Paleo Chocolate Chip Banana Bars (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

If you've got ripe bananas, then make these healthy Paleo Chocolate Chip Banana Bars that are quick to whip up and allergy friendly. Grain free, gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free, this healthy dessert is a fun spin on classic banana bread.

The obvious go-to when you have some extra ripe bananas is to make banana bread, but that gets boring. I've made so many banana breads, I really wanted to do make something different. I love a good bar because it's an easier to grab snack and even though this recipe is similar to banana bread, these banana chocolate chip bars are just different, okay?! Different shape means different taste and mouth feel, ya feel? 

I love these healthy chocolate chip banana bread bars because they are fluffy and filled with oooey-gooey chocolate. So many banana bars I see out there have something like peanut or almond butter in them and they turn out quite dense and fudgy. Totally fine if that's what you're after, but I wanted something light and fluffy and these chocolate chip banana bars are just that! Plus, this is such an easy recipe, so these are easy to whip up when you want a sweet treat without too much effort.

Paleo Chocolate Chip Banana Bar Ingredients

• Tigernut flour: a great grain free and nut free flour for pale baking. You can always use almond flour if you tolerate nuts.
• Cassava flour: another great paleo flour to bake with.
• Coconut flour: using a mix of grain free flours produces the best texture so you'll never know these are paleo!
• Tapioca starch: adding a little starch to gluten free baked goods helps the texture be light and airy.
• Baking powder: I use a aluminum and corn free variety.
• Baking soda: both soda and powder are used in this recipe for the rise.
• Salt
• Banana: can't have banana bars without banana! make sure your bananas are super ripe with black spots.
• Eggs: an important baking ingredient.
• Olive oil: this recipe uses olive oil as the fat, but melted butter or coconut oil also works.
• Maple syrup: the sweetener in these banana bread bars that keeps them refined sugar free. Be sure to use pure maple syrup for the best flavor.
• Vanilla extract 
• Chocolate chips: make sure to use a refined sugar free version like HU Kitchen if you want to keep this recipe refined sugar free. And don't skimp on adding them, the perfect bite always contains plenty of melty chocolate chips!

Substitutions and Variations 

Flour: I have not made a version of these banana chocolate chip bars that is just gluten free, but I think you could substitute the cassava + coconut flour for 1:1 gluten-free flour.

Eggs: I haven't tested a vegan version, but I think an egg replacer like flax eggs would work. Just make sure to use a double dose of whatever egg replacer you try and leave a comment letting us know how it went.

Oil: I use olive oil in this recipe, but any liquid oil or butter should work! 

Chocolate chips: I love using dark chocolate chips, but you can use milk for semi-sweet. Whatever your favorite is!

Add-ins: a great addition to these healthy banana bread bars would be walnuts or another chopped nut.

Baking Tips

• 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 a miss, leaving your baked goods dry or gooey (and not in a good way). 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. This commonly happens in gluten free and grain free baking which we definitely want to avoid! 
• Don't over mix the batter! Over mixing, especially with gluten free 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. Gluten free baked goods dry out quickly so you don't want to over bake these banana bars. Start checking them at 30 minutes, or even at 25 if you are at high altitude (I'm in Denver, so if you are any higher than that). You want a tooth pick inserted in the center of the bars to come out with a few crumbs on it. If it comes out covered in wet batter, they aren't done yet. 
• Top with flaky sea salt​ for a little extra oomph, just like you would with chocolate chip cookies!

Storage

Keep these paleo banana bread bars stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 5 days.

You can also freeze individually sliced bars in a freezer safe bag/container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or warm at a low temperature in the oven.

How to Serve Banana Chocolate Chip Bars

I love warming these in the microwave or oven until the chocolate is melty, then serving them with a scoop of dairy free vanilla ice cream. You could even drizzle on some peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or granola butter!

Why Use Super Ripe Bananas in Baking?

There are a few reasons we want to use super or over-ripe bananas in baking. 

First, flavor! As bananas ripen, the starch is converted to sugar making them sweeter with a stronger banana flavor. This makes them perfect for baking a sweet treat.

Second, ripe bananas are much easier to mash. This helps distribute the banana evenly throughout the baked good so you don't just have chunks of banana in some bites, but not others. So, make sure to use the ripest bananas you can when baking banana recipes.

How to Quickly Ripen Bananas

If these paleo banana chocolate chip bars are calling your name, but your bananas aren't ripe yet, here's how you can quickly ripen some bananas.

1. If you have a day, place them in a brown paper bag with an apple overnight. Place the bag in a warm location for even more of a ripening boost!
2. Bake unpeeled bananas in the oven at 300F for 15+ minutes, until soft and peels are black. Make sure to place them on a parchment lined baking sheet.
3. Microwave them! Poke holes in unpeeled bananas then place on a paper towel lined plate and microwave at 30 second intervals until soft.

More Gluten Free Banana Recipes

Nut Free Paleo Banana Bread

Gluten Free Walnut Crumble Banana Bread

Gluten and Vegan Banana Cream Pie

Gluten Free Chocolate Walnut Banana Muffins

Banana Pudding Ice Cream Sandwiches

Gluten Free Fudgy Chocolate Banana Bread