Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars
Total Time
2 hours (includes cooling)
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Rating
4.8 out of 5 stars
(79)
Ingredients
16 bars
- 1 cup (230g) mashed bananas (about 3 medium or 2 large ripe bananas)
- 1/2 cup (125g) creamy or crunchy peanut butter*
- 1/4 cup (50g) coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (45g) unsweetened applesauce*
- 1/2 cup (120ml) almond milk (or any nondairy milk)
- 2 and 1/2 cups (213g) old-fashioned whole oats or quick oats (not instant)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips (use dairy free for vegan)
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Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). 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.
Step 2
In a large bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer, mash the bananas. On medium speed, beat or whisk in the remaining ingredients in the order listed. Batter will be a little thick, but still pourable.
Step 3
Pour/spoon the mixture evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 25-28 minutes or until the center is set (it will still look relatively soft!).
Step 4
Remove from the oven and cool in the pan at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. After that, place the pan in the refrigerator for 1 hour until chilled. The bars are difficult to cut if they haven’t been chilled.
Step 5
Remove bars from the pan using the overhang on the sides then cut into bars. Sometimes I drizzle melted peanut butter over each, but that’s optional. (Note: the parchment paper is always a little moist from soaking up some moisture from the bars.)
Step 6
Cover leftover bars tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Step 7
Save recipe for the next time?
Chef's notes
Freezing Instructions:
Freeze squares in single layers between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Special Tools (affiliate links):
Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowl | 9-inch Square Baking Pan
Peanut Butter:
You can use any nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew) you want—natural, homemade, or processed.
Applesauce:
I used to make these bars with 1 egg instead of the applesauce, but love their flavor with applesauce a bit better. You can, of course, use an egg instead or even use a flax egg substitute. Flax egg = mix 1 Tbsp ground flax with 3 Tbsp warm water and let it sit for 10 minutes while it “gels” up. Use the “flax gel” as a replacement for the applesauce/egg.
Oats:
Use certified gluten free oats to ensure the bars are gluten free.
Chocolate Chips:
You can skip the chocolate chips or replace with peanut butter chips, chopped nuts, or raisins. Or use a combination of any of those add-ins.
Vegan:
Use dairy-free chocolate chips and nondairy milk to ensure the bars are vegan.
Gluten Free:
Make sure your oats are certified gluten free to ensure these bars are gluten free.
