Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars

posted: 11/10/23 by Deryn Macey Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

These healthy peanut butter banana chocolate chip oatmeal bars are easy to make with just 8 ingredients in 30 minutes.

Close up of an oatmeal banana cookie bar with chocolate chips in it.

Table of Contents

Introduction

These peanut butter banana oatmeal bars make the perfect healthy sweet treat for the whole family.

Made with just 8 ingredients and minimal effort, these bars are great for when you’re craving something sweet that’s quick and easy to prepare.

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.

I’ve you’re looking for a more decadent version of this recipe, try my vegan oatmeal cookie bars.

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

Peanut butter, mashed banana and maple syrup mixed in a glass mixing bowl.

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

Thick peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough in a glass mixing bowl with a spoon.

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

Overhead view into a pan of oatmeal chocolate chip cookie 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.

Overhead view into a pan of baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars.

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

Overhead view of a batch of oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars cut into 16 squares on a piece of parchment paper.

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

Do I have to use peanut butter?

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.

Are these bars gluten-free?

This recipe is gluten-free as written as long as you use certified gluten-free oats and oat flour.

Are these bars vegan?

These bars are vegan (egg-free and dairy-free) as long as you use dairy-free chocolate chips or dark chocolate.

Do they taste like banana?

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.

What’s the texture like?

The top and edges of the bars are crispy and the inside is soft, gooey and so delicious. The perfect combo!

A stack of 4 peanut butter banana oatmeal bars with chocolate chips in them.

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.

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.
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