Halloween Chocolate Banana Cookie Bars (Vegan Gluten-Free)
These Halloween Chocolate Banana Cookie Bars are rich, fudgy, chewy and so delicious. They are made with wholesome vegan, egg-free and gluten-free ingredients and are perfect for little spooky bakes.
These cookie bars have it all: they are rich, chocolatey and chewy like the chewiest chocolate chip blondie; they are akin to a fudgy banana bread bar thanks to the chocolate covered bananas; and they are perfect for Halloween thanks to their simple but spooky eyes. The best part is that they are wholesome, made with ingredients you already will have at home and only take 30 minutes to make and bake.
Why will I love these?
These are delicious:
- Fudgy, chewy and naturally sweet
- Crispy on the outside and tender in the middle
- Chocolatey and melty
- Made with wholesome, plant-based ingredients
- Naturally vegan, egg-free and dairy-free
- Easily gluten-free and nut-free
- Quick to make in 30 minutes
- One-bowl mixture
- Great to make all year round
- Delicious for all the family
- A fun baking project for little ones
If you already love the sound of these bars then skip ahead to the recipe card below. Or, first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.
What ingredients do I need?
The ingredients are simple and you find the weights in the recipe card and see my favourite products in the “shop the recipe” section below.
For the cookie bars:
- Chia seeds and water: this replaces the need for egg in this vegan batter. Mix the two together and allow to form a gel. I prefer to grind my chia seeds in a blender first to make a chia powder and then use it this way, it produces a smoother gel and you won’t notice the tiny seeds in the batter.
- Runny smooth almond butter: this adds a lovely nutty sweetness and fudgy texture to the bars. Make sure it’s 100% almonds and you can also try cashew or peanut butter or for a nut-free option use tahini or sunflower seed butter.
- Coconut sugar: adds sweetness while being refined sugar free and adding a rich caramel colour and flavour. You can also use light brown or caster sugar.
- Maple syrup: adds texture and sweetness and you can use agave syrup, too.
- Vanilla, pumpkin spices or cinnamon and salt: for flavour.
- Oat flour: make your own by blending oats in a blender to a fine flour and this is great for a high-fibre alternative to plain flour. Make sure your oats/oat flour are certified gluten-free, where needed.
- Plain flour: or use gluten-free plain flour to make these light and chewy. They are too dense with just oat flour, so this adds structure and texture.
- Raising agents: for the rise.
- Dark chocolate bananas: these are so addictive and are from Natures Heart and inspired this flavour combo for the cookie bars. Chop these up small to add into the bars. You could also use their chocolate goldenberries or use a chocolate bar.
To decorate:
- Dark chocolate bananas: as above, although keep them as they are without chopping up.
- Dark chocolate: to melt down and drizzle on top of the bars as well as sticking the eyes to the bars.
- Sugar eyes: to make these spooky.
Are these gluten-free and nut-free?
These cookie bars are easily gluten-free, as long as you use certified gluten-free oats/oat flour and use gluten-free plain flour (with xanthan gum to help bind the bars). To make these nut-free, use tahini or sunflower seed butter instead of almond butter and check your other ingredients for nuts.
How do I make them?
These are made in one bowl:
- Whisk together the wet ingredients: until smooth.
- Add in the dry ingredients: and stir again to a sticky batter.
- Fold in the chopped chocolate covered bananas: and stir again.
- Pour into the dish and bake for 18 minutes: or until baked and golden.
- Allow to cool slightly and then slice: while still warm.
- Melt the chocolate and add on the spooky eyes: enjoy.
How long will they last?
These will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge in a sealed container and are best enjoyed at room temperature. The edible sugar eyes may bleed over time, so keep that in mind if you want to serve them to people. You can also freeze, wrapped well, for 1 month and allow to defrost before eating.
What else can I make?
If you are looking for more ideas:
- Halloween Chocolate Oreo Cookies
- Spooky Mummy Rice Crispy Pops
- Matcha White Chocolate Halloween Cupcakes
- Halloween Cake Pops
- Chocolate Chunk Mummy Blondies
Halloween Chocolate Banana Cookie Bars (Vegan Gluten-Free)
These Halloween Chocolate Banana Cookie Bars are rich, fudgy, chewy and so delicious. They are made with wholesome vegan, egg-free and gluten-free ingredients and are perfect for little spooky bakes.
Ingredients
For the Cookie Bars:
- 1 tbsp ground chia seeds + 2 ½ tbsp water
- 90g smooth, runny almond butter
- 45g coconut sugar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 25g oat flour
- 35g plain or GF plain flour, sifted
- 30g oats
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp pumpkin pie spices, or cinnamon
- A pinch of salt
- 75g dark chocolate bananas, chopped
For the Eyes:
- 8 dark chocolate bananas
- 20g dark chocolate, melted
- 8 edible sugar eyes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160Fan/180ºC and line a 6-inch square tin with baking parchment.
- For the chia “egg”: stir together the chia seeds and water and leave for 2 minutes to form a gel.
- For the batter: to a mixing bowl, add the chia “egg”, almond butter, coconut sugar, maple syrup and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Add in the oat flour, plain flour, oats, baking powder, spices and salt and stir to a sticky cookie dough. Fold in the chopped dark chocolate bananas.
- To bake: spread into the lined tin and smooth over the top. Bake for 18 minutes, until golden all over and starting to crisp at the edges.
- Meanwhile, make the eyes: add a drop of melted chocolate to the middle of each Dark Chocolate Banana and top with a sugar eye.
- To cool the cookie bars: leave them in the tin for 20 minutes and then lift out. Allow to cool for another 30 minutes before slicing.
- To decorate: either while warm or fully cool, decorate with the remaining chocolate and add on a Dark Chocolate Banana eye.
- Eat straight away or keep in a sealed container for 3-5 days or in the fridge for 1 week. You can freeze the bars for one month, wrapped well, and allow to defrost before eating.
Shop the recipe
Stay in touch
I look forward to hearing what you think of these Halloween Chocolate Banana Cookie Bars so please let me know in the comments below and leave a star review above. If you do make these, I’d love to see so please tag me, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest – please say hello!
With Halloween cookie bar love x
Skip to Recipe