Chunky Monkey Bars: Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Banana Bars: A delicious peanut butter banana bread bar filled with chocolate chips and chopped walnuts. Directions for Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chips Bars along with the traditional recipe.

Thank you to Bob’s Red Mill for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are mine and I only share products I love and am truly passionate about.  

Growing up my mom showed love through cooking and baking for others.

When someone had a baby, we delivered them Chicken Pot Pie and Peanut Butter Banana Pie.

When someone moved into the neighborhood, we welcomed them with Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies.

My mom invited the neighborhood kids over during the holidays to bake sugar cookies together and deliver to people in need.

And now that I am a mom, I find myself loving on others through food as well.

Did you know that Psychologists have found that baking for others promotes a sense of wellbeing for the baker as much as, if not more, than the recipient?

I believe it because I live it.

I feel so much fulfillment when I can help a busy mom out and feed their family a wholesome meal like Baked Rotini. Or when I can brighten up the office staff at my children’s school by dropping off some Apple Pie Granola Bars.

I feel good knowing I have something to give others that will hopefully brighten their day.

And I have a feeling my newest chocolate chip cookie creation will bring smiles to anyone I deliver them to.

Chunky Monkey Bars: Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Banana Bars

There is something magical about banana and peanut butter recipes.

I think I could start every day with a serving of Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal or a slice of freshly baked bread slathered with peanut butter and sliced banana.

When you throw chocolate into the peanut butter banana mix–WOW! I am in a bit of serious heaven.

Truth be told, my favorite bed time snack is a rice cake, with a smear of peanut butter, sliced banana and a few chocolate chips. Nothing fancy, but it satisfies my sweet tooth without fail.

And that is why I absolutely love to bake peanut butter cookie recipes. 

These Chocolate Chip Banana Bars are filled with peanut butter, sweetened with banana and a bit of honey and studded with chocolate chips and chopped walnuts.

Chunky Monkey bars are reminiscent of Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, as they are soft and fluffier than most blondie cookies, and made in one pan with only 5 minute prep!! Talk about easy!!

Let’s get to why this Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Bar Recipe is the BEST recipe to bake up and share with others.

• Peanut Butter Banana Bars are made in 5 minutes and with only common pantry staples.
• The batter for this cookie bar is in the form of a bar–meaning NO rolling, NO scooping–just pour into pan and bake!
• These cookie bars are made with Bob’s Mill Flours and Bob’s Red Mill products are of the highest quality making baked goods truly shine.
• These Banana Peanut Butter Bars can be made Gluten-Free as well for a perfect gift to give someone with a gluten intolerance or Celiac Disease.
• These Peanut Butter Banana Blondies have the magical combination of peanut butter, chocolate chips, and banana!!

How to Make Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Banana Bars

One of the things I love about Bob’s Mill flours is that I can trust their flours to yield the BEST baked goods. And that is true when it comes to using their Gluten-Free 1:1 Flour Blend as well.

By just replacing the all purpose flour with the gluten-free flour blend, I can easily make any baked good Gluten-Free.

And for those people avoiding gluten, this is the PERFECT cookie to treat them to!

Tips on Peanut Butter Banana Bars with Chocolate Chips

• If you have a tree nut allergy, leave out the walnuts.
• If you have a peanut allergy, use almond butter.
• If you have a dairy allergy, use dairy-free chocolate chips, or omit chocolate chips for plain Peanut Butter Banana Bars.
• It is best to sift the flour with the baking soda and salt to prevent any clumps of baking soda in your dough. If you skip this step, just be sure to whisk together the dry ingredients before adding the wet ingredients.
• Be sure to only just mix these bars until just combined to keep them from being tough.
• These peanut butter blondies are best served within 3 days of baking and should be refrigerated after 24 hours to keep fresh (Remember they have a similar texture and moisture content as Banana Bread)
• I love to bake these chocolate chip banana bars on parchment paper, so I can lift them out of the pan with no worries of the bars sticking. If you don’t have parchment paper, be sure to grease the pan well with cooking spray, butter, or coconut oil.
• To give these Peanut Butter Banana Bread Blondies as a gift, allow to cool, cut into squares and package in box with a bow.

5 from 1 vote

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Chunky Monkey Bars

Easy Peanut Butter Banana Bars with Chocolate Chips and Chopped Walnuts

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 12

Calories 199 kcal

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 bananas mashed
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup Bob's Mill Flour (either AP or Gluten Free Blend)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper or grease well.

2. Heat peanut butter for 30 seconds in large bowl. Mix in honey, bananas, egg and vanilla. 

3. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together. 

4. Mix dry and wet ingredients together until just combined and stir in chocolate chips and walnuts. 

5. Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

6. Cool on wire rack completely and then slice into 12 bars. 

Nutrition Facts

Chunky Monkey Bars

Amount Per Serving

Calories 199 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 9g 14%

Saturated Fat 2g 10%

Cholesterol 14mg 5%

Sodium 202mg 8%

Potassium 170mg 5%

Total Carbohydrates 25g 8%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 14g

Protein 5g 10%

Vitamin A 1%

Vitamin C 2.1%

Calcium 2%

Iron 5.5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Get your coupon for $1.00 off Bob’s Mill Baking Products HERE.

 This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bob’s Red Mill.

This post has been featured on Meal Plan Monday.