Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 ½ cups Rolled Oats (Old-Fashioned, not instant)
  • ¾ cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
  • 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • ½ tsp Baking Soda
  • ¼ tsp Fine Sea Salt
  • 1 stick (½ cup) Unsalted Butter, cold and cubed
  • 3 large Very Ripe Bananas (approx. 350g, mashed)
  • ¼ cup Honey or Maple Syrup
  • 1 tbsp Cornstarch (Cornflour)
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 tsp Lemon Juice (freshly squeezed)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line the 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides to use as a sling.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
  3. Add the cold, cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry blender or your fingertips to cut the butter into the flour mixture until large, pea-sized crumbles form.
  4. Measure out and reserve 1 cup of this crumble mixture; this will be used for the topping later.
  5. Pour the remaining crumble mixture into the prepared pan. Press it down firmly and evenly using the bottom of a measuring cup or your knuckles to form a compact crust.
  6. Bake the crust for 10 minutes to set it slightly. Remove from the oven.
  7. In a medium bowl, mash the very ripe bananas until mostly smooth (a few small lumps are welcome).
  8. Add the honey/maple syrup, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and lemon juice to the mashed bananas. Whisk until the cornstarch is completely dissolved and the mixture is uniform.
  9. Pour the banana mixture evenly over the warm, pre-baked crust.
  10. Sprinkle the reserved 1 cup of oat crumble mixture evenly over the top of the banana filling. Press the topping lightly to adhere.
  11. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the top is a beautiful golden brown and the filling is visibly bubbly and set in the centre.
  12. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely on a wire rack for at least 60 minutes. This step is crucial for clean cutting.
  13. Use the parchment sling to lift the cooled bars out of the pan. Cut into 12 squares using a sharp knife.