• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
HalfPastHungry
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Blog
  • About Me
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Blog
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
    • Blog
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Breakfast

    Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars

    Published: Jan 15, 2023 by Briana · This post may contain affiliate links where I may receive compensation. Please see my disclosure for details.

    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Email

    These soft and chewy Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars are loaded with wholesome ingredients and are naturally sweetened with honey and bananas. They're packed with fiber and perfect for a quick breakfast or snack.

    Three Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars stacked on top of each other on parchment paper with surrounding banana oat bars
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Raise your hand if when it gets to the end of the week, you always end up with a bunch of ripe bananas sitting on your kitchen counter? I don't know about you but I absolutely hate wasting food! So instead of using them in a banana bread recipe, I decided to make some delicious peanut butter banana oatmeal bars!
    There’s only nine wholesome ingredients in this bar recipe. They're almost as good as these chai spiced vegan oatmeal bars and unlike the packaged bars from the store, these bars don’t have any preservatives or junk in them.

    Why You’ll Love This Recipe

    Treat yourself to a batch of these homemade oatmeal banana peanut butter bars. You’ll love these bars because they’re made with wholesome, healthy ingredients and packed with potassium. These bars are perfect for breakfast, as a snack or you can have one as a post-workout recovery snack.

    Soft-Baked Banana Oatmeal Bars on a baking rack with ingredients used laying next to the rack

    Benefits of Oatmeal

    Oats have numerous health benefits and have become a popular breakfast option for many people. Some may argue that eating oatmeal is just as bad as eating cereal in that it lacks nutritional value to be considered a healthy breakfast.

    Oatmeal can provide many benefits including lowering cholesterol and improving blood sugar regulation. Also, since oats are high in fiber it helps keep you full between meals and provides plenty of whole grains, protein, antioxidants and more.

    Equipment You’ll Need

    Here is some equipment suggestions to help you make the 

    • Baking Dish - 8x8 square, prepared with parchment paper
    • Mixing Bowl - to mix all of the ingredients in
    • Large Spoon - or spatula to mix all of the ingredients with
    • Measuring Equipment - teaspoon, tablespoon, 1 measuring cup
    Banana Oatmeal Bars Ingredients in clear glass bowls with labels

    Ingredients You’ll Need 

    There’s only nine wholesome ingredients in these oatmeal banana peanut butter bars. Here is what you need:

    • Bananas – Duh!! This recipe uses 3 ripe bananas. The good news is they are not required to be super ripe for this recipe. I used bananas that were soft and had some brown spots on them and they still worked just fine.
    • Rolled Oats – use rolled oats for oatmeal banana peanut butter bars. Instant oatmeal or steel cut oats will not work for this recipe. If you prefer, you can also use gluten-free oatmeal.
    • Peanut Butter – If you’re not a fan of peanut butter or are allergic or sensitive to it, another nut butter would probably work but I’ve only tested peanut butter.
    • Maple Syrup – this makes the perfect  sweetener in the oat bars. You can substitute with honey, agave syrup or date syrup. 
    • Egg – you only need 1 egg to help bind the ingredients all together
    • Baking Soda – only ½ teaspoon is used in these peanut butter banana oat bars
    • Vanilla - make sure to use real vanilla extract to help enhance all the flavors in the recipe, not imitation vanilla. 
    • Cinnamon – Cinnamon and peanut butter is just a combo I love. 
    • Chocolate Chips - and of course we can’t forget the chocolate chips! You can use semi-chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips.
    Bananas cut in half and placed in a clear glass mixing bowl.
    Mashed Bananas in a clear glass mixing bowl

    How to Make the Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars

    The great thing about these banana granola bars is everything is mixed all in one-bowl and then transferred to a baking dish to bake. In minutes, you can pop the pan and into the oven and then into your mouth!

    1. Mash the bananas in a large bowl. 
    2. Stir in the rolled oats, peanut butter, maple syrup and egg until it is well combined.
    3. Add in the baking soda, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon and sea salt.
    4. Pour in the chocolate chips and mix it all together.
    5. Transfer the batter into the parchment lined baking dish and bake the bars for 25 - 30 minutes or until a toothpick or knife is inserted in the middle and comes out clean.
    6. Let cool for 10 - 15 minutes before cutting them into bars.
    Banana Oatmeal Bars Ingredients in a clear glass mixing bowl
    Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars Ingredients mixed in a clear glass mixing bowl with a mixing utensil.

    How to Store the Oat Bars

    To store the peanut butter oatmeal bars, layer them between waxed paper in an airtight container. They can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 – 5 days. You can eat them straight from the fridge or let them sit at room temperature before serving.

    Soft-Baked Banana Oatmeal Bars on baking rack with ingredients in the background

    Substitutes and Variations

    Here are a few substitutes and variations for the chocolate peanut butter oat bars in case you need or want to use alternative ingredients.

    • Nuts - Want to add in a little added protein, you can substitute the chocolate chips with some walnuts or pecans or whatever nuts you prefer. Or you can add ½ nuts and ½ chocolate chips and mix them together. 
    • Chocolates - Adding chocolate chips to these bars is optional. You can also skip the chocolate chips all together or substitute them with raisins or chopped nuts. But let me say, once you try them with the chocolate chips, it’s hard to go back! You can use semi-chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips. 
    • Nut Butters - If you’re not a fan of peanut butter or are allergic or sensitive to it, other nut butter would probably work although I’ve never tried it. You can try using almond butter, cashew butter or your favorite nut butter. 
    • Dairy free milks - if you’re not a fan of almond milk, that’s okay because any type of milk works for this recipe. You can use cashew milk, oat milk, soy milk or regular plain dairy milk.
    Banana Oatmeal Bars stacked on top of each other with parchment paper in between the bars and a clear glass of milk in the background

    Recipe FAQ

    Are these oatmeal bars gluten-free? 

    If you use gluten-free rolled oats, these banana oatmeal bars can be gluten-free.

    Is eating oatmeal everyday good for you? 

    Oatmeal can provide many benefits including lowering cholesterol and improving blood sugar regulation. Also, since oats are high in fiber it helps keep you full between meals and provides plenty of whole grains, protein, antioxidants and more.

    Are oat bars healthy? 

    Oats have numerous health benefits and have become a popular breakfast option for many people. The oat bars eaten in moderation can make the perfect breakfast, snack or  post-workout recovery snack.

    How do you ripen bananas quickly?

    Using a lunch size paper bag, place the banana(s) in the paper bag and roll it closed. You can keep the banana(s) in the bag for 1 to 2 days. After day 2 you can remove the banana(s) from the bag and they should be nice and ripe with brown spots.

    How do you know when the peanut butter banana oatmeal bars are fully baked?

    You can use a toothpick or a knife and insert it in the middle of the pan to check to see if the bars are fully baked. If it comes out clean, then they are fully baked and ready to be removed from the oven.. If there is batter on the toothpick or knife, let the bars bake for about 5-10 more minutes.

    More Recipes You May Like:

    Blueberry Muffin Overnight Oats

    Chai Spiced Vegan Oatmeal Bars

    Healthy Banana Nut Bread

    Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Bars

    Three Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars stacked on top of each other on parchment paper with surrounding banana oat bars
    Pin Recipe Print Recipe
    5 from 2 votes

    Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars

    These soft and chewy Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars are loaded with wholesome ingredients and are naturally sweetened with honey and bananas. They're packed with fiber and perfect for a quick breakfast or snack.
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time25 mins
    Total Time30 mins
    Course: Breakfast, Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: banana oatmeal bars, breakfast bars
    Servings: 9 bars
    Calories: 239kcal
    Author: Briana

    Ingredients

    • 3 bananas ripe
    • 1 1/4 cup rolled oats
    • 1/2 cup peanut butter
    • 4 tablespoons maple syrup
    • 1 egg
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1/4 cup chocolate chips

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven at 375 degrees and line a 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper.
    • Mash the bananas in a large bowl.
    • Stir in the rolled oats, peanut butter, maple syrup and egg until it is well combined.
    • Add in the baking soda, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon and sea salt.
    • Pour in the chocolate chips and mix it all together.
    • Transfer the batter into the parchment lined baking dish and bake the bars for 25 - 30 minutes or until a toothpick or knife is inserted in the middle and comes out clean.
    • Let cool for 10 - 15 minutes before cutting them into bars.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 239kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 151mg | Potassium: 318mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 71IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?Let me know! Leave a comment & recipe rating below or tag @HalfPastHungry on social media.

    HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to receive 6 Free exclusive homemade healthy smoothie recipes. You'll also get a sneak peak at upcoming recipes and nutrition and wellness tips.

    I’d love to know if you try this recipe! Please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Follow me on Instagram, Pinterest , Facebook Tik-Tok and Twitter for updates, recipes, and more!

    More Breakfast

    • Gingerbread Oatmeal Flour Pancakes
    • Vegan Pumpkin Overnight Oats
    • Chai Spiced Vegan Oatmeal Bars
    • Blueberry Muffin Overnight Oats
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Email

    About Briana

    Briana is the blogger, recipe developer and food photographer behind HalfPastHungry. She's been blogging since 2017 sharing thyroid friendly and plant-based recipes that are easy to make, healthy and nutritious.

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Rate the Recipe Here:




    Primary Sidebar

    Briana About Me Photo

    Hi! My name is Briana. 
    After being diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer in my early twenties, I've struggled with hypothyroidism and weight gain. Through HalfPastHungry, I inspire home cooks with hypothyroidism that are looking for thyroid friendly and plant-based recipes that are easy to make, healthy and nutritious.

    More about me →

    meal prep favorites

    • Blueberry Muffin Overnight Oats
    • Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers without Tomato Sauce
    • Island Green Smoothie
    • Healthy Egg Muffin Sandwich

    trending recipes

    • Cooper’s Hawk Brussel Sprouts Recipe
    • Southern Vegetarian Black-Eyed Peas Recipe
    • Meatless Southern Collard Greens
    • Oat Milk Hot Chocolate with Cocoa Powder

    Footer

    Quick Links

    • Contact
    • Work With Me
    • Web Stories Archive

    BE THE FIRST TO KNOW!

    • Subscribe to stay up to date!

    ABOUT

    • Story Behind HalfPastHungry
    • Disclosure & Privacy Policy

    AS AN AMAZON ASSOCIATE, I EARN FROM QUALIFYING PURCHASES.

    COPYRIGHT © 2022 HALFPASTHUNGRY • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.