Sweet Banana and Walnut Breakfast Bars

I can’t resist the breakfast cookies my local coffee stand sells. The cookies with all the oats, nuts and raisins. The list of ingredients is wholesome, and I don’t feel bad about eating them, though they probably have more sugar than I need.

The problem is that I’m not buying my morning coffee anymore, therefore, I’m not buying my beloved cookies either. I had an aha! moment when I added up how much money I was spending on morning coffee. Now I make mine at home. It took some getting used to, but I’m several dollars richer, so it’s been worth the effort.

Now that I have my coffee habit handled, I needed to find something to replace those delicious cookies. What better than banana bread? Hmmmm. Nope. I want a cookie or a bar, so how about a banana breakfast bar?

Perfect! My banana bar even has flax seed and walnuts for a heart healthy boost of those great omega 3 fatty acids. I’m into heart health these days since I’m fast approaching my 50th birthday.

Happy baking!

Sweet Banana and Walnut Breakfast Bars

1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
4 tablespoons flax seed meal
¼ tsp salt
2 medium bananas, overripe, and smashed
⅓ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 large egg
1 large egg white
½ cup walnuts, chopped

Servings: Makes 9 main dish servings.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, flax seed, and salt in a large bowl.
3. In another bowl combine remaining ingredients.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and combine until there are no longer lumps.
5. Spray 8 x 8 baking dish with cooking spray and pour banana mixture into pan. Spread evenly.
6. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

What’s good for me in this dish?

Bananas are high in vitamins B6 and C. They also contain potassium and have a significant amount of fiber and manganese. The potassium and fiber in bananas promotes heart health and good blood pressure.

Walnuts are very high in omega 3 fatty acids, manganese, copper and tryptophan. Omega 3 fatty acids contribute to a healthy heart. They are known to lower bad LDL cholesterol levels, and raise good HDL cholesterol levels. They also improve and control high blood pressure.

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 207, Total Fat: 5.74g, Cholesterol: 23mg, Sodium: 137mg, Total Carbs: 34.43g, Dietary Fiber: 4.61g, Sugars: 15.29g, Protein: 6.40g, Weight Watchers Points 4

Nutrition details obtained from whfoods.org, nutritiondata.com, about.com, and abouthomecooking.com.

Last updated by Kristi Rimkus at May 30, 2010.

Tagged as: banana recipes, bar recipes, breakfast bar recipes, cooking light, healthy cooking, healthy recipes, light banana recipes, Light Recipes, Mother Rimmy's Cooking Light Done Right, Recipes, walnut recipes, Weight Watchers Points