Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars
on Nov 10, 2023, Updated Aug 02, 2024
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These healthy peanut butter banana oatmeal bars are easy to make with just 8 ingredients in 30 minutes and make the perfect sweet treat for the family.
I’ve you’re looking for a more decadent version of this recipe, try my vegan oatmeal cookie bars.
The banana and maple syrup add natural sweetness so the recipe is low in added sugar and refined sugar-free. It’s also dairy-free and made without eggs, with no need for flax seeds or other egg replacers.
These are more of dessert than healthy breakfast bars. If you’re looking for something more suitable for breakfast or a good workout snack, you might like Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal, Baked Berry Protein Oatmeal, Easy Vegan Banana Baked Oatmeal or Vegan Banana Oatmeal Bars.
Ingredients
- Banana: You’ll need a medium-sized ripe, lightly spotted banana. You can substitute applesauce or pumpkin puree but the bars will be less sweet. I’d recommend using banana.
- Peanut Butter: Use natural peanut butter. You can substitute almond butter or cashew butter to make them peanut free or sun butter or tahini to make them nut-free.
- Maple Syrup: Use pure maple syrup or substitute agave syrup.
- Vanilla: Artificial or pure vanilla extract is fine.
- Oats: Use old-fashioned oats (rolled oats).
- Oat Flour: You can use store-bought oat flour or homemade oat flour. If you’re making your own oat flour, just make sure it’s finely blended. If you have extra, you can use it in Oat Flour Pancakes, Vegan Oat Flour Brownies and Apple Cranberry Crisp or Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies.
- Baking Soda: Watch you use baking soda, not baking powder.
- Cinnamon: Technically optional but always a nice addition!
- Chocolate Chips: You can use any dairy-free chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips such as Enjoy Life or Camino. Chopped dark chocolate would also work.
Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredient list with measurements.
Variations & Additions
- Try peanut butter chips or white chocolate chips for a variation.
- Swap the chocolate chips for raisins or cranberries for a healthier option.
- Add up to 1/2 cup nuts or seeds like chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare to Bake
Prepare to bake by preheating the oven to 350 F and either spraying an 8×8-inch baking dish with cooking spray or lining it with parchment paper.
I’d suggest parchment so the bars are easy to lift out of the pan and slice.
Step 2: Mix Wet Ingredients
In a large bowl, mash the banana into a paste with a fork or potato masher, then mix the the peanut butter, maple syrup and vanilla with the mashed banana. Mix until completely smooth.
Step 3: Add Dry Ingredients
Add the oats, oat flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix to combine, then stir in the chocolate chips.
Step 4: Bake the Bars
Spread the mixture into the prepared baking pan, spreading evenly with a spatula, wooden spoon or even your fingers. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top – optional but recommended!
Don’t completely smooth the top out, just make sure it’s evenly spread around the pan. Leaving some texture on the surface will help them crisp up on top.
Bake your bars at 350 F for 17-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
You don’t necessarily have to check with a toothpick. The bars should be fairly firm and crisp on top and golden brown around the edges when they’re done.
Step 5: Cool and Slice
Once they come out of the oven, let them cool for at least 30 minutes in the pan before slicing. This helps ensure the bars will hold together well.
Don’t skip cooling or they may be too gooey and fall apart. I’d suggest at least 30 minutes of cooling if not letting them cool completely.
Recipe FAQs
No. You can make these with almond butter, cashew butter, tahini or sunflower seed butter.
Use tahini or sunflower seed butter if you need them to be nut-free.
This recipe is gluten-free as written as long as you use certified gluten-free oats and oat flour.
These bars are vegan (egg-free and dairy-free) as long as you use dairy-free chocolate chips or dark chocolate.
They definitely have a slight banana flavour to them. The most pronounced flavour is peanut butter, followed by banana.
If you don’t like banana, this may not be the recipe for you. You might like these no-bake oatmeal bars, chocolate oat bars, no-bake oatmeal raisin bars or no-bake peanut butter bars instead.
The top and edges of the bars are crispy and the inside is soft, gooey and so delicious. The perfect combo!
Storing Instructions
- Let them cool completely before storing.
- Fridge: Store the bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Wrap the bars tightly in plastic wrap and freeze in the pan or slice and transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container and store for up to 3 months.
Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 1 small ripe banana, mashed (about ⅓ cup or 80 g)
- 1 cup natural creamy peanut butter, 250 g
- ¼ cup maple syrup, 60 mL
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats, 120 g
- ½ cup oat flour, 55 g
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon, optional
- ¼ salt
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips, 59 g + extra for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (177˚C) and coat an 8×8 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, mash the banana into a smooth paste using a fork, potato masher or immersion blender. Add the peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Mix in the old-fashioned oats, oat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and mix to combine into a thick dough. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Bake Bars: Transfer dough to the prepared 8×8 inch pan and use a spatula, wooden spoon or your fingers to press it an even layer. You don’t want them completely smooth on top, just be sure to spread the mixture evenly in the pan. Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top if desired. Bake at 350˚F (177˚F) for 17-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool, then Slice: Let cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. This helps ensure the bars stay together. I recommend letting them cool completely.
Easy to make and delicious. I swapped cacao nibs for the chocolate chips. I’m making a double batch today!
These are really good and will be definitely be made a lot in our house. I made them exactly like the recipe is written.
Thank you, Jennie!
These are very good. Crunchy top, and the consistency is like a thick oatmeal cookie that has the chew from the whole oats but the slight cakey almost brownie like texture from the bit of oat flour.ย
I had to adjust these to what I have so,ย
I used honey instead of maple syrup.
ย I used peanut butter for the nut butter, these did not taste overpoweringly like peanut butter or banana, however you will taste it, if that is a concern.ย
Itโs like a peanut butter cookie, banana bread, and oatmeal chocolate chip cookie all became best friends and as a result you get THIS!
Made these with my little one this weekend. I love the moist middle and crunchy outside, and the fact that it is not sickeningly sweet like a lot of shop bought flap jacks. The banana flavour also comes across wonderfully. This recipe is a definite keeper in our household!
Will ripe bananas that have been frozen work
That should be fine. Thaw them first then drain off excess liquid before using. You may need to use less though since they’ll add more moisture than fresh banana.
Can I substitute the oat flour for all purpose flour?
That should be ok but I haven’t tested it myself so can’t guarantee the result. Thanks!
Seriously so good! And so easy to make, I did use almond butter instead of peanut butter though – still so yummy. I’ve already made them twice.
Loved them, I made them exactly as written. Thanks!!