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Soft Baked Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars

These delicious and delightful soft baked Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars with Chocolate Chips are the perfect energy breakfast or snack when you want something healthy, yet satisfying for those sweet tooth cravings.  Quick and easy recipe you'll want to make over and over again!
Prep Time15 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan
Keyword: Banana, bars, breakfast, healthy bars, oatmeal, peanut butter, snack, vegan oatmeal bars
Servings: 16 bars

Ingredients

  • 2 large ripe bananas mashed (1 cup)
  • 1/2 cup natural peanut butter or any nut butter
  • 1/4 cup organic brown sugar coconut sugar or monkfruit golden sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce or 1 flax egg
  • 1/2 cup almond milk any non-dairy will work
  • 2 and 1/2 cups old-fashioned whole oats or quick oats can use Gluten-free
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips , plus some for the top. We used non-dairy (add more chocolate chips if you want!)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper with enough overhang on the sides to easily remove the bars from the pan. Set aside.
  • Using a mixer in a large bowl, beat together the mashed bananas, peanut butter, brown sugar and applesauce together, then add in the oats, baking powder salt, cinnamon, vanilla and chocolate chips and continue mixing together. Batter will be a little thick and pourable.
  • Transfer mixture evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 25-28 minutes or until the center is set but still soft looking.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan at room temperature for 45-60 minutes. Chill bars in fridge and then slice them into bars. The bars are more difficult to cut if they aren’t chilled.
  • Remove bars from the pan using the overhang on the sides then cut into bars. Bars will be soft and moist.
  • Cover leftover bars tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 8-10 days.

Notes

  • Freezing Instructions: between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
  • Flax egg = mix 1 Tbsp ground flax with 3 Tbsp warm water and let it sit for 10 minutes while it “gels” up
  • Pumpkin can be substituted for banana