This Banana Oatmeal Bars recipe is a must-add to your collection if you love a snack that can keep you fuller for longer. Avoid the added sugar in store-bought bars, and enjoy this homemade version instead which is chock full of whole good for you ingredients.
They are the perfect treat for filling up hungry bellies fast and the perfect energy bar to have on hand post-workout or packed into your lunchbox for an afternoon pick-me-up. An amazing treat and they are SO easy to put together.
The base is my favorite part because it’s made with fresh bananas, dates and peanut butter. is there a better trio? I can’t recall one!
The ingredient list is very minimal and you can find every single ingredient at any grocery store now-a-days. A chocolate coating on top is one hundred percent necessary by the way, and as usual, it’s very easy to make.
Why I love this recipe
Healthy. I am not overselling the goodness of these bars. They are made without added sugar, flour, butter, oil, eggs, or dairy. My family loves them for breakfast because they are full of wholesome carbs and healthy fats.
Quick and easy to make. No chill time, no fancy kitchen gadgets needed.
Easy to customize. You can jazz up these bars to suit your taste buds, or add your favorite mix-ins.
We all love simple and delicious snacks that are portable, freezer-friendly. make-ahead, kid friendly, fill hungry bellies up fast, and use up leftover bananas.
Truly one of my favorite homemade snacks, these banana oatmeal bars have made their rounds in my kitchen for nearly 10 years. Sometimes I change the recipe based on the ingredients I have and they still manage to turn out wonderfully! Satisfying your sweet tooth and unbelievably easy to make, these healthy oatmeal bars should definitely be on your no-bake healthy list. I can’t get enough.
I don’t hide my love for oats. Oats are part of many my meals. I’m using oats wherever and whenever I can. Energy balls, protein bars and even smoothies and smoothie bowls all feature this amazing heart HEALTHY grain.
Oats are super rich in high-quality fibers that are sooo good for our digestion, but also with many other essential nutrients – like plant-based proteins, vitamins and minerals. I love oats because you can eat them raw – with milk for breakfast or in raw treats and smoothies, or you can cook and bake them. And they turn out equally delicious, in any of mentioned ways.
In addition to the super-healthy oats, which makes the base for these Banana Oatmeal Bars, the real star of this recipe is, of course, the peanut butter… that I crazily insanely unbelievably LOVE.
Peanut butter is packed with so many nutrients that are good for our health – like plant-based proteins and fibers. + It’s packed with powerful antioxidant vitamin E, and bone-building magnesium, and muscle-friendly potassium, and immunity-boosting vitamin B6. +
It’s great for a healthy eating plan because it fills you up and keeps you feeling full longer so you are much less likely to reach for the not-so-good stuff.
These delicious oatmeal bars are:
Made with wholesome ingredients good for health,
Full of high-quality dietary fibers that promote good digestion
Easy to prepare and need only a few simple ingredients
Refined sugar-free
Rich in plaint-based proteins
Vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free
Great grab-and-go snack
Perfect before or after workout meal
Healthy and filling snack that is also portable and travels well
Decadent and rich in chocolate-peanut flavor, these bad boys are one amazing treat. Make sure you prepare a few batches at once and store in zip-lock bags in the freezer. That way you will have them ready whenever you need a ‘lil’ something!
Banana Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup coconut or almond flour
- 1 cup dates, soaked 30 minutes and drained
- 2 medium medium bananas, ripe
- 1/2 cup ½ cup peanut (or any other nut or seed) butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Chocolate Topping
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Toppings
- Coconut shreds
- Chopped nuts
Instructions
- Line a 7 x 5-inch loaf pan or dish with parchment paper on the bottom and sides leaving some overhanging to act as a handle to get the bars out easier for cutting. Add oats to a food processor and process until broken down into a rough flour. Add coconut flour, dates, bananas, peanut butter, honey and vanilla and process until it becomes a dough like mixture. Be careful not to over process as its nice to have texture variance and different sized “bits” in your banana bars.Transfer the mixture into the lined pan, spread out evenly with a spatula or back of a spoon and place in fridge or freezer while you melt the chocolate coating.
Chocolate Topping
- Place chocolate chips and coconut oil in a small dish and microwave at 50% power with 30 second bursts stirring between each one until melted and smooth.Or use double boiler method - (pot of boiling water with a bowl resting on top) melt the chocolate chips and the coconut oil together.Once melted, pour over the banana bar slice and sprinkle with coconut shreds or chopped nuts while the chocolate is still wet so they stick. Place back in fridge for 30 minutes for the chocolate to set. Then remove from pan using the parchment paper handles. Cut into 10 bars or more smaller squares. Keep stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Or in freezer for up to 3months.
If you are looking for more delicious, healthy, no bake desserts and treats to help you reach your health, wellness and fitness goals, you will love my collection here: Blended Bites
