Cocoa Banana Bars

cocoa banana bars...yum!

these were more cake-like than i expected them to be. however, i waited for them to completely cool and they sliced very nicely into beautifully shaped bars. the kids loved their after school snack so much, they kept sneaking into the kitchen for seconds...and thirds....

PRINTABLE VERSION
what you need:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup chocolate chips
chopped walnuts (optional)

how to make them:
1.Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2.Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the egg and the vanilla and beat until well combined. Stir in the mashed banana, set aside.
3.Stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a separate large bowl, and make a well in the center. Pour the banana mixture into the well and stir just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
4.Remove half of the batter from the bowl. Mix the cocoa powder into the batter remaining in the bowl and stir well. Spread the cocoa batter in the bottom of the prepared pan. Spoon the remaining batter on top and use a knife to swirl the batter into a marbled design.
5.Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are golden, about 25 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting into 24 pieces.

Enjoy!