Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats (Not instant or quick-cooking)
  • 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
  • ½ cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
  • ½ cup Unsalted Butter, melted
  • ¼ cup Chopped Pecans (optional, toasted lightly)
  • 1 ½ cups Very Ripe Bananas, mashed (Approx. 3 medium bananas)
  • 1 Large Egg, room temperature
  • ¼ cup Maple Syrup or Honey
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • ½ teaspoon Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed preferred

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line the 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper, allowing an overhang on two sides (this is your 'sling'). Lightly grease the exposed pan walls.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the chopped pecans (if using).
  3. Pour the melted butter over the dry mixture. Stir well with a spatula until the mixture is uniformly moist and crumbly, resembling coarse wet sand.
  4. Scoop out about 1 cup (roughly 1/3) of this mixture and set it aside for the topping.
  5. Transfer the remaining mixture to the prepared pan. Press it down firmly and evenly using the bottom of a measuring cup or your hands to form a compact crust.
  6. In the second mixing bowl, mash the very ripe bananas until mostly smooth (a few lumps are welcome for texture).
  7. Add the room-temperature egg, maple syrup (or honey), vanilla extract, and lemon juice to the mashed banana. Whisk until just combined—do not overmix.
  8. Pour the banana filling evenly over the pressed oatmeal base. Use the spatula to gently spread it to the edges.
  9. Scatter the reserved oatmeal crumble mixture over the filling, ensuring an even distribution. Gently press down on the topping slightly, but don’t compact it completely.
  10. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the filling is set in the centre. A toothpick inserted should come out clean (if the crumbs are damp, that's fine).
  11. Cool Completely: Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 60–90 minutes. This mandatory cooling time sets the structure of the bars.
  12. Use the parchment sling to lift the cooled bars out of the pan. Cut into 12 squares.