Soft-Baked Banana Oatmeal Bars
Soft-Baked Banana Oatmeal Bars are loaded with wholesome ingredients and make a yummy, portable breakfast or snack!
If you enjoy snack bars, you'll also love Chewy Granola Bars, Oats + Honey Crunchy Bars, and No-Bake Energy Bars!
I recently spent several days ignoring two dark brown, overripe bananas sitting on my kitchen counter. Even though they were attracting fruit flies, had a combined value of no more than 17¢, and numbered too few to make a batch of banana bread, the thriftster in me didn't want to throw them away. And so I didn't...I concocted a pan of Banana Oatmeal Bars instead!
This oatmeal bars recipe is a spin on my Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars. They may resemble granola bars, but they're not crunchy or chewy in a granola bar sense...rather, they're thin and soft with a texture more akin to that of a baked good.
When you cut them into squares or bars, they're like a wholesome, homemade version of those packaged, soft-baked oatmeal squares you can buy at the grocery store. Except, of course, you get to control the ingredients in these!
Now I'm going to be honest...I wasn't sure if this recipe would work once converted from peanut butter to bananas. But I tweaked a few ingredients and ratios, baked 'em until golden, and waited for the verdict from my kids. After taking a bite, my 4-year-old looked up at me with a twinkle in her eye, gave me a big thumbs-up, and said...
"Mama! You NAILED IT."
It took me a moment to make sure I heard her right -- because when did she start sounding like a pre-teen? -- but the take-away message was that these Banana Oatmeal Bars were not just satisfactory, they were a big hit! My boys agreed, and everyone requested them for breakfast the next morning...and again at snack time later that day.
Ingredients
So what do you need to make Banana Oatmeal Bars?
- Bananas. 1 cup of mashed banana is equivalent to about 2 large or 3 medium bananas. And it's best if they're overripe.
- Coconut oil, melted & cooled. You may substitute a neutral vegetable oil (such as safflower), if you wish.
- Honey. For natural sweetness.
- Vanilla extract. I always recommend using the real stuff.
- Rolled oats, also sometimes referred to as "old-fashioned." I prefer using rolled oats in baking because they have a chewier texture than quick oats. That being said, you may substitute quick oats for a more delicate texture in your bars. However, reduce the amount by about ¼ cup, since quick oats are denser/more packed down than rolled oats.
- Whole wheat pastry flour. This is my preferred "healthy" flour for baking, as it is 100% whole wheat with a lighter taste and texture than regular whole wheat flour. That being said, you may substitute all-purpose white flour in your Oatmeal Bars instead. OR, see the next section for info on how to make this recipe gluten-free!
- Cinnamon + salt. For flavor! Cinnamon adds a touch of warm spice and salt makes everything pop.
- Chopped nuts. These are optional, but a nice addition. I usually throw in pecans or walnuts. And if you wish to toast them beforehand, it'll give them extra crunch!
Gluten-Free Version
If you wish to make this Banana Oatmeal Bars recipe gluten-free, it's super easy:
- Make sure you're using gluten-free oats.
- Instead of whole wheat flour, substitute oat flour! It's a cinch to make by simply grinding some of those aforementioned gluten-free oats. See the "Notes" section at the bottom of the recipe card for more specific directions.
So the moral of the story? Don't succumb to overripe-banana-guilt when you're maxed out on banana bread and banana smoothies and banana muffins. Make Banana Oatmeal Bars instead!
In mere minutes, you can be popping the pan in the oven and perfuming your house with the glorious smell of banana baked goods. And if you're lucky, you may even get a thumbs-up plus verbal kudos from your resident picky eater.
After all, it's not every day you can rest assured in the fact that you nailed it... 😉
More Banana Goodness
- Banana Baked Oatmeal
- Perfect Banana Pancakes
- Banana Blender Muffins
- Quick Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal
Soft-Baked Banana Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed banana, from approximately 2 large or 3 medium overripe bananas
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted
- â…” cup honey
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups rolled oats
- 1 ¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour, or oat flour -- see Tips & Tricks below
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup chopped nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, OPTIONAL
Instructions
- Arrange oven rack in center position and preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with coconut oil or softened butter, or coat with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, beat together the mashed banana, coconut oil, honey, egg, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Blend the oat mixture into the banana mixture and stir until well-combined.
- Scrape the batter into prepared baking dish and smooth the top so that it's an even thickness. Sprinkle with chopped nuts, if using, and lightly press into the surface. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until the edges just start to turn golden brown. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing into bars.
- Cool completely and store in an airtight container.
Equipment Needed
Video
Notes
- To make oat flour, use a blender or mini food processor to grind 1 ¾ cups oats into a fine powder. Measure out 1 ¼ cups of oat flour for the recipe after grinding. If you have leftover oat flour after measuring, you can always save it for a Blueberry Muffin Healthy Oat Smoothie.
- To save a dirty dish, I melt the coconut oil in a measuring cup in the microwave, add it to the recipe, and then measure the honey into the same cup. The coconut oil helps the honey slide out of the measuring cup.
Nutrition
What can I use instead of coconut oil ?
Any neutral-flavored oil (like sunflower) or melted butter would both work. 🙂
Great recipe! Any storage tips ? For how many days can we store the bars?
Hi Anna! I usually keep these in an air-tight container on the counter for up to a couple of days. After that, I store any remaining bars in the fridge (for up to a week, though they never last that long). 🙂
Just tried this, OMG!!! What a perfect snack. Loved it! Thank you for sharing.
So happy you enjoyed it, Imi. 🙂
These are great! I used dates instead of honey (1 cup puréed), and baby oat cereal instead of flour for added iron and because I’m making these for my toddler. I also used quick oats because that’s all I had. It took 24 minutes baking. I’m definitely going to make them again!
Do you use quick cooking oatmeal?
Just regular rolled oats, Arlene. If you'd like to use quick-cooking oats, your bars won't be as chewy and you may have to slightly increase/adjust the liquid so that the mixture isn't too dry.
I loved this recipe! I did replace the egg with a suitable substitute, as I don't eat eggs. I love bananas and I'm always making recipes using them.
Great recipe!! Really tasty!! I can’t wait for my family to try it!! I sprinkled the top with crushed pecans and went a little heavy on the flour but really don’t think I needed to, I like bars a bit firmer.
We love this recipe as written and also with coca powder added as I stated last year. Today, we made them with 1 tsp. pumpkin spice instead of cinnamon. Yum!
Can you substitute the coconut oil for another oil?
Yes! Any neutral vegetable oil (such as safflower) would work. 🙂
Excellent! Topped them with a sweet buttery glaze.
I'll have to try a glaze next time, Charlie! Glad you enjoyed these. 🙂
What could I sub for honey (apparently babies under a year should not have honey)?
Maple syrup should work!
Just made these today. They are amazing and very easy to make! Thank you for sharing your recipe ?!
You're very welcome, Bree...so happy these were a hit! 🙂
I made these last Sunday with one of my sons. They were great and lasted alll week, We will make these again.
I’ve made these twice this week! The first batch didn’t last 24 hours in my house! We love them!
They taste amazing and my kiddos loved them! I drizzled a little vanilla icing to make them look like the bars we buy at the grocery store!
Is there a substitution for coconut oil? Maybe Greek yogurt?
My kids loved them. We have even added 1/4 cup of baking cocoa to make them chocolatey.
What a great idea, Donna! I'm definitely adding some cocoa powder next time. 🙂
Smile ☺
Making more today! Yum!
So so good!! I bake them aigain and aigain and aigain…they are perfect. I freeze them and put some bars in the Toaster when i'm hungry. Perfect as a Snack on my biketours. Thank you very much for this recipe and kind regards from Germany!
Can you use regular oil if you don't have coconut oil??
Sure! 🙂
What a wonderful recipe. Thanks for sharing.