Chocolate Banana Oat Bars |Cooking With Amanda

I very firmly believe that adding oats to things makes them morning appropriate. Same with bananas. Chunky Monkey Banana Donuts and White Chocolate Blueberry Oat Cookies are evidence of my firm belief in these breakfast principles. And also, these chocolate banana oat bars.

After years of writing for Food Fanatic and maintaining a friendship with my managing editor, we finally were able to meet in person this past October. It was a couple of days of totally intense work, but also a realization that I actually like her EVEN MORE in person (and nooooo, I am not just writing that because she is going to edit this once I turn it in). Which was great because sitting side by side at a table with someone for 3 days could get awkward really fast if you find out they are not fun at all.

So, while we were working, we got to talking about the articles that I submit here on Food Fanatic. And how sometimes I get stuck on just what exactly I should be sharing. Because on my own site, Sugar Dish Me, I blather on about finding pretzels in between couch cushions and how the carpool line puts me right at the brink of complete and total lunacy twice a day.

And Amber [that's my managing editor] is like, "yes! You should definitely write for Food Fanatic the way your write for your regular readers."

And I was like, "ummmmm, are you sure? Because I tell my regular readers stories about guys marching around Walmart at 4 pm in pajama pants. Guys that are VERY LOUDLY telling their girlfriends about how 'the pallets are stacked so badly' and 'you can tell that a lazy person did this'.

Guys that do not understand the irony of wearing pajamas in public and then calling fully clothed people lazy."

And she was like, "yes, Food Fanatic readers will love that."

So in a few weeks when I'm back and I am telling you how to make the perfect scrambled eggs, while also telling you about the dogs eating a whole pan of cookie bars that the cat threw on the floor, you know who to thank.

Also -- you should totally make these Chocolate Banana Oat Bars because there's cream cheese frosting and it's AMAZING.

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Chocolate Banana Oat Bars Recipe

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Ingredients

For the Bars:

1 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup boiling water
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed banana, about 3 medium bananas
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons oil, neutral flavor - vegetable, canola, etc.
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened, 1/3 fat neufatchel also works well
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk, or cream

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 13 X 9 baking pan.
Add the oats to a small bowl. Pour the boiling water over the oats, stir and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, bananas, sugar, oil, and vanilla.
Dump in the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and kosher salt. Mix until JUST combined.
Stir in the oats and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the bars cool before frosting.
To make the frosting, beat together the cream cheese and butter until it's nice and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and milk or cream, and beat until fluffy. Frost the cooled chocolate banana oat bars.