Made with pantry staples, these peanut butter banana oatmeal bars are full of whole grains, healthy fats and chocolate goodness. It's a simple meal prep snack to kick the 3pm energy slump all week long.
I know meal prepping your snacks might sound a little boring and unnecessary, but here me out: snacks can be a powerful tool for upping your nutrition! That's right, snacking isn't a bad habit- it can actually be incredibly useful in maintaining stable energy levels, adding in extra nutrients, and preventing you from arriving at the next meal STARVING and eating past satiation. The real thing to focus on isn't snacking itself, but what snacks you choose!
Listen, I know it can be easy to reach for packaged snack foods. They're easy, convenient, and tasty- aka the criteria for a go-to snack. But when I'm focusing on snacks as a nutrition tool, I also like to make sure my snacks are balanced and satiating too, so they actually keep me full until the next meal.
Meal prepping healthy snack options like these peanut butter banana oatmeal bars has been a lifesaver. Not only are they ready in only 30 minutes, but they're made with just 5 wholesome ingredients that are packed with nutrition. These oatmeal bars are a mix between a granola bar, baked oatmeal and banana bread, making them an amazing snack or breakfast option. You can also whip these up in one pan, meaning less dishes and less mess.
Grab your ripe bananas and let's get baking!
Ingredients
- Bananas
- Milk
- Natural peanut butter
- Oats (quick or rolled)
- Baking soda
- Salt
Optional flavour boosters:
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon
- Chocolate chips
- Flakey sea salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a 6x9 inch rectangular pan.
Directly in the pan, mash your bananas using a potato masher or fork until a smooth paste forms.
Add in peanut butter, milk and vanilla extract (if using) mix until smooth.
Once smooth, pour in oats, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.
Add mix-ins of choice.
Add any toppings like chocolate chips.
Bake for about 17-24 minutes or until the top begins to brown a toothpick inserted into the center of the baking tray comes out clean.
Sprinkle with flakey sea salt and enjoy!
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free oats.
To make vegan: Use your dairy-free milk of choice.
To make nut-free: Swap the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter! Obviously this will alter the taste a little, but sunflower seeds still have a great nutty flavour that tastes amazing in this recipe.
This recipe is pretty versatile when it comes to your mix-ins. Chocolate chips or chunks are classic, but you can also try adding nuts, seeds, or shredded coconut. I like adding hemp seeds too for a boost of protein and omega-3s!
Equipment
- 6x9 inch rectangular pan
Storage
These peanut butter banana oatmeal bars can stay fresh for up to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container. You can also make a larger batch and freeze them for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. To reheat, I recommend microwaving them for about 20 seconds, or until warm.
Top Tip
To avoid sticking, ensure you grease your pan thoroughly with non-stick cooking spray or butter prior to mixing your ingredients! If you do this, the bars should come cleanly out of the pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! I would replace ¼ cup of oats with ¼ cup of unflavoured or vanilla collagen or protein powder. I use Nuzest (code NOURISHEDBYNIC) or Organika Collagen (code NOURISHEDBYNIC30).
These peanut butter banana oatmeal bars already have tons of healthy fats and fibre, so all you really need is protein! My favourite way to add protein is crumbling by one of the bars over a bowl of Greek yogurt- it's sort of like a soft granola and so yummy. Other options include serving with eggs, some cottage cheese or sprinkling with hemp seeds before eating!
Yes you can, however the cook time may vary slightly and the thickness of your bars may either increase or decrease depending on the size of your pan! A smaller pan will take longer to cook and a larger pan will result in thinner, quicker-cooking bars. Make sure you keep an eye on them and check frequently so they don't burn.
Yes! You can easily blend the oats before mixing if you don’t like the texture of oats. You can also use 2.25 cups of store bought oat flour instead of the oats if you desire.
Yes of course! I usually mix everything in the baking pan to minimize clean up, but you can easily pour the mixed ingredients into the greased pan after mixing in a bowl.
You could swap it with applesauce or pumpkin puree, but I would really recommend sticking with banana for the best flavour. The bananas also add a natural sweetness, so you may need to add some maple syrup if you swap them out. These are peanut butter banana oatmeal bars after all!
More Easy Snack Recipes
If you enjoyed these peanut butter banana oatmeal bars, you'll be a fan of these recipes too:
- Banana and Carrot Muffins
- One Bowl Banana Bread Oatmeal Cups
- Fudgy Vegan Double Chocolate Banana Muffins
- Banana Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make these peanut butter banana oatmeal bars, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
One Dish Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas mashed
- ⅓ cup milk
- ½ cup natural peanut butter
- 2.5 cups oats quick or rolled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon optional
- ½ cup chocolate chips or chunks optional
- Flakey sea salt optional, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a 6x9 inch rectangular pan.
- Directly in the pan, mash your bananas using a potato masher or fork until a smooth paste forms. Add in peanut butter, milk and vanilla extract (if using) mix until smooth.
- Once smooth, pour in oats, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and chocolate (if using) , bake for about 17-24 minutes or until the top begins to brown a toothpick inserted into the center of the baking tray comes out clean. Sprinkle with flakey sea salt and enjoy.
Laura
Easy- healthy- delicious! Thank you!
Tiffany
This was so easy to make and absolutely delicious! Great meal prep option that I will definitely make again!
Katie M
These are great! So easy and delicious. Will make again. My kid loved them.
Tia
I'm not a big fan of oat desserts so I blended my oats before adding them. DELICIOUS!!!
Liz
These are delicious! Great for meal prep for the week!
A
Delicious! I am always looking for ways to use up bananas and there's only so much banana bread one can eat. This is as good as any dessert and makes a great breakfast with some yogurt and fruit. I think it would also be great with a scoop of ice cream! Yum!
maddie
made these twice. the first time they were amazing but the second time not so much. how ripe the bananas are must make a difference, they have to be almost rotten!
KatieS
Always remember you can add mashed banana to pancake batter for delicious pancakes! But I agree these are a great way to use up bananas! I'm a fan of a certain famous brand that makes a similar version of these. They're kinda pricey so I wanted to make my own! This is a great version!
Katy
I love the taste, but I’ve made these twice now and both times they just fall apart. It’s so hard to keep them in the shape of a bar.
Nicole Addison
Hi Katy,
These are pretty gooey and moist bars so they will not hold together like a granola bar. Feel free to add an egg into the mix if you want them to stay as bars! Otherwise I love freezing these, using a fork or just adding them into my yogurt bowls!
Nicole
Katy
Thanks for the suggestion, I’ll definitely try an egg next time! My son loves them regardless. Such an easy and healthy breakfast on the go for him.
Jayda
after baking i store mine in the fridge, and i find i can cut and take them out in bars without them falling apart this way 😊
Nicole
I love these! So easy and soooo yummy! My favorite is the texture of them. So gooey and delicious!
W
These were so delicious! Even better is that they're a snap to make!
Andrea
Delicious with Greek yogurt. I used sun butter because I was out of peanut butter and it turned out green! I guess that’s a normal reaction to baking with sun butter. A bit of a shock. But still delicious! Now I know what to do for St. Patty’s day!
Nicole Addison
Haha! Yes!! Sunflower butter turns green when baked- it's always so shocking to see whenever I forget that! I'm so glad these turned out for you- and that you have a new St. Patrick's Day recipe!
Char
This is such an easy recipe and delicious! Love adding yogurt and berries on top for breakfast. High recommend it
Elizabeth Soden
Nic, I have made ALOT of your recipes and this is another favourite of mine. Thank you for the cooking inspiration each week.
Mackenzie Keller
So easy and SO good! I love topping with fresh banana and raspberries too. Peanut butter and banana is my everything 🥰
Dana Radford
These came out so AMAZING! Quick and easy to make plus they are perfect for a snack or breakfast! Thank you for all of these delicious recipe!
Kelli
These are SO good and easy. I like swapping out the peanut butter for almond butter occassionally!
Michaela
Made this yesterday - so easy and YUM. Definitely going into the rotation!
Teresa
We are this pretty fast! Great snack to fill you up. I baked it in a rectangular dish and it came out great
Ashley Kowalchuk
So delicious, easy to make and great for a quick grab and go addition to breakfast!
Susan
Great recipe! I want to sub pumpkin for the banana due to an allergy. Can you please estimate the volume needed? The recipe says 3 bananas but they could vary widely in size. Also, any suggestions on how long to bake in muffin tins? Thank you!
Nicole Addison
Hi Susan,
About 1-1.5 cups should be great! As for the muffin tin-I have not personally tested this version though I would suggest about 20-25 minutes.
Jill Taylor
I made this for a pre workout snack. Absolutely perfect! I’m going to make them again next week with the protein additions. Even my hubby who loves sweet sugar laden treats is enjoying them!
Nicole
So yummy and easy clean up! Will definitely make these again. Highly recommend!
Georgia
Love a good clean and yummy recipe. Super gooey and delicious every time I make them! It’s a staple in my house and my boyfriend loves them! Instagram @guthealthwithgeorgia.
jolianne
Easy and so good, moist and not too sweet!
Leigh
Hi Nic! Could I make these in a muffin tin?
Nicole Addison
Hi Leigh! Yes you may however please note they maybe a little more dense than a traditional muffin! The cook time will be about 12-15 minutes!
Jessica
Thank you for sharing this fabulous recipe! I make it on repeat to have a bar each day which is a highlight every afternoon! Thank you!
Kelly
Made these last weekend! They were yummy but they didn’t look like yours… so I’m not sure if it’s something I did .. but yours looked gooey and much better … I will def try them again