This recipe for banana oatmeal bars is great for breakfast or a snack because it uses things you probably already have in your pantry. These oatmeal banana bars are full of healthy ingredients that will keep you full and happy.

I like to snack. Naturally, I love having these banana oatmeal bars in my fridge so I can snack on them all day. They are always a hit at my house, and I love that they are made with simple ingredients that I almost always have on hand.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

You can make these oatmeal bars in a flash. Put everything in a bowl, mix it up, and then put it in a baking dish that has been lined with parchment paper.
You can easily change this oatmeal bar recipe to fit what you have on hand.
You probably already have the simple, healthy ingredients for these oatmeal bars. I like to make my own because the ones you buy at the store have a lot of sugar in them. I like to have homemade ones on hand when I can, even though store-bought ones are easy to get.

Things You Will Need

You need very ripe bananas for this recipe so that they mash up easily. Also, they’ll be sweeter!

Nut butter: I’m using almond butter, but you can use any kind you have. Mix your natural nut butter well so that it doesn’t separate.
Old-fashioned rolled oats give the bars a great oat flavor and texture. You could use instant oats, but they might not hold up as well as the flaky rolled oats. Don’t use oats that have been cut with steel.
Ground cinnamon gives the rolled oats a nice warm flavor.
Vanilla: For the best taste, I suggest using real vanilla extract.
Use real maple syrup instead of pancake syrup. They are not the same. You can make pancake syrup by mixing corn syrup and fake maple extract.
Chocolate chips—use the kind of chocolate chip or chips you like best. These oatmeal bars are also great with mini chocolate chips.
Salt—just a small amount to bring out the flavors and make them even.

◯ 1½ cups of mashed bananas, or about 3 bananas
◯ ½ cup of nut butter
◯ 2 cups of rolled oats
◯ 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
◯ 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
◯ Three tablespoons of maple syrup and one cup of chocolate chips
◯ ½ teaspoon of salt

Tools

Baking pan 9×9

How to Make Oatmeal Bars with Bananas

Set the oven to 350F and put parchment paper in a 9×9 baking pan.
Put the bananas, nut butter, rolled oats, cinnamon, vanilla, maple syrup, chocolate chips, and salt in a big bowl.

Mix until everything is well mixed.
Put the mixture in the lined baking pan and spread it out so that it is even and flat. You can add more chocolate chips on top if you want.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the edges of the bars are golden and the bars look like they are set.
Let the bars cool all the way down before cutting them.

How to do it

Set the oven to 350F and put parchment paper in a 9×9 baking pan.
In a big mixing bowl, combine the mashed bananas, nut butter, rolled oats, cinnamon, vanilla, maple syrup, chocolate chips, and salt.
Put the mixture in the lined baking pan and press it down so that it is level. You can put more chocolate chips on top if you want.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the edges of the bars are golden brown and the bars look like they are set. Let the bars cool all the way down before cutting them.

Notes and tips for the recipe

I like to add nuts (walnuts are great! ), seeds (pumpkin and sunflower seeds are my go-tos), or dried fruit (raisins are my favorite). You can use them instead of chocolate chips or along with them!
Don’t cut the bars right away; they need time to harden. These bars get harder as they cool.
If you have trouble keeping the parchment paper in place while you pour the mixture into the pan, blinder clips are a great thing to have on hand. I use them to hold the parchment in place. Take them out before you bake.
Your bananas should be as ripe as possible. Your bananas are best when they are very brown and spotty. They will be the sweetest and easiest to mash.

Tips for Making Ahead

Meal prep: After they cool down and are cut up, you can keep the banana oatmeal bars in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. They will last about two days if you keep them on the counter.

Wrap each serving in plastic wrap, put it in a bag that can go in the freezer, and freeze it for 2 to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.

What kind of nut butter can I use?

One of my favorite ways to change up this oatmeal bar recipe is to make peanut butter banana oatmeal bars. I almost always have a big jar of peanut butter in my kitchen. Cashew butter is also very good! Again, just make sure that the nut butter you use is well mixed so that it doesn’t separate.

How can I make a banana ripen quickly?

Put your bananas in a paper bag to help them ripen faster if they aren’t already. They speed up the ripening process by 1–2 days by releasing ethylene gas. If you have an apple, you can also add it to the mix to make it go even faster!

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