Banana Nutella Bars (Teenage Cakeland Guest Post!)

     AP Global has taken over my life for a bit - for the next 9 days, actually, because I cannot WAIT for this to be over - until the AP test, after which I'll have plenty of time for baking lots of sweet treats to entertain you with! Actually, I have big baking plans for next Friday - and I say big both in size and degree of awesome (Star Wars fans, get super excited!).
    In the meanwhile, thanks SO much to Dru of Teenage Cakeland for offering to guest post while I'm studying (she was lucky enough to finish her AP last week!). I was sold the minute I saw the word Nutella.
    Enjoy!

 Hello, readers of Sophia's Sweets! I'm Dru from Teenage Cakeland. Recently, Sophia did a guest post for me (these delicious S'more Brownies!) while I was in a studying craze , so when she said she needed some help while preparing for her own APs, I was more than happy to return the favor!
I'm sure Sophia will agree that we teenagers are under a lot of stress, a lot of the time. We all need an escape from the intensity of real life. When I bake, it's all I need to think about. I can enjoy myself and the things that I can create. There's no pressure, because it's what I love.
Want to know what else I love? Nutella. And I don't think I'm alone here. Banana Nutella Bars are the only recipe all my friends request for their birthdays, for holidays, and every time I ask them for ideas on what to bake. The moistness of the bananas and the creamy marbled Nutella create a gooey, melt-in-your-mouth bar with a heavenly flavor. They're everyone's favorite- and soon, yours, too!

 Banana Nutella Bars 

                                                     (adapted from Healthfull Ever After)

                                                                 2 bananas, mashed
                                        1/3 cup blended cottage cheese (or an extra banana)
                                                                3/4 cup white sugar
                                                                      1 tsp vanilla
                                            1/3 cup Greek yogurt (I use vanilla Chobani)
                                                                  1/4 cup applesauce
                                                                             2 eggs
                                                                         1 pinch salt
                                                                      1/2 tsp cinnamon
                                                                     1 tsp baking soda
                                                                         1 cup flour
                                                            3/4 cup whole wheat flour
                                                                     1/2 cup Nutella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper and grease with cooking spray.
In a stand mixer, mix mashed bananas with sugar, vanilla, yogurt, applesauce, and eggs until well blended.
In a medium bowl, sift together salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and flours.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low until just combined.
Pour half the batter into the prepared pan. In a glass measuring cup, heat the Nutella about 30 seconds, or until just pourable. Pour half the Nutella over the batter in a zig zag design and swirl with a knife to marble.
Top with the rest of the batter and repeat marbling with the second half of the heated Nutella. The marbling design will look similar to this:

 Bake for 28-30 minutes, until the top is firm and golden. Cool completely before cutting.