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These Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars are going to be your new go-to for breakfast on the run, an afternoon pick-me-up, or a healthy dessert.
These bars are soft, chewy, and naturally sweetened with ripe bananas and a touch of maple syrup. They’re packed with oats for fiber, peanut butter for healthy fats and protein, and just enough chocolate chips to keep it fun. Bonus: they come together in one bowl. Minimal cleanup = major win.
If you’re a fan of banana and peanut butter, these healthy peanut butter banana oatmeal bars will be your new favorite healthy snack or healthy breakfast!
Where’s the recipe?
Here at My Crazy Good Life, we write recipes that anyone can make – whether you’re brand new to the kitchen or have been cooking for years.
If you’re looking for ingredient information, detailed instructions, recipe tips, and calculations for healthy eating plans like Weight Watchers and the 21 Day Fix, you’ll find that information below.
Just want the recipe? Scroll down to the bottom of the post where you will find the simplified printable recipe for these banana peanut butter oat bars.
Ingredients in Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
- Mashed Bananas: You’ll want to use ripe bananas, the same kind that you would when you make banana bread. Riper bananas have a higher sugar content, which makes these peanut butter banana bars a bit sweeter.
- Maple syrup: This is my go-to vegan sweetener. Be sure to use pure maple syrup without all the extra ingredients.
- Peanut butter: Use natural peanut butter with only peanuts as an ingredient, instead of peanut butter that has added oil or sugar in it.
- Vanilla extract: Use real vanilla extract to add delicious flavors to these baked oatmeal breakfast bars.
- Oats: Rolled oats, or old-fashioned oats, are rich in fiber and protein, plus packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
- Oat flour: Making oat flour is super easy! Simply add the oats to a blender or food processor and grind until the oats are a thick flour consistency.
- Baking soda: We use baking soda as the leavening agent when we make these bars.
- Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon adds warm and sweet flavors to baked dessert recipes.
- Salt: Just a pinch of salt to these dessert bars helps to balance the sweetness and enhance the flavor of these banana peanut butter bars.
- Chocolate chips: I like to use mini semi sweet, dairy free, or dark chocolate chips.
- Coconut: Unsweetened, shredded coconut adds a nutty flavor and chewy texture to these peanut butter bars. This is an optional ingredient, but one I really love to add!
How to Make These Peanut Butter Bars
Step 1: Start by gathering your ingredients and preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8 by 8 inch baking pan with olive oil or cooking spray.
Step 2: In a large bowl mash the bananas with a fork and then add the maple syrup, peanut butter, and vanilla extract to the bowl. Stir it all together until it is combined.
Step 3: Next, add in the oats, oat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix together until everything is incorporated.
Step 4: Slowly add in the chocolate chips and (optional) shredded coconut. The batter will be very thick – that’s ok.
Step 5: Move the batter into the prepared baking dish and flatten the top as much as possible. This will help you cut the bars a little easier and keep them from being too crumbly.
Cook for 18-20 minutes. A butter knife or toothpick inserted into the center of the pan should come out clean, and the edges of the bars should be golden brown.
Step 6: Let the bars cool completely and then slice and enjoy! Read below for tips on storage!
Recipe Tips
- Store these bars in an airtight container in the fridge until they’re gone. We think they taste even better after a day in the fridge.
- If you prefer, you can line the baking pan with parchment paper instead of greasing it so you can easily remove the bars once they’re cooked.
- I use creamy peanut butter but you could also use crunchy peanut butter or even other types of nut butter like almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter.
- You can make these bars without the chocolate chips to lower the points and total calories, if you’re on a healthy eating plan.
- I’ve tried adding protein powder to these, but they were a bit crumbly and super dry – I don’t recommend doing this.
Healthy Eating Plans
21 Day Fix Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars
Because of the chocolate chips, these bars would count as a Treat Swap on the 21 Day Fix.
Weight Watchers Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars
For the recipe as written, excluding the optional coconut, each bar is 7 Weight Watchers Points on the 2024/2025 Plan.
More Breakfast Recipes
Banana Oatmeal Bites
Blueberry Oatmeal Bake with Cream Cheese
Vegan Whole Wheat Pancakes
Healthy French Toast Casserole
Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 2 large ripe bananas mashed
- ¼ cup real maple syrup
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup oats
- ½ cup oat flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
- ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8×8 pan with olive oil or cooking spray.
- To a large bowl, add mashed banana, maple syrup, peanut butter, and vanilla extract. Mix well. 2 large ripe bananas ¼ cup real maple syrup 1 cup creamy peanut butter 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Add in the oats, oat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until everything is incorporated. 1 cup oats ½ cup oat flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon pinch of salt
- Slowly add in the chocolate chips and (optional) shredded coconut. The batter will be very thick – that’s ok. ¼ cup mini chocolate chips ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- Move batter into the cooking pan and flatten the top as much as possible. This will help you cut the bars a little easier and keep them from being too crumbly. Cook for 18-20 minutes. A butter knife or toothpick inserted into the center of the pan should come out clean, and the edges of the bars should be golden brown.
- Cool completely and then slice and enjoy!
Nutrition
Make This Recipe?
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Delicious! I added a little water to the batter because it looked a little dry to me.