Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Bars

Oh yeah, these are as good as they look.  Doused with coconut and infused with banana, the batter baked itself into a moist and delicious cake that I served to a group of non-celiacs.  They were scraping the bottom of the plate for the last crumbs. 

See below for tips on making this dessert vegan!

Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Bars

Makes 16 Bars

1/4 cup gluten-free margarine or buttery spread
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup ripe, mashed bananas (I used about 3 medium ripe bananas)
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup gluten-free flour mix (I used 1/3 cup tapioca starch, 1/3 sorghum flour, and 1/3 cup brown rice flour)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
dash of salt

For topping:
2-3 Tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 8x8 baking pan.

Mix the softened butter with the brown sugar and beat well, until the brown sugar is well-mixed in.  Add the egg, mashed bananas, and vanilla.

In a small bowl, mix together the gluten-free flours with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients a little at a time.  Stir in 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and 2/3 cup shredded coconut. Pour the batter into baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula. 

In another small bowl, combine shredded coconut, melted butter, and sugar, and sprinkle over the top of the batter. Spread about 1/4 cup of chocolate chips over the top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Warning:  They will not last long.

To make vegan chocolate chip bars:  Substitute 1.5 tsp egg replacer + 2 tbsp. water for the egg and ensure that margarine is vegan (such as Earth Balance) and that the chocolate chips are also vegan.