Out of all the recipes published on my website, I make these peanut butter banana chocolate chip oatmeal bars most often. A one-bowl recipe, these healthy snack bars are naturally gluten free, adaptable to many different ingredients, soft-baked, incredibly flavorful, and very easy to make. When packed with chocolate chips, you can count them among your favorite gluten-free dessert recipes, too!
I originally published this recipe in 2012 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more options for ingredient substitutions.
Truly one of my favorite homemade snacks, these peanut butter banana oatmeal bars have made their rounds in my kitchen for more than 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 (a great one-bowl recipe to make before school starts!)
- 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.
One reader, Leighann, commented: “This recipe is SO good! So easy to make, delicious, and healthy! Definitely will be making again! โ โ โ โ โ “
One reader, Laken, commented: “I adore this recipe. I make them a few times a month. My family loves to gobble them up for breakfast or snacks. Thank you so much for sharing it. โ โ โ โ โ “
One reader, Veronica, commented: “I made these oatmeal bars with almond butter and they are absolutely divine! They came together so easily and exceeded my expectations in terms of taste and texture. They are incredibly addicting and will absolutely be a repeat bake in our house. We love that the ingredients are wholesome yet so satisfying and provide the perfect amount of sweetness. Thank you, Sally! โ โ โ โ โ “
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-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, then spread the batter into the lined pan. Give it a tasteโthe batter itself is SO DARN GOOD.
The bars take about 25โ30 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 1โ2 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.
More Healthy Favorites
- Morning Glory Muffins
- Whole Wheat Banana Muffins
- Banana Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies
- Greek Yogurt Zucchini Bread
- Vanilla Almond Granola
- No-Bake Chocolate Fudge Oat Bars
Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: 16 bars
- Category: Bars
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These quick and easy peanut butter banana oatmeal bars are adaptable in many different ways. See my blog post above and recipe notes below. They’re a more solid form of my delicious baked oatmeal.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (230g) mashed bananas (about 3 medium or 2 large ripe bananas)
- 1/2 cup (125g) creamy or crunchy peanut butter*
- 1/4 cup (50g) coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (60g) unsweetened applesauce*
- 1/2 cup (120ml) almond milk (or any nondairy milk)
- 2 and 1/2 cups (213g) old-fashioned whole oats or quick oats (not instant)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips (use dairy free for vegan)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper with enough overhang onย the sides to easily remove the bars from the pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer, mash the bananas. On medium speed, beat or whisk in the remaining ingredients in the order listed. Batter will be a little thick, but still pourable.
- Pour/spoon the mixture evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 25-28 minutes or until the center is set (it will still look relatively soft!).
- Remove from the oven and cool in the pan at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. After that, place the pan in the refrigerator for 1 hour until chilled. The bars are difficult to cut if they haven’t been chilled.
- Remove bars from the pan using the overhang on the sides then cut into bars. Sometimes I drizzle melted peanut butter over each, but that’s optional. (Note: the parchment paper is always a little moist from soaking up some moisture from the bars.)
- Cover leftover bars tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Freeze squares in single layers between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowl | 9-inch Square Baking Pan
- Peanut Butter: You can use any nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew) you wantโnatural, homemade, or processed.
- Applesauce: I used to make these bars with 1 egg instead of the applesauce, but love their flavor with applesauce a bit better. You can, of course, use an egg instead or even use a flax egg substitute. Flax egg = mix 1 Tbsp ground flax with 3 Tbsp warm water and let it sit for 10 minutes while it โgelsโ up. Use the “flax gel” as a replacement for the applesauce/egg.
- Oats: Use certified gluten free oats to ensure the bars are gluten free.
- Chocolate Chips: You can skip the chocolate chips or replace with peanut butter chips, chopped nuts, or raisins. Or use a combination of any of those add-ins.
- Vegan: Use dairy-free chocolate chips and nondairy milk to ensure the bars are vegan.
- Gluten Free: Make sure your oats are certified gluten free to ensure these bars are gluten free.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I love the ingredients but think the overall bar was borderline mushy. I even cooked it an extra 3 minutes from the maximum. I redid the recipe with 1 banana instead of 2. I also used 1 egg and regular milk. It still tastes good but my preference is to have more crisp in the oats and a moist bar(not mushy). I appreciate having something to follow so I can then tweak it to my taste. Itโs a matter of preference I think than a recipe issue. Thanks for sharing!
Hello, I have been following you for years. These bars stayed a bit too moist however by keeping them refrigerated overnight were enjoyed by my women’s group 2 days later. I’ll try again or search your similar recipes. I like to serve most bars on a muffin paper liner. This helped catch any crumbs. The bars were deemed very good.
Hi! What size of pan should I use if I double these? Thank you!
Hi Beth, doubling would be a bit too much for a 9ร13-inch pan, but you could 1.5x the recipe instead. Enjoy!
These have earned a spot in my favourites recipe folder. I make them probably once a month – a hit with my daughter and husband.
I used egg instead of applesauce because all I had was regular cinnamon applesauce, I also used regular milk instead of dairy free and I used only just over 1/4c of mini chocolate chips (Iโm glad because 1 cup of chocolate chips wouldโve been way too much).
Overall flavor is good and Iโd make them again!
Itโs decent. For a healthier bake, pretty good. I used an egg because I didnโt have applesauce. I found the recipe a bit too moist for my liking (it was fully cooked and chilled in the fridge as instructed). Iโm not sure Iโd include it in my regular repertoire, but itโs not bad at all. Anyone who loves moist, peanut buttery and chewy things would probably enjoy this bake.
I made using natural peanut butter (no sweetener or oils) and unsweetened vanilla almond milk. I also made a few adjustments/additions such as adding only 200 grams of oats and grinding half of them into a rough flour, using 30 grams brown sugar and 70 grams applesauce, 1 scoop unflavored protein powder, and 1/4 cup chia/flax/hemp seed mix. They are excellent. Absolutely delicious. The base recipe is good by itself but I like the added protein and less sugar.
These are so dang good! I was a bit short on bananas so I added a small amount of fresh, mashed raspberries to make up the difference in weight. I also used the egg instead of applesauce as indicated in notes, because I was out of applesauce. Last thing, I didn’t use parchment (just sprayed with non stick well) and I didn’t chill the bars. Zero issues with cutting or getting them out of the pan for me. Such a great use of bananas instead of the typical banana bread. Thanks Sally!
Would love to know the nutritional info
Hi Christy, We donโt usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
I’ve made this twice now and it’s sooo good. Both times with dairy milk and eggs rather than applesauce. First time with peanut butter and choc chips, second time with almond butter and a mix of choc chips and frozen blueberries. Turned out amazing both times!
I’ve made these plenty of times before and I love them. I’m looking for ways of adding more fiber and protein so thinking of adding chia seeds, what do you think?
Hi Tiffani, we haven’t tested adding chia seeds here, but let us know if you try!
This was the perfect recipe. Not too sweet and perfect amount of moisture vs. structure. I used egg (instead of apple sauce). I also used 2% milk instead of non-dairy. I will definitely be making this again and experimenting with adding walnuts or coconut flakes just for variety. The original recipe is also delicious.
The recipe is easily to follow and the squares are not too sweet. I didn’t want to use the mixer, I rather mashed the bananas with a fork and then I switched to a spatula. I made sure to mix all ingredients thoroughly before pouring in the pan. The only substitutions were milk because all I had was cow’s milk and mini chocolate chips (preference). I baked the squared for 27 mins at 350ยฐF and once they were out, I let them cool for more than an hour so they can set.
Overall, they are tasty but a bit denser than I anticipated 4/5 โญ.
Please can you tell me where g free oats can be purchased from?
Hi Margaret, Bob’s Red Mill makes Gluten Free Old Fashioned Rolled Oats.
These are quite tasty. The texture is quite mushy though, so I’m wondering if that is normal, or if I should have baked them a bit longer? I had them in for 26 minutes and they seemed fully set, and my knife came out clean from the centre when I checked.
Hi Anna, these are a very soft, moist bar but should maintain their bar shape when youโre holding/biting into one. The texture should fall somewhere between baked oatmeal and a soft granola bar if you follow the baking and cooling instructions. Did you allow them to cool in the pan at room temperature for 30-60 minutes, and then place the pan in the refrigerator for 1 hour until chilled? Be sure to store them in the refrigerator, too. Thank you so much for giving these bars a try!
Iโm not sure if I didnโt bake them long enough, but they turned out kind of gooey and didnโt taste that great. I did bake them 25 minutes and they were set in the middle.
Hi Linda, we’re so sorry you were disappointed in this one. The bars will still be quite soft when initially removed from the oven, but they will solidify as they cool and chill in the refrigerator. Thank you for giving these a try!
Excellent! I omitted the sugar and added unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa, and these are really delicious. I used regular peanut butter, and for the next batch, got a brand to use with lower saturated fat and higher good fat. Eventually will try using peanut powder. Also, with the addition of the dark cocoa, I think I can skip the chocolate chips next time, and make these into a yummy breakfast/protein bar.
Hi! Could I leave out the coconut or brown sugar? Would it effect the recipe?
Hi Abby! Sugar adds moisture as well as flavor here, we don’t recommend leaving it out.
Can you use regular milk?
Hi Nicci, yes, you can use dairy milk instead.
These bars are delicious! Has anyone added berries instead of chocolate chips? Iโm thinking frozen blueberries or cranberries?
Hello,
Could I substitute greek yogurt for the apple sauce?
Hi Jaime, we recommend using either the egg or flax egg substitute in the recipe Notes.