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
Hi! I am going to make these and would like to freeze half. Do you think they can be frozen for a couple weeks?
As long as you wrap them well (such as freezer thickness foil + plastic wrap), that should be just fine! 🙂
Lovely! Thanks for sharing. We grow bananas so always looking for new recipes - this is a keeper quick and easy.
I have made these a few times. This is one of my favorite things to do to old bananas.
These look good. Can we do with almond flour?
Hi Robin! I imagine this recipe could be adapted, but since substituting almond flour usually requires a bit of recipe tweaking and I've never tried it with this one, I'm not able to advise. Good luck if you decide to give it a try! 🙂
Love these for a quick breakfast. How long will these stay safe to eat?
These will keep at room temperature for 2 or 3 days, and then I'd pop any leftovers in the fridge for another week or so. 🙂
Just made theses
Love them
I also had about 1 cup of left over white chips I threw in to use up .
Thank you for sharing
This looks like an amazing recipe, if I get rid of the egg will it make a difference as I am allergic to egg
I'm not sure how these would turn out completely eliminating the egg. But you could try an egg substitute or at least applesauce in place of the egg.
Really delicious and easy! I use about a 1/3 cup of honey and find them plenty sweet.
These are sooooo good! I put them in the freezer and microwave them when I'm ready to eat
These look great for a prepare ahead breakfast for my group. Have you tried freezing them? Does it change the consistency?
I haven't personally frozen these, Claudia, but I can think of no reason why they wouldn't be fine once thawed. 🙂
I haven’t made these yet but my daughter is under 1 & cannot have honey. Do you think sugar free maple syrup would be an okay replacement? I am looking for an easy healthy breakfast for her during the week.
Yes, maple syrup should work fine. 🙂
What about using almond flour in place of the wheat flour?
Hi! I've never tried this recipe with almond flour, so I can't say for sure how it would turn out. But I think it definitely could work as long as you adjust the amount accordingly (since almond flour cannot be substituted 1:1 for wheat flour). Here's a resource that better explains it...hope it helps! 🙂 https://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2017/03/20/baking-with-almond-flour
Greetings from El Salvador.
Question:
I only have All purpose flour on hand. Should I use the same amount?
Yes, that'll work, Liz! 🙂
These look delicious! I am eager to try this recipe, but my daughter does not like the taste of coconut oil. Is there another oil I can swap?
You can use any neutral-flavored oil (sunflower, safflower, etc.) or even melted butter. 🙂
Super easy to make and a nice snack.
Is the half cup of coconut oilmeasure a half them melted or melted to be a half cup.
What about making these oatmeal bars with other fruit
It's 1/2 cup melted coconut oil. I try to get close but scooping some solid coconut oil into a measuring cup, microwaving it for a few seconds, and then removing a little or adding a bit more to get exactly 1/2 cup. 🙂
These are just about the only thing my toddler will eat for lunch. She loves them. I also added about half a cup of shredded zucchini to get some veggies in her bars.
I have been thinking about adding some peanut butter to the recipe to add some protein. Do you have any suggestions on what to cut back or just add in a scoop of peanut butter?
Hi Brittany! I'm happy to hear that your toddler enjoys these so much! 🙂 I honestly think you could probably just add a big spoonful of peanut butter without changing the rest of the recipe. (I also have a similar recipe for Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars in case you think your little one might enjoy trying those as well... https://www.fivehearthome.com/peanut-butter-oatmeal-bars/)
Mum of 2 boys, aged 3 & 1. They devoured these and called them cake. WIN. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. Bringing them with me to toddler group tomorrow so you may have more fans tomorrow. Cheers from Ireland.
Yay, Kirsten! So happy these were a hit with your boys. 🙂
If I wanted to make a pumpkin spice version would I be able to swap the banana for the same amount of pumpkin purée? My toddler loved these and consistency was really good for him.
Hi Dana! I haven't tried it, but that's a great idea and I see no reason why it wouldn't work just fine. 🙂
My kids love love love love love love these. I'm awful at baking but these turn out awesome every time! Thank you so much for this beloved recipe! Try it with nuts (pecans are our fav!)
These are wonderful! I made them for my toddler as his breakfast on the go, but my husband and I have also been eating them. They remind me of banana bread, and it may be because I didn't have enough oats, so I substituted whole wheat flour. Either way, they are going on my repeat it recipe list. I also used pure maple syrup in place of the honey because I didn't have any on hand.
Substitutions: 1 1/2 cup oats and 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
Baking Time: I did 16 mins and they were perfect.
Making these now! Question? Its says 276kcal. What is that in regular calories? And it that per bat?
Hi Jenn! "kcal" is just the way my recipe card abbreviates "calories." And yes, the nutrition information is per serving, which in this case means per bar. So each Banana Oatmeal Bar has 276 calories (when you cut the whole batch into 12 bars, as indicated at the top of the recipe card). Hope that helps! 🙂