Banana Oatmeal Bars Recipe

This banana oatmeal bars recipe is great for breakfast or as a snack because it uses things you probably already have in your kitchen. These oatmeal banana bars are full of healthy ingredients that will keep you full and happy.

I like to snack. Of course, I enjoy having these banana oatmeal bars in my fridge so I can snack on them all day. I love that they are made with simple ingredients that I nearly always have on hand, and they are always a favorite in my house.

You can make these oatmeal bars in a flash. Put everything in a basin, mix it up, and then put it in a baking dish that has been lined.
You may simply change this oatmeal bar recipe to fit what you have on hand.
You probably already have the basic, healthy ingredients for these oatmeal bars. I like to make my own because a lot of the ones you can buy at the supermarket have a lot of sugar in them. I like to keep handmade ones on hand when I can, even though store-bought ones are easy to find.

Ingredients

You need really ripe bananas for this to work. And they’ll taste better!
nut butter: I’m using almond butter, but you may use whichever nut butter you have on hand. If you’re using a natural nut butter, make sure to blend it well so that it doesn’t separate.
Old-fashioned rolled oats give the bars a great oat flavor and texture. You could substitute instant oats, but they would not hold up as well as the flaky rolled oats. Don’t use oats that have been sliced with steel.
cinnamon—ground cinnamon makes the rolled oats taste delicious and toasty.
vanilla — I recommend using real vanilla extract for the finest flavor.
maple syrup — use real maple syrup, and not pancake syrup. They are not the same. Pancake syrup is created with corn syrup and fake maple extract.
chocolate chips — use your favorite type of chocolate chip or chips. Mini chocolate chips are fantastic in these oatmeal bars as well.
salt — just a touch of salt to bring out the tastes and to balance them out.

• 1½ cups of mashed bananas (about 3 bananas)
• ½ cup of nut butter
• Two cups of rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons of maple syrup
• 1 cup of chocolate chips
• ½ teaspoon of salt

9×9 baking pan

Preparation Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350F and line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Mix together the mashed bananas, nut butter, rolled oats, cinnamon, vanilla, maple syrup, chocolate chips, and salt in a large mixing dish.
3. Transfer the mixture to the lined baking pan and press it into a flat, even layer. Feel free to put extra chocolate chips on top!
4. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the edges of the bars are brown and the bars look to have set. Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting.

Additional Tips and Variations

I like to add nuts (walnuts are fantastic!), seeds (pumpkin and sunflower seeds are my go-tos), or dried fruit (raisins are my favorite). You can replace the chocolate chips with them or add them in addition to them!
Avoid cutting the bars quickly, as they require time to harden up. These bars firm up as they cool.
If you have difficulties keeping the parchment paper in place while you add the mixture to the pan, blinder clips are helpful to have on hand. I use them to clip the parchment in place. Make sure to remove them before baking.
The more ripe your bananas, the better. It’s great when your banans are very brown and spotty. They will be the sweetest and simplest to mash.

Peanut butter banana oatmeal bars is one of my go-to versions for this oatmeal bar recipe! I nearly always have a huge container of peanut butter in my pantry. Cashew butter is amazing as well! Again, just make sure that the nut butter you use is well combined so that it doesn’t separate.

Putting your bananas in a paper bag can help them ripen faster if they aren’t already. They speed up the ripening process by 1 to 2 days by letting out ethylene gas. If you have an apple, you can also add it to the mix to speed things up even more!

Meal Prep and Storage

After they have cooled and been cut, you can keep the banana oatmeal bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. They will survive about two days if you leave them on the counter.

Wrap each serving in plastic wrap, put it in a bag that can go in the freezer, and freeze for 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.