Healthy Banana Cream Pie Bars

Since my Gluten & Dairy Free Lemon Bars turned out so well, I thought I would experiment with other chickpea dessert bars. Chickpeas are packed with protein, vitamins and minerals. They also boost digestion and keep you full longer due to their high fiber content. Their mild taste makes them ideal for baking with and a great substitute for flour!

I don't know about you, but I LOVE bananas. In smoothies, oatmeal, baking, or just on their own, they are always so satisfying. Not to mention high in potassium, magnesium and fiber. I thought making a banana cream pie bar would work so well with the ingredients I wanted to use. They are also naturally higher in sugar, so it allowed me to add less sweetener to the recipe.

I will be the first to admit that these bars are UGLY. Like seriously look at that color. Beige?? Now I know why packaged goods add food coloring... Anyways if you can get past the looks, these bars are to die for. You could even cover them up with some coconut whipped cream and crushed walnuts if you're serving them to guests. These were just for Jason and I though, so I skipped all of the accoutrements and just went for flavor. These came out of the oven and Jason and I couldn't stop eating them. The combination of the creamy melt-in-your-mouth filling and the crunchy nutty crust are a perfect combination! They are also super filling, so you don't have to worry about overindulging. Check out the recipe below.

Healthy Banana Cream Pie Bars

Makes: 16 Bars

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 1/2 cups walnuts
1/2 cup Manitoba Hemp Hearts
2 tsp melted butter (you can use coconut oil to make them dairy-free)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbs maple syrup
1 tbs water

Banana Filling:

1 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas (I used dry chickpeas that I cooked, but you can also use one can of chickpeas)
2 very ripe bananas
3 eggs
1/2 cup full fat canned coconut milk
1/4 cup unrefined virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper.
To make the crust put the nuts and hemp hearts in a food processor and blend until they reach a fine consistency. Then pour them into a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients.
Press the nut mixture into the parchment lined baking dish.
Bake for 15 minutes and then turn the oven down to 325 degrees.
While the crust is baking, blend all of the filling ingredients together in a Vitamix or other high powered blender. You will want to blend it for a few minutes until you reach a smooth and creamy consistency.
Once the crust is done, place it in the fridge for 10 minutes to cool. Once cooled pour the filling over top and bake for 27-30 minutes until the filling is firm and cooked through.
Cut into 16 squares and store in an airtight container in the fridge.