Bananas, chocolate, coconut, and caramelized yum! These little bars pack a punch of all the good things you crave. Reminiscent of gooey, sweet, seven-layer bars, these guys have a leg-up with the added surprise of a bit of banana!

I happen to love a seven-layer bar, and bananas and chocolate make one of the very best flavor combos, so these are a new twist on some old favorites.  It makes a 9×13″ pan, and since they’re so rich you can cut them small and make them serve a lot of folks!

First you’re going to make the base which is sorta like a chocolate crust. Prepare your 9×13″ baking dish by lining it with parchment paper, and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  I used my stand mixer to make this layer because it is very thick and would be quite difficult to mix by hand.

To the mixing bowl, I added 2 sticks (1 cup) of butter

and 3/4 c. powdered sugar and let them mix well.

I then added 1 1/2 c. flour,

1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder,

and 1/8 tsp. salt.

Again, expect a very thick, but moist batter.  Press this batter into the baking pan and bake for 15 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, mash 2 ripe bananas

and add in 1 can of sweetened condensed milk.

When your crust has finished baking, pour the bananas and milk over the top of the crust.

Sprinkle 2 c. of semisweet chocolate chips

1 c. shredded coconut,

and 1 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts (optional) over the top and bake for 25 minutes or until the coconut is golden brown.

Let these beauties chill for a while before serving.  They are definitely best when cold.  Use the fridge for at least a half an hour after they’ve cooled on the counter, and put them back in there when you’re done filling your face with gooey chocolate. To serve, pull the entire sheet of parchment paper out of the baking pan and lay it on a cutting board.  Use a big knife to cut them into small squares.  I got several dozen from one batch.

I hope it gives you a happy use for your sad little bananas on your counter!  Happy Monkey Bar eating to you!!

Monkey Bars

 

Print

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

Bananas, chocolate, coconut, and yum! These little bars pack a punch of all the good things you crave. Reminiscent of seven layer bars, these guys have a leg-up because of banana!

Alison: That Which Nourishes

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: several dozen

Grocery List

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• ¾ c. powdered sugar
• 1½ c. flour
• ½ c. unsweetened cocoa powder
• ⅛ tsp. salt
• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 c. coconut
• 1 c. chopped pecans (optional)

Here's how...

1. Prepare a 9x13" baking pan by lining it with parchment paper.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. In a mixing bowl, mix the butter and powdered sugar. Add in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. The mixture will be very thick, but moist. Press this into the baking pan and bake for 15 minutes.
4. In a separate mixing bowl, mix 2 mashed bananas with the sweetened condensed milk.
5. Pour the banana/milk mixture over the hot crust.
6. Sprinkle with 2 c. semisweet chocolate chips, coconut, and pecans (optional).
7. Bake for 25 minutes or until the coconut is golden brown.
8. Let them cool completely and then chill in the fridge for at least a half and hour.
9. Remove the parchment paper and lay it on a cutting board to cut into squares.

3.5.3208

Many thanks to saltandchocolate.com, for this fabulous recipe!