Banana Bars with Sour Cream Icing

Fall is here!  Not a pumpkin spice fan?  Me either.  Try these delicious banana bars instead!

Banana Bars with Sour Cream Icing

Serves 24

Bar Ingredients:

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar

3/4 Cup White Sugar

1/2 Cup Butter, Room Temp

2 Eggs

1 Cup Sour Cream

3 Large, Ripe Bananas

2 Teaspoons Vanilla

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

2 Cups Flour

Jelly Roll Pan (15x10x1)

Step 1:  Prepare your pan by greasing and flouring.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Step 2:  In a large bowl, add the butter and both sugars.  Cream until well blended.  Add remaining ingredients and mix until well blended.

Step 3:  Pour into prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Cool completely before applying the icing.

Icing Ingredients:

1/4 Cup Butter, Room Temp

2 Cups Powdered Sugar

3 Tablespoons Sour Cream

Icing Instructions: Add all ingredients into mixing bowl and combine until smooth and well blended.  Slather on the bars before serving.

Mint Cookie Bars

These cookie bars are a perfect addition to any dessert buffet or for a sweet treat after dinner.  It is a classic sugar-cookie dough for the base and then minty nonpariels are added into the dough before baking.  And the colors of the non-perils are just sooooooooo pretty and springy!

Mint Cookie Bars

Yields 24 Cookie Bars

Ingredients:

3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature

1.5 Cups Granulated Sugar

3 Eggs

2 Teaspoons Vanilla

3 and 3/4 Cups Flour

3/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 HEAPING Teaspoon Baking Soda (or 1/4 and 1/8th teaspoon)

2 Cups Mint Nonpariel Candies (small size)

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 375F.

2.  Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. 

3.  Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. 

4.  Meanwhile, mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. 

5.  Add the vanilla to the creamed mixture and then slowly add the dry ingredients.

6.  Stir in the minty candies.

7.  Press into a greased 9x13 cake pan and bake at 375F for 10-15 minutes.

Heavenly Date Bars

These bars are a little of Heaven...a buttery cookie crust with a soft date filling spread on top.  All of my favorites:  butter, dates, pecans and coconut.  It's hard to eat just one!!

Heavenly Date Bars

12-24 Bars, Depending on Size You Cut.

Crust Ingredients:

3/4 Cup Butter, Softened

1/2 Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar

3 Egg Yolks

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

2 Cups Flour

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Cup Finely Shredded Coconut

Date Top Layer Ingredients:

1 package (8 oz) Chopped Dates

3/4 Cup Chopped Pecans

3/4 Cup Finely Shredded Coconut

1 Cup Water

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla

1/4 Cup Bourbon

Powdered Sugar for Dusting (optional)

Crust Instructions: 

Step 1:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease an 13x9-inch cake pan.  

Step 2:  In the bowl of your mixer, combine the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg yolks and vanilla.  Beat until smooth. 

Step 3:  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Stir to combine.  

Step 4:  Add the coconut and dry ingredients to the bowl of the mixer (butter/sugar/egg mixture) and mix on low until well combined.

Step 5:  Pat the mixture into the bottom of the pan.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, make the Date Top Layer.

Date Top Layer Instructions:

Step 1:  In a medium saucepan, combine the dates, pecans, coconut, water, and bourbon.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking until thickened - stirring constantly.  Note:  the dates will break down into a gooey consistency.  Once thickened, if you want a 'smoother' texture - you can run the filling through a food processor (caution:  filling will be hot . . .use food processor according to the manufacturer instructions for hot foods)

Step 2:  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.  Spread over the crust.  

Step 3:  Bake for 25 minutes.  Cool completely.  Dust with powdered sugar (optional) once cooled.

Butter Bars

Happy Labor Day Weekend!  These bars are perfect for your weekend bbqs this holiday weekend.  Buttery crust, crumbly top and ooey, gooey, caramelly middle . . . care for a bite?  Decadent yet simple and easy.  You can customize them however you want with the topping - I used coconut and sprinkles, but you can use nuts or chocolate chips.  I chose some red and white and blue sprinkles in honor of Labor Day.  Enjoy!

Butter Bars

Yield:  One 13x9 Pan

Ingredients:

Crust

3/4 Cup Butter

1/2 Cup Sugar

2 Cups Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

Filling

4 Ounces Cream Cheese

1/3 Cup Butter

1 Cup Brown Sugar

Topping

1 Cup Coconut (I used unsweetened toasted coconut)

1 (1.7 ounce) Container of Sprinkles

Step 1:  Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the crust until well combined and crumbly.  Remove 1 scant cup of the mixture and set aside.  Press the remaining mixture into a 9x13 pan.  Set aside.

Step 2:  In a bowl, mix together filling ingredients.  Beat until well combined.  Spread evenly over the patted crust in the pan - but don't go all the way to the edges.  Leave about a 1/2 inch of 'naked' crust around the edges.  Bake for 5 minutes.

Step 3:  After the bars have baked for 5 minutes, remove from the oven and top with the coconut.  Then, sprinkle the remaining reserved crust mixture over the bars.  Lastly, top with sprinkles.  Return to the oven for 25-30 minutes or until browned.

Enjoy!

Almond Shortbread Bars

These rich and tasty little treats are so good that you will find yourself looking for reasons to walk into the kitchen and sneak one when no one is looking.  And don't even think that no one saw you.  Because, as soon you exit the kitchen - one of your kids will be standing there...looking at you...and asking what you are eating and if they can have some.  And then you say "noooooooooooo . . .mama was just drinking a glass of water...."  Seriously.  These are so buttery and melt in your mouth - perfect with a cup of coffee or tea - or even by themselves.  They are deliciously yummy and completely melt in your mouth with each buttery-almond bite.  It's hard to eat just one because they are just that good!  

Almond Shortbread Bars

Yield:  16

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 Cups Flour

3/4 Cup Butter, softened

1/3 Cup Powdered Sugar 

12.5 oz. Can of Almond Filling

Step 1:  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  

Step 2:  In the bowl of a mixer, add the butter, flour and powdered sugar.  Mix until very well blended and crumbly.

Step 3:  Reserve about 1/3 of the dough from Step 2 and set aside.  With the remianing 2/3s of dough - press it into a 9x9 square baking pan.  Try to make the layer as even as possible, but it certainly does not need to be perfect!

Step 4:  Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven.  Let cool slightly for about 5 minutes.  Make sure to leave the oven on during this time.

Step 5: It's now time to spread the Almond Filling onto the shortbread crust.  I found that the easiest method to do so was to scoop dollops of the filling from the can and place onto the crust.  Then, with an offset spatula - gently, very gently, spread the filling across the shortbread crust.  The crust is very delicate - so be gentle.  It will so be worth it!

Step 6:  Once the filling has been spread on the crust, take the remaining dough and crumble it on top of the almond filling.  Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 25 minutes.  

Step 7:  Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting and eating.  

Corn Flake Crispies

Need a quick sugar fix?  I love these bars.  Super easy and quick to make.  Crispy, chewy and yummy.  They are very similar to Rice Krispy Squares, except they are made with corn flakes.  Please refer to the note on the bottom of the page for an additional fun idea!

Corn Flake Crispies

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Butter

1 Pound (16 ounces) of Marshmallows

1  Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

8 Cups Corn Flakes

Pan Spray or Extra Butter (for greasing the pan)

Step 1:  Butter or grease a 9x13 cake pan with pan spray.  Set aside.

Step 2:  In large saucepan, melt butter over low heat.

Step 3:  Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract. 

Step 4:  Add corn flakes cereal. Stir until well coated.

Step 5:  Pour mixture into prepared cake pan and spread out evenly and pat down.   Let stand for 15 minutes.  Cut and serve.  Store covered.

Note:  This is the same basic recipe you  would use to make Corn Flake Wreaths at Christmas-time.  To do so, use the same above recipe.  During Step 3, add 2 teaspoons of green food coloring.  Skip Step 5.  Instead, layout a large sheet of wax paper and using a 1/4 cup dry measuring cup coated with cooking spray, evenly portion the warm cereal mixture out onto the wax paper. Using buttered fingers, quickly shape into individual wreaths. Dot with cinnamon candies or small red M&Ms.  Here is a picture I snapped before my daughter made the hole in the center on the two end wreaths.  The recipe will make a dozen plus wreaths.

Loaded Chocolate Zucchini Bars

In the spirit of summer and for the love of zucchini, I fell prey to a recipe I found on Pinterest for a low-fat brownie that uses zucchini, banana and applesauce.  No egg, no oil.  Original recipe can be found here.

Well, I had all the ingredients laying around, so I thought "what the heck" and gave them a try.  They are delicious, but not a substitute for a real brownie (unless you are seeking dietary substitutes of sorts).  The texture is very fudgy - which is awesome.  My recommendations:  

• Let cool completely and/or let sit a day before eating.   The first one I ate, I thought was just okay.  The second one I ate (after they had sat a day) was border line phenomenal.  
• Alter them however you would like.  I added unsweetened coconut and grated milk chocolate to mine.

I think the reason I loved this recipe though, is mostly because I was able to sneak in some veggies and use some of my favorite kitchen tools (I cannot lie:  I love my KitchenAid shredder attachment;  I used it to shred the zucchini as well as shred the frozen banana that I used).   Furthermore, these would be really great for a breakfast on the go.

Loaded Chocolate Zucchini Bars 

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup Applesauce

1 Small or Medium Banana, mashed

3/4 Cup Sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla

3/4 tsp. Baking Soda

1/4 Cup Cocoa 

1/4 tsp. Salt

1 Cup Zucchini, shredded

1 Cup Flour

2 oz Mini Chocolate Chips

1/3 Cup Coconut, shredded and unsweetened

Step 1:  Preheat oven to 350 F.  Grease a 9x9 baking dish.  

Step 2:  In medium sized bowl, mix together the applesauce, banana, sugar, vanilla and zucchini.  Next, stir in the baking soda, salt, cocoa and flour.  Once all is incorporate well, stir in the coconut and chocolate chips.

Step 3:  Pour the batter into the greased pan.  Bake at for 25-35 minutes.  When it begins to pull away from the edges and the middle is set, it is done baking.  As well, you can do the toothpick test (insert clean toothpick into the middle and if it comes out clean, they are done).

Cool completely before eating.  Serves 9.

Root Beer Bars

This is one of my go-to faves.  It's unique yet delicious.  Always a crowd-pleaser and you can count on no-one else bringing them to the potluck.  They are reminiscent of a soft, chewy cookie-type-bar.  Many grocery stores carry root beer extract, but in case you have trouble finding it - I buy mine at our local beer/wine-making supply store.  Please note, this recipe also calls for actual root beer soda.  Use whatever kind you prefer.  

Root Beer Bars

Ingredients:

Bars

4 Cups Flour

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Brown Sugar, packed

1 Cup Butter, softened

1/2 Cup Root Beer, flat

2 Large Eggs

2 Teaspoons Root Beer Extract

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

Icing

1 and 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar

1 Tablespoon Milk, Flat

1 Tablespoon Butter, softened

1 Tablespoon Root Beer Extract

For the Bars:

Step 1:  Heat Oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl stir together four, baking soda and salt.

Step 2:  In large bowl, beat together both sugars, the butter, root beer, eggs, root beer extract and vanilla until well combined.  

Step 3:  Add the flour mixture to the sugary mixture and stir until just combined.  This will be a thick dough-like batter.

Step 4: Spread the dough evenly into a greased 9x13 baking pan.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Let cool before frosting.

For the Icing:

This is intended to be a thin icing, so do not be alarmed!  In a small bowl, combine icing ingredients and mix with a spoon until smooth.  Add more powdered sugar if too runny;  add more milk if it is too thick.   It should coat a spoon nicely.  Spread onto cooled bars.  The icing will sink into the bars and set nicely.  The hard part is waiting!  Be sure to store these in a covered container so that they don't dry out!

King's Favorite Bars

Growing up, these were known as "Lucy's Favorite Bars".  Whenever it was my turn to pick out what kind of bar my mom was going to bake for us that week . . .darn tootin' I always picked these.  They are moist, chewy, chocolaty and have three different layers.  Oh, and did I mention how EASY they are to make??  You will not be disappointed in these delicious babies.  Bust.Out.The.Fat.Pants.!

King's Favorite Bars

Ingredients:

For the Crust:
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Butter
1 Cup Flour

For the Filling:
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 and 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 Tablespoons Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 Eggs, slightly beaten
1 Package Chocolate Chips (11-12 oz)

1 Cup Chopped Nuts (optional)

Step 1:  For the crust, add all ingredients to bowl and mix together well with a fork.  Pat dough into an ungreased 9x13 baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.

Step 2:  For the filling, combine the brown sugar, vanilla and dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Add eggs and mix well.

Step 3:  Pour above mixture over the crust;  sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts.  Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Let cool before cutting.

Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

So, life's been a little busy lately.  And by busy . . .I mean that I am ready to pull my hair out.  Which reminds me, I think I have an upcoming hair appointment that I should reschedule.  And ewwwwwwwwwwwwww ...... let's hope that you don't get any hairs in these awesome Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting!  Because these are crazy good . . .it's hard to eat just one :)

Banana Bars

Ingredients

1-1/2 Cups Sugar

1 Cup Sour Cream

1/2 c. Butter or Margarine, Softened

2 Eggs

3 or 4 Ripe Bananas, Mashed

2 Teaspoons Vanilla

2 Cups Flour

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

3/4 Teaspoon Salt

Step 1:  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 15×10-inch jelly roll pan.  Set aside.

Step 2:  In a large mixing bowl, cream (beat) the eggs, sugar and sour cream until well combined.  Step 3:  Add in the bananas, vanilla, baking soda and salt.  Mix until well combined.

Step 4:  Add in the flour, and mix just until combined.

Step 5:  Spread the batter into the jelly roll pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Insert a toothpick to test for doneness.  Cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

8-ounces of Cream Cheese, Softened

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

1 Stick of Butter (or a 1/2 Cup), Softened

2 and 1/3 Cup Powdered Sugar

Step 1:  In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth.  

Step 2:  Slowly add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time into the mixer and combining until smooth.  Then repeat with the remaining cup of powdered sugar and the last 1/3 cup.  Beat until very smooth.

Step 3:  Frost the Banana Bars

Tips:

1.  You can change up the frosting easily by using different extracts.  I love to use maple.  It's divine.

2.  After the bars are cooled and frosted, you may want to cut them all and then place into a covered container.  I usually place them in a cake pan and stack them with wax paper in between.  It's easier than storing a jelly roll pan with plastic wrap or tinfoil covering it!  Of course, that is assuming your family doesn't devour them instantly.

Peanut-Nut Toffee Bars

These tasty treats are a family favorite.  And by family favorite, I mean that when ever my dads family would have a get-together, it was my mom's duty to bring the Peanut-Nut Toffee Bars.  What makes these so special?  Well, they are a little bit like a home made granola bar . . .but a thousand times better.  They are sweet, chewy and a little nutty and they have a wonderful toffee flavor, not a sugary-flavor like granola bars.  And they were everybody's favorite and I am not joking about this.  She knew they were everyone's favorite too and when she baked them - she even had a little smile and twinkle in the eye.   After Mom passed on, the family thought that I could automatically take over the recipe.  Or so they assumed.  Of course, I couldn't find it anywhere.  I searched for years.  Seriously:  years.  And then one day, while flipping through a cookbook I had looked through a million times before . . .two pages were stuck together.  And there was the recipe.  Not that I've brought it to any family function, but at least know where it is.  And now, without much further ado . . . 

Peanut-Nut Toffee Bars

4 Cups Oatmeal

1/4 Cup Melted Butter

1/4 Cup Melted Shortening

1/2 Cup Light Corn Syrup

1 Cup Brown Sugar

3 Teaspoons Vanilla

2/3 Cup Peanut Butter

2 Cups Chocolate Chips

2/3 Cup Chopped Walnuts (optional)

Step 1:  Preaheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare large cookie sheet by lining with parchment paper (I highly recommend doing this - it is very important.  The bars will likely stick otherwise).

Step 2:  Combine oatmeal, butter, shortening, syrup, brown sugar and vanilla as if for pie crust.  Pat onto cookie sheet;  bake for 10 minutes.  

Step 3:  Melt peanut butter and chocolate chips in double boiler;  add nuts.  Spread onto bars;  cut while warm.

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

I have this love of oatmeal that is in-explainable.  I am at a loss of words for how I feel about it.  It makes me who I am today.  It completes me.  

Although, I must admit . . .I don't like prepared oatmeal aka a bowl of mush.  Yuck.  Can't stand it (it's a texture thing).   I do enjoy oatmeal in all other forms though:  granola, pancakes, cookies, breads, muffins, etc etc etc.  

And thus, I was searching for a new breakfast option.  The protein bars I so love are a little bit spendy.  So, I thought I would try to find something else to have for breakfast.  I'm not a health nut by any means.  But, I do love oatmeal and I like something sweet in the mornings.  As well, it must keep me full until lunch time.  These seem to fit the ticket for me.  I tweaked this recipe.  Next time, I may try to sub some applesauce in place of the oil.

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

Ingredients:

4 Cups Oatmeal

1.5 Cups Flour

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup White Sugar

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

4 Eggs

3/4 Cup Canola Oil

3/4 Cup Raisins

3/4 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

3/4 Cup Coconut Flakes (unsweetened)

Step 1:  Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.  Measure out the dry ingredients into a large bowl (oatmeal, flour, both sugars, salt and cinnamon).  Stir together to combine.

Step 2:  Add the eggs and oil to the dry ingredients.  It may be a little tough to mix together using a spoon - I  ended up using my hands to mix it all together.

Step 3:  Add in the raisins, chocolate chips and coconut.  Mix well.  Holy Moly . .. does this look good already or what?!?!?!?!

Step 4:  Spray a 9x13 cake pan and press mixture into the pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes - until it is slightly puffy and the edges are starting to turn golden.

I cut the pan into 24 bars.  1 bar = 240 calories, 2 grams fiber and 5 grams of protein.  And they are delicious!!!

Sugar Cookie Bars

Oh my, my . . .these bars are simply divine.  And cute.  And easy.  I found the recipe via Pinterest . . it was the first recipe I had ever tried from Pinterest. . . .and I've since made it multiple times.  They are that good.  The recipe was via a blog called A Little Bit Crunchy  A Little Bit Rock and Roll. When I had done a quick Pinterest search, a bazillion hits came up with these sugar cookie bars . . .and not all from the same source.  So, I looked at a quite a few - and they were all the same.  Usually, it was just the frosting recipe that varied.  Could all these people be wrong?  

Be sure to bust out your fat pants - because these are (in the words of the dearly departed Robert Palmer) SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE!  

Sugar Cookie Bars

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

5 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

1. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. 

2. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. 

3. Meanwhile, mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. 

4. Add the vanilla to the creamed mixture and then slowly add the dry ingredients.

5. Press into a greased 13 x 18 inch pan (jelly roll pan) and bake at 375F for 10-15 minutes.

6. Cool and frost (see directions below).

Frosting Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla

pinch of salt

4 cups powdered sugar

5 tablespoons of milk

food coloring (optional)

sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, beat the shortening and butter until creamy. 

2. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar. 

3. Gradually add the 5 tablespoons of milk until you reach your desired constancy.

4. Frost the bars and decorate at own will.