Vegan Coconut and Banana Bars with a Pecan and Date Crust

Passover is a wonderful opportunity to improvise new recipes from Kosher-for-Passover ingredients that are abundant in supermarkets.

Even though I don't strictly keep Kosher, I enjoy playing with all this wonderful abundance that comes with the holiday:

Rice flour pastas, peanut cookies, coconut macaroons, and more.

In general, it seems the entire Passover holiday leans on this wonderful tropical nut, and I especially love using it to prepare

a variety of dishes that can be enjoyed during Passover and all year round.

The taste of coconut always takes me back to the trip I took after the army to the Far East,

and I love combining it with tropical flavors like pineapple, rum, or in this case, bananas.

 

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A post shared by Haggai Leffler Vegan Athlete (@haggai_leffler) on Apr 21, 2019 at 5:39am PDT

A bit about the recipe:

For the base of the bar, I used pitted Medjool dates, which both create a sticky mass that holds the base together and provide a wonderful sweetness.

Instead of Medjool dates, you can use the same amount of date paste.

To create a nice bite and to add high-quality fatty acids, I used pecans, chia seeds, and flaxseeds.

If you don't like one of these ingredients, feel free to swap them for any seeds or nuts you prefer.

The soft and creamy texture of the bar comes from the coconut cream.

I used a high-fat cream (21%) that was well-chilled in the refrigerator. Coconut cream with a lower fat percentage won't harden and won't create the necessary texture, so it's best to avoid it.

If you want to replace the bananas, you can use the same amount of frozen pineapple – you'll get Piña Colada bars! (Note to self: write a post about that in the future).

I used a cupcake tin to create individual bars that are easy to track for calories and fat, but of course, you can make the recipe in one large pan.

Sweet and tropical.

How to eat it?

Half a vegan coconut-banana bar about an hour and a half before a workout can be a wonderful energy snack thanks to the available carbohydrates.

Since it contains a high amount of fat, it is not recommended to eat the bar immediately before a workout, as it may cause digestive discomfort.

B

Nutritional values by clinical dietitian and fitness coach Noam Bachar:

One 130g bar out of 6 contains:

300 kcal

3g Protein

39g Carbohydrates

15g Fat (of which 9g is saturated fat)

Print

Vegan Coconut Banana Bars

Prep time 5 minutes

Servings 6 bars

Calories 300 kcal

Ingredients

For the Base

• 10 Pitted Medjool dates 170g
• 3 tbsp Pecans 48g
• 1 tbsp Chia seeds 6g
• 1 tbsp Flaxseeds 12g
• 1 level tbsp Cocoa powder 7g
• 1 tbsp Coconut oil (for greasing the pan) 10g

For the Banana-Coconut Layer

• 2 Ripe bananas 200g
• 1/2 can Coconut cream (21% fat), well-chilled 100g
• 1/2 cup Shredded coconut 40g
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract 5g
• Crushed pecans for decoration Optional

Instructions

1. Ensure the high-fat coconut cream can is well-chilled in the refrigerator.

2. In a food processor, blend all base ingredients together until a sticky dough forms.

3. Grease a muffin tin thoroughly with coconut oil.

4. Using your hands, press a small amount of the date and pecan dough into each cup.

5. Prepare the coconut-banana cream:

6. Mash the bananas with a fork.

7. Add half the can of coconut cream (use only the solid white fat part, not the liquid at the bottom).

8. Add the shredded coconut and vanilla extract and mix well until a uniform paste is formed.

9. Fill each cup with the coconut-banana mixture, decorate with some crushed pecans, and refrigerate for at least one hour.

10. Carefully remove each bar with a spoon and enjoy!