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.
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
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📖 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.
Marianne
Can chia seeds or pum[kin seeds be added to the recipe to ramp up the protein content?
Meesha
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.