Banana Oatmeal Bars

Made with simple pantry staples, these banana oatmeal bars are the perfect healthy snack or breakfast on the go. Naturally sweetened, packed with wholesome ingredients, and endlessly customizable - they're the meal prep recipe you'll keep coming back to every week.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 18

Servings 16 bars

Equipment

9×9 baking pan
Parchment paper
Large mixing bowl

Ingredients

1½ cups mashed bananas (approximately 3 ripe bananas)
½ cup nut butter (almond butter, peanut butter, or cashew butter)
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons maple syrup (real maple syrup, not pancake syrup)
1 cup chocolate chips
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper, letting it hang over the sides for easy removal.
Add the mashed bananas, nut butter, rolled oats, cinnamon, vanilla extract, maple syrup, chocolate chips, and salt to a large mixing bowl.
Mix until everything is fully and evenly combined.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press it into a flat, even layer. Scatter extra chocolate chips on top if desired.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the edges are golden and the center looks set.
Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan before lifting out and slicing into 16 bars.

Notes

The riper your bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful the bars will be. Brown and spotty is ideal.
Do not cut the bars while warm - they firm up as they cool and will fall apart if sliced too soon.
Mix-in ideas: chopped walnuts, pumpkin seeds, raisins, shredded coconut, or chia seeds.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze individually wrapped for up to 3 months.
To make vegan: use dairy-free chocolate chips. To make gluten-free: use certified GF rolled oats.