Cocoa-Banana Cream Bars

Name: Cocoa-Banana Cream Bars
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 200g All Purpose Flour; 80g Sugar; 1package Vanilla Sugar; 40g Cocoa Powder; 1package Baking Powder; 1tsp Baking Soda; 1pinch Salt; 200g Banana; 200ml Soy Milk; 40g Coconut Oil; 1tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar; 200g Canned Coconut Milk; 100g Dark Chocolate; 100g Shredded Coconut; 100g Banana; 300g Soft Chocolate Ganache

These Cocoa-Banana Cream Bars are a cozy traybake-style dessert: a soft, chocolatey banana sponge sliced into two thin layers, filled with a coconut-chocolate-banana cream, and finished with a silky ganache on top. They’re easy to portion into neat rectangles, and they taste even better after a night in the fridge.

Total Time

85 min

Difficulty

Servings

12 servings

Categories: Bars & Brownies Desserts

Allergens: Gluten Soy Tree Nuts

Bars Base Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Line a 30 × 20cm baking dish with parchment paper (or grease with vegan butter and dust with flour).
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, vanilla sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Purée the banana until smooth (food processor is easiest, but a fork works if you mash very well).
Add the banana purée, soy milk, and coconut oil to the dry ingredients and mix until you get a smooth batter.
Add the apple cider vinegar last and mix again quickly until combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes. Test with a toothpick — if it comes out clean, it’s done.
Let the base cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
Once fully cooled, carefully slice the base horizontally to make 2 thin layers.

Coconut Chocolate Cream Instructions

The night before: chill the canned coconut milk in the fridge (upright if possible) and don’t shake it, so the cream separates from the liquid.
Scoop out 200g of the thick coconut cream into a microwave-safe bowl and add the dark chocolate.
Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
Transfer to a larger bowl. Add the mashed banana and shredded coconut and mix well.
Refrigerate for 1 hour so the cream firms up and becomes spreadable.

Topping Instructions

Prepare the soft chocolate ganache according to its recipe.

Assembly and Chilling Instructions

Place the bottom layer back into the baking dish (or onto a serving board). Spread the chilled coconut chocolate cream evenly over it.
Gently place the second layer on top.
Spread the soft chocolate ganache evenly over the top.
Chill for at least 2 hours before slicing (overnight is even better for the cleanest bars).
Slice into bars and serve.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Notes

Chilling the coconut milk overnight is important — it’s what makes the cream thick enough to set.
Add the vinegar last: it reacts with the baking soda and helps the base bake up light and tender.
If you don’t have coconut oil, sunflower or canola oil works as a 1:1 swap.
Let the base cool completely before slicing into layers, otherwise it can crumble or compress.
These taste even better the next day once everything has set in the fridge.

Equipment Needed

Oven
Baking Dish
Parchment Paper
Mixing Bowl
Whisk
Food Processor
Rubber Spatula
Kitchen Scale
Measuring Cups
Tooth Picks
Knife
Cutting Board
Wire Rack
Microwave
Bowl
Spatula