Sweet, soft, and hearty Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars. Easy to make with wholesome ingredients, and perfect for breakfast, dessert, or snacks.
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FEATURED COMMENT
"Thank you for sharing this great recipe. I made them last night and they are delish! Filling and held me through until lunch with no mid-morning hunger pains. Super easy too. The dates add just a perfect level of sweetness in each bite."- Sheri Lynn ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
Chocolate. Peanut butter. Banana. Oats. All my favorite things have come together to make these wholesome and delicious Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars.
They are dense and hearty but also soft and chewy, and there is no bad time to enjoy them. Breakfast, snack, or dessert. Just like my healthy no-bake bars, they are there for you all day long!
Enjoy just as they are, or serve with a dollop of vegan yogurt. The tartness of the yogurt works really well with the soft bars and makes them feel and look even more like dessert!
Not a banana fan? Give my Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars spin-off a try instead!
Mel x
Success Tip
Don't use nut butter that's too dry. It should be soft and creamy. You know sometimes you get to the end of the jar and it's all gone a bit dry and hard. Avoid using peanut butter like that because your batter won't come together properly.
Recipe
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1½ cups (345 grams) mashed banana , (about 3 large bananas).
- ¾ cup (192 grams) natural peanut butter , or any other nut/seed butter (be sure it's soft & creamy)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60 mls) maple syrup , (not pancake syrup).
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups (200 grams) rolled or old-fashioned oats , use certified gluten-free oats if necessary
- ½ cup (63 grams) wholewheat flour , (or all-purpose, spelt, or GF all-purpose baking flour containing xanthan gum)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup (70 grams) chopped nuts , or pumpkin/sunflower seeds
- ½ packed cup (90 grams) finely chopped pitted dates , (about 12 to 13 dates)
For Topping (optional)
- ½ cup (90 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175 °C) and line an 8 x 8 inch pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl mix the mashed banana, peanut butter, vanilla, and maple syrup until smooth and well combined. You can do this part in a blender or food processor if you prefer.
- Stir in the oats, flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add the chopped dates and the nuts and fold them through. The dates tend to get a bit clumpy so break them apart with your spoon/spatula as you go.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan, pack it down well and even out the top then sprinkle over the chocolate chips. Press them down a little with your hands to embed them. (The chocolate can safely be omitted if you prefer).
- Bake for 30 minutes then allow to cool in the pan before cutting into bars.
NOTES
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Cathie says
Just made these using spelt flour instead of whole wheat, chopped walnuts and pumpkin seeds, and only 1/4 cup of chocolate chips on top. Tasty!
Julie says
I haven’t tried making these yet but what is the reason behind adding baking powder for something that is not baked?
Melanie McDonald says
They are baked.
Anne says
Can the banana be left out? Or replaced with applesauce or some aquafaba?
A Virtual Vegan says
They are a major part of the recipe so I don't recommend leaving them out. For best results I recommend following the recipe as written.
Otto's Auntie says
Just made these--Fabulous! Used powdered peanut butter so I could make it a wee bit thinner; didn't have nuts so used sunflower seeds instead; omitted the chocolate chips but threw in an additional handful of raisins. These are substantial bars! Just for fun I might try adding some hemp seed hearts to the next batch. Thank you!!
Maisie says
can you taste the banana in the breakfast bars
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes you can.
Ginny Bates says
I don't have any dates right now. I know they contribute to the final texture and add sweetness, but could you suggest a substitute? Thanks.
A Virtual Vegan says
I think in this recipe you could probably get away with omitting them, or using any other dried fruit you fancy instead.
Barb says
Love your soup recipes. Wondering with these bars, is the maple syrup necessary - or could you reduce the amount?
Thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Barb. I haven't tried it but am pretty sure that in this recipe you could safely leave it out without it affecting the structure of the bars. You would need to add some other liquid to compensate though. Some plant milk at the same amount should do it. And be sure to use really, really ripe bananas so they are extra sweet.
SHERI LYNN STACK says
Thank you for sharing this great recipe. I made them last night and they are delish! Filling and held me through until lunch with no mid-morning hunger pains. Super easy too. The dates add just a perfect level of sweetness in each bite.
Melanie McDonald says
I'm really pleased you enjoyed them Sheri!