With just 5 ingredients and a texture and flavor that’s similar to a soft oatmeal cookie, these Banana Oatmeal Bars are a nutritious (and yummy!) make-ahead breakfast or snack.
This recipe has become a staple weekday breakfast in our house. It’s an amazing make ahead breakfast for kids to stash in the fridge to grab on mornings when the kids need a little more time to sleep…and still need a substantial breakfast.
These Banana Oatmeal Bars are easy to take on the go, you can cut them into sticks or squares, and they can be eaten chilled out of the fridge or warmed up slightly.
It’s basically like eating a bowl of oatmeal, but in bar form! You can pair this easy breakfast recipe with Flavored Milk, Yogurt Drinks, or a Toddler Protein Shake, too
Why This Recipe Works
With just 5 ingredients and a super simple method, these nutritious bars are easy to make, yummy to eat, and simple to store for future days.
(You may also like my Healthy Breakfast Bars, Blueberry Date Bars, Peach Crumb Bars, and Homemade Granola Bars.)
Table of Contents
Ingredients You Need
Here’s a look at the ingredients you need to have on hand to make this added-sugar-free Banana Oatmeal Bar recipe so you know what to grab from the pantry or store.
- Bananas: Very ripe bananas are key to the sweetness and flavor in this recipe. They should have lots of brown spots, which indicates natural sugars.
- Instant oats: You can use store-bought instant oats or quickly grind up rolled oats in a blender or food processor. You can also use oat flour. All work to make an oatmeal bar with a nicely uniform consistency.
- Peanut butter: Peanut butter adds protein and beneficial fats to help keep us satisfied. It also helps the bars hold together easily without using egg. To make these nut-free, use sunflower seed butter. (You can also use almond butter, if you prefer.)
- Milk: I usually use whole milk in my baking, but any kind of plain unsweetened milk will work here.
- Chocolate chips (or dried fruit): We love these topped with chocolate chips, but you could also use dried fruit or fresh or frozen blueberries if you prefer.
Featured Review⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“I made these for my 18-month-old and myself. WE LOVE THEM! I followed the recipe, subbing blueberries for chocolate chips. They’re delish and have the best texture.” —Morgan
Step-by-Step Instructions
Below is an overview of the process involved in making these Banana Oatmeal Bars so you know what to expect. Scroll down to the end of the post for the full recipe, including the amounts and timing.
Step 1. Preheat the oven and line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper. Mash the banana in a medium bowl.
Step 2. Add the remaining ingredients, except chocolate chips, and stir well to combine.
Step 3. Pour into the prepared pan, smoothing evenly. Add chocolate chips.
Step 4. Bake until firm to the touch and lightly golden around the edges.
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Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe has fiber, protein, beneficial fats, and complex carbs for a nicely balanced mix of nutrition.
You can use rolled oats ground briefly in the food process or blender or use quick oats or oat flour.
You can substitute a seed butter such as sunflower seed butter.
This can be a great baby snack or baby breakfast idea. I would omit the chocolate chips and let the natural sweetness of the fruit be the main flavor.
How to Store
Store leftover Banana Oatmeal Bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Enjoy cold or warmed slightly according to how you prefer to eat them. (We like them both ways!)
Best Tips for Success
- Use rolled oats that have been ground up in the blender, instant oats, or oat flour.
- Leave out the chocolate chips or add dried fruit instead if you prefer.
- Use certified gluten-free oats to make this gluten-free.
- Use sunflower seed butter to make this nut-free.
- Add ¼ cup honey or maple syrup to make this sweeter if your family prefers.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback on this post, so please rate and comment below!
Banana Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 1½ cups mashed very ripe bananas (from about 3 medium bananas)
- 2 cups instant oats (or rolled oats ground up in a blender or food processor)
- ½ cup peanut butter (or sunflower seed or almond butter or 2 eggs)
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup chocolate chips (or blueberries or dried fruit, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degree F and line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper. (I allow 2 inches to hang over the edges on either side so the bars are easy to lift out and slice.)
- Add the ingredients to a medium bowl. Stir well to combine thoroughly.
- Pour into the prepared pan, smoothing evenly.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until firm to the touch and lightly golden around the edges. Let cool fully in the pan, then lift out onto a cutting board and slice.
Equipment
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Enjoy cold or warmed slightly.
- Use rolled oats that have been ground up in the blender, instant oats, or oat flour.
- Leave out the chocolate chips or add dried fruit instead if you prefer.
- Use certified gluten-free oats to make this gluten-free.
- Use sunflower seed butter to make this nut-free.
- Add ¼ cup honey or maple syrup to make this sweeter if your family prefers.
Nutrition
This post was first published August 2023.
I added one grated carrot to the recipe. Delicious and added vitamins
Love that!
So good! I didn’t have chocolate chips so used diced dried cherries and apricots on top. My kids and I loved these with our breakfast! Balanced and wholesome.
So yummy!!
FYI – Mine took closer to 30 minutes to bake, but turned out great!
Should I measure the 2 cups of oats before or after grounding them?
Commenting so I get notified when someone answers. Thank you!
I measure before but you can also do it after. As long as you do not pack the oats or oat flour when measuring them out the amount is very similar.
I forgot to blend my oats beforehand (!!!). Does that matter?!
Should be okay!
Great easy way to use up bananas to make a treat that’s good for breakfast or snack! I press chocolate chips onto the top on half, and raisins on the other. I also do half peanut butter + 1 egg and it works great.
I added 1 egg and substituted milk for unsweetened vanilla almond butter— that’s the only things I did differently and after transferring realized only the sides were cooked after 30min in the oven. I had to transfer back into the pan to cook them longer. I ended up having to cook them for 55 min total.
Adding the egg would add moisture, so it makes sense that they took longer to cook. Enjoy them!
This is a great, versatile recipe idea which was much needed as our school has just banned nuts so our son’s favourite no bake peanut butter and date bars are off the menu.
I had to make some subs as follows but it seems to have tuened out great.
* Half the amount of sunflower seeds and one egg
* added a quick squirt of honey as my bananas were very much yellow, not brown
* chopped up 70% dark choc and added it into the batter
Blended the oats and after them, the egg/banana/seeds in a blender before dumping it all in a bowl and mixing by hand. This was when I taste tested and realised it needs a squeeze of honey as it was not sweet at all due to the bananas.
Then, my final twist to avoid the slow and hot oven: baked the 8×8 cake pan in the ninja foodi airfryer with basket removed. I did 170C for 20mins on “bake” and seems to be good. So much easier! I tasted one and had to eat 2 it was so good. I think my son will like them too but let’s see tomorrow!
Delicious! My 12 month old and I baked it together. So easy and so much fun!
We also added frozen berries in. Took a little longer to cook but it’s divine.
Thank you!
I made these for my 18-month-old and myself. WE LOVE THEM! I followed the recipe, subbing blueberries for chocolate chips. They’re delish and have the best texture.
I’m so glad to hear that!!
I used two large eggs and omitted flax seed. It took 32 minutes to achieve suggested golden colored edges and firmness. What consistency am I looking for ? I found it to be cakey like a muffin but moist like baked oatmeal . Obviously, a bit eggy and consistency but not offputting. I’ve never had baked oatmeal before so I don’t have that reference point. Taste wise, it was delicious. The bottom sweat out cooling down. What are your recommendations for warming it up for breakfast later on?
The way you describe it sounds right to me. To warm it, I usually put it onto a heat-safe plate and do about 30 seconds in the microwave.
These were incredible! We followed the recipe exactly as described and they turned out so good.
These were just the right amount of sweetness and perfect cakey texture. It even worked to mix it all in the blender! First I added the rolled oats and blended them, then all the other ingredients and blended on high. A bit hard to clean but just blended again with soap and water. Bonus for the metric weight measurements since I didn’t get measuring cups dirty. Delicious!
This is a keeper!! I made these for me and my 2-year-old to share. I put chocolate chips on mine, and left hers plain with no add-ins (no sweetener either). Both are DELICIOUS… I keep going back for more. It’s like a really dense, chewy, less-sweet banana bread! I love a no-sugar-added breakfast/snack option that is still tasty!
Would this translate into a loaf pan or muffin tin easily?
They are best baked as bars since the mixture bakes up flat since they are intended to be bars.
Hi! Mine actually turned out more loaf like because I misread the ingredients (whoops!) and I added both peanut butter AND two eggs. I used oat flour because it’s what I had on hand and they were not bar-like, more cakey and loaf like. Worth a try.
My son is picky so he tried it and didn’t love it, but my husband returned home from an 8 mile run and couldn’t keep his hands off of them. I added quinoa for a little extra nutrition boost. These are going to be a frequently requested item in my house. And they are SO easy to make!
These came out great! We were out of peanut butter so I substituted with almond butter and added diced apples. My son loved them as well so that’s a bonus!
Anyone else have to stop themselves from eating too much of the batter before baking? Just me?
It’s like a delicious baked overnight oats…thanks, Amy!
You’re welcome, enjoy them!
Hi. If I choose to use fruit instead of chocolate chips, do I put it on before baking? Thank you!
Yes!
Could I use rolled oats but not grind them up?
Yes!
This is a great recipe! I made mine with whole milk Greek yogurt instead of milk to add more protein, and it turned out really nice. I’ve already made this twice. It’s a great snack to take on the go as it’s not terribly sticky or crumbly! A win win. 👌🏻
My 18 month old loves these! I’ve been trying to find a healthy vegan muffin or slice that I can make regularly to have on hand for snacks but not feel like I’m just giving him cake and this is it! Simple and nutritious, nice and soft but holds its shape really well. Thank you!
Can you use fresh fruit (fresh strawberries, blueberries) on top of these instead of dried fruit? It looks like you did this on Instagram but the recipe calls for dried fruit.
Yes, you can do that!
Looks good! Do I put 2 cups of rolled oats into the blender? Or blend first and then measure out 2 cups? Wasn’t sure about the exact way to do it or if it matters!
Honestly the amount is very similar so you can do it either way, but I usually blend then measure (without packing the cups, so loosely add it to the measuring cups)
Can you use frozen bananas?
My family loves this recipe. We have it for breakfast, after school snack, and dessert. My picky son asks for more peanut butter cake and I willingly say yes.
These are so good!
I make these for myself and they are a great breakfast with fruit and yogurt on top!
So easy and tasty! My 5 and 1 year olds both helped make these and they were a hit. Filling too! Definitely will be making again.
I made these and baked for 40 mins and they’re very soft! Are they supposed to be sort of mushy? Either way, the flavor is amazing. It may be my own fault. I used oatmeal cereal I had leftover because at its base it’s ground up oats! Maybe that was my mistake lol
They are meant to be soft but the oatmeal cereal would make them much softer.
Amazing how just 5 ingredients can taste soooo good. So stinkin easy and so delicious. Can’t wait to give these to my 13 months old!!
I made this yesterday evening and we’re out already! It’s that delicious! Can’t wait to make more of it tomorrow! 🙂
Could you substitute tahini for the peanut butter?
Sure, if you like the flavor.
Can you mix in the choc chips instead of top it…..?
Sure
Could you add peanut butter powder to this instead of jarred peanut butter?
I haven’t made them that way but it might work similarly!
Omg this was totally absolutely amazing. YUMMMmMmmMm going to be making this one always and forever. Thank you!
Can these be made in a muffin pan?
I guess it may be possible to press the batter into each round. You’d want them each to be about the same thickness as a bar though.
Can I use frozen blueberries? I saw another of your recipes which used the same size pan but called for two cups of frozen berries, less banana and more milk. Would frozen work, and could I increase the amount without changing any other ingredients?
You can use frozen blueberries and you can use more blueberries if you want, but this is meant to be picked up and eaten (the other recipe you saw, I think, is for baked oatmeal which is typically eaten with a fork or a spoon). It may make them a little harder to pick up and eat due to the added moisture.
Hello!
My toddler is in love with these!!
So next time I’m going to make a bigger batch!
Is it really the same amount of baking time?
If you double the recipe and use a larger pan, you will need to bake longer to get it to set in the middle Enjoy!
Does the recipe call for 2 cups of ground oats or 2 cups of oats to then grind?
2 cups, then grind.
Could you sub pumpkin for the bananas? I’m not sure if that would mess with the consistency too much.
It would work the same, the main difference is that you lose some of the sweetness so you may want to add a little more maple syrup.
These are a huge hit! I love making these with my 4-year-old because I don’t have to worry about him sneaking a lick while we work, and they’re a great way to use up some of the odds and ends we have. I’ve used different types of oats (old-fashioned, quick cook, and steel cut) as well as different combinations of peanut and almond butter. They turn out great every time!
Does this recipe need the baking powder or can I skip?
You can skip it, they will just be a little denser.
These are awesome! I used rolled oats and put everything in my food processor (added the oats first and processed them alone a bit before adding the rest) and it came together so easily. Hardly any clean-up! And they’re so yummy. 🙂
So glad to hear that!
This was easy to make and enjoyed by me, my husband, and our one year old. He doesn’t like a bowl of oatmeal with rolled oats, but he happily devoured two of these for breakfast. I really appreciate how this and all your recipes use pantry staples. Thank you for all your hard work!
I’m so glad to hear that!
Can you use frozen bananas if you thaw and strain them?
Sure thing!
These were such an easy and delicious treat! 2 and 4 year old love them (as do I!) and we can have for breakfast, lunch or after dinner snack! Thanks!
This is delish! We made it for the first time tonight with some insanely ripe bananas and we are eating it by the spoonful warm as it’s supposed to be cooling fully in the pan. Definitely making again!!
Wow! Such a quick and easy way to use up those spotted bananas. It is so delicious and filling too! My 2 year old even approves, so will be keeping this one on rotation as a quick/healthy option for us. Thank you for the continued inspiration.
Love this! Will the recipe work with frozen ripe bananas? Maybe I could thaw them first?
Yes, thaw and drain off any liquid (if there is any) and go ahead with the recipe. Enjoy!
Awesome!! My 2 year old loved it.
These have a unexpected texture (thick and heavy), but they’re very tasty. Easier than my usual banana/oat/peanut butter muffins. I might experiment adding some leavening next time.