Banana Oatmeal Bars (Healthy Breakfast Baking)

One-bowl banana oat bars, soft, wholesome, and ready in about 40 minutes. Meal-prep friendly with dairy-free and no-refined-sugar options.

Ripe bananas meet toasted oats and a touch of maple for bars that taste like banana bread, only easier to bake, slice, and grab all week.

Why You’ll Love It

• Breakfast baking, healthy: Whole oats, ripe banana, and maple keep these bars naturally sweet and fiber-rich.
• Banana bread… but bars: All the cozy banana bread flavor—baked flat for quick cooling and clean slices.
• Oatmeal energy bars: Satisfying without heaviness; add nuts or seeds for extra staying power.
• Simple pantry list: One bowl, no mixer, and flexible swaps (GF/DF).
• Perfect for busy mornings: Cut, wrap, and you’ve got breakfast banana bars for the week.

Ingredients (notes only, grouped)

Base (the bar):

• Ripe bananas (3 medium, ~1¼ cups mashed): Brown-speckled is ideal for sweetness and moisture.
• Rolled oats (2 cups): Old-fashioned oats give chew; pulse ½ cup into quick oats for a softer bite if you like.
• Oat flour (½ cup): Lightens texture; make your own by blending oats. Use almond flour for grain-free tweak.
• Eggs (2 large) or flax eggs (2 Tbsp ground flax + 5 Tbsp water) for vegan.
• Maple syrup (¼–⅓ cup): Natural sweetness; adjust to your bananas.
• Nut butter (¼ cup): Almond or peanut adds structure and healthy fats. Sunflower butter for nut-free.
• Oil or melted butter (2 Tbsp): Keeps bars tender; coconut or light olive oil both work.
• Baking powder (1 tsp), baking soda (½ tsp), cinnamon (1 tsp), fine salt (½ tsp), vanilla (1 tsp).

Mix-ins (choose 1–2):

• Chocolate chips (½ cup), chopped walnuts/almonds (½ cup), hemp hearts (2 Tbsp), chia (1 Tbsp), or dried fruit (¼ cup).

Topping (optional):

• Sprinkle of oats + a few chips or nuts for a bakery look.

Step-by-Step (Oven, 8×8 pan)

1. Prep (5 min): Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment, overhang for easy lift.
2. Mash & whisk (3 min): In a large bowl mash bananas smooth. Whisk in eggs (or flax eggs), maple, nut butter, oil, and vanilla.
3. Dry ingredients (2 min): Add oats, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir until no dry spots remain. Batter will be thick and scoopable.
4. Fold-ins (1 min): Stir in chocolate chips or nuts/seeds.
5. Bake (22–28 min): Spread evenly in pan. Bake until the center springs back and a toothpick comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs: internal temp ~200–205°F (93–96°C) for perfect doneness.
6. Cool (20 min): Cool in pan 10 minutes, then lift out to a rack another 10 minutes before slicing 12 bars.
7. Finish: For clean edges, wipe the knife between cuts. Bars firm up more as they cool.

Pro Tips

• Banana power: Sweetness comes from fruit—if your bananas are pale yellow, use the higher maple amount.
• Don’t over-bake: Pull as soon as the center sets; over-baking dries oats. Temp check helps.
• Texture control: For cake-ier bars, use an extra 2 Tbsp oat flour; for chewier bars, swap ¼ cup oats for chopped nuts or seeds.
• Batch double: Bake in a 9×13 pan; reduce bake time to 20–24 minutes, watching edges.
• Freeze like a pro: Freeze bars flat, then store in a zip bag—thaw in lunchboxes or toast from frozen.

Variations (mapped to your interests)

• Banana Bread Bars Healthy: Add ½ cup chopped walnuts + ½ tsp nutmeg; keep maple at ¼ cup.
• Banana Bread Oat Bars: Skip oat flour; use all rolled oats (2½ cups total). Extra rustic, oatmeal-bar texture.
• Banana Muffin Bars: Add 1 tsp baking powder more (total 2 tsp) and 2 Tbsp milk for softer, muffin-like crumb.
• Oatmeal Breakfast Squares: Bake in a 9×9 and cut into large squares; fold in ¼ cup raisins + ¼ cup chopped almonds.
• Banana Oatmeal Bar (classic): No chips, just cinnamon + vanilla; top with oat sprinkle.
• Healthy Banana Snack Recipes (DF): Use flax eggs + coconut oil + dairy-free chips (or none).
• Oatmeal Energy Bars: Add 2 Tbsp ground flax, 2 Tbsp hemp hearts, and 1 Tbsp chia; press 1 Tbsp seeds on top before baking.

How to Serve

• Warm with a swipe of peanut butter or Greek yogurt + berries.
• Crumble into a bowl and splash with milk for a fast oat-bake breakfast.
• Pack for school or shift snacks; they travel well and don’t crumble once cooled.

Make Ahead & Storage

• Room temp: Airtight up to 3 days.
• Fridge: 5–6 days; rewarm 10–15 seconds to soften.
• Freeze: Up to 3 months; wrap individually.
• Reheat: Toaster oven 300°F / 150°C for 5 minutes restores edges.

FAQs

Can I make these gluten-free?
Yes—use certified GF oats/oat flour.

How sweet are they?
Mildly sweet. For dessert-bars, bump maple to ⅓ cup and include ½ cup chips.

Can I replace eggs with applesauce?
Use flax eggs instead for structure; applesauce makes them gummy.

Why are my bars crumbly?
They were under-mixed or under-baked. Mix until evenly hydrated and bake to 200–205°F center.

Simple Nutrition (estimate per bar, 12 bars; with walnuts but no chocolate)

Calories: 185 | Protein: 5g | Carbs: 28g | Fat: 6g | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 11g | Sodium: 150mg