These extra delicious and secretly Healthy Date Banana Flapjacks are made with no refined sugar! Instead, dates and mashed bananas combined into an easy-to-make baked oatmeal bar, provide enough sweetness for these to be delicious. Naturally gluten-free, you'll love making these for hiking, camping or just to have as a packed lunch.
I've tested these flapjacks (aka baked oatmeal bars) with friends and family all summer long! They made their debut as a camping treat, where they made a welcome quick breakfast. I also have traveled with them packed in my handbag on trains and busses, and they even made it onto a plane, where they were the perfect sweet treat on a long flight to Canada from the UK.
Not too sweet, but perfect for snacking, these yummy flapjacks are a more wholesome version of my popular Biscoff Flapjacks which are more of a treat than a snack to fuel adventures or back-to-school lunchboxes. Or if you're more of a cookie lover, try these Dairy Free Cookies (which also happen to be egg and nut free too!
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🍌Ingredients
The ingredients for these banana date flapjacks are simple.
- Rolled Oats - choose organic, gluten-free oats if you can. I prefer smaller porridge oats for the texture, but you can choose a chunkier oat if you prefer..
- Ripe Bananas. You want the bananas to be quite brown and squishy as these are the sweetest, and mash well. This recipe is perfect for using up old bananas!
- Dates: Choose juicy dates such as Medjool dates. Make sure to remove the seeds before using.
- Vegan Butter OR Coconut Oil: I use a good quality vegan butter (Naturali and Flora are my go-tos) but you can opt for coconut oil instead.
- Cinnamon: A teaspoon of cinnamon creates a delicious sticky date pudding flavour.
- Vanilla: A teaspoon of vanilla brings together the sweet flavours.
See recipe card for quantities.
👩🍳Instructions
Remove any seeds from the dates, and weigh out your ingredients.
Step 1 and 2. - In a saucepan, add the dates and butter (coconut oil and simmer until the dates dissolve.
Step 3 Mash the banana well.
Step 4 and 5: Combine all the ingredients and mix together really well, to form a sticky dough.
Hint: let the date and banana flapjacks fully cool before slicing them!
🍫Substitutions & Variations
If you would like to switch up this recipe, why not try these ideas:
- Oil-Free - This recipe can be made oil free, add a little water to the dates when cooking them. This will however make the recipe less shelf stable and not as suitable for hiking and camping. Eat within 3 days.
- Chocolate- add 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder to the oats, and add as many chocolate chips as your heart wants!
- Nuts and Seeds - bump up the nutritional level by adding nuts and seeds when mixing, or even press into the top before baking. For a more indulgent recipe, try these Nutty Flapjacks.
🔪Equipment
The great thing about this flapjack recipe is how easy it is to mix. You'll need a saucepan, a bowl and a brownie tin that is approx 24cm x 24cm (ish).
🥫Storage
This healthy flapjack recipe has a surprisingly long shelf life. Keep in an airtight container in a cool dry spot and the banana oat bars should keep for up to a month. For traveling or lunch boxes put them into little storage containers, or wrap them tightly in tin foil.
Top tip
These easy and wholesome flapjacks will come out of the oven quite soft. They will become firmer as they cool so allow to cool completely in the pan before cutting.
❓FAQ
The combination of dates that have been melted and mashed banana binds this flapjack recipe together.
Dates and overripe bananas are already very sweet, so it is not necessary to add more sugar to this recipe.
More Cakes and bakes:
Looking for other vegan baking recipes? Try these!
Snack Ideas:
Need more ideas for healthy snacks? Try some of these....
📖 Recipe
Healthy Date Banana Flapjacks (without sugar)
Equipment
- 1 Baking Tin 24 x 24 cm (9 ½" x 9 ½")
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
- 150 g (1 cups) dates
- 150 g (¾ cups) banana (approx 2 small bananas)
- 150 g (⅔ cups) vegan butter ((or coconut oil))
- 200 g (2 ½ cups) oats
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180℃/356℉
- Remove the seeds from the dates and roughly chop.
- Put the dates and vegan butter (or coconut oil) into a saucepan over low heat and melt the dates into the butter.150 g dates, 150 g vegan butter
- Smush and push the dates around with a wooden spoon until the dates dissolve and you have a thick caramel. (The dates dissolving creates the caramel. Be sure to not burn the dates)
- Mash the bananas really well in a large bowl.150 g banana
- Add the date mixture, oats, vanilla and cinnamon to the banana and mix well to combine.200 g oats, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla
- Line a brownie tin (24 x 24cm) with baking paper.
- Spread the banana, date, oat mixture into the tin, pushing it down with a spoon so it smooths out into an even layer. It will be about 1 cm thick.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares or rectangles.
Video
Notes
🍫Substitutions & Variations
If you would like to switch up this recipe, why not try these ideas:- Oil-Free - This recipe can be made oil free, add a little water to the dates when cooking them. This will however make the recipe less shelf stable and not as suitable for hiking and camping. Eat within 3 days.
- Chocolate- add 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder to the oats, and add as many chocolate chips as your heart wants!
- Nuts and Seeds - bump up the nutritional level by adding nuts and seeds when mixing, or even press into the top before baking.
Jane Morris says
Delicious and simple to make. I didn’t soak the dates - they were fine, I added some walnuts for crunch - yummy💕
Louise-Claire Cayzer says
I'm so glad you liked the recipe. Walnuts are a lovely addition!
Natasha says
You must soak the dates before trying to make the caramel or they will not emulsify. If you forget to soak them you can add a couple of tablespoons of hot water to your blender or saucepan to bring the ingredients together.
Louise-Claire Cayzer says
Thank you for your idea. Soaking the dates or adding a little water is a great option for dates that are a little dry. Personally, I have never had to pre-soak the dates for this recipe and it is one I make frequently.I just have simmered in the vegan butter until soft. For me it doesn't matter too much if they completely emulsify as little pops extra sweetness throughout is nice.
Mike B says
Thank you for this recipe, it is simply wonderful! I made the flapjacks last night, and they taste so good, you must have spent quite some time to get this to work so well. The dates caramel was a worry for me, but patience won the day. An absolute winner, well done!
Louise-Claire Cayzer says
I'm so glad you like them! They're definitely one of those recipes I keep making for myself over and over. The date caramel does take a little while, but I'm so pleased you think it was worth the patience!
Elaine says
Not tried this yet, but had a read of recipe. What impressed me most was how you reminded us of the quantities all the way through. Instead of scrolling up and down with sticky, greasy fingers, we can check we have the right stuff, as we go.
Thank you !
Louise-Claire Cayzer says
I'm so happy you like this feature! I find it useful for myself so I'm pleased others find it useful too.
Heidi says
I have tried these for quite a time now. I was looking for a sugar-free treat and so many other recipes have some form of sugar. I have a square with my afternoon tea. I've added different things each time, including coconut, pumpkin seeds and at the moment sesame seeds. Delicious, there's no need for biscuits anymore.. Easy to cook and I've found they freeze well too.
Thank you for an excellent recipe.
Louise-Claire Cayzer says
I'm so glad you loved the recipe! Sesame seeds sounds like such a tasty addition too.
Ruth says
I blended the date mixture a bit in the ninja as it was a bit lumpy. Have not tasted yet , bit smells great. Only thing is they are quite low in the pan not fat like in the photo
Louise-Claire Cayzer says
In the photos there are two slices inside each 'wrapper' bit. If you want to make extra fat slices you can double the recipe and bake in the same size pan- just add some extra baking time.