Cookie Bars - Banana Carob Coconut Raisin Oatmeal with Walnuts
From All-Creatures.org Vegan - Vegetarian Recipe Book: How Mary and Frank and Friends Eat

"We are dedicated to cruelty-free living through a vegetarian - vegan lifestyle. Let no animal suffer or die that we may live!"

Ingredients

1 cup Spelt or Whole Wheat Flour
3 cups Rolled Oats (Oatmeal), quick
3 cups Raisins
1 cup Coconut, shredded, unsweetened
5-6 Bananas, fully ripened
Apple Juice, as needed
1 cup Carob Powder (dark or medium roasted)
2 tbsp. Vanilla, extract
Walnut Halves

(To enlarge the photo of the Cookie Bars - Banana Carob Coconut Raisin Oatmeal with Walnuts, click on the photo or link)

Preparation

Banana carob coconut raisin oatmeal cookie bars with walnut are a relatively easy and quick vegan recipe for a treat anytime of the day and for any occasion. Since they have no preservative, we suggest storing any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. (175 degrees C.), or you can use a microwave oven to make these cookie bars.

Place the spelt, or whole wheat flour, and the rolled oats (oatmeal) in a bowl and mix together.  Add the coconut, and 2 cups of the raisins and mix well to ensure that the raisins are not sticking together, and that they are thoroughly coated with the flour mixture.

Place the peeled bananas, 1 cup of the raisins, carob, and vanilla in the container of a high speed blender. Cover and run at high speed until all the ingredients are thoroughly blended into a smooth "fudge" sauce.

Add the banana and carob mixture to the flour mixture and mix thoroughly with a stiff spatula or spoon.  If the cookie dough is too stiff, you may add a little apple juice or water; however, the dough for cookie bars should be stiff.  (To test for dough stiffness, we stick a soup spoon upright into the dough.  If the dough is stiff enough, the spoon will remain upright.)

On a non-stick or lightly oiled baking sheet (for conventional oven baking only), or in a lightly oiled ceramic or glass baking dish, place the cookie dough, pressing out to the edges, and smoothing to uniform thickness of not more than 1/2 inch.  (To enlarge the photo of the banana carob coconut raisin oatmeal cookie bars with walnuts, click on the photo or link)

Place the walnut halves (as in photo) on the top of the cookie bar dough and press in slightly.

Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees F. for about 20 minutes.  Various ovens bake differently, so we suggest that you begin checking for doneness after 15 minutes of baking.

If baking in a microwave oven, use the bake setting; or if you have an automatic baked potato setting, use that.  We have found that with a stiff dough in a 7 inch square glass or ceramic baking dish, the automatic baked potato setting will shut off when the cookie bars are baked.

The cookie bars should be firm, but a little "springy" when touched.  Be careful not to over-bake.

When the banana carob coconut raisin oatmeal cookie bars are baked, remove from the oven, cool, cut into squares or rectangles, and enjoy.

Ingredients Information

Apple Juice

Bananas

Carob Powder

Coconut, Unsweetened Flaked

Oats, Rolled

Raisins, Thompson Seedless

Spelt

Walnuts

Wheat, Hard Red

Vanilla Extract

Utensils and Equipment Information

Baking Pan, Glass

Bowls, Stainless Steel Mixing

Measuring Cups, Dry

Measuring Cup, Liquid

Measuring Spoons

Spoon, Large Mixing

Vita-Mix

The above recipe is in keeping with God's creation intent (Genesis 1:29-31): 'Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground-- everything that has the breath of life in it-- I give every green plant for food." And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.' (NIV) Let no animal suffer or die that we may live!