Guilt Free Blondies

Blondies are made healthy with fruit puree tossing out refined sugar, dairy, gluten and oil. When you bite into one, you would never know you weren't eating an indulgent dessert. These babies are sure to stay. This batch is chocolate chip banana oat, if chocolate isn't your thing, use raisins or another dried fruit, nut, shredded coconut or as you desire. This recipe is easily made in a food processor, transferred to a lined pan, baked, cooled, sliced and consumed. After 25 minutes of baking, cooling, and enjoying they are perfect blondies. The consistency of a brownie with the taste of a blondie. You can store them on the counter in a sealed container for a few days, refrigerate for a week or freeze for a few months for future treats. If you enjoy blondies I think you will love this recipe! 

Prep Time: 15 Minutes | Bake Time: 25 Minutes | Total Time: 40 Minutes
Makes: 10 Bars | Calories Per Bar: 144

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Mashed/Pureed Banana
1/4 Cup Agave Syrup
1 1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1/8 tsp Sea Salt
1 1/2 Cup Oat Flour (Gluten-Free Oats ground into powder)
1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips + 2 Tbsp for topping 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a loaf pan by lining it with parchment paper or aluminum foil allowing the paper or foil to come up a couple inches on each side, for ease of removing. If using foil, lightly grease. 
2. Take ripe bananas and puree until you have 1/2 cup. Add 1/4 cup agave, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/8 tsp sea salt and puree until very smooth. 
3. If making oat flour, blend into a fine powder. Pour into a measuring cup, level off until you have 1 1/2 cups. Add to the food processor. Blend for about 30-45 seconds until very well combined. 
4. Stir in your favorite goodies, in this case chocolate chips! Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan, sprinkle with chocolate chips, gently press the chips into the batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes, I baked ours for exactly 25 minutes, until a toothpick or knife comes out relatively clean.
5. Cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, lift the edges of the paper or foil and gently place on cooling rack. Allow to cool then remove the foil or paper, slice and serve. Banana Nice Cream goes great with this!! 

​Tips for the Chef:

• Use your favorite syrup or sweetener. More may be used yet we found them sweet enough and you eat 1/4 of the amount of sweetener found in standard recipes. 
• Use this recipe as a palette, replacing the colors and flavor with the season. Use a variety of fruit or vegetable purees instead of banana puree. For instance mango with coconut shreds vs. chocolate chips would be divine, in fact I want to try that next. In the fall sweet potato or pumpkin puree would be incredibly delightful. 
• Instead of chocolate chips you can use whatever you'd like or nothing at all! Imagine white cacao, white chocolate chips, raisins, dried cherries, other dried fruit, nuts, seeds, instant espresso powder, coconut flakes or even peanut butter swirls....yum! 
• Recipe heavily adapted and inspired by Inspired Taste 
  

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