nut free (if coconut is tolerated), making them a great option when you're avoiding multiple common allergens.
• Refined sugar free: we lean heavily on the natural sweetness of bananas with just a little bit of maple syrup. Stick to refined sugar free chocolate chips too!
• No nut butter: most Paleo baked goods lean heavily on almond flour or nut butter. These use tigernut flour instead, so you don't need nuts to get a delicious texture.
• Easy to make: the batter comes together quickly in one bowl for the wet ingredients and one for the dry ingredients, then it's baked in a square pan.
• Full of chocolate: banana bread is good, but banana bread with plenty of melty chocolate chips is better!
• A fun alternative to banana bread: all the familiar banana bread flavor in a portable bar that's easy for an afternoon snack on, to pack in a lunch, or to serve for dessert.

Ingredients for Paleo Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars

• Cassava flour: the main flour in these bars. Cassava flour is grain free and Paleo friendly and gives the bars a soft, sturdy crumb.
• Tigernut flour: despite the name, tigernuts aren't nuts, they're a tuber. Tigernut flour adds a subtle sweetness without added sugar.
• Coconut flour: a small amount helps absorb moisture from the bananas and contributes to the structure of the bars.
• Tapioca starch: just a little starch helps lighten the texture so these don't turn out heavy or gummy.
• Banana: the riper, the better. Very ripe bananas with plenty of brown or black spots have more concentrated banana flavor and natural sweetness, which makes them ideal for baking.
• Eggs: provide structure and help give the bars their light, fluffy texture.
• Olive oil: yields a light texture. Since the oil stays liquid at room temperature, it helps keep these bars tender.
• Maple syrup: adds sweetness and keeps the recipe refined sugar free. Be sure to use pure maple syrup and not pancake syrup.
• Chocolate chips: use your favorite dairy free and Paleo-friendly chocolate chips. Stick to a refined sugar free brand like HU Kitchen if you want to keep these fully paleo, or Enjoy Life for a top-allergen-free option.
• Baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla extract: I've linked my favorite corn free baking powder

How to Make Paleo Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a 9x9 or 8x8 inch baking dish with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Mash the bananas in a large bowl then add the remaining wet ingredients and beat with a stand mixer or hand mixer until combined.
4. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low just until a few flour streaks remain. Do not overmix.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips, mixing just until the remaining flour streaks disappear.
6. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few crumbs on it. Let bars cool in the dish for at least 10 minutes before removing with the parchment paper to a wire rack.

Substitutions and Variations 

• Tigernut flour: you can use almond flour instead of tigernut flour if you tolerate nuts.
• Cassava + coconut flour: I haven't tested this recipe using a 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour, so I can't guarantee the results. If you're gluten free but not grain free and want to experiment, you could try replacing the cassava and coconut flours with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend while keeping the tigernut flour.
• Eggs: I have not made a vegan version of these. Grain free flours lean hard on eggs for structure, so I'd expect a denser, more fragile bar. If you try it, let me know how it went in the comments.
• Olive oil: melted dairy free butter or coconut oil may also work, but both solidify at room temperature and may produce a denser bar. If using either one, make sure your other ingredients aren't cold or the fat can seize when mixed.
• Chocolate chips: I love using dark chocolate chips, but you can use milk or semisweet chocolate chips. Use a mix of chopped chocolate bar along with chocolate chips for those pools of melty chocolate. 
• Add-ins: chopped walnuts or pecans (if nuts are fine), or even chopped pieces of freeze-dried banana chips for extra banana flavor.

Baking Tips for the Best Paleo Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars

• Mash bananas well. For any banana bread recipe, you want to make sure to use well mashed bananas. This helps distribute the banana flavor throughout the batter (and bite!), so you don't just end up with clumps of banana in only certain parts of the finished product.
• Measure flour correctly. Paleo baking can sometimes be finicky, and too much flour can leave your baked goods dry or rubbery. This is often because you used too much flour. The best way to measure flour is to scoop it into your measuring cup with a spoon then level it off. This ensures it's not packed and you don't end up with too much flour, resulting in dry baked goods. 
• Don't over mix the batter. Over mixing, especially with gluten free and paleo baking, can result in a dense and gummy texture. You want to mix the flour into the wet ingredients until it's just combined. It's okay if there are a couple flour streaks, those will get mixed in as you fold in the chocolate chips.
• Don't over bake. Grain free baked goods can dry out quickly when over baked, so you don't want to over bake these chocolate chip banana bars. Pull them when a toothpick inserted in the center of the bars comes out with a few crumbs on it. 
• Top with flaky sea salt for a little extra oomph, just like you would with chocolate chip cookies!

Storage, Freezing, and Making Ahead

Store these banana chocolate chip bars in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the fridge for 5 days. Bring to room temperature or even pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds before serving.

To freeze, slice first, then wrap individual bars in parchment or plastic wrap and freeze in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.  Thaw in the fridge or on the counter.

These are genuinely better on day two. The flours continue to hydrate overnight and the crumb tightens up just slightly, which improves the texture. If you're bringing them somewhere, bake the day before. Bake, cool completely, and store uncut.

How to Serve Paleo Banana Bread Bars

Warm in the microwave or oven until the chocolate goes melty, then top it with a scoop of dairy free vanilla ice cream. That's the move.

Also excellent: a drizzle of granola butter, sunflower seed butter, or any nut butter you tolerate. Or just eat one standing over the sink when the craving hits!

How to Quickly Ripen Bananas

Bananas not ready? Here are three options, ranked by how much time you have.

1. Overnight: Put them in a brown paper bag with an apple and leave them somewhere warm. The trapped ethylene gas does the work.
2. About 20 minutes: Bake unpeeled bananas at 300°F on a parchment-lined sheet for 15–20 minutes, until soft and fully blackened. Let them cool before peeling.
3. Two minutes: Poke holes in unpeeled bananas, set them on a paper-towel-lined plate, and microwave in 30-second bursts until soft.

Fair warning: the oven and microwave methods soften the banana and concentrate the sugar, but they don't develop the same deep flavor as real ripening. They work. They're just not as good.

FAQ

More Gluten Free Banana Recipes

If you're looking for more of a classic banana bread, try my Nut Free Paleo Banana Bread.

Take classic banana bread up a notch with my Gluten Free Walnut Crumble Banana Bread or Gluten Free Coffee Cake Banana Bread (two of my absolute favorite banana recipes!)

Looking for muffins? I've got you with my Gluten Free Chocolate Walnut Banana Muffins or Gluten Free Banana Pudding Muffins.

Want something totally different? Try my Gluten and Dairy Free Banana Pudding Ice Cream Sandwiches or Gluten Free and Vegan Banana Cream Pie

If you try this recipe, please leave a rating a review. Tag me on social media and leave any questions in the comments below.