Truly one of my favorite homemade snacks, these peanut butter banana oatmeal bars have made their rounds in my kitchen for nearly 10 years. Sometimes I change the recipe based on the ingredients I have and they still manage to turn out wonderfully! Satisfying your sweet tooth and unbelievably easy to make, these healthy oatmeal bars should definitely be on your to-bake list. I can’t get enough.
These Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars Are:
super easy and quick mega flavorful and wholesome, just like peanut butter banana muffins gluten free vegan if using dairy-free chocolate filled with healthful ingredients* soft-baked and moist adaptable to what you have on hand freezer-friendly
*Ok ok I know chocolate chips aren’t necessarily healthy but they’re good for the soul! And, of course, they’re totally optional, so feel free to leave them out. Either way, these are a prime choice if you’re on the lookout for healthier dessert recipe ideas.
Ingredients in Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars
Over the years I’ve tested a lot of ingredient substitutions for these oatmeal bars. Read about the ingredients and any substitutions below:
Bananas: You need about 3 medium or 2 large ripe bananas for 1 cup (230g) of mashed bananas. Want to turn these into pumpkin peanut butter bars? Swap canned pumpkin puree for the mashed banana. If you’re not a fan of banana, my recipe for peanut butter oatmeal bars is very similar but without banana in the ingredient list. Peanut Butter: I used to make these peanut butter oatmeal bars with 1/3 cup of peanut butter, but recently switched it to 1/2 cup for more flavor. You can use any nut butter you want, natural, homemade, or processed. Same options go for these flourless peanut butter oatmeal cookies, too. Coconut Sugar or Brown Sugar: I love making these with unrefined coconut sugar. You can use brown sugar instead, but I don’t recommend liquid sweetener. Applesauce: I used to make these with an egg, but found that unsweetened applesauce works like a charm instead of the egg. You can, of course, use an egg or even a “flax egg” substitute. See my recipe notes below. Almond Milk or Regular Milk: I usually make these with unsweetened vanilla almond milk, but any milk works. Vanilla Extract & Cinnamon: Both add flavor. Oats: Whole oats or quick oats work here. I recommend whole oats for a little more texture. Use certified gluten free oats if necessary. Baking Powder: Baking powder adds lift. Salt: Salt balances the other flavors. Chocolate Chips: If you want to make these bars vegan, you can skip the chocolate or use dairy-free chocolate chips instead. You can also skip the chocolate chips or replace with peanut butter chips, chopped nuts, or raisins.
Easy Way to Mash Bananas
This trick for mashing bananas is a total game changer whenever I make banana muffins, breakfast cookies, and banana bread. Just use your mixer! Peel and break your spotty bananas into chunks, place in your mixer, and beat until mashed. Beat the rest of the wet ingredients right into this bowl. So easy.
Mixing Bowl to Oven in 10 Minutes
After you mash the bananas, beat in the rest of the ingredients. This is a 1 bowl recipe! If you don’t have a mixer, you can mash the bananas with a fork, then just stir in the rest of the ingredients. Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, then spread the batter into the lined pan. Give it a taste—the batter itself is SO DARN GOOD. The bars take about 25–30 minutes to bake. Remove them from the oven, then let them cool completely. I usually cool them on the counter for 30 minutes, then place the whole pan in the refrigerator for 1–2 hours. Without refrigeration, the bars don’t cut as neatly.
What’s the Texture Like?
So what’s the texture of these peanut butter banana oatmeal bars like? Following the recipe, bake time, and cooling instructions below, the bars are somewhere between baked oatmeal and a soft granola bar. They’re very moist, but maintain their bar shape when you’re holding/biting into one. I recommend storing them in the refrigerator. See more of my egg-free baking recipes and gluten-free recipes. If you sweet tooth is calling, here are 20+ healthy dessert recipes and 40+ gluten-free dessert recipes, too.
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