These 3 ingredients peanut butter banana breakfast oatmeal bars makes the perfect grab-and-go breakfast or snack. Vegan, healthy yet really delicious !
If you are looking for breakfasts that can be made ahead of time, this is the perfect recipe for you ! Like my chocolate banana baked oatmeal and apple pie baked oatmeal, it is really easy to make, hearty and filling.
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🍌What you will need:
📓Notes / substitutions
- Make sure that you are using bananas that are ripe and spotty. As they are the main sweetener in this recipe, you will want them to be super ripe and sweet.
- Frozen bananas can be used in this recipe, but do defrost them first.
- To make it gluten-free, use certified gluten-free oats.
- Both quick oats and rolled oats can be used. Quick oats will yield bars that have less texture.
- Feel free to substitute the peanut butter with other nut butters like almond butter or cashew butter. To make it nut-free, use sunflower seed butter or pumpkin seed butter instead.
- If you like more texture and crunch, add in ½ cup of your favorite nuts ! Be sure to chop them up into smaller pieces.
🍫Optional add-ins
- If you like your oat bars to be extra sweet, add 2 - 4 tablespoons sweetener of choice. Some of my favorite includes maple syrup, coconut sugar and raw sugar.
- Add in ¼ - ½ cups of your favorite chocolate chips to jazz things up.
- Vanilla extract will go really well in this recipe to. I recommend adding about 1 teaspoon.
🔪How to make
Start by preheating oven to 180c / 360f . Line or grease a 8x8 square baking pan.
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In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas until smooth, using a fork or potato masher. It is ok to have a few small chunks here and there.
Next, add in the peanut butter and mix well. Then, stir in the oats and mix again until the oats are well incorporated.
Transfer the mixture to the baking pan. Using the back of a spoon or a spatula, smooth out the mixture so that it is evenly distributed.
Bake it in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the sides are golden brown.
Remove it from the oven and let it cool down completely before slicing. Optionally, drizzle on more peanut butter before serving !
❔Commonly asked questions
They are dense and chewy, yet super moist on the inside, somewhere between the texture of a baked oatmeal and granola bar. They also hold their shape pretty well, making them the perfect portable snack to have with you on the go.
As the texture is not at all similar to normal cooked oats, I urge anyone who hate oatmeal to give this recipe a try. Who knows, you might like them !
Depending on the climate, you do have to refrigerate them if they are not consumed within 3-4 days. Simply transfer them to a sealed container and pop them into the fridge. They can be kept there for a week.
Yes, these bars are freezable ! To do so, let them cool down completely first. Then, arrange them on a large plate / tray in a single layer. Pop them into the freezer for 1-2 hours, or until they are frozen.
You can now transfer them to any storage containers or zip-top bags without worrying that they will be stuck together ! They can be freeze for up to 3 months.
To heat, let them defrost in the fridge overnight, then heat them in the oven at 180c for 8-10 minutes, or until they are thoroughly warmed. Alternatively, heat frozen bars in the microwave oven for 45-60 seconds.
🍽More recipes using ripe bananas
- Gluten-free Vegan Sweet Potato Banana Pancakes
- High Protein Vegan Waffles
- Vegan Banana Date Oatmeal Muffins
- Banana Protein Pancakes
If you did make this recipe, do leave a rating and comment down below, we love hearing from you! Subscribe to My Plantiful Cooking to get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get the latest updates. 😉
📖 Recipe
Peanut Butter Banana Breakfast Oatmeal Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled / quick oats use gluten-free if needed
- ½ cup natural smooth peanut butter
- 4 medium ripe bananas about 400g / 14 oz
- pinch of salt ( if using unsalted peanut butter )
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180c / 360f . Grease / line a 8x8 square baking pan.
- Using a fork or potato masher, mash the bananas until smooth. A few small chunks here and there is ok.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the mashed bananas and peanut butter. Mix well.
- Add in the oats and salt. Mix until everything is well incorporated. Then, transfer the mixture to the baking pan. Using the back of a spoon or spatula, gently press down the mixture so that it is evenly distributed throughout the pan.
- Bake it in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the sides are golden brown.
- Remove it from the oven and let it cool down completely before slicing. Optionally, drizzle it with extra peanut butter before serving !
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
Stacey says
Yum! I made these this morning. I would probably add some maple syrup the next time to be a bit sweeter; I did put a tsp of cinnamon in it. I drizzled with a little sunflower butter
We ate it before fully cool
This would be a good travel recipe for a healthy breakfast or packable hiking snack
Michelle Busa says
Hi,
Adding cinnamon is a great idea. Any suggestions on amount?
Also, I would like to add some protein power. And thinking of apple sauce so it is not so dry but I am not sure on amount? Any suggestions?
Thanks so much
Meesha says
For cinnamon, you can add up to a teaspoon. Yes, feel free to add protein powder and applesauce! I have yet to try adding applesauce, but you could try adding 1/4 cup. If the mixture appears thick, you can add a splash of milk to it!
Charlotte says
What are the ingredients in grams?
Meesha says
You will need
oats - 240g
Peanut butter - 125g
Bananas - 400g
Salt - a small pinch
Hope this helps!
Amelia says
Would pb2 work? Trying to cut down on fat.
Meesha says
Yes, but you will need to rehydrate your pb2 first. You could try 1/2 cup of pb2 with 8-10 tablespoons of water.
Florence says
This is a fantastic simple recipe. I have it everyday for breakfast. I also made it with tahini and it worked very well.
Meesha says
I am glad to hear that!😊
Abby says
Such a simple yet delicious treat!
I had a lot of bananas that I needed to use up, stumbled upon this recipe and decided to make it!
Added some chocolate chips, drizzled some peanut butter on top once cooled, devoured it!
Meesha says
Really glad to hear that! I myself have to make a batch with chocolate chips next time, sounds like an awesome addition.😁
GAO says
Thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you. Added vanilla essence and cinnamon. Extra sweetening not needed. Any recipe to make your own peanut butter?
Meesha says
Super happy to hear that! No, I do not have a post on making peanut butter at this moment.😅
Jayne says
To make your own peanut butter you can blend in a food processor probably 2 cups or enough to be above the blades, run a minute then scrape down, takes about 5 minutes. . In a high power blender like my Blendtec it takes about a minute or so. No oil needed, salt if desired.
Sherry says
Thank you for this quick and tasty breakfast.
Meesha says
Its my pleasure!
Marianne says
Can chia seeds or pum[kin seeds be added to the recipe to ramp up the protein content?
Meesha says
Yes, definitely! You can add about 1-2 tablespoons of chia seeds, and up to 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds. I do recommend adding some plant-based milk, about 1/4 cup to the mixture, though.