Vegan Coconut Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars

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cut off t-shirts...the secret to muscle gains ;) . that's it. a participant actually cut this shirt for me right before our Zumba half-time performance this past monday during the Rockets game (yeah haven't gotten that post up yet, whoops) and now i want to do all my lifting shirts this way! will have to YouTube a tutorial for sure. after Barbell Strength class this morning i did back & biceps on my own before starting my day.

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whenever i see these baby 1 lb weights on the rack i think about how cute they would be for my future mini me. baby fever strikes again! i've never seen anyone actually use them (other than for a door stop) but aren't they adorable??

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on my last grocery trip, i got a few of these StarKist Tuna Creations from Walmart. i devoured the Sweet & Spicy and Herb & Garlic flavors a few days ago and finished the Hickory Smoked tuna today. all three were tasty! love me some portable protein! someone on IG said they have a Ranch flavor and i sure wish i had seen it at my Wally World. i'm on the hunt for it.

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they are already packed with a ton of flavor, but to the Sweet & Spicy one i added:

raisins
boiled egg whites
green onion
Grey Poupon Mild & Creamy Dijon Mustard (calorie-free)
cracked black pepper
red pepper flakes
sweet smoked paprika

and topped a few raw red bell pepper slices for lunch one day. again, it didn't even need all the hoopla! i usually add all those ingredients to regular, unflavored tuna though. try it and lemme know what cha think.

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what did i end up doing with this overripe bunch of bananas? i found a WINNER:

Vegan Coconut Banana Bread Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars

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say that 3 times fast! soooooo, vegan desserts have completely won me over. i have committed myself to creating way more of them. i've had a handful of moms contact me about making tasty food for their kiddos with specialty diets, and dairy-free is usually at the top of their list (for the parent's diet too). i understand completely cause bloating = :( . i found Minimalist Baker surfing the net one day and saw about a quadrillion recipes of theirs i wanted to try. most vegan dessert recipes i've come across contain a bajillion ingredients, like forreal. i get discouraged myself just scrolling through them. that's another reason i like Minimalist Baker though, hence the name! simple, tasty, and they use as few ingredients possible. busy moms appreciate that too! i know i do. anywaaaaaay, this recipe is oil-free, egg-free, wheat-free, diary-free and still tastes freaking AMAZING. that's always my first concern when all the 'good' stuff is missing from a recipe, ha. i found and adapted this recipe from another healthy site i came across during cardio recently, Ambitious Kitchen. these do NOT disappoint your taste buds or your waistline. now that's my kinda dessert!! all things in moderation though, yall.

no apologies...my nails are the last thing on my to-do list these days. actually they never even make the list.

moist, delectable, and HEALTHY!

go ahead, get PIN-happy! i'll wait :)

ok i'm done. ready?

Vegan Coconut Banana Bread Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars

the stuff:

2 cups gluten-free oat flour (make your own...i used rolled oats + Ninja Blender)
1/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats, un-blended (just for texture)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup honey or light agave nectar
3 medium ripe bananas
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 heaping tbsp unsweetened toasted coconut flakes
1/3 cup dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chunks

topping:

1/2 tsp coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chunks, melted
1 heaping tbsp toasted coconut flakes (optional...but that crunch and toasted flavor is everything)

do this:

pre-heat oven to 350 degrees & coat baking pan with non-stick cooking spray
oat flour: place oats into blender or food processor and blend for 1-2 minutes until oatmeal resembles flour.
transfer oat flour to a medium bowl and add: 1/4 rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon
throw bananas, vanilla, applesauce, and honey into blender; blend 1-2 minutes until smooth and creamy
add wet mixture to oat flour mixture and mix until just combined
gently fold in 1/3 cup of chocolate chunks
pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly with rubber spatula
bake for 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean
let cool for 10 min.
prepare drizzle by adding 2 tablespoons of chocolate chunks + coconut oil in microwave safe bowl. microwave on high 30 seconds; stir well to combine then drizzle over the top of bars. sprinkle toasted coconuts over bars. cut into 16 bars and serve it UP!

***NUTRITIONAL STATS( per 1 bar): 98 calories, 18g carbs, 4g fat, 2g protein, 10g sugar***

LOVE AT FIRST BITE!