Healthy Banana Coconut Flapjacks; sweet, crisp and chewy flapjacks crammed full of banana, coconut and peanut butter, that you can make in less than half an hour!
So every year my mum decides to give up sugar for lent, and every year she succeeds.
Yeah, I don’t know how she does it either…
Needless to say, this always gives me the challenge of baking tasty (and at least kinda healthy) things that aren’t laden with refined sugar. That’s how creations like these banana coconut flapjacks are born!
These were inspired by fellow UK blogger Deliciously Ella‘s flapjack recipe, but naturally there have been some tweaks and additions!
For something so wholesome (and accidentally vegan and gluten free!) these flapjacks are surprisingly satisfying. Crisp and chewy with crunchy seeds and a subtly sweet banana and coconut flavour, it’s hard to believe that these little bars of goodness are actually healthy. Even my mum, who is always the first to avoid health foods if she can, has raved about these!
These healthy banana coconut flapjacks are also wonderfully customisable, you can add dried fruit, extra nuts, chocolate chips or anything you like to them. I’m sure a drizzle of chocolate or caramel wouldn’t go a miss either! Basically what I’m saying is: they’re tasty, they’re good for you and you should totally make some.
You’ll need to start by preheating your oven and greasing and lining a 20x20cm or 8×8 inch square cake tin.
Pour your oats into a large mixing bowl.
Add your chosen nuts/seeds and the desiccated coconut to the oats. I chose to use pumpkin seeds here because I love the taste of them when they’re slightly toasted, though I’m sure sunflower seeds or any kind of chopped nuts would work well too!
Next, mash up some nice ripe bananas until smooth.
Place the mashed bananas into a saucepan along with some nut butter of your choice (a neutral tasting almond or cashew butter would be best, but in this case, I used my staple crunchy natural peanut butter), some maple syrup and some coconut oil (or butter, whatever you have handy!).
Set this over a low heat until they’re all melted together.
Add the melted ingredients to the bowl of oats, seeds and coconut and stir to combine.
Once fully incorporated, tip the flapjack mixture into your prepared tin and flatten down firmly with a spoon, spatula or fork.
Place the tin of flapjack mixture into the oven to bake until firm and browning lightly at the edges.
Leave the healthy banana coconut flapjacks to cool in the tin for at least 15 minutes before slicing them into 16-20 squares or bars.
I really hope you enjoy these healthy banana coconut flapjacks, they’re so quick and easy to make and keep for up to a week in an airtight container. They’re handy snacks or a quick breakfast, and hey, anything that tastes this good and is reasonably “healthy” at the same time should be cherished!
Scroll down for the full recipe to make these healthy banana coconut flapjacks.
See you soon for more foodie fun!
Healthy Banana Coconut Flapjacks
Healthy Banana Coconut Flapjacks; sweet, crisp and chewy flapjacks crammed with healthy goodness!
Notes
BE A MAVERICK: why not add your other favourite ingredients? I love adding pecans, chopped dates or chocolate chips!
Ingredients
- 340g (4 cups) oats
- 60g (¾ cup) desiccated coconut
- 50g (⅓ cup) assorted nuts or seeds of your choice (hazelnuts, almonds, pecans and pumpkin seeds are all great!)
- 50g (⅓ cup) dates, chocolate chips, cacao nibs or anything you fancy (optional)
- 2 ripe bananas
- 7 tbsp maple syrup, golden syrup, honey or agave nectar
- 5 tbsp almond, cashew, peanut or any nut butter (whichever you prefer!)
- 5 tbsp coconut oil or softened butter
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven - 200°C / 180°C fan / 400°F / gas mark 6 - and grease/line a 20x20cm or 8x8 inch square cake tin.
- Pour your oats into a large mixing bowl.
- Add your desiccated coconut, nuts/seeds and any other extras to the oats.
- Mash the bananas until smooth.
- Place the mashed bananas into a saucepan along with the remaining ingredients and set over a low heat until melted together.
- Add the melted ingredients to the bowl of oats and stir to combine.
- Once fully incorporated, tip the flapjack mixture into your prepared tin and flatten down firmly with a spoon, spatula or fork.
- Place the tin of flapjack mixture into the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes until firm and browning lightly at the edges.
- Leave the flapjacks to cool and crisp up a little in the tin for at least 15 minutes before slicing them into 16-20 squares or bars.
- Enjoy!
You may also enjoy…
Chocolate Chip, Date and Peanut Butter Flapjacks
This is my favourite flapjack recipe, really delicious! I portion them up and freeze in a bag, then take one out in the morning and it’s ready to eat by mid-morning.
Thank you for the lovely comment, Sarah! Glad you like them!
i love the look of this recipe, i was wondering if you would know the nutritional information of these ?
Hi Jordan, thanks for your comment. I took the decision a while ago not to list nutritional information. As someone with a history of disordered eating, I feel it is not always beneficial. However, I know that the MyFitnessPal app can be a reliable resource for calculating nutrition if you enter the ingredients and measurements as a recipe! I hope that is of some help.
I’ve added some homemade apple puree to replace some of the maple and I was also a banana short! It is a great natural sweetener and also matches the moisture quantity! I will let you know how they turn out (and taste!)! XX
Hello, do the peanut butter and syrup get mixed in with the oats or melted in the pan with the bananas? Thank you
Hi Ellie, the peanut butter and syrup are to be melted in the pan with the bananas!
Best healthy flapjacks I’ve ever had, both my boys age 1 and 3 loved them! The dog was sniffing around too 😂
Aw I’m so glad to hear that! Happy to have fed your entire family haha!
What if you don’t have desiccated coconut? Thanks
Hello Faith, if you don’t have any coconut, I’d simply swap it out for more oats. Though they may obviously taste different this way! Hope that helps!
I made these for the first time today and they are delicious!!! It’s the recipe I’ve been searching for. Thank you very much. Will definitely be making them again.
Aw that’s so lovely, Rachel! Thanks for letting me know, and so glad you hear you like them!
Do these freeze well?
Hi Nicola, yes I have had success freezing them before! I would recommend wrapping them in foil and then sealing them in an airtight container before sticking them in the freezer.
Just made these, delicious. How long do The you keep in a lunch box? Guessing in the fridge?
Hi Louise, very glad to hear you enjoyed them! I would keep these for 3 days in a container at room temperature, or up to a week in a container in the fridge. Hope that helps!
Just made them today, mine very very dry … put 5 big tablespoons of coconut oil,mashed bananas and followed all the steps, might put a bit more coconut oil next time 🙁
Oh no, that’s disappointing! If it’s a bit more moisture you’re looking for then I’d suggest another whole or half banana or some more syrup, the oil might just make it crisper on top? Was the flavour ok for you otherwise?
I find just a splash of almond or oat milk helps, sometimes it can be because your bananas are less moist or slightly smaller than in the recipe. Yah, other banana or just some milk of choice helps! XX
I’ve added some homemade apple puree to replace some of the maple and I was a banana short! It is a great natural sweetener and also matches the moisture quantity! I will let you know how they turn out! XX
Love those flapjacks. Made them several times already! Thank you
Yay, glad to hear it! Thank you!