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Today I bring you one of my favorite recipes of all time. They may seem pretty simple, but I assure you that these bars are PACKED with flavor. They are a soft, chewy, and irresistable granola bar – and have been my go-to snack for quite some time now. With only 1/4 cup sugar in the ENTIRE recipe and NO oil and NO butter, I can feel good about eating them.
I try to use the ripest/brownest bananas I have on hand. The browner they are, the more naturally sweet these bars will be. The mashed bananas make these bars perfectly moist and practically taste like banana bread. Healthy banana bread? Yes please!
You can play around with different add-ins based on your taste preference. I added some raisins and walnuts to today’s bars, but feel free to add chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or any of your favorite dried fruits or nuts.
Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars
makes 16 small squares
- 2.5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup almond milk (regular or soy milk would be fine)
- 1 large egg
- 2 large bananas, mashed
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3/4 cup add-ins (raisins, walnuts, craisins, peanuts, chocolate chips, etc)
Preheat oven to 350. Grease 8 x 8 pan with cooking spray & set aside.
Mix together oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add in the milk, vanilla, and egg. Mix together until evenly combined. Add mashed bananas, peanut butter, and add-ins. Stir well.
Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for 20 minutes. Cut into bars and enjoy!
*These bars can easily be made vegan using a “flax egg.” Mix 1 tbsp ground flax w/ 3 tbsp warm water and let it sit for 10 minutes while it “gels” up.
{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
New recipe to try. I still have lots of ripe bananas which I have now frozen.
They looks and sound incredible, not forgetting their wholesomeness.
they taste incredible too! definitely very wholesome!
Yes, these look great! Adding them to my recipe queue
harps, they are SO GOOD! and super healthy
How much whole wheat flour –it’s missing…
So sorry! There is no ww flour in this recipe. I editted the post. Thank u!
Every picture on this page looks amazing! I’m not sure which to try first… a granola recipe or these bars?! How about both!
I made these with bananas and loved them. I made them again with dates and loved them the same. I think this is a very versatile recipe. I love it and I thank you!
using dates in this recipe sounds incredible! I may have to try that sometime Michelle! So glad to know they taste great!
These sound so good! I was wondering if maple syrup would work in place of the brown sugar?
Hi Jillian! Maple syrup would definitely work, but I would reduce the milk down to 1/4 cup if you do this. They may not have the same exact consistency as the original, but they will still be tasty I’m sure!
These rock! They are perfect for breastfeeding mamas. I added some brewer’s yeast too – it and the oatmeal promote lactation! Next time, I want to add some flax or chia… The possibilities are endless!
I agree, the possibilities are endless! I’m making them again today!
Sally! Once again, a great recipe! I just made these and they are so tasty! I figured I eat all the ingredients for breakfast anyway, so I might as well bake it altogether. Good call! Keep doin what you’re doin!
Thank you SO much! Yep, I actually had a few for breakfast one morning at work with some coffee. So easy and wholesome. So glad you like them too!
Hi Sally,
This recipe looks great! I’m definitely going to try it out but I’m curious, how long can they be stored for before they go bad? My small family may not be able to finish them all too quickly.
Thanks!
Hey Ashley! They can be stored up to 1 week. Plus, the recipe doesn’t make too much and the squares are pretty tiny. I hope you enjoy!
I love that this only has 1/4 cup of added sugar! Banana and peanut butter is one of my favorite combinations so I can’t wait to make these
I bet they would be fabulous with some dark chocolate chips!
Hi Alexis! I have made these with chocolate chips before. Here they are: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/03/29/peanut-butter-banana-chocolate-chip-oatmeal-bars/
I made them yesterday for a potluck and they were delicious! I used Reese’s peanut butter chips as the add in and definitely don’t regret it. I then sprinkled some more of the peanut butter chips and a few semisweet chocolate chips on top as decoration.
I definitely wouldn’t regret the reese’s pb cup add-in either! Wow, I have got to try that sometime! especially with the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips on top as well. WOW. Thanks for letting me know how much you loved them Caitlin!
So, if I don’t have any ripe bananas handy and I want to make this now, can I leave out the bananas or should I substitute for something else? being impatient:)
Hi Trish – you can’t make these without bananas – it’s the main ingredient. I suggest any of these instead: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/10/11/healthy-peanut-butter-chunk-oatmeal-bars/
http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/10/19/homemade-chewy-fudge-granola-bars/
http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/01/08/healthy-oatmeal-raisinet-cookies/
Thanks Trish!
I made these just last week and they were delicious! I used cranberries and choc chips for my mix in’s, they’ve been a great healthy snack for Uni. The only problem that I had was that mine turned out a bit too soft and they didn’t hold together very well. I thought I followed the recipe to the t but was just wondering if you could give me any tips for when I next make them, because I definitely will be having them again!
Hey Katie! Did you make sure the mixture was packed down into the baking pan before putting into the oven? Really make sure you smooth it in/pack it down hard into the pan before baking. They are supposed to be a bit crumbly though. Cranberries and chocolate chips – fabulous mix ins!
Looks delish, can they be frozen?
Hi Blanche – they sure can. Up to 2 months.
I added raisins, toasted walnuts and coconut. I like the fact that these bars are low in sugar. Thanks for the great recipe!
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I’m going to have to try that combination sometime, Tina! Thanks so much for letting me about your adaptions!
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