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    Home » Breakfast

    Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars

    April 4, 2023 by Erica Hopper

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    The whole family will love these Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars! They're made with simple ingredients and the best way to combine peanut butter, banana and oats for a fun breakfast or healthy dessert. Have these ready in 1 hour!

    As much as I love a quick breakfast bowl full of Overnight Oats, it's nice to switch it up every now and then and these bars are the perfect recipe. They contain the same healthy ingredients as a bowl of oatmeal, the only difference is they're baked into the ultimate chewy, golden brown oatmeal bar. They're seriously addicting!

    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love This Recipe
    • Tools You'll Need
    • Ingredients
    • Substitutions
    • How to Make Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars
    • Prep Ahead Options
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Tips and Tricks for Success
    • More Recipes You'll Enjoy
    • Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

    Why You'll Love This Recipe

    • Easy to make gluten free - These bars are naturally gluten free when made with certified gluten free oats. Ideal for celiac disease or gluten free diets.
    • Creative way to use up overripe bananas - Most of the time we think of sweet banana bread when we see ripe bananas on the counter. But if you're looking to switch things up, try these banana oatmeal bars. They're equally as delicious, but with a texture more similar to granola bars.
    • Requires just a handful of ingredients. This healthy treat is made with just 10 ingredients, many of which you likely already have in the pantry.

    Tools You'll Need

    • 1 8-inch square baking pan
    • Parchment paper
    • Potato masher or fork (for mashing bananas)
    • 1 medium mixing bowl
    • Whisk
    • 1 set of dry measuring spoons
    • 1 set of liquid measuring cups
    • 1 set of dry measuring cups
    • Spatula

    Ingredients

    Ingredients for the peanut butter banana oatmeal bars. This image shows bowls with oat milk, vanilla extract, peanut butter, bananas, and maple syrup.

    Ripe, sweet bananas, creamy natural peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and unsweetened oat milk make the creamy base of these bars. You'll notice they're sweetened with natural ingredients, making these oat bars the perfect healthy oatmeal breakfast bars.

    This image shows bowls of dry ingredients for peanut butter banana oat bars. This shows bowls of kosher salt, baking powder, ground cinnamon, flax meal, gluten free oats, and semi-sweet chocolate chips

    Old-fashioned oats, golden flaxseed meal, ground cinnamon, baking powder, kosher salt, and semi-sweet chocolate chips are the wholesome ingredients that add structure and texture.

    Substitutions

    • Use another nut butter. The creamy peanut butter can be swapped with another nut butter such as almond butter, cashew butter, or if nut-free, sunflower seed butter.
    • Replace the oat milk. Any other unsweetened plant-based milk will work well. You can also use regular dairy milk, if preferred.
    • Use another liquid sweetener. I love the flavor of maple syrup but you can use another liquid sweetener such as honey, agave, or brown rice syrup.
    • Chocolate chip alternatives. Feel free to use your favorite chocolate chips, chocolate chunks or even a chopped chocolate bar. Or, omit the chocolate chips entirely.

    How to Make Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars

    This image shows the wet ingredients mixed together for the peanut butter banana oatmeal bars. The mixture has mashed bananas, oat milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
    1. Whisk together the wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, peanut butter, oat milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
    This image shows the wet ingredients and dry ingredients stirred together for the peanut butter banana oatmeal bars. The mixture is currently sitting and allowing the oats to soak up the liquid.
    1. Add in the dry ingredients. Once the wet ingredients are well mixed, add in the oats, flaxseed meal, cinnamon, baking powder, and Kosher salt.
    2. Rest the mixture. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, allowing the oats to absorb some of the liquid.
    Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal bar mixture fully mixed, with the chocolate chips added, just before it is pressed into the pan.
    1. Fold in the chocolate chips. Once the mixture has sat for 30 minutes, fold in the chocolate chips, then press the oatmeal bars firmly into the prepared baking pan.
    This image shows the mixture for the peanut butter banana oatmeal bars once it has soaked, the chocolate chips have been folded in, and it has been pressed into the pan, just before baking.
    1. Bake. Place the oatmeal bars in the oven, and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the mixture is set and lightly browned.
    2. Cool completely. Remove the cooked bars from the oven and let cool completely before cutting into bars.
    3. Cut into bars: Slice the mixture in half, then cut each half into 6 pieces.

    Prep Ahead Options

    Meal prep these banana oatmeal bars ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator for the week (up to 7 days!). They can also be frozen, if desired.

    To freeze, allow the bars to cool completely to room temperature. Once cool, cut into individual bars, then place the bars on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the freezer until frozen solid, about 2 hours. Transfer the frozen oatmeal bars to a freezer bag or freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.

    Serving Suggestions

    These oatmeal bars are healthy enough to enjoy for breakfast, but the perfect snack-sized bar to pack in school lunches or enjoy as an afternoon snack. They can even be served as a dessert with a scoop of your favorite ice cream!

    If you're looking for additional ways to use oats for breakfast, you'll love these Peanut Butter Granola Clusters or these Strawberry Banana Breakfast Cookies.

    Recipe FAQs

    Where is oatmeal in the grocery store?

    Oats are a shelf stable item and are typically found near the breakfast foods or baking items in the grocery store. Check near the breakfast cereals or baking items such as flour and sugar. Most large chain grocery stores typically carry several types of oats, so make sure to purchase rolled oats.

    Are these bars vegan?

    These oatmeal bars are naturally vegan so long as the chocolate chips used are dairy-free. Enjoy Life is a popular brand that sells allergen friendly, vegan chocolate chips, but several semi-sweet and dark chocolate chip brands are naturally vegan.

    How long are oatmeal bars good for in the fridge?

    These peanut butter banana oatmeal bars will keep for up to 1 week when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Storing at room temperature is not recommended.

    Tips and Tricks for Success

    • Use natural peanut butter. There's a big difference in consistency between natural peanut butter made from just peanuts and salt and peanut butter made with additives like sugar and oil. In order to prevent your bars from becoming dry, it is important to use natural, runny peanut butter.
    • Use overripe, spotty bananas. Just like in my Banana Pudding Brownies recipe, the more ripe and spotty your bananas are, the sweeter and better flavored your banana oatmeal bars will be.

    More Recipes You'll Enjoy

    • Bacon Wrapped Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates
    • Dutch Oven Pot Roast with Butternut Squash
    • Banana Pumpkin Protein Muffins
    • Dairy Free Overnight Oats with Pumpkin

    Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

    Erica Hopper
    The whole family will love these Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars! They're made with simple ingredients and the best way to combine peanut butter, banana and oats for a fun breakfast or healthy dessert. Have these ready in 1 hour!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Rest Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr
    Course Breakfast, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 servings
    Calories 308 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 each ripe bananas mashed
    • 1 cup natural creamy peanut butter
    • ½ cup oat milk
    • ½ cup real maple syrup
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 2 ½ cups certified gluten free oats
    • 2 tablespoons flax meal
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
    • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
    • In a medium bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, peanut butter, oat milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Add the oats, flax meal, cinnamon, baking powder, and Kosher salt. Mix well, and let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, allowing the oats to absorb some of the liquid.
    • Once the mixture has sat for 30 minutes, fold in the chocolate chips, and press firmly into the lined baking pan. Place in the oven, and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the mixture is set and lightly browned. Remove from the oven, and let cool completely before cutting into 12 equal bars.
    • To cut into bars, cut the mixture in half lengthwise. Then, cut each half into 6 pieces. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 308kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 8gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 142mgPotassium: 309mgFiber: 5gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 29IUVitamin C: 0.03mgCalcium: 82mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Erica from The Sugar and Salt Co

    Hi, I'm Erica! Hi! I'm Erica, the creator of the sugar + salt co! With my chef-inspired, gluten free recipes, I take the fear out of the kitchen for the everyday home cook. Thanks for stopping by!

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