Peanut butter banana oatmeal bars are soft, chewy breakfast bars with that nostalgic peanut butter banana flavor combination. These gluten-free bars are full of texture with chunky banana pieces and chocolate chips. They are perfect for breakfast or a snack, but honestly taste like dessert!
These oatmeal bars are a quick, one-bowl recipe that is super adaptable to different mix-ins and toppings. And they are freezer-friendly, so I love to make a batch to keep in the freezer for a last-minute breakfast on the go. They also stay fresh for several days, so they would be a great snack for a hike or picnic too.
For more banana-inspired recipes, try these Fluffy Bakery Style Banana Muffins, Spiced Banana Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting, Strawberry Banana Cake, or Double Chocolate Banana Muffins!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Bananas and Peanut Butter - I don’t know about you, but bananas and peanut butter is one of my favorite flavor combinations. These oatmeal bars are bursting with banana and peanut butter flavor in every bite.
Texture - Breakfast bars can be dry and boring, but these peanut butter banana oatmeal squares are moist and chewy. There are a number of ingredients that help with that - bananas, brown sugar, egg - as well as a quick blitz of some of the oats before mixing it all together.
Make ahead - There’s nothing better than getting up on a workday and having a delicious breakfast ready to go with your coffee. These bars are great to make at the beginning of the week or even farther ahead and stored in the freezer. Running late? No need to go hungry, just grab one of your frozen bars and pop it in the microwave.
Ingredients
- Bananas. Use very ripe bananas with brown spots for best flavor.
- Rolled oats. Half gets pulverized into oat flour, and the other half remains whole. This creates a perfect combination of textures.
- Peanut butter. Creamy or crunch peanut butter can be used, or substitute your favorite nut or seed butter.
- Milk. Any variety of milk can be used, including plant-based milks.
- Chocolate chips. I love to use mini chocolate chips in these (normal chocolate chips feel slightly too bulky as you're eating it). You could also use chopped chocolate!
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
How to Ripen Bananas
There are several ways to ripen bananas if you want to make these oat bars but your bananas aren’t quite there.
Passive. The easiest way is to put your bananas in a paper bag on the counter for 1-2 days. Naturally ripened bananas, like this, will have the best flavor and sugar development.
Oven. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake bananas in their peel for about 20 minutes until they turn dark brown.
Microwave. Poke the banana peels a few times, then microwave in 30 second intervals until dark brown.
Substitutions and Variations
- Add dried cranberries or raisins for added sweetness and chew.
- Use any type of chocolate chips you like, or a combination.
- Add chopped nuts like pecans, walnuts, or almonds for added crunch. And make sure to toast them first to bring out their flavor!
- Try other mix-ins like coconut flakes, chia seeds, flax seeds, or pumpkin seeds.
- If you prefer more texture, use crunchy peanut butter in place of creamy.
- Substitute any nut butter for the peanut butter. Try almond, cashew, sun butter, or tahini.
How to Make This Recipe
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One: Pulverize some of the rolled oats until a fine powder forms.
Two: Whisk together the oat flour with the whole rolled oats and the remaining dry ingredients.
Three: Mash the bananas, leaving some chunks for texture.
Four: Add the sugar, peanut butter, egg, and vanilla and mix to combine.
Five: Add the milk and mix again. The mixture will be thinner now.
Six: Add the whisked dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula to mix it all together.
Seven: Add the mini chocolate chips and fold them in until evenly distributed.
Eight: Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly into a parchment-lined square pan, then bake until set, and cool before slicing.
Expert Tips
- Only partially mash the bananas, leaving some chunks, so you can bite into pieces of banana throughout the oatmeal bars.
- Mix in the dry ingredients by hand so the batter doesn't get over mixed.
- Sprinkle more mini chocolate chips over the bars immediately when they come out of the oven. This prevents them from browning.
Recipe FAQs
This recipe calls for rolled oats which provide more texture to the bars. Quick cooking oats can be used in a pinch.
You want them very ripe! They should be covered in dark brown spots which leads to the best flavor in the bars.
When you tap the side of the pan and the center still has a very slight wiggle and the edges are set (at least 1 inch in), the bars should be removed from the oven.
Storage
Store the peanut butter oatmeal squares covered at room temperature for up to five days.
To freeze, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and place into a ziptop bag. Freeze for up to three months. Unwrap completely and thaw at room temperature.
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📖Recipe
Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars
Equipment
- 8x8" pan
- hand mixer or whisk
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup mashed bananas 3 medium
- ⅔ cup peanut butter creamy or crunchy
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cups milk any milk of choice
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips mini preferred
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line an 8x8” baking pan with parchment paper.
- Pulverize 1 cup of the oats until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and add the whole oats, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon and whisk to combine.2 ¾ cups old-fashioned rolled oats, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Add the bananas to a large mixing bowl and mash slightly with a fork, leaving chunks.1 cup mashed bananas
- Add the peanut butter and brown sugar and whisk to combine. Add the egg, vanilla, and whisk again, then add the milk and whisk until smooth.⅔ cup peanut butter, ⅓ cup light brown sugar, 1 large egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ¾ cups milk
- Add the oat mixture and use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to mix until combined. Finally, mix in ¾ cup of the chocolate chips, saving the rest for the tops.1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Add the mixture to the prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 25 minutes, sprinkling on the remaining chocolate chips at the 20-minute mark.
- Remove to a wire rack to cool for one hour. Refrigerate for one additional hour, then slice and serve.
Jeanna says
Made this last week-so good! It’s not super sweet which I prefer. I was out of semi sweet chips, but had Bark Thins (almond and dark chocolate) so I broke those up as a replacement. Mine came out a little dense, but that’s probably my tendency to ‘wing-it’ when cooking.
Jim says
DELICIOUS!
Since the Mrs has been diagnosed with Celiac disease; cooking gluten-free has been challenging. Great recipe.......... Yes, I should have cooked a little longer, but an 8×8 dish We felt too thick and dense. Next time, I will sheet pan it and go from there. Thank you again from us both.
Callan Wenner says
Hi Jim, thanks for trying this! Let me know how it goes with a thinner bar, I'd love to hear the results.
Maureen says
Can I add protein powder to these without messing up the texture?
Callan Wenner says
Hi Maureen, I actually did try these with one scoop of protein powder and they were perfectly fine (though that wasn't much added protein). I'd say you could probably go up to at least a 1/2 cup or 2/3 cup without noticing a difference! Mix it in with the ground oats before adding it to the batter to reduce lumps!
Maureen says
Thank you Callan! I added 2/3 cup of protein powder and they turned out fantastic! Will definitely make again!
Callan Wenner says
Fabulous news!! Thanks for reporting back!
A.W. says
These came together in a flash and are SO moist. Used chunky peanut butter for some extra crunch -- will absolutely make again!
Katie says
This is sooo good! I eat baked oatmeal pretty often, but this has a way better texture because of the oat flour. I baked in a 9x9 pan since someone had mentioned they thought it was too thick and found it to be perfect. I think we'll be making this over and over this winter for an easy and quick breakfast!
Callan Wenner says
Hi Katie, so happy to hear you loved it! Thanks so much for reporting back!