For all my PB + banana + chocolate lovers, these Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal Bars are unreal. Soft and chewy baked oatmeal squares are naturally sweetened with mashed banana and studded with melty chocolate chips. The salty, nutty flavor of peanut butter is the perfect compliment, and I highly recommend an extra drizzle on top before serving.
These delicious banana oatmeal bars are the perfect grab & go breakfast or sweet treat and pair wonderfully with coffee, cold milk, or tea. No matter how you enjoy them, I promise that you’ll be coming back for more – they’re so tasty!
For more banana-baked deliciousness, check out these Chocolate Chip Banana Bars. Fluffy and moist banana bars with melty chocolate chips and crunchy walnuts in every bite. Easy, healthy, and most importantly … delicious!
Ingredients in Baked Oatmeal Bars
Banana – Be sure to use very ripe, spotty & brown, bananas for the best flavor + texture. I’ll include tips for quickly ripening bananas down below!
Eggs – Important for binding everything together while baking. The eggs make these oatmeal bars more fluffy and moist. I haven’t tried this recipe with a flax egg substitute, but leave a comment if you try and it works!
Peanut Butter – I used creamy, all-natural peanut butter without any added oils or sweeteners. I like the Whole Foods brand, or will also stock up on the huge jars from Costco.
Almond Milk – You could also use your favorite non-dairy milk option, or regular milk if you don’t need this recipe to be dairy-free.
Maple Syrup – My favorite refined-sugar-free sweetener! Look for the big jugs in your local store to save money buying in bulk.
Rolled Oats – Whole, rolled oats give the chewy and thick texture that we’re looking for with any sort of baked oatmeal. Avoid using quick oats which won’t provide as much texture.
Oat Flour – I like to buy the bagged Oat Flour from Bob’s Red Mill. Alternatively, you can also make your own at home by pulsing/blending rolled oats at hi-speed until a fine flour forms.
Chocolate Chips – I used semi-sweet chocolate chips but milk chocolate or dark chocolate would be super tasty too! You could also leave out and substitute chopped peanuts if you wanted to forgo the chocolate.
How to Make Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 9×9 baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together mashed banana, eggs, peanut butter, hemp milk, maple syrup and vanilla extract until combined.
- Stir in rolled oats, oat flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon and salt. Stir in chocolate chips until just combined.
- Pour batter into the parchment-lined baking tray and spread in an even layer. Top with additional chocolate chips. Move to the oven and bake at 350F for 30 – 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool completely before cutting into 9 squares.
How to store Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars
I like to store these in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can then eat immediately form the fridge, or microwave a serving for 20-30 seconds, or until warm so the chocolate chips get melty.
For longer term storage, you can individually wrap in foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Leave on the counter overnight to thaw, and then re-warm in the microwave or eat at room temperature.
How to Quickly Ripen Bananas for Baked Oatmeal Bars
For the times when your bananas just aren’t quite ripe enough, use this trick!
Lay the bananas (still in the peel) on a parchment-lined baked sheet. Bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes until the peel turns black and they look a little “puffy”. Remove from the oven and let cool before peeling open the bananas.
The result should be a super soft and sweet banana perfect for baking. I swear, the riper the banana, the better these baked oatmeal banana bars will be!
Baked Banana Oatmeal Bar Add-Ins
Keep it classy with chocolate chips or get a little adventurous with the add-ins for these baked banana oatmeal bars. There are so many fun options for different flavors and textures. I’ll list some ideas below, comment if you give any a try!
- White chocolate chips
- Chocolate candies like Unreal Gems or M&M’s
- Raisins
- Walnuts or pecans
- Chopped peanut butter cups
- Dried strawberries
- Marshmallows (kind of like a PB and fluff sandwich flavor?!)
More Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Recipes
As undoubtedly one of the best flavor combos to ever exist – peanut butter banana holds a special place in my heart. Check out these delicious sweet treats with a healthy twist!
Frozen PB Banana Bites – A sweet treat with melt in your mouth texture, these Frozen Chocolate Covered Bananas are the perfect bite sized dessert. With a creamy peanut butter layer and crisp frozen chocolate coating, these banana bites are irresistible!
PB&J Banana Bread – Soft and moist banana bread filled with chocolate peanut butter & jelly cups, and topped with a swirl of extra raspberry jelly before getting baked in the oven. With browned edges and a super tender + moist center, this will be your new, go-to, gluten-free and dairy-free banana bread.
If you try this recipe, please let me know by leaving a comment and rating in the boxes below! I always love to hear from you, and it also helps other people find this recipe when they search for the BEST EVER Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal Bars 🙂
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed ripe banana ~2 ½ medium-size bananas
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup natural creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup almond milk can use any non dairy option or regular milk
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups rolled oats
- ¼ cup oat flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips + more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 9×9 baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together mashed banana, eggs, peanut butter, hemp milk, maple syrup and vanilla extract until combined.
- Stir in rolled oats, oat flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon and salt. Stir in chocolate chips until just combined.
- Pour batter into the parchment-lined baking tray and spread in an even layer. Top with additional chocolate chips. Move to the oven and bake at 350F for 30 – 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool completely before cutting into 9 squares.
Notes
- Make sure the bananas are spotty and brown as they help sweeten the recipe. I like to mash the bananas, and then measure to make sure I get an even cup.
- Use peanut butter with peanuts and salt as the only 2 ingredients.
- You can use any non-dairy milk option in place of almond milk, such as oat milk, soy milk, hemp milk, or coconut milk (from a carton not canned)
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These are SO yummy! Such a great mix of peanut butter and banana and oats, and then of course the chocolate finishes them off! I love your recipes!
I replaced maple syrup with no sugar added applesauce. Used flax egg instead of real egg. No chocolate chips. Great for my prediabetic dad! Not too sweet and doesn’t spike his glucose level. Thanks!
Great to know the recipe still worked + you were able to enjoy with those changes! Thanks for leaving a review!! – Casey